The Mesha Stele reconstruction and digital epigraphy

Record summary

The Mesha Stele, a nineteenth-century discovery, received renewed epigraphic and historical attention during the requested period through improved photography, reconstruction, and debates over damaged readings. The ninth-century BCE Moabite royal text is a key comparison point for Levantine kingship, territorial claims, divine patronage, and biblical historiography. The object itself is established, but portions are missing or reconstructed, especially where the Louvre squeeze and proposed readings are involved. Its narrative is royal propaganda and should not be read as a neutral campaign report.