The New Student's Reference Work/Moabites

Mo′abites, a Semitic people who lived in the country east of the Jordan and the Dead Sea, their land being divided by the River Ammon. They were subject to the Jews in the time of David, but revolted about 850 B. C., and joined the Assyrians against the Jews. They are now lost in the Arab tribes of the region. Their country contains many rude stone monuments, such as have been found in the British Isles, supposed to be the altars of their worship. A large stone with an inscription of 34 lines, in Hebrew-Phœnician letters, was found in 1868 among the ruins of the ancient city of Dibon. It was broken by the Arabs, but subsequently was carefully put together and placed in the Louvre at Paris. It is the record of the revolt of Mesha, king of Moab, who is mentioned in 2 Kings iii, against the king of Israel. See Heth and Moab by Conder and Records of the Past by Neubauer.