Moab mountain егэ

Пояснение.

Грамматически и семантически пропуск следует заполнить причастием прошедшего времени (Participle 2 or Past Participle=V3): Pre-historic sites like Stonehenge are souvenirs from the past built by civilizations we still know very little about (… сувениры прошлого, построенные цивилизациями, о которых мы почти ничего не знаем).

Упражнение на грамматическое преобразование слов. Рекомендуем всем, кто готовится к сдачи ЕГЭ по английскому языку.

Прочитайте приведённый ниже текст. Поставьте слова в правильную грамматическую форму.

ЗаданиеОтвет

Mount Everest

Mount Everest is 8,863 meters above sea level. It is part of the Himalayan range in South Asia.

Despite its awesome height, the mountain ___CLIMB___ many times.

Sir Edmund Hillary and his guide, Tenzing Norgay, were the ___ONE___ to climb the mountain, reaching the summit on May 29, 1953.

Mount Everest attracts well-experienced mountaineers as well as novice climbers, quite a few ___WOMAN___ among them.

The Office

Martha works in an office. Her job is to hire new people. The more work the new members of staff carry out, the higher their pay.

Martha wishes her job ___BE___ as highly paid as some of the other employees’.

She ___NOT MIND___ having an assistant, either.

An assistant ___CAN___ share some of her responsibilities.

But she knows that the load of work is ___SHE___ and nobody is going to help her.

Mount Everest

Mount Everest is 8,863 meters above sea level. It is part of the Himalayan range in South Asia.

Despite its awesome height, the mountain HAS BEEN CLIMBED many times.

Sir Edmund Hillary and his guide, Tenzing Norgay, were the FIRST to climb the mountain, reaching the summit on May 29, 1953.

Mount Everest attracts well-experienced mountaineers as well as novice climbers, quite a few WOMEN among them.

The Office

Martha works in an office. Her job is to hire new people. The more work the new members of staff carry out, the higher their pay.

Martha wishes her job were (или was) as highly paid as some of the other employees’.

She WOULD NOT MIND having an assistant, either.

An assistant COULD share some of her responsibilities.

But she knows that the load of work is HERS and nobody is going to help her.

1) Установите соответствие между заголовками 1 — 8 и текстами A — G. Используйте каждую цифру только один раз. В задании один заголовок лишний.

1. Born to be wild
2. Comparing the two species
3. The evolution of bison
4. The history of taming
5. A beautiful place to be saved
6. Reasons to domesticate cows
7. Failed attempts to protect
8. Safer than before, but not enough

A. It is likely that the modern European bison arose from the steppe bison. Recent research says it appeared as a result of an interbreeding event between the steppe bison and the ancestor of modern cows around 120,000 years ago. At one point, some steppe bison crossbred with the ancestors of the modern yak. After that, a population of steppe bison crossed the Bering Land Bridge to North America. Then the steppe bison spread through the northern parts of North America, where it lived until around 8,000 years ago.

B. The Prioksko-Terrasny Nature Reserve is one of the smallest in Russia. It covers an area of 4,960 hectares on the terraces of the Oka River valley. This is a unique area with its natural diversity of pine and mixed forests, small rivers, streams and marshes. Here you can observe the life of animals and birds in their natural habitat. The symbol of the reserve is a bison. This is a wild forest bull, which was recently on the verge of extinction. Bison youngsters grown up to two years in the reserve are sent to replenish free-living populations.

C. Though the American and European bisons are close relatives, it is easy to spot clear differences in their behaviour and build. Adult European bisons are slimmer in build and have longer legs. European bisons tend to graze less and walk around more than their American relatives. This difference in behaviour is reflected in their build. The American bison’s head hangs lower than the European’s does. American bisons are more easily tamed than their European cousins are. They also breed with domestic cattle more readily.

D. American bisons are known for living on the Great Plains. Bisons were hunted close to extinction during the 19th and 20th centuries, but have since rebounded. The European bison owes its survival, in part, to the Chernobyl disaster. Ironically, the Chernobyl Zone has become a kind of wildlife preserve, though poaching has become a threat in recent years. The American Plains bison is no longer listed as endangered, but this does not mean the species is safe. Their fragmented herds call for active conservation measures.

E. In the middle of the 19th century people started realising how important the buffalo was. Reasons for that included not only animal cruelty, but also ecological and future resources. Someone needed to speak out, and over the years they did, but never enough at one time to count. The real extermination of the buffalo was caused by the demands of trade, aided by hunters and Indians. However, the blame really lies with the government, which in all those years permitted a few ignorant Congressmen to block the laws protecting these animals.

