The excavations at Samaria have been going on since the Harvard expedition began in 1908. Among the valuable finds from the ivory palace of Ahab must be listed a group of seventy-five ostraca. These ancient fragments of pottery, inscribed and engraved with the homely affairs of the daily life of Ahab’s time, contain the same script as is found on the Moabite stone. This great relic of antiquity has had a fascinating but unfortunate history in itself. It will always be a matter of sincere regret that the first discoverer of the Moabite stone did not make a copy of its complete text. The Moabite stone states that Ahab reigned forty years. The Scripture record, however, makes his reign to be twenty-two years. According to the credible chronology of II Kings, upon the death of Ahab, his son, Jehoram, ascended to the throne and reigned twelve years. Mesha, who had accepted the lordship of the able Ahab, rebelled against the weaker son. At some time during this reign, Mesha, a minor king of Moab, tired of paying to Israel the annual tribute of one hundred thousand lambs, plus one hundred thousand rams, with the wool thereof. He rebelled against the overlord of Israel and successfully threw off the yoke. On an enormous stele which was erected at Dhiban by the successful king we find these words: “I Mesha, son of Chemosh-melech, king of Moab, the Dibonite. My father reigned over Moab 30 years and I reigned after my father. I have made this monument for Chemosh at Qorhah, a monument of salvation for he saved me from all invaders and let me see my desire upon all my enemies. Omri was king of Israel, and he oppressed Moab many days, for Chemosh was angry with his land. His son, Ahab followed him and he also said: I will oppress Moab. In my days Chemosh said: I will see my desire on him and his house and Israel surely shall perish forever. Omri took the land of Medeba and dwelt in it during his days and half the days of his son, altogether 40 years. But Chemosh gave it back in my days. I built Baal-Meon and made therein the ditches; I built Kirjathaim. The men of God dwelt in the land of Ataroth from of old, and the king of Israel built there the city of Ataroth; but I made war against the city and took it. And I slew all the people of the city, for the pleasure of Chemosh and of Moab and I brought back from the Arel of Dodah and bore him before Chemosh in Qerioth. And I placed therein the men of Sharon and the men of Mehereth. And Chemosh said unto me: Go, seize Nebo of Israel and I went in the night and fought against it from the break of dawn till noon; and I took it, slew all of them, 7,000 men and boys, women and girls and female slaves, for to Ashtar-Chemosh I devoted them. And I took from thence the Arels of Yahwah and bore them before Chemosh. Now the king of Israel had built Jahaz and he dwelt in it while he waged war against me, but Chemosh drove him out from before me....”