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Origin of the Moabites
Moab was the son of Lot through the incestuous union between Lot and his oldest daughter (Gen 19:37). Moab became the ancestor of the Moabites. Lot’s younger daughter also bore a son and named him Ben-ammi, the ancestor of the Ammonites. Moab gave his name to the land of Moabites.
The land of Moab
The land of Moab was a 100 m high plateau east of the Dead Sea, cut by deep gorges. The southern boundary with Edom was the Wadi Zered, and the northern boundary with Ammon was the Wadi Arnon (Num 21:13). For some of his history Moab extended north into the land of the Ammonites.
The towns of Moab
Many of the towns of Moab are mentioned in the OT. The most important include Ar, Aroer, Dibon and Heshbon (Is 15:1-9, Jer 48:20-25).
Ar
Ar was the chief city of Moab, east of the Dead Sea near the River Arnon, possibly the iron age site named Khirbet Balu'a. Some have suggested that it was built on an island in the river. The Book of Numbers quotes from a lost document called the ‘Book of the Wars of the LORD’, “Waheb in Suphah and the wadis. The Arnon and the slopes of the wadis that extend to the seat of Ar, and lie along the border of Moab” (Num 21:15). In his lament over Moab, Isaiah declares, “Because Ar is laid waste in a night, Moab is undone;” (Is 15:1). Ar and the rest of Moab were excluded from the land given to Israel, “Do not harass Moab or engage them in battle, for I will not give you any of its land as a possession, since I have given Ar as a possession to the descendants of Lot” (Deut 2:9,18,29). Ar and other Moabite cities were conquered by King Sihon of the Amorites (Num 21:28).
Aroer
Aroer was an important military outpost on the boundary between Moab and Israel on the northern rim of the gorge of the river Arnon, thought to be the archaeological site of Khirbet el-Ara'ir. It was the southern limit of the Amorite kingdom of Sihon, and later the tribe of Reuben (Josh 13:9,16, Judges 11:26), changing hands several times. It was one of the cities rebuilt by the Gadites (Num 32:34). It was conquered by Hazael of Syria during the reign of Jehu of Israel (2 Kg 10:33). On the Moabite Stone, Mesha of Moab claimed to have built Aroer by the Arnon (line 26).
Dibon
Dibon was the capital city of Moab, and identified as the modern village of Dhiban, about 6 km (4 miles) north of the Arnon river. Originally it belonged to Moab, but was captured by Sihon and the Amorites (Num 21:26). It was captured by the Israelites and allocated to the tribes of Reuben and Gad (Num 21:30, 32:2-3). Moab took the city, but it was regained by Omri of Israel, and lost again to Mesha, as recorded on the Moabite Stone (lines 21 & 28). It remained under Moabite control (Is 15:2, Jer 48:18,22). Archaeologists have found a royal building possibly built by Mesha.
Heshbon
Heshbon is probably to be identified with the archaeological site of Tell Hesban about 12 km (8 miles) south-west of the Jordan capital of Amman. It was the city of King Sihon of the Amorites, who was defeated by the Israelites after he refused to let them pass through his land (Num 21, Deut 2:24). It was allocated to the tribe of Reuben (Num 32:37), and became a Levitical city (Josh 21:39). "For Heshbon was the city of King Sihon of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and captured all his land as far as the Arnon." (Num 21:26). By the time of Isaiah and Jeremiah, Heshbon had become under the control of the Moabites (Is 15:4, Jer 48:2). Heshbon is also mentioned in the Song of Solomon, where the poet likens his love's eyes to 'the pools of Heshbon', which may refer to the fish-pools of Heshbon (Song 7:4).
History of Moab
Before the descendants of Lot arrived in the land of Moab, it was already populated. It is likely that they inter-married with the local population, and gradually became the dominant group within the population. The four kings from the east led by Amraphel of Shinar invaded Moab and defeated the people of Shaveh-kiriathaim during the ‘war of the kings’ (Gen 14:5).
Moses
After around 1300 BC, several iron-age kingdoms appeared including Moab. This was a highly developed kingdom with organised agriculture, distinctive pottery and magnificent buildings. They built strong fortifications around their boundaries. It was at this time they occupied and shared the area north of the Arnon with the Ammonites (Deut 2:10-11, 19-21). By the time of the Exodus, the lands north of the Arnon were conquered by Sihon, king of the Amorites (Num 21:13). Like Edom, Moab refused to allow the Israelites to travel along the King’s Highway through their land on their way to the Promised Land (Judges 11:17). In spite of this, Moses was commanded by God not to harass or fight against Moab (Deut 2:9).
Balaam
After Israel crossed the Arnon, king Balak of Moab called on the prophet Balaam to curse Israel because Moab was in dread of the Israelites after their defeat of the Amorites (Num 22:1-6). In Deuteronomy, both the Moabites and Ammonites were excluded from the assembly of the LORD, “No Ammonite or Moabite shall be admitted to the assembly of the LORD. Even to the tenth generation, none of their descendants shall be admitted to the assembly of the LORD, because they did not meet you with food and water on your journey out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam son of Beor, from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you” (Deut 23:3-6).
Baal of Peor
Before they crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land, Israel was encamped in the plains of Moab, across from Jericho (Num 22:1, Josh 3:1). It was here that Moses renewed the covenant with the second generation of Israelites as recorded in the Book of Deuteronomy (Deut 1:1-5). At Shittim the Israelites were seduced by the women of Moab and encouraged to indulge in idolatry, worshipping the Baal of Peor (Num 25, Hos 9:10).
