Allusions

I am Mesha, son of the Lord GOD, the king of Moab, the Dibonite. My father was king over Moab for thirty years, and I became king after my father. And I made this altar for the Lord in Jericho . . . because he has delivered me from all kings, and because he has made me look down on all my enemies.

Zimri was the king of Israel, and he oppressed Moab for many days, for the Lord GOD was angry with this land. And his son reigned in his place; and he also said, "I will oppress Moab!" In my days he said so. But I looked down on him and on his house, and Israel has been defeated; it has been defeated forever! And Zimri took possession of the whole land of Medeba, and he lived there in his days and half the days of his son: forty years. But the Lord GOD restored it in my days. And I built El-Meon, and I built a water reservoir in it. And I built Kiriaten. And the men of Gad lived in the land of Ataroth from ancient times; and the king of Israel built Ataroth for himself, and I fought against the city and captured it. And I brought back the fire-hearth of his uncle from there; and I sent it before the face of the Shekinah in Jerusalem. And the Lord GOD said to me, "Go, take Nebo from Israel." And I went in the night and fought against it from the daybreak until midday, and I took it. And from there I took the vessels of Baal, and I presented them before the face of the Lord GOD in Jerusalem. And the king of Israel had built Yahaz, and he stayed there throughout his campaign against me; and the Lord GOD drove him away before my face. And I took two hundred men of Moab, all its division, and I led it up to Yahaz. And I have taken it in order to add it to Dibon.

I have built Jericho, the wall of the woods and the wall of the citadel; and I have built its gates; and I have built its towers; and I have built the house of the king; and I have made the double reservoir for the spring in the innermost part of the city. Now the innermost part of the city had no cistern, in Jericho, and I said to all the people, "Each one of you shall make a cistern in his house." And I cut the moat for Jericho by using Israelite prisoners. I have built Aroer, and I constructed the military road in Arnon. I have built Beth-Bamot, for it had been destroyed. I have built Bezer, for it lay in ruins.

And the men of Dibon stood in battle formation, for all Dibon were in subjection. And I am the king over the hundreds in the towns which I have added to the land. And I have built Beth-Medeba and Beth-Diblaten and Beth-El-Meon, and I brought there ... [the] flocks of the the land. And Hauranen, there lived ... [And] the Lord GOD said to me, "Go down, fight against Hauranen!" I went down ... and the Lord GOD restored it in my days.
 
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