region

Moab

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History

Moab is the tableland east of the Dead Sea, a plateau some 900 m high that falls steeply to the sea and is cut by the deep gorges of the Arnon (Wadi Mujib) and the Zered (Wadi Hasa), its southern border with Edom. Its heartland lay between the two gorges around Kir-hareseth (Kerak); the plain north of the Arnon, with Dibon, Medeba, Nebo and Heshbon, was long disputed with Israel. The land grows grain and pasture: Mesha, king of Moab, "was a sheepmaster". Genesis traces the Moabites to Lot's elder daughter, and the Moabite language, known from the Mesha Stele, is a close relative of Hebrew.

At the end of the wanderings Israel camped in the plains of Moab opposite Jericho, and Balak, king of Moab, hired Balaam to curse them; Balaam blessed instead and foresaw a sceptre out of Israel that "shall smite the corners of Moab". Israel was told not to attack Moab, "because I have given Ar unto the children of Lot". Moses died "in the land of Moab" on Mount Nebo. In the time of the judges Eglon of Moab oppressed Israel eighteen years until Ehud killed him; Elimelech's family went to sojourn there, and Ruth the Moabitess became the great-grandmother of David, who later left his parents with the king of Moab, yet as king made the Moabites his servants.

After Ahab died "the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel", and Jehoram, Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom marched against him; when Mesha was hemmed in he offered his eldest son as a burnt offering on the wall, and Israel withdrew. Mesha's own account survives on the basalt stele found at Dhiban in 1868 and now in the Louvre: it tells how Omri had oppressed Moab, how Mesha took back Medeba, Nebo and other towns for his god Chemosh and built cities and cisterns. One damaged line is read by some as "house of David", which others doubt. Moab paid tribute to Tiglath-pileser III, Sennacherib and Esarhaddon, and Moabite bands harried Judah in the days of Jehoiakim. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, Ezekiel and Zephaniah pronounced judgement on Moab, which "hath been at ease from his youth".

Nabonidus campaigned in the region in 553 BC, and Moab disappears as a kingdom; Arabs and later the Nabataeans held the plateau, which passed into the Roman province of Arabia in AD 106. Eusebius still knew Moab as the land about Areopolis, the old Ar. Today it is central Jordan, the governorates of Madaba and Karak, with the Crusader castle of Kerak, the mosaic map at Madaba and the ruins at Dhiban.

Scripture: Gen 19:37; Num 22:2–6; Num 24:17; Deut 2:9; Deut 34:5–6; Judg 3:12–14; Ruth 1:1; Ruth 4:17; 1 Sam 22:3–4; 2 Sam 8:2; 2 Kgs 1:1; 2 Kgs 3:4–5; 2 Kgs 3:26–27; 2 Kgs 24:2; Isa 15:1; Jer 48:11; Amos 2:1–2; Zeph 2:8–9

Checked against its sources; not yet read by a historian.

Verses (162)

Gen 36:35

And Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad, who smote Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Avith.

Exod 15:15

Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away.

Num 21:11

And they journeyed from Oboth, and pitched at Ije-abarim, in the wilderness which is before Moab, toward the sunrising.

Num 21:13

From thence they removed, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, which is in the wilderness that cometh out of the coasts of the Amorites: for Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.

Num 21:15

And at the stream of the brooks that goeth down to the dwelling of Ar, and lieth upon the border of Moab.

Num 21:20

And from Bamoth in the valley, that is in the country of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which looketh toward Jeshimon.

Num 21:26

For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab, and taken all his land out of his hand, even unto Arnon.

Num 21:28

For there is a fire gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon: it hath consumed Ar of Moab, and the lords of the high places of Arnon.

Num 21:29

Woe to thee, Moab! thou art undone, O people of Chemosh: he hath given his sons that escaped, and his daughters, into captivity unto Sihon king of the Amorites.

Num 22:3

And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.

Num 22:4

And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.

Num 22:7

And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak.

Num 22:8

And he said unto them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the LORD shall speak unto me: and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam.

Num 22:10

And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying,

Num 22:14

And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us.

Num 22:21

And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.

Num 23:6

And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab.

Num 23:7

And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel.

Num 23:17

And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath the LORD spoken?

Num 24:17

I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.

Num 25:1

And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.

Num 25:2

And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.

Num 33:44

And they departed from Oboth, and pitched in Ije-abarim, in the border of Moab.

Deut 1:5

On this side Jordan, in the land of Moab, began Moses to declare this law, saying,

Deut 2:8

And when we passed by from our brethren the children of Esau, which dwelt in Seir, through the way of the plain from Elath, and from Ezion-gaber, we turned and passed by the way of the wilderness of Moab.

Deut 2:9

And the LORD said unto me, Distress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle: for I will not give thee of their land for a possession; because I have given Ar unto the children of Lot for a possession.

Deut 2:18

Thou art to pass over through Ar, the coast of Moab, this day:

Deut 29:1

These are the words of the covenant, which the LORD commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, beside the covenant which he made with them in Horeb.

Deut 32:49

Get thee up into this mountain Abarim, unto mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, that is over against Jericho; and behold the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel for a possession:

Deut 34:5

So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD.

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