The Mesha Stele: Artifact Deep Dive

The Mesha Stele is an incredibly artifact which was found at the site of Dibon in modern Jordan. It is the longest narrative historical text found in the Iron Age Levant to date. It has a fascinating story of discovery and offers important insights into ancient Moab, it's king Mesha, Moabite theology of their national god Kemosh (Chemosh) and so much more. But it also has a sort-of parallel account in the book of 2 Kings that may leave you more confused than anything else. Let's dig in.
#archaeology #bible #digitalarchaeology #biblicalarchaeology #moab #moabites #jordan #ancienthistory #mesha #meshastele #moabitestone
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If you'd like to read more here are just a few of the sources we used in this video:
J Andrew Dearman, Studies in the Mesha inscription and Moab. Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1989.
Edward Lipiński, On the Skirts of Canaan in the Iron Age: Historical and Topographical Researches. Bondgenotenlaan: Peeters Publishers & Faculty of Oriental Studies, 2006.
Bruce Routledge, Moab in the Iron Age: Hegemony, Polity, Archaeology. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2004.
Neil Asher Silberman, Digging for God and Country. New York: Doubleday, 1982.
John R. Bartlett, “The ‘United’ Campaign Against Moab in 2 Kings 3:4-27,” in Midian, Edom, and Moab: The History and Archaeology of Late Bronze and Iron Age Jordan and North West Arabia, edited by John F.A. Sawyer and David J.A. Clines. JSOT Supplement Series 24. Sheffield: JSOT Press, 1983: 135-146.
Bruce Routledge, “The Politics of Mesha: Segmented Identities and State Formation in Iron Age Moab,” JESHO 43 (3) 2000: 221-56.
Nadav Na’aman, “Three Notes on the Aramaic Inscription from Tel Dan,” in Ancient Israel's History and Historiography: The First Temple Period Collected Essays Volume 3. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2006.
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[@illbeback126]

thank you for this interesting presentation. i appreciate it!

[@joeyygainz9899]

Great video just found out about this name. Is it really connected to yahweh?

[@Qingeaton]

I see how stories can have details different and still be the same and true.
I had heard that the man was stabbed with a lance, and here it says shot. 3:39
The method of injury is maybe not the critical part. I enjoy hearing several different accounts anyway. Thank you.

[@rumhead666]

Well that was interesting. Like a good Netflix series it ends with a cliffhanger.

[@philipps6032]

Awesome!
Do you have any views on the historicity of David's kingdom?

[@kylebauman5861]

We keep meaning to do a series on David, but there is a whole lot to cover! We have this season planned out through December, but maybe we can do that in the spring.

[@shahesfelazi8549]

Did not God ask Abraham to sacrifice his first born? So did the Moab King sacrificed his son to his God as well.

[@icypirate11]

Thus says the Lord:
For three _TRANSGRESSIONS OF MOAB,_ and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because _HE BURNED TO LIME THE BONES OF THE KING OF EDOM._
So I will send a fire on Moab, and it shall devour the strongholds of Kerioth,
and Moab shall die amid uproar, amid shouting and the sound of the trumpet;
I will cut off the ruler from its midst and will kill all its officials with him,
says the Lord.
Amos 2:1-3 NRSVue
I sure hope this passage is on your list for next week as an interpretation of 2 Kings 3

[@angelodcollazo]

17:23 Will "cherem", as mentioned in both the Mesha stela and various places throughout the Bible, be discussed in your future Theology of Warfare video?

[@BeneaththeBible]

Yes, we will definitely cover that

[@frankadams9644]

it has gods name on it

[@gosh5137]

11:06 Source 1 Kings 1:17 is wrong. Should be 2.Kings 1:17