Chemosh- Canaanite GodDeity"God of Moab"
Also known as: Kamosh, Kemosh, and כְּמוֹשׁ
Description
King Mesha carved his victories into black basalt and gave the credit to Chemosh — the national god of Moab, who had been angry with his land but delivered it through slaughter. The Israelite captives at Nebo were devoted to Chemosh as holy offering, every man, woman, and child.
Mythology & Lore
The Warrior God of Moab
Chemosh was the national deity of Moab, a kingdom east of the Dead Sea. When Moab prospered, it was Chemosh's blessing. When Moab suffered defeat, it was because Chemosh was angry with his land. His people were called "the people of Chemosh," a phrase from the Hebrew Bible that bound nation and deity into a single fate.
The Mesha Stele
The Mesha Stele, a ninth-century BCE inscription carved in black basalt, is the fullest account of Chemosh in action. King Mesha erected it at Dhiban to commemorate his victories over Israel. The inscription opens by praising Chemosh, who had been angry with his land but delivered it through Mesha's military campaigns.
Mesha claims to have devoted captured Israelite populations to Chemosh as herem, the ban of total destruction: enemy populations annihilated as a religious offering to the god who granted victory. At Nebo alone, Mesha killed seven thousand and devoted them all to his god. The stele then catalogs the towns Mesha rebuilt and the works he ordered, each credited to Chemosh's favor.
King Solomon built a high place for Chemosh on the mountain east of Jerusalem to please his Moabite wives. The shrine reportedly stood for centuries until King Josiah destroyed it during his reforms in the late seventh century.
Relationships
- Enemy of