Who Was Chemosh in the Bible?
Several of the stories in the Bible revolve around Chemosh. It is even mentioned in the epic poem “Paradise Lost,” where it is described as a false god who inspired “lustful orgies, wanton rites, and the obscene dread of Moab’s sons”. The Bible says that King Josiah abolished Chemosh-worship in Israel.
Ashtar-Chemosh
The worship of Ashtar-Chemosh in the bible was a serious matter for the Israelites. The biblical writers considered the worship of this god an inexcusable sin. During the time of King Solomon, worship of Chemosh was prohibited. As a result, the kingdom was divided and the northern portion of the land was given to Jeroboam I, a man who had been commissioned by the prophet Ahijah.
The Israelites first practiced a polytheistic religion in Canaan before becoming the nation of Israel. Although they believed in Yahweh as their supreme deity, they probably also worshipped other gods. In fact, they may have worshipped other gods before they began the Ten Commandments.
However, the Bible has been very critical of human sacrifice. The Bible cites several passages where the Bible condemns the practice of human sacrifice. The Old Testament prophets and law-givers explicitly condemn this practice. Nevertheless, a sacrifice of a child is a particularly egregious act.
According to the Bible, the first time that the Israelites reacted to the defeat of Moab by destroying the inhabitants, they were defeated by Mesha. Mesha then slew the people of Ataroth and made them a gazing-stock for Chemosh. In another incident, Mesha, on the orders of Chemosh, attacked Nebo, which was a stronghold of Israel. He killed 7,000 men and dragged the vessels of YHWH in front of Ashtor-Chemosh.
According to the Bible, Ashtar-Chemosh was a false god that could not save Moab. This is supported by a stone found by German missionary Klein in 1868 at Dibon. The inscription refers to the king of Moab, King Mesha, who added more than 100 cities to his territory. The stone also mentions a king named Ashtar-Chemosh. The Bible also mentions Moab as a country; Exodus 15:15 mentions its destruction by Jehovah, Numbers 21:13-15 describes the boundaries of Moab.
Mesha’s kingdom ruled in 885-873 BC. This city is named after two of the names of Ashtar-Chemosh. The city of Nebo may represent Jebel Neba, which is southwest of Hesban and south of Mt. Nebo.
Mesha
Mesha was a character in the Bible who leads a revolt against Israel. He aims to regain his kingdom, which Israel had conquered, from the Israelites. In order to do this, he provokes Israel to attack his land, and in response, he sacrifices his firstborn son to Chemosh. This act repelled the Israelite invasion. The Biblical narrators likely viewed this act as a sign of Chemosh’s “wrath.”
The inscription reveals that Mesha established political rule over ancient Israel through symbolic religious acts. In addition to destroying the Israelite town of Ataroth, Mesha also brought back the cult stand of the god Daudoh, and then dragged it before Chemosh at Kerioth. Na’aman suggests that the cult stand originally belonged to Moab, but Mesha claimed it as his own.
The name Mesha means “salvation.” The name is derived from the Hebrew name for “mess” and “melek,” which means “noged.” Mesha also owned Mesha brand sheep, which were famous for their wool. This rule over Moab occurred during the reigns of Ahab and Ahaziah.
Mesha was Chemosh in the Bible, but some scholars disagree. According to some scholars, the two gods were one and the same. Chemosh communicated with the king through divination, and Mesha was also involved in military decisions. She told Chemosh to conquer Nebo from the Israelites, and Mesha later dedicated the idols to Chemosh.
It is not clear exactly how Chemosh was worshipped, but there is some evidence that he was worshipped by both Israelites and Moabites. His worship was accompanied by human sacrifice. This is one of the reasons why Chemosh is often associated with Moab.
In the Bible, the worship of Chemosh was considered inexcusable. The worship of Chemosh was an abomination and was frowned upon by the biblical writers. King Solomon eventually divided the kingdom of Israel into two kingdoms, the northern one being given to Jehoshaphat and the southern kingdom to the Moabites, who were commanded to renounce the worship of Chemosh. The Israelites then returned to their own land.
According to the Moabite Stone, Mesha was delivered after forty years, during the reign of Omri’s son Ahab. This might be a significant fact, since it indicates that the Moabites’ rule was much shorter. After the death of Elisha, however, the Moabites were not a threat to the Israelites.
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