F. There have been several attempts to tame the buffalo, but there are a few things that stand in the way. The buffalo is very aggressive by nature; it can run up to 40 mph and can jump vertically in the air almost their entire height. Imagine trying to teach an angry, prancing sedan to stay still and respect you. All that said, there have been instances of domestic buffalo. This is possible if they are raised from calves to be only with humans. Even then, they seem to be loyal and friendly with a small set of humans, not all humans.

G. At about the same time they domesticated plants, people in Mesopotamia began to domesticate animals for meat, milk, and hides. Hides were used for clothing, storing things and for building tent shelters. Goats were probably the first animals to be domesticated, followed closely by sheep. Later, people began domesticating larger animals, such as oxen or horses, for ploughing and transportation. These are known as beasts of burden. The easiest animals to domesticate are herbivores that graze on grass, because they are the easiest to feed.

A	B	C	D	E	F	G

---

2) Прочитайте текст и заполните пропуски A — F частями предложений, обозначенными цифрами 1 — 7. Одна из частей в списке 1—7 лишняя.

State History Museum

The State History Museum is the largest historical museum in Russia. It is situated at the northern end of Red Square in the heart of Moscow. What once was the Principal Medicine Store now houses a huge collection ___ (A) the Stone Age. It was founded in 1872 and opened to the public in 1883. The museum is housed in a neo-Russian style building, ___ (B). It is one of the most prominent buildings in Red Square. Each room is in the style of a different period or region. The walls in some rooms are decorated in the style of Russian churches.

The impressive collection of the State History Museum includes relics of prehistoric tribes ___ (C) present-day Russia. The exhibits about medieval Russia are excellent. Several rooms of this period cover the Mongol invasions ___ (D).

The 2nd floor is dedicated to the Imperial period. The exhibits include personal items of the royal family members, furniture and decoration from the palace interiors. There are also various pieces of artworks and documents from the era. Specific rooms are dedicated to the reigns of various tsars. An unexpected highlight is an exhibition ___ (E) by examining the growing network of roads and how people travelled in the past. The State History Museum has also the country’s largest coin collection, the 6th-century manuscripts and artworks ___ (F) during their reign.

1. which is an attraction in its own right
2. that once inhabited the big territory of
3. and cave paintings of prehistoric times
4. and the consolidation of the Russian state
5. covering Russian history since the time of
6. that were collected by the Romanov dynasty
7. addressing the expansion of the Russian Empire

A	B	C	D	E	F

---

3) Прочитайте текст и запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.

Показать текст. ⇓

Peska taught
1) drawing.
2) Italian.
3) English.
4) politics.

---

4) Прочитайте текст и запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.

Показать текст. ⇓

Peska impressed people by being
1) well-built.
2) well-mannered.
3) strange.
4) ill-mannered.

---

5) Прочитайте текст и запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.

Показать текст. ⇓

Peska tried to become a true Englishman because he
1) was thankful to the country that had adopted him.
2) enjoyed Englishman’s pastimes and amusements.
3) loved the way the English did athletic exercises.
4) was fond of the eccentric fashions of the English.

---

6) Прочитайте текст и запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.

Показать текст. ⇓

‘… risk his limbs blindly’ means Peska
1) didn’t look where he went.
2) was unaware of danger from others.
3) caused a problem for others.
4) acted rather thoughtlessly.

---

7) Прочитайте текст и запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.

Показать текст. ⇓

The author didn’t look after Peska carefully because
1) they both had been engaged in the peculiar English exercise.
2) foreigners were generally bathing not far from the shore.
3) the author was sure that Peska would learn swimming on the spot.
4) the author was sure that Peska was a very good swimmer.

---

Прочитайте текст и запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.

Показать текст. ⇓

Peska wanted to do the author some favour as
1) it was in his warm nature.
2) the author had saved his life.
3) the author was his best friend.
4) he wanted to look English.

---

9) Прочитайте текст и запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.

Показать текст. ⇓

Peska managed to
1) change the author’s life completely.
2) become English to the core.
3) meet a woman who later directed his life.
4) turn his existence into a new channel.

Моав — это город в восточной части штата Юта, где можно покататься по тропинке, главная достопримечательность которой — его природная красота и возможность спастись для любителей приключений. Моаб находится в нескольких минутах езды от двух национальных парков и дома до самого популярного государственного парка в штате Юта. Вы не найдете лучшие виды нигде.

Город может быть небольшим, но он очень популярен среди гостей. От изучения природы в парках или воплощения мечты быть ковбоем (или пастушкой) до питья вина на местной винодельне или прогулки по стопам динозавров — Моав обязательно будет развлекать посетителей.

