Mesha appears in Genesis 10:30, defining one edge of the region settled by Jokṭan's descendants: "Their territory extended from Mesha in the direction of Sephar to the hill country of the east." This passage attempts to locate the Arabian tribes descended from Jokṭan, Shem's line. Identification remains uncertain—proposals include the district of Mesene on the Persian Gulf or the Assyrian "Maš" in the Syro-Arabic desert. The Septuagint reads "Masse," suggesting even ancient translators were uncertain. What matters is the geographic function: Mesha marks a recognizable boundary point, anchoring these Arabian tribes in real space and establishing the Semitic family's expansive reach across the Near East.