Mesha
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A 9th Century B.C.E King of Moab, a strip of hilly land in present-day Jordan, which lay north of Edom, across the Dead Sea from Judah up to the Arnon river valley. The biblical books of Samuel report that Moab had been conquered by David (floruit c.1000-970 B.C.E) and was retained in the territories of Solomon (d. 931 B.C.E). The Mesha Stele, also known as the Moabite Stone, indicates that it was still under the dominion of Israelite Kings based at Samaria a century later. Mesha appears to have fought successfully for the freedom of Moab from Israel as the Moabite Stone, which dates from c.850 B.C.E, indicates. 2 Kings 3:4 states that "King Mesha of Moab was a sheep breeder, who used to deliver to the king of Israel one hundred thousand lambs, and the wool of one hundred thousand rams", but also that he later rebelled against Jehoram, then king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel.He finally liberated his homeland from invaders. Aside from these attestations, references to Mesha are scanty, if extant.
Bibliography:
"The Cambridge Ancient History", Vol. III Pt. i, 2nd Ed.; Boardman, Edwards, Hammond & Sollberger eds.; Cambridge University Press, 1982
"Reading the Old Testament"; Lawrence Boadt; Paulist Press, 1984
"The History and Religion of Israel"; G.W. Anderson; Oxford University Press, 1966
