Interpretation Mesha Stele

1 interpretation

1.1 analysis
1.2 parallel 2 kings 3
1.3 proposed references david , house of david
1.4 authenticity
1.5 minimalist views

interpretation
analysis

detail of portion of lines 12–16, reconstructed squeeze. middle line (14), transliterated את. נבה. על. ישראל reads take nabau against israel

the mesha stele longest iron age inscription ever found in region, major evidence moabite language, , unique record of military campaigns. occasion erection of sanctuary kemosh in qarho, acropolis (citadel) of dibon, mesha s capital, in aid against mesha s enemies. kemosh credited important role in victories of mesha, not mentioned in connection building activities, reflecting crucial need give recognition nation s god in life , death national struggle. fact numerous building projects have taken years complete suggests inscription made long after military campaigns, or @ least of them, , account of campaigns reflects royal ideology wishes present king obedient servant of god. king claims acting in national interest removing israelite oppression , restoring lost lands, close reading of narrative leaves unclear whether conquered territories moabite – in 3 campaign stories there no explicit reference prior moabite control.

parallel 2 kings 3

the inscription seems parallel episode in 2 kings 3: jehoram of israel makes alliance jehoshaphat king of judah , unnamed king of edom (south of judah) put down rebellious vassal mesha; 3 kings have best of campaign until mesha, in desperation, sacrifices god kemosh either eldest son or eldest son of king of edom; sacrifice turns tide, there came great wrath against israel , , mesha apparently achieves victory. apparent correspondence basis of usual dating of inscription 840 bce, andré lemaire has cautioned identification not , stele may late 810 bce.

proposed references david , house of david

the discovery of tel dan stele led reevaluation of mesha stele scholars. in 1994, andré lemaire reconstructed bt[d]wd house of david , meaning judah, in line 31. section badly damaged, appears tell of mesha s reconquest of southern lands of moab, earlier part dealt victories in north. line 31 says captured horonen occupying it. occupants unclear. legible letters bt[*]wd, square brackets representing damaged space contained 1 letter. not universally accepted—nadav na aman, instance, reads bt[d]wd[h], house of daodoh , local ruling family; if lemaire correct, earliest evidence of existence of judean kingdom , davidic dynasty.

in 2001 anson rainey proposed two-word phrase in line 12— r l dwdh—should read reference altar hearth of david @ ataroth, 1 of towns captured mesha. sentence reads: (i.e., mesha) carried there (atartoth) r l of dwd (or: r l of dvd) , dragged before kemosh in qeriot . meaning of both words unclear. 1 line of thought sees r l name of man (literally el light ) , translates dwd defender , sense of passage mesha, having conquered ataroth, dragged defender , name el light , altar of kemosh, presumably sacrificed. seems more kind of cult-vessel meant, , other suggestions have included lion-statue of beloved , meaning city god.

authenticity

the stele regarded genuine vast majority of biblical archaeologists today, on basis there no other inscriptions of comparable age known scholars @ time. then, assyrian lion weights oldest phoenician-style inscription had been discovered.

in years following discovery of stele, number of scholars questioned authenticity, including leopold zunz, moritz steinschneider, moses gaster, f.w. schulz, gustav jahn, rupert storr, , particularly albert löwy, wrote 2 monographs disputing authenticity of stele in 1887 , 1903. authenticity challenged in detail abraham yahuda in 1944 in article, story of forgery , mēša inscription .

minimalist views

thomas l. thompson believes inscription on mesha stele not historical, allegory. in 2000 wrote: rather historical text, mesha inscription belongs substantial literary tradition of stories kings of past... phrase omri, king of israel, eponym of highland patronate bit humri, belongs theological world of narnia.