01 из 10

Поездка на остров в небе

Адрес

Остров в небе, Юта 84532, США Получить направление

Остров в небе — это возвышенная часть национального парка Каньонлендс, который находится примерно в 32 милях от Моава. Каньонлендс является крупнейшим национальным парком в штате Юта и одним из двух национальных парков, которые находятся недалеко от Моава.

Посетители могут проехать на остров и увидеть 100 миль в каждом направлении. Туристический сайт Моава рекомендует совершить небольшую прогулку по окрестностям, чтобы увидеть различные потрясающие виды. Занятия в этом районе варьируются от нескольких часов езды по асфальтированным дорогам парка до нескольких дней пеших прогулок и пеших прогулок до самой высокой точки парка.

02 из 10

Исследуйте Национальный парк Арчес

Адрес

Юта, США Получить направление

Телефон

+1 435-719-2299

Web

Посетите сайт

Всего в пяти милях от Моава находится один из самых фотографируемых национальных парков в Соединенных Штатах. Национальный парк Арчес получил свое название благодаря печально известным природным аркам из песчаника и скальным образованиям, расположенным внутри территории. Живописный проезд через парк, около 36 миль, является самым популярным способом увидеть Арки. Во время поездки остановитесь и исследуйте несколько арок и потеряйтесь в лабиринте природного песчаника.

03 из 10

Прогулка по тропе динозавров

Адрес

Моаб, UT 84532, США Получить направление

Если в вашей семье есть любитель динозавров, то Моав — идеальное место. Есть несколько троп динозавров, чтобы исследовать всюду по области Моава, у которых есть подлинные отпечатки и окаменелости от возраста динозавра.

Одним из популярных треков является тропа динозавров. Это быстрый поход, который занимает всего 15-30 минут и ведет к пятну следов динозавров у реки Колорадо. Сайт включает в себя музей под открытым небом, который предоставляет подробную историю о динозаврах, которые, как полагают, сделали следы.

04 из 10

Выпейте напиток в Винодельне Касл-Крик или на пивоварне Моав

Адрес

Milepost 14, 9618, UT-128, Моав, UT 84532, США Получить направление

Телефон

+1 435-259-3332

Web

Посетите сайт

Юта не известна как место для отличного питья (благодаря их культуре мормонов), но в Моабе есть отличная пивоварня и красивая винодельня.

Винодельня Castle Creek расположена в 14 милях от центра города Моаб. Потягивайте вино, наслаждаясь видом на красные скалы Юты. Винодельня открыта с 10 до 19 часов. каждый день, и есть ежедневные бесплатные дегустации с полудня до 7 вечера. Находясь на винодельне, вы можете совершить самостоятельную экскурсию — не пропустите обзор территории с верхнего этажа винодельни.

Пивоварня Moab, основанная в 1996 году, является единственной в Моабе пивоварней и имеет более девяти сортов эля, а также полный бар, где подают коктейли. Кроме того, пивоварня является местным фаворитом на обед и ужин, где подают одни из лучших блюд в Моаве. Обширное меню включает пасту, стейки, салаты и даже безглютеновые блюда. На десерт попробуйте домашнее мороженое.

Продолжайте до 5 из 10 ниже. 05 из 10

Наблюдение за птицами в заповеднике Скотт Матесон

Адрес

934 Kane Creek Blvd, Моаб, UT 84532, США Получить направление

Web

Посетите сайт

Заповедник Scott Matheson расположен на окраине Моава и идеально подходит для начинающих птицелов. Моаб является очень популярным местом для наблюдения за птицами, так как заповедник известен как одно из лучших мест для наблюдения за уникальными птицами — на его территории было обнаружено более 225 различных видов.

Если вы опытный любитель рыбной ловли и ищете новые места для изучения, есть много популярных мест для наблюдения за птицами в Моаве и его окрестностях, в том числе живописный переулок реки Колорадо, каньон Лунного цветка, Ло-Маунтин-Луп-роуд, Фишер Меса и Негро Билл. Каньон.

06 из 10

Звездный взгляд на RedRock Astronomy

Астрономический тур RedRock предлагает удивительные возможности для наблюдения за звездами. Компания предоставляет телескопы, экспертный гид и незабываемый вечер под звездами. В зависимости от времени года, некоторые вещи, которые вы можете увидеть при наблюдении за звездами, включая Юпитер, Сатурн, Двойной кластер и Галактику Андромеды. Это приключение стоит 40 долларов на человека и длится от полутора до двух часов. Поездка на просмотр сайта из Моава обычно занимает около 30 минут.

