Rabbath-Moab and 10 miles from the Dead Sea; called also Kir-haresh,
Kir-hareseth, Kir-heres (Isaiah 16:7, 11; Jeremiah 48:31, 36). After the
death of Ahab, Mesha, king of Moab (see MOABITE STONE), threw off
allegiance to the king of Israel, and fought successfully for the
independence of his kingdom. After this Jehoram, king of Israel, in seeking
to regain his supremacy over Moab, entered into an alliance with
Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, and with the king of Edom. The three kings led
their armies against Mesha, who was driven back to seek refuge in
Kir-haraseth. The Moabites were driven to despair. Mesha then took his
eldest son, who would have reigned in his stead, and offered him as a
burnt-offering on the wall of the fortress in the sight of the allied armies.
“There was great indignation against Israel: and they departed from him,
and returned to their own land.” The invaders evacuated the land of Moab,
and Mesha achieved the independence of his country (2 Kings 3:20-27).
- KIRJATH city, a city belonging to Benjamin (Joshua 18:28), the modern
Kuriet el-‘Enab, i.e., “city of grapes”, about 7 1/2 miles west-north-west
of Jerusalem. - KIRJATHAIM two cities; a double city. (1.) A city of refuge in Naphtali
(1 Chronicles 6:76).
(2.) A town on the east of Jordan (Genesis 14:5; Deuteronomy 2:9, 10). It
was assigned to the tribe of Reuben (Numbers 32:37). In the time of
Ezekiel (25:9) it was one of the four cities which formed the “glory of
Moab” (comp. Jeremiah 48:1, 23). It has been identified with el-Kureiyat,
11 miles south-west of Medeba, on the south slope of Jebel Attarus, the
ancient Ataroth.
- KIRJATH-ARBA city of Arba, the original name of Hebron (q.v.), so
called from the name of its founder, one of the Anakim (Genesis 23:2;
35:27; Joshua 15:13). It was given to Caleb by Joshua as his portion. The
Jews interpret the name as meaning “the city of the four”, i.e., of
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Adam, who were all, as they allege, buried
there. - KIRJATH-HUZOTH city of streets, Numbers 22:39, a Moabite city,
which some identify with Kirjathaim. Balak here received and entertained
Balaam, whom he had invited from Pethor, among the “mountains of the
east,” beyond the Euphrates, to lay his ban upon the Israelites, whose
progress he had no hope otherwise of arresting. It was probably from the