Mesha

Mesha was the name of several biblical figures, the most significant being Mesha king of Moab, who rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab. According to 2 Kings 3:4–5, Mesha had been a sheep breeder who paid a massive annual tribute to Israel: one hundred thousand lambs and the wool of one hundred thousand rams. After Ahab died, Mesha refused to pay the tribute, prompting a joint military campaign by Jehoram of Israel, Jehoshaphat of Judah, and the king of Edom.

Mesha is independently attested in the famous Mesha Stele (the Moabite Stone, discovered in 1868), on which he records his victories over Israel in his own words — one of the most important extra-biblical inscriptions relating to Old Testament history. The stele mentions Israel, the house of Omri, the town of Nebo, and the divine name Chemosh, providing remarkable confirmation of the biblical account. Other figures named Mesha include a descendant of Caleb (1 Chronicles 2:42) and a territorial boundary of the Joktanites (Genesis 10:30).