07 из 10

Ездить по тропам на горном велосипеде

Горный велосипед — одно из самых популярных занятий в Моаве. По всему Моабскому краю проложены многочисленные тропы различной степени сложности.

Если вы новичок в катании на горных велосипедах, вы можете выбрать один из учебных центров поблизости. Различные лагеря, индивидуальные тренировки и долгосрочные тренировки доступны.

Если велосипед не ваша вещь, вы можете найти свое приключение в Моабе по-другому. Другие варианты деятельности в этом районе — скалолазание и приятное времяпрепровождение на реке Колорадо на каяке или байдарке.

08 из 10

Станьте ближе к природе во время верховой езды

Адрес

Моаб, UT 84532, США Получить направление

Телефон

+1 435-259-8015

Web

Посетите сайт

Верховая езда популярна в Моабе из-за потрясающих пейзажей, которые путешествуют на своем коне. Moab Horses предлагает стандартную поездку на полдня, которая длится около двух часов, и есть другие, более длительные поездки для тех, у кого больше опыта катания. Даже если вы никогда не ездили на лошади раньше, в конюшне есть лошади, которые обучены быть мягкими и двигаться медленно — идеально для начинающих. Сэкономьте время, чтобы побродить по рабочему ранчо Hauer, чтобы взглянуть на ковбойский образ жизни.

Продолжайте до 9 из 10 ниже. 09 из 10

Возьмите в Представлении в Государственном парке Мертвой лошади

Адрес

UT-313, Моав, UT 84532, США Получить направление

Телефон

+1 435-259-2614

Web

Посетите сайт

Dead Horse State Park является самым популярным государственным парком штата Юта и имеет известную точку (называемую Dead Horse Point) с фантастическим видом на высоте 2000 футов над рекой Колорадо. Проведите несколько часов за рулем или в походе по парку, а затем остановитесь и проведите время в центре города, чтобы насладиться идеальным моментом.

Для того чтобы съесть кофеин или еду в парке, загляните в кофейню Pony Express перед тем, как отправиться в ресторан. Ресторан, расположенный рядом с Центром посетителей, открыт с марта по октябрь и предлагает горячие и холодные напитки, обертывания, бутерброды, и даже мешки со льдом.

10 из 10

Посетите музей Моава

Адрес

118 E Center St, Моаб, UT 84532-2430, США Получить направление

Телефон

+1 435-259-7985

Web

Посетите сайт

Если вы ищете занятия в помещении в течение нескольких часов, посетите Музей Моава. Основанная в 1958 году, миссия музея — делиться информацией о некоторых из наиболее распространенных областей в Моаве, включая геологию, палеонтологию, археологию, пионеров и добычу полезных ископаемых. Вход для взрослых — 5 долларов, дети до 17 лет — бесплатно. Музей открыт зимой с 12 часов вечера. до 5 часов вечера и с 10 до 18 часов летом.

Немного о городе являющемся столицей Страны Красного Камня и окруженного парками национального и местного значения.

– Главная улица города Моаб (Moab), она же 191 дорога

Знакомство с Америкой

Моаб (Moab)

– Столица Страны Красного Камня

Продолжим. 11й день путешествия, вторник. Оставив Каньонлэндс (Canyonlands), в котором провели ночь и утро, мы направились в Моаб (Moab) – уютный город неподалеку. У нас там забронирован мотель – Bowen Motel (169 North Main Street Moab, UT 84532, США), правда только на первые два дня нашего пребывания в этом городе ($200 USD с таксами).

– Peace Tree Cafe

– Мой ланч в Peace Tree Cafe

В Моабе были в 11 утра, для заселения рано, но самое то для раннего ланча. Пошли пешком, чтоб оценить предлагаемое меню, разных местных кафе и ресторанов, которые обычно вывешиваются при входе. Нам приглянулось меню Peace Tree Cafe (20 South Main Street Moab, UT 84532, США). Кафе оказалось классным!

Из дневника

В Моабе после рассвета на Mesa Arch зашли в галерею Bret Edge. Красиво. И нашли хорошее кафе со здоровой едой, правильными соками и кофе! Это праздник какой-то. – Илья

– Собака в джипе.

Как только я успела сделать этот кадр, то собака сделала такое движение лапой, буд-то не разрешает делать ее снимки и отвернулась.

– Общие темы, но только для мужчин.

Немгого прогулялись по центру города. Зашли в информационный центр, где карты парков платные 25 центов, а путеводители содержащие безумное количество рекламы бесплатно. В 14:00 заселились в мотель. Мотель оказался средненький, хотя все необходимое есть – бесплатный WiFi, холодильник, мокроволновка.

