A block of basalt, bearing an ancient inscription in a Semitic language, was discovered in 1868 at Dhiban (the Dibon of Scripture) by the Rev. F. A. Klein, of the Jerusalem Mission Society. This block, which measured 3′ 10″ × 2′ 0″ × 1′ 2·5″, proved on examination to have been erected by Mesha, King of Moab about 890 b.c., and to refer to the war mentioned in 2 Kings iii. A series of blunders on the part of those anxious to obtain this interesting relic caused a quarrel about ownership between two Arab tribes, and one of them, to spite the other, broke it in pieces. These, however, were obtained by the French Consul in Palestine, and sent to Paris, where they were fitted together so far as possible, and the repaired stone is now in the Louvre Museum. The late Professor E. H. Palmer, on a visit to Dhiban in 1870, picked up a small fragment from those still lying on the spot, which he gave to me on his return to England. The constant pressure of other work has hitherto prevented me from examining the specimen, and I have only recently had a slice prepared. The largest face of the fragment measures about 3″ × 2·5″, but the thickest part hardly exceeds half an inch. The original smoothed surface of the stone, possibly including part of a letter, may be seen on one of the sloping sides.
Crafting Critical Heritage Discourses into Interactive Exhibition Design