THE MOABITE STONE 1 I am Mesha of Dibon, King of Moab, son of Chemoshmelekh. My father reigned thirty years over Moab and I succeeded him, and I erected this sanctuary of Chemosh in Khorkhah in commemoration of my victory over hostile kings, because Chemosh gave me victory and vengeance over all my enemies. When Chemosh was angry with his land, Omri, King of Israel, held Moab in subjection for many years; and his son succeeded him, and he also purposed to subdue Moab. This was in my days. But I avenged myself upon him and upon his house, and Israel finally lost all power over Moab. Omri annexed the land of Medeba, and for forty years, his reign and half his son's reign, it was occupied by Israel, but Chemosh restored it to Moab in my days. I extended and fortified Baal-meon, where I made the reservoir, and Kirjathaim. From of old the Gadites occupied the land of Ataroth; and the King of Israel fortified Ataroth, but I besieged and took it, and massacred all the population to gratify Chemosh and Moab. I removed thence the altar-hearth of Dawdoh 2 and transferred it to the temple of Chemosh at Kerioth; and I settled in Ataroth the men of Sharon and the men of Makharath. Chemosh said to me, " Go and take Nebo from Israel"; and I went by night, and assaulted it from daybreak till noon, and I took it, and massacred all the inhabitants, seven thou 66 1 This and the following translation are from Prof. W. Bennett's book, The Moabite Stone." The translation of King Mesha's words is somewhat free, being meant to carry the sense to the reader, not the exact phrasing. 2 Dawdoh is a god not mentioned elsewhere, and apparently not the same as Jehovah. The name in its Hebrew spelling bears a striking similarity to "David." sand men and boys, and women and girls and slave-girls, because I had vowed to destroy it utterly in honor of AshtorChemosh. And I took thence the altar-hearths of Jehovah and transferred them to the temple of Chemosh. Then the King of Israel fortified Jahaz, and made it his headquarters while he fought against me, but Chemosh drove him out before me. I took the fighting men of the two hundred clans of Moab, and led them against Jahaz and took it, to annex it to the territory of Dibon. I extended and fortified Khorkhah, providing it with walls and gates and towers, and a palace, and, in the midst of the city, reservoirs. There were no cisterns in Khorkhah, and I bade every householder provide a cistern in his own house. I used the Israelite prisoners as laborers for my public works at Khorkhah. I made the road by the Arnon, and I extended and fortified Aroer, and Bathbamoth that had been destroyed, and Bezer that was in ruins. In the royal district of Dibon there were fifty clans, and a hundred in the newly conquered towns and their territory. I extended and fortified Medeba and Bethdiblathaim. And as for Beth-baal-meon there I placed shepherds... sheep of the land and Horonaim, wherein dwelt . . . and . . . Chemosh said to me, 'Go down, attack Horonaim," and I went down . . . Chemosh in my days, and Eleadeh whence . . . and I I. THE INSCRIPTION OF SILOAM the boring. Now this was the manner of the boring. While yet . . .1 The pick each toward his fellow; and while there were yet three cubits to strike through, the voice of each was heard Calling to his fellows, for there was ZDH 2 in the rock on the right hand . . . and on the day of the Boring, the hewers struck through each opposite his fellow, pick to pick, and came The waters from the spring to the pool, 1,200 cubits. And 100 Cubits was the height of the rock above the head of the hewers. 1 There are six lines to the inscription as here shown, but the opening and close of the first line are worn away. crack," 2 This word is not found in later Hebrew. It may mean a a "fissure." The borers were working inward from either end of the 1200-cubit tunnel. Perhaps the borings did not strike each other exactly, but they were so near that a crack in the rock, or perhaps a noise, made them realize how near they were and strike through at the right spot. The incident was thought worth recording. |