Немного истории

Когда-то, в 1855 году, мормоны-поселенцы пытались установить торговый форт под названием “Elk Mountain Mission” на пересечении реки Колорадо и Старой испанской дороги (Old Spanish Trail) для торговли с путешественниками. После повторного нападения индейцев, форт был заброшен. Новая попытка основать в этом месте поселение увенчалась успехом в 1878 году, а с 20 декабря 1902 года Моаб был внесен в реестр как новый город.

Моав был стратегически важным местом для переправы через реку Колорадо. Услуги платных паромов через реку продолжались до 1911 года, когда был построен постоянный мост.

Некоторые историки утверждают, что свое название город получил, благодаря Уильяму Пирсу (William Pierce), первому почтальону или как тогда говорили – почтмейстер. Он сравнил город с библейским и считал, что сухой, горный район к востоку от Мертвого моря и юго-востоку от Иерусалима похож на земли Юты вокруг нового поселения.

Моавитяне, исторически рассматривались, как вечный враг израильтян, “богоизбранного народа”, поэтому в 1885 году почтмейстер попытался изменить название на Uvadalia, но … Позже, в 1890 году, было ходатайство об изменении названия на Vina, но и эта попытка тоже не удалась.

Есть и вторая версия, что возникновение названия связано с москитами. Индейцы племени Пайют (Paiute) называли водяных комаров словом «moapa». Комары были в изобилии возле реки Колорадо.

Нам “повезло” попасть в то время, когда в Моабе проводился Easter Jeep Safari – 2012
– 31 марта по 8 апреля. На это сафари ежегодно собираются владельцы автомобилей марки Jeep со всей Северной Америки и даже из-за рубежа для того, чтобы посоревноваться в езде по специально подготовленным трассам. Впрочем, «подготовку» уместнее было бы назвать «разгромом», поскольку самый интерес заключается в том, чтобы под колесами «джипов» не было ничего, хоть отдаленно напоминающего дорогу.

– Крутой номер штата Юта – «М»

По этому поводу город был полон джипами, номера в мотелях и отелях были заняты, кемпинги забиты. Кто-то на сафари приезжает поучаствовать,а кто-то себя показать. Мы вот в другом мотеле, в который нам пришлось переехать увидели местные джипы с понтовыми номерами. Тут машина говорит за хозяина как он “крут”.

– Тут номер машины немного скромнее – «ММ 72»

Из-за того, что нам не удалось найти жилье на все время, что мы запланировали на Моаб и окружающие его парки (4 дня), то нам на следующие два дня пришлось переехать в мотель напротив – Rodeway Inn (168 N. Main St., Moab, UT, US, 84532) – $337 за два дня с таксами. В этом мотеле небыло интернета и нам пришлось пользоваться свободным доступом бывшего мотеля. Лондри оказалась по цене дороже чем общественная в городе. Так что как-то поехав обедать, мы воспользовались городской прачечной ($1.25 стирка, $0.75 сушка), которая находится за пабом ZAX по Первой Улице (1st Street).

– Rodeway Inn

В пабе ZAX нам тоже прошлось ужинать, т.к. в полюбившееся нам кафе Peace Tree, мы после закате не всегда могли успеть (в 21:30 закрывается), Но если успевали, то это был праздник для души.

– Ужин в Peace Tree Cafe – Блюдо называется Wahoo $17 – ужин на троих обошелся $90.

Карты и полезные ссылки

Карта города Моаб (Moab) (pdf 2508Kb)
Описание дороги 191 – Юта

Продолжение следует.

Знакомство с Америкой
часть 1 – Начало
часть 2 – Через горы, снега и пески
часть 3 – Плато Колорадо
– Дорога в Каньон Брайс (Bryce Canyon)
– Каньон Брайс (Bryce Canyon) – О парке подробней
– Каньон Брайс (Bryce Canyon) – Житие моЕ …
– Каньон Брайс (Bryce Canyon) – Еще один день
– Парк Капитол Риф (Capitol Reef Nanional Park)
– Долина Гоблинов (Goblin Valley)
– Парк Каньонлэндс (Canyonlands NP)
– Моаб (Moab)
– Парк Арки – Скалы и башни
– Парк Арки – Окна и арки
– Парк Арки – Изящная Арка (Delicate Arch)
– Парк Каньонлэндс (Canyonlands NP) – Рассвет и Закат
– Парк мертвой лошади (Dead Horse Point State Park)
– Дорога к Долине Монументов
– Долина Монументов (Monument Valley) – Икона вестерна
– Каньон Антилопы (Antelope Canyon)
– Достопримечательности вокруг Пейджа
– Дамба Каньона Глен (Glen Canyon Dam)
– Дорога в Гранд Каньон (Grand Canyon)
– Гранд Каньон (Grand Canyon) – Южный край (South Rim)
– Гранд Каньон (Grand Canyon) – Пустынный вид (Desert View)
часть 4 – Побережье

---

More photos: Australian Photography by Ilya Genkin.

