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© MUSÉE DU LOUVRE, DIST. RMN-GRAND PALAIS / PHILIPPE FUZEAU / ART RESOURCE, NY

TIGHT SQUEEZE. After it came to the attention of European scholars in 1868, the Mesha Stele was broken into pieces. Prior to this, though, Yaqub Karavaca made a squeeze (paper-mache impression) of it. The squeeze, albeit imperfect and weathered, provides a unique testimony to the original inscription—portions of which are more discernible thanks to a backlit photo of the squeeze from 2018 (above). The btdwd section of the squeeze has been boxed above.