Missives

Moabite Stone

By Bro. Vince Kluth
For those who don't think the Bible's mention of specific names and lineages are important, think again.

For those who don’t think the Bible’s mention of specific names and lineages are important, think again. The phrases “{son, seed} of David” are mentioned over 30 times in the Bible, 12 of those directly connected to Jesus as the promised Messiah.  But what if king David never actually existed? This would raise crucial questions about the historical Jesus and whether He fulfilled prophecies concerning His lineage. If so, many would seriously doubt His claims of truth, let alone as Savior. As late as the end of the American Civil War, and up until the mid-1990s, liberal critics insisted “nothing in the Bible before the Babylonian exile can lay claim to any historical accuracy”.

Enter F.A. Klein, an Anglican missionary living in Jerusalem. In 1868, he traveled near Dhiban (old Dibon) in west central Jordan where Moab was once located, helping the medical needs of a Bedouin tribe (see map, right). He traced down their rumors of a large stone with ancient writing and found an engraved basalt monument, 45”x26”x14” in size. The French obtained it, then stored in the Louvre (see photo, below) where it dated to around 830 BC.  By 1994, the renowned French epigrapher Andre Lemaire deciphered its 34 lines of proto-Hebrew letters. 

The stone was Moabite king Mesha’s victory proclamation (stele) of his rebellion against the king of Israel and “house of [Da]vid”. At that time, Moab was under tribute to Israel for an hundred thousand lambs, and an hundred thousand rams, with the wool (2Kings 3:4).  After the death of Israel’s king Ahab, king Mesha stopped paying this heavy tribute, and carved his self-righteous side of the story in stone. 

 

Though liberal scholars still debate whether the damaged letters refer to David or someone else, it wasn’t long before another archaeologist uncovered a clear “house of David” inscription (which we’ll cover in a future edition.) There is no debate, however, over the Moabite stone specifically naming king Omri and “YHWH”, the earliest extra-biblical reference to Jehovah (see below, annotated photos, written right to left)

 

In addition to the “house of David” reference, this fractured slab reveals a stunning degree and number of similarities between king Mesha’s record and the Bible’s accounts. He particularly mentions pagan gods, towns and regional features which match the biblical record identically, even to the spelling (see table below).

Category

Name used in Moabite Stone and the Bible

Deities

Moabite god Chemosh, Caananite god Baal, and Hebrew God Jehovah (Nu 21:9, Ju 2:13, Ps 83:18)

Kings

Mesha, Omri (2Ki 3:4, 1Ki 16:16)

Nations

Israel, Moab (2Ki 3:4, Gen 19:37)

Territories

Gad, Sharon (Gen 30:11, 1Chr 5:16)

Towns, cities

Dibon, Medeba, Beth Baal Meon, Kiriathaim, Ataroth, Kerioth, Nebo, Jahaz, Aroer, Bezer (Nu 21:23,30, 32:3,24; Jos 13:7,19, 15:25; De 4:43)

River

Arnon (Nu 21:13)

 

Bottom line:  David was a real king.  His “house” (nation) was an Iron Age regional influence.  One of his descendants was born in due time as the Messiah. Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?

 

Sources and quote: Bible-history.com, WorldHistory.org.

Photo: WorldHistory.org.

Map and annotated depictions: BibleArchaeology.org.

Data source for Table: AccuracyInGenesis.org

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