Информация в посте может добавлятся и изменяться!
Подпишитесь на RSS и не пропустите следующих статей.

«Moabites» redirects here. For the religious doctrine that says «Moabites» inhabited what is now Morocco, see Moorish Science Temple of America.

Coordinates: 31°30′06″N 35°46′36″E / 31.50167°N 35.77667°E

Kingdom of Moab 𐤌𐤀𐤁
c. 13th century BC – c. 400 BC
A theoretical map of the region around 830 BCE. Moab is shown in purple on this map, between the Arnon and Zered rivers.
Status	Monarchy
Capital	Dibon
Common languages	Moabite
History
• Established	c. 13th century BC
• Collapsed	c. 400 BC
Today part of	Jordan

mwjbw «Moab»
Era: New Kingdom (1550–1069 BC)
Egyptian hieroglyphs

Moab^[a] () is the name of an ancient Levantine kingdom whose territory is today located in the modern state of Jordan. The land is mountainous and lies alongside much of the eastern shore of the Dead Sea. The existence of the Kingdom of Moab is attested to by numerous archaeological findings, most notably the Mesha Stele, which describes the Moabite victory over an unnamed son of King Omri of Israel, an episode also noted in 2 Kings 3. The Moabite capital was Dibon. According to the Hebrew Bible, Moab was often in conflict with its Israelite neighbours to the west.

Etymology[edit]

The etymology of the word Moab is uncertain. The earliest gloss is found in the Koine Greek Septuagint (Genesis 19:37) which explains the name, in obvious allusion to the account of Moab’s parentage, as ἐκ τοῦ πατρός μου («from my father»). Other etymologies which have been proposed regard it as a corruption of «seed of a father», or as a participial form from «to desire», thus connoting «the desirable (land)».^{[citation needed]} Rashi explains the word Mo’ab to mean «from the father», since ab in Hebrew and Arabic and the rest of the Semitic languages means «father». He writes that as a result of the immodesty of Moab’s name, God did not command the Israelites to refrain from inflicting pain upon the Moabites in the manner in which he did with regard to the Ammonites. Fritz Hommel regards Moab as an abbreviation of Immo-ab=»his mother is his father».^[1]

According to Genesis 19:30–38, the ancestor of the Moabites was Lot by incest with his eldest daughter. She and her sister, having lost their fiancés and their mother in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, decided to continue their father’s line through intercourse with their father. The elder got him drunk to facilitate the deed and conceived Moab. The younger daughter did the same and conceived a son named Ben-ammi, who became ancestor to the Ammonites. According to the Book of Jasher (24,24), Moab had four sons—Ed, Mayon, Tarsus and Kanvil—and his wife, whose name is not given, is apparently from Canaan.

Geography[edit]

Topography[edit]

Moab was located on a plateau about 910 metres (3,000 ft) above the level of the Mediterranean, or 1,300 metres (4,300 ft) above the Dead Sea, rising gradually from north to south.^{[citation needed]}

In the north are a number of long, deep ravines, and Mount Nebo, famous as the scene of the death of Moses (Deuteronomy 34:1–8).

Boundaries in the Hebrew Bible[edit]

In Ezekiel 25:9 the boundaries are given as being marked by Beth-jeshimoth (north), Baal-meon (east), and Kiriathaim (south). That these limits were not fixed, however, is plain from the lists of cities given in Isaiah 15–16 and Jeremiah 48, where Heshbon, Elealeh, and Jazer are mentioned to the north of Beth-jeshimoth; Madaba, Beth-gamul, and Mephaath to the east of Baalmeon; and Dibon, Aroer, Bezer, Jahaz, and Kirhareseth to the south of Kiriathaim. The principal rivers of Moab mentioned in the Bible are the Arnon, the Dimon or Dibon, and the Nimrim.

The territory occupied by Moab at the period of its greatest extent, before the invasion of the Amorites, divided itself naturally into three distinct and independent portions: the enclosed corner or canton south of the Arnon, referred to in the Bible as «field of Moab» (Ruth 1:1,2,6). The more open rolling country north of the Arnon, opposite Jericho and up to the hills of Gilead, called the «land of Moab» (Deuteronomy 1:5; 32:49) and the district below sea level in the tropical depths of the Jordan valley (Numbers 22:1).

Soil and vegetation[edit]

The limestone hills which form the almost treeless plateau are generally steep but fertile. In the spring they are covered with grass and the table-land itself produces grain. The rainfall is fairly plentiful and the climate, despite the hot summer, is cooler than the area west of the Jordan River, snow falling frequently in winter and in spring.

Ancient vestiges and current population[edit]

The plateau is dotted with hundreds of dolmens, menhirs, and stone circles, and contains many ruined villages, mostly of the Roman and Byzantine periods. It contains the city of al-Karak whose modern inhabitants consider themselves as descendants of Moabites.

History[edit]

Bronze Age[edit]

Despite a scarcity of archaeological evidence, the existence of the Kingdom of Moab prior to the rise of the Israelite state has been deduced from a colossal statue erected at Luxor by pharaoh Ramesses II, in the 13th century BCE, which lists Mu’ab among a series of nations conquered during a campaign.^[2] The early inhabitants likely came from the Arabian peninsula immigrating due to the lack of water emphasised by a drought. ^{[وزارة التربية والتعليم 1]}

Iron Age[edit]

In the Nimrud clay inscription of Tiglath-pileser III (r. 745–727 BCE), the Moabite king Salmanu (perhaps the Shalman who sacked Beth-arbel in Hosea 10:14) is mentioned as tributary to Assyria. Sargon II mentions on a clay prism a revolt against him by Moab together with Philistia, Judah, and Edom; but on the Taylor prism, which recounts the expedition against Hezekiah, Kammusu-Nadbi (Chemosh-nadab), King of Moab, brings tribute to Sargon as his suzerain.^{[citation needed]} Another Moabite king, Mutzuri («the Egyptian»?), is mentioned as one of the subject princes at the courts of Esarhaddon and Assurbanipal, while Kaasḥalta, possibly his successor, is named on cylinder B of Assurbanipal.^{[citation needed]}

Sometime during the Persian period Moab disappears from the extant historical record. Its territory was subsequently overrun by waves of tribes from northern Arabia, including the Kedarites and (later) the Nabataeans.^{[citation needed]}

In Nehemiah 4:1 the Arabs are mentioned instead of the Moabites as the allies of the Ammonites.^[3]

Crusader period[edit]

When the Crusaders occupied the area, the castle they built to defend the eastern part of the Kingdom of Jerusalem was called Kerak Castle.

19th-century travellers[edit]

Early modern travellers in the region included Ulrich Jasper Seetzen (1805), Johann Ludwig Burckhardt (1812), Charles Leonard Irby and James Mangles (1818), and Louis Félicien de Saulcy (1851).^[4]

Biblical narratives[edit]

According to the biblical account, Moab and Ammon were born to Lot and Lot’s elder and younger daughters, respectively, in the aftermath of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The Bible refers to both the Moabites and Ammonites as Lot’s sons, born of incest with his daughters (Genesis 19:37–38).

The Moabites first inhabited the rich highlands at the eastern side of the chasm of the Dead Sea, extending as far as Wadi Mujib to Wadi Hasa,^{[وزارة التربية والتعليم 2]} from which country they expelled the Emim, the original inhabitants (Deuteronomy 2:11), but they themselves were afterward driven southward by warlike tribes of Amorites, who had crossed the river Jordan. These Amorites, described in the Bible as being ruled by King Sihon, confined the Moabites to the country south of the river Arnon, which formed their northern boundary (Numbers 21:13; Judges 11:18).

God renewed his covenant with the Israelites at Moab before the Israelites entered the Promised Land» (Deuteronomy 29:1). Moses died there (Deut 34:5), prevented by God from entering the Promised Land. He was buried in an unknown location in Moab and the Israelites spent a period of thirty days there in mourning (Deuteronomy 34:6–8).

According to the Book of Judges, the Israelites did not pass through the land of the Moabites (Judges 11:18), but conquered Sihon’s kingdom and his capital at Heshbon. After the conquest of Canaan the relations of Moab with Israel were of a mixed character, sometimes warlike and sometimes peaceable. With the tribe of Benjamin they had at least one severe struggle, in union with their kindred the Ammonites and the Amalekites (Judges 3:12–30). The Benjaminite shofet Ehud ben Gera assassinated the Moabite king Eglon and led an Israelite army against the Moabites at a ford of the Jordan river, killing many of them.