Eglon of Moab
Eglon was king of Moab during the time of the judges. He, along with the Ammonites and Amalekites, invaded the land of Israel as far as Jericho and oppressed Israel for 18 years (Judges 3:12-14). God raised up the left-handed Ehud from Benjamin as the deliverer, who tricked and assassinated Eglon when he was alone, relieving himself in his cool roof chamber. Ehud escaped and led the army of the Israelites to subdue the Moabites, bringing peace for 80 years (Judges (3:15-30).
Ruth
Elimelech of Bethlehem, with his wife Naomi, moved to Moab, where his sons married Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth (Ruth 1:1-2). After Naomi’s husband and sons died, she and Ruth moved back to Bethlehem. The Book of Ruth records the way Ruth met and married Boaz, becoming the great-grandmother of King David (Ruth 4:17), and forming part of the line that ultimately led to Jesus (Matt 1:5).
Saul, David and Solomon
Moab was one of the enemies on every side, including the Ammonites, Edom, Zobah and the Philistines, which Saul fought against (1 Sam 14:47). Details of these battle are not known. While David was fleeing from Saul, he asked the King of Moab to house and protect his parents (1 Sam 22:3-4). Later David defeated the Moabites, killing some and making others his servants, decided by two lengths of cord (2 Sam 8:2, 1 Chr 18:2). Moab was part of Solomon’s kingdom, but after his death, Moab broke free until they were subdued by King Omri of Israel. Moab remained under the control of Israel for the rest of the reign of Omri, and for most of the reign of his son Ahab.
Solomon was led astray from the Lord when he married foreign women, including Moabites. He built a high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab on the mountain east of Jerusalem (probably the Mount of Olives) (1 Kg 11:1-8).
Jehoram of Israel and Jehoshaphat of Judah
Moab began to regain its independence towards the end of the reign of Ahab (2 Kg 1:1). Jehoram, the grandson son of Ahab, of Israel partnered with Jehoshaphat of Judah and the king of Edom to defeat king Mesha and regain control over Moab, but this resulted in failure,
"Now King Mesha of Moab was a sheep breeder who used to deliver to the king of Israel 100,000 lambs, and the wool of 100,000 rams. But when Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel" (2 Kg 3:4-5).
The Moabite Stone
The Moabite Stone, or Mesha Stele, displayed in the Louvre in Paris, contains details of this war between Moab and Israel. The inscription contains the name of Omri, as well as mentioning the people of Gad. It contains one of the earliest non-Israelite references to Yahweh, “Mesha, having captured an Israelite town, took from there the vessels of Yahweh and dragged them before Chemosh.” (lines 17-18).
Jehoshaphat
Later, a coalition of Moabites, Ammonites and Edomites invaded Judah, but in response to the prayers of Jehoshaphat and the praise of the people, God caused confusion, so they attacked each other, so Judah was delivered (2 Chr 20:1-30).
After the death of Elisha, bands of Moabites invaded the land of the Northern Kingdom in the spring of each year (2 Kg 13:20).
Assyria and Babylon
Towards the end of the eighth century Moab was subdued by Assyria, as predicted by Isaiah (Is 15-16), but became free again following the fall of Assyria. Judah came under the control of Babylon for three years during the reign of Jehoiakim, then rebelled. God used bands of Chaldeans, Arameans, Moabites and Ammonites against Judah because of the sin of Manasseh and the shedding of innocent blood, fulfilling the words of the prophets (2 Kg 24:1-4).
Fall of Jerusalem
Following the fall of Jerusalem in 587 BC some Jews found refuge in Moab, but returned when Gedaliah was made governor by the Babylonians (Jer 40:11-12). Nebuchadnezzar conquered Ammon and Moab (Josephus Ant 10.9.7). Moab then came under Persian rule, then control by Arab groups, ceasing to exist as a nation. In the second century BC, they and the Gileadites were subdued by Alexander Jannaeus and made to pay tribute (Josephus Ant 13.13.5).
Moab condemned by the prophets
Several OT prophets spoke oracles of judgement against Moab. Isaiah gave a lengthy oracle against Moab, lamenting on the fall of various towns of Moab, criticising Moab for their pride and boasting (Is 15-16), later saying that Moab will be trodden down in their place (25:10-12).
Jeremiah condemned Moab along with other nations in the desert (Jer 9:26). Moab was included in the list of nations that Jeremiah made to drink from the cup of the LORD (Jer 25:21). Jeremiah was told to make a yoke of straps and bars, as a sign to the envoys from Edom, Moab and other nations who were plotting with Zedekiah to rebel against Babylon, saying they should submit to Babylonian rule (Jer 27:1-7). He gave a longer condemnation of Moab, which mentions many Moabite towns (Jer 48:1-47).
Ezekiel condemned Moab for saying that the house of Judah is like other nations, and that Moab and Ammon will be given to the people of the East and remembered no more (Ezek 25:8-11).
Amos condemned Moab for burning the bones of the king of Edom to lime (Amos 2:1-3). There is no record of when this took place.
Zephaniah declared the God had heard the taunts of Moab and the Ammonites against Judah, and condemned them to become like Sodom and Gomorrah (Zeph 2:8-11).
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