Kerioth
Kerioth is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Transjordan in modern-day Israel. Known today as Al Qurayyat. It appears across 3 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
Kerioth appears in the Old Testament primarily in prophetic oracles against Moab, where it served as a significant city. In Jeremiah 48:24, Kerioth is listed among the Moabite cities upon which judgment is pronounced, and Jeremiah 48:41 declares that "Kerioth is taken" as part of the comprehensive destruction coming upon Moab. Amos 2:2 delivers a particularly vivid oracle: "I will send fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the strongholds of Kerioth, and Moab shall die amid uproar, amid shouting and the sound of the trumpet." This suggests Kerioth was a principal city or even the capital of Moab, whose fall would symbolize the nation's complete defeat. Some scholars connect Kerioth with Kerioth-hezron in Judah (Joshua 15:25), and others have proposed it as the hometown referenced in the name "Iscariot" (Ish-Kerioth, "man of Kerioth"), though this remains speculative. As a Moabite stronghold, Kerioth's destruction in prophecy demonstrated God's sovereignty over all nations, not Israel alone.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Kerioth in Moab is identified with al-Qurayyat (also Qereiyat), located on the Moabite plateau east of the Dead Sea in modern Jordan. Some scholars alternatively identify it with Khirbet el-Qureiyeh or the site of ancient Ar of Moab. The Moabite plateau region where Kerioth is situated has yielded significant archaeological evidence of Iron Age settlement, including the famous Mesha Stele (Moabite Stone, ninth century BC), which mentions Kerioth as a location associated with the worship of the Moabite god Chemosh. The stele describes King Mesha dragging the altar-hearth of Yahweh from Ataroth to Kerioth, indicating the city's importance as a religious center. The surrounding landscape is semi-arid plateau suitable for pastoralism and grain cultivation.
Verse Appearances (3)
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →