Moabite Stone
Describes the victories of Moabite king Mesha over the House of Omri (kingdom of Israel). It bears the earliest certain extra-biblical reference to the Israelite god Yahweh, and—if French scholar André Lemaire reconstruction of a portion of line 31 is correct—the earliest mention of the "House of David" (i.e., the kingdom of Judah). One of the only two known artifacts containing the "Moabite" dialect of Canaanite languages (the second is the El-Kerak Inscription)
About the Discovery
The Mesha Stele, (Moabite Stone), is a stele dated around 840 BCE containing a significant Canaanite inscription in the name of King Mesha of Moab. Mesha tells how Chemosh, the god of Moab, had been angry with his people and had allowed them to be subjugated to the Kingdom of Israel, but at length, Chemosh returned and assisted Mesha to throw off the yoke of Israel and restore the lands of Moab.
The stele, whose story parallels an episode in the Bible's Books of Kings (2 Kings 3:4–28), provides invaluable information on the political relationship between Moab and Israel at one moment in the 9th century BCE. It is the most extensive inscription ever recovered that refers to the kingdom of Israel and it bears the earliest certain extrabiblical reference to the Israelite god Yahweh.
More recent computer imaging techniques have revealed that the actual inscription refers to the "House of David" rather than the "House of Omri." This provides direct arxcheological evidence for the reality of David and his "house," or progeny.
Scripture Reference
But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.
And king Jehoram went out of Samaria at that time, and mustered all Israel.
And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, 'The king of Moab hath rebelled against me: wilt thou go with me against Moab to battle?' And he said, 'I will go up: I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses.'"
2 Kings 3: 4-7