On one hand, the stele confirms some of the names and circumstances found in the biblical texts on the monarchic period, and may even mention King David himself ; and it attests to the existence of a strong cult of Yahweh in ancient Israel. On the other hand, it suggests that the culture and religion of the ancient Israelites may have been radically different from Judaism today.
The ancient Hebrews may have been much closer to their much-maligned Canaanite adversaries than the Bible lets on. Found and lost. The inscription was first reported by an Alsatian missionary, who had seen it among the ruins of Dhiban, an ancient Moabite town east of the Dead Sea. This was done by placing a wet paper sheet on the stone and pressing it into the indentations created by the letters.
With their leader injured by a spear, they snatched the squeeze off the stone while it was still wet tearing into several pieces in the process before escaping. This act would prove vital for the preservation of the text, because soon after, the Bedouin decided to destroy the stele, breaking it into dozens of fragments.
Some historians claim they did so because they believed there might be a treasure inside, but Richelle says it was likely an act of defiance toward the Ottoman authorities, who were pressuring the Bedouin to hand over the stone to Germany.
It took years for Clermont-Ganneau and other researchers to locate and acquire most of the fragments, but in the end the French scholar managed to piece together about two-thirds of the stele, reconstructing most of the missing parts thanks to that impression that had been so adventurously saved. The reconstructed stele is still today on display at the Louvre Museum in Paris. The vessels of God. The "Mesha" in the stele is clearly identifiable as the rebellious Moabite ruler by the same name who appears in 2 Kings 3.
The Bible tells of miracles wrought by God, who makes water appear to quench the thirst of the Israelite army, which then goes on to righteously smite the Moabites in battle. But the account ends with an abrupt anticlimax. Although there are only a handful Moabite inscriptions out there, scholars had no trouble translating the stele because the language is so similar to ancient Hebrew. A king in the days of Sennacherib was called "Chemoshnadab" "K. Chemosh was a god developed out of the primitive Semitic mother-goddess Athtar, whose name he bears Moabite Stone, line 17; compare Barton, "Semitic Origins," iv.
The way Mesha brings Baal-maon into his inscription identifies the latter with Chemosh; for when Baal-maon is pleased Chemosh speaks to Mesha Moabite Stone, lines 30, Whatever differences of conception may have attached to the god at different shrines, there is no adequate reason for doubting the substantial identity of the gods to whom these various names were applied.
Hosea ix. Smith, "Twelve Prophets," ad loc. Solomon built a high place for Chemosh, as he did for the gods of several other of his wives, but the text describes Chemosh as the abomination of Moab cf. Josiah destroyed this shrine about three hundred years later 2 Kings Jeremiah prophesied that Chemosh and his devotees would be carried into captivity Jer , which would bring shame to his worshipers The name, Chemosh, appears twelve times on the Moabite Stone, two apparently in a compound form.
Mesha constructed a temple for them at Qrchh , the vocalization of which is unknown, but was prob.
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