Chemosh (Hastings' Dictionary)

The national deity of the Moabites, as .1 " was the national deity of the Israelites. He is frequently referred to as the ^od of Moab both in the OT and on the Moabite Stone, and the Moabites are referred to as the people of Chemosh (cf. Nu 2r-», Jer 48-'«). On the Moabite Stone we have a king Cliemosh-melek. We also read of a deity Ashtor-Cheniosh, not to be identified with C, but distinct. In the inscription, Mesha, the king of Moab, represents the subjection of Moab to Israel as due to the fact that C. was angry with his land. At length the anger of C. was api>eased, and he bade Mesha go and take Nebo from Israel. C. drove Israel out from before him, and restored to Moab the land taken by Israel. The slaughter of the people of 'Ataroth is spoken of as a gazing-stock to C. Mesha accordingly made a high place for C, because he had saved him and made him victorious over his foes. That upon occasion he might be worshipped with human sacrifices is probable from 2 K 3^, where the king of Moab oflered his eldest BOD as a bumt-oflering, and thus forced the Israel- * In ui inscrip. found near Aleppo we find nn;? "OD=prie8t of Batuu- (the moon). See Rev. Simil. 1896, pp. 280, 282. ites to raise the siege. Solomon built a high-place for C. 'the abomination of Moab' (1 K 11'), which lasted till the time of Josiah's reformation, when it was destroyed (2 K 23'^). According to Jg 11" C. was also the national deity of the Ammonites ; but this can hardly be correct, since Milcom was their special god. It has been suggested that the t«xt should be corrected, and Milcom read here; but perhaps, as Moore says, the error runs through the whole learned argument (Judges, p. 295). A. S. Peake.