Tall Šṭīb The basalt stele was found in 2002 during an archaeological survey by eastern edge of the site of Tall Šṭīb. The round topped stele is broken at the bottom and in its current shape is about 76 cm high, 66 cm wide and 38 cm thick. On the front face towards the top is a two-line Hieroglyphic Luwian inscription that identifies the author as Urahilina, son of Parita, king of Hama and similar to several other inscriptions of his from Hama, it is a declaration of founding an unnamed settlement dedication to the deity called Ba'alatis. The find spot of the stele gives some idea about the extent of the kingdom of Hama to the north. Urahilina is known to have ruled in the mid-9th century BCE. Click on the picture for a larger image.

Literature:
Gonnet, H. "Une stèle hiéroglyphique louvite à Tall Šṭīb," in P.-L. Gatier et al (eds.), Entre nomades et sédentaires. Lyon, 2010: 97–99.
Rousset, M.-O. "Note sur le site de Tall Šṭīb," in P.-L. Gatier et al (eds.), Entre nomades et sédentaires. Lyon, 2010: 101–3.

Image sources:
Marie-Odile Rousset, 2010.