05/15/2026
The discovery of the Moabite language on a stele in 1868 constituted the first extra-biblical evidence that certain historical events in the Bible actually occurred. For example, it was the first inscription found that referred to the Israelite god Yahweh outside the Bible.
To this day, the Mesha Stele on which Moabite was found is the major evidence we have for the language aside from a few short inscriptions. It’s written in a version of the Phoenician alphabet. Moabite is a Canaanite language (the branch of the Semitic language family that also includes Hebrew).