Moab
Where is Moab today? The plateau east of the Dead Sea in today's Jordan, Ruth's homeland and the land where Moses died, with key chapters.
- Today
- East of the Dead Sea; Karak and Madaba highlands
- Country
- Jordan
- Status
- Historical region: today Jordan's west-central highlands
- Identification
- Certain
Moab is the name of the high plateau east of the Dead Sea, between the Arnon and Zered valleys. The Bible traces the Moabites to Moab, son of Lot's elder daughter. Before entering Canaan, Israel camped on the plains of Moab opposite Jericho, and Balak king of Moab summoned Balaam to curse them. Moses looked out over the promised land from Mount Nebo in Moab and died there. Ruth, King David's great-grandmother, was a Moabite. In the time of the kings, Mesha king of Moab rebelled against Israel.
Read the chapters
- Genesis 19
- Numbers 22
- Deuteronomy 34
- Ruth 1
A chapter recounting a foreign woman's choice not to leave her poor and grieving mother-in-law but to stay with her, beginning a story of loyalty and devotion amid loss and migration.
- 2 Kings 3
- Jeremiah 48
Related topics
Related people
- Moses
- Abraham
- Joseph
- Noah
- Elijah
- Ruth
- Adam
- Boaz
- Elisha
- Aaron
- Eve
- Isaac
- Naomi
- Sarah
- Jacob
- Jeremiah
- Joshua
- Methuselah
- Seth
- Abel
- Cain
- Ishmael
- Hagar
- Lot
- Rachel
Related verse collections
- Bible Verses About Hope
- Bible Verses About Fear and Anxiety
- Bible Verses About Creation
- Bible Verses About Courage
- Bible Verses About Family
- Bible Verses About Marriage
- Bible Verses About Justice
- Bible Verses About Faithfulness
- Bible Verses About Loneliness
- Bible Verses About Guidance
- Bible Verses About Trials and Testing
- Bible Verses About Healing
- Bible Verses About God's Promises
- Bible Verses About Work and Labor
Reading plans
- The Bible for Beginners — 10 Days
- Advent — 24 Days to Christmas
- The Bible in a Year — 365 Days from Cover to Cover
Books
Places in the Bible
Where is Moab today, and in which country?
Moab today corresponds to the highlands around Karak and Madaba east of the Dead Sea, in Jordan; the town of Moab in Utah, USA, is a different place. In the Bible it is Ruth's homeland and the land where Moses died (Deuteronomy 34:5). Visitors today see Karak Castle, the Wadi Mujib (Arnon) gorge and Mount Nebo, where Moses viewed the promised land; the inscribed stone of King Mesha of Moab was found at Dhiban in 1868.
Where was Ruth from?
Ruth was a woman from the land of Moab (Ruth 1:4). She returned to Bethlehem with her mother-in-law Naomi, married Boaz and became King David's great-grandmother. Her homeland, Moab, corresponds to the highlands east of the Dead Sea in today's Jordan.
What is the Mesha Stele?
The Mesha Stele (Moabite Stone) is an inscribed stone from the 9th century BC in which Mesha king of Moab records his victories over Israel. It was found in 1868 at Dhiban (ancient Dibon) in today's Jordan and is now in the Louvre in Paris. The Bible describes Mesha's rebellion in 2 Kings 3:4-5.