The Book of Ruth testifies to friendly relations between Moab and Bethlehem, one of the towns of the tribe of Judah. By his descent from Ruth, David may be said to have had Moabite blood in his veins. He committed his parents to the protection of the king of Moab (who may have been his kinsman), when hard pressed by King Saul. (1 Samuel 22:3,4) But here all friendly relations stop forever. The next time the name is mentioned is in the account of David’s war, who made the Moabites tributary (2 Samuel 8:2; 1 Chronicles 18:2). Moab may have been under the rule of an Israelite governor during this period; among the exiles who returned to Judea from Babylonia were a clan descended from Pahath-Moab, whose name means «ruler of Moab».

At the disruption of the kingdom under the reign of Rehoboam, Moab seems to have been absorbed into the northern realm. It continued in vassalage to the Kingdom of Israel until the death of Ahab which according to E. R. Thiele’s reckoning was in about 853 BCE,^[5] when the Moabites refused to pay tribute and asserted their independence, making war upon the kingdom of Judah (2 Chronicles 22:1).

After the death of Ahab in about 853 BCE, the Moabites under Mesha rebelled against Jehoram, who allied himself with Jehoshaphat, King of the Kingdom of Judah, and with the King of Edom. According to the Bible, the prophet Elisha directed the Israelites to dig a series of ditches between themselves and the enemy, and during the night these channels were miraculously filled with water which was as red as blood.

According to the biblical account, the crimson color deceived the Moabites and their allies into attacking one another, leading to their defeat at Ziz, near En Gedi (2 Kings 3; 2 Chronicles 20). According to Mesha’s inscription on the Mesha Stele, however, he was completely victorious and regained all the territory of which Israel had deprived him. The battle of Ziz is the last important date in the history of the Moabites as recorded in the Bible. In the year of Elisha’s death they invaded Israel (2 Kings 13:20) and later aided Nebuchadnezzar in his expedition against Jehoiakim (2 Kings 24:2).

Allusions to Moab are frequent in the prophetical books (Isa 25:10; Ezek 25:8–11; Amos 2:1–3; Zephaniah 2:8–11). Two chapters of Isaiah (15 and 16) and one of Jeremiah (48) are devoted to the «burden of Moab». Its prosperity and pride, which the Israelites believed incurred the wrath of God, are frequently mentioned (Isa 16:6; Jer 48:11–29; Zephaniah 2:10), and their contempt for Israel is once expressly noted (Jer. 48:27). Moab would be dealt with during the time of the Messiah’s rulership according to the prophets.^[6] The book of Zephaniah states that Moab would become «a permanent desolation».^[7]

Moab is also made reference to in the 2 Meqabyan, a book considered canonical in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.^[8] In that text, a Moabite king named Maccabeus joins forces with Edom and Amalek to attack Israel, later repenting of his sins and adopting the Israelite religion.

Religion[edit]

References to the religion of Moab are scant. Most of the Moabites followed the ancient Semitic religion like other ancient Semitic-speaking peoples, and the Book of Numbers says that they induced the Israelites to join in their sacrifices (Num 25:2; Judges 10:6). Their chief god seems to have been Chemosh,^[9] and the Bible refers to them as the «people of Chemosh» (Num 21:29; Jer 48:46). During the Iron Age, several Moabite cultic sites have been found in places such as Deir Alla, Damiyah, Ataruz or Khirbet al-Mudayna.^[10]

According to II Kings, at times, especially in dire peril, human sacrifices were offered to Chemosh, as by Mesha, who gave up his son and heir to him (2 Kings 3:27). Nevertheless, King Solomon built a «high place» for Chemosh on the hill before Jerusalem (1 Kings 11:7), which the Bible describes as «this detestation of Moab». The altar was not destroyed until the reign of Josiah (2 Kings 23:13). The Moabite Stone also mentions (line 17) a female counterpart of Chemosh, Ashtar-Chemosh, and a god Nebo (line 14), probably the well-known Babylonian divinity Nabu.

Language[edit]

The Moabite language was spoken in Moab. It was a Canaanite language closely related to Biblical Hebrew, Ammonite and Edomite,^[11] and was written using a variant of the Phoenician alphabet.^[12] Most of our knowledge of it comes from the Mesha Stele,^[12] which is the only known extensive text in this language. In addition, there are the three line El-Kerak Inscription and a few seals.

In Jewish tradition[edit]

According to the Hebrew Bible, the Moabites opposed the Israelite invasion of Canaan, as did the Ammonites. As a consequence, they were excluded from the congregation for ten generations.^[13] The term «tenth generation» is considered an idiom, used for an unlimited time, as opposed to the third generation, which allows an Egyptian convert to marry into the community. The Talmud expresses the view that the prohibition applied only to male Moabites, who were not allowed to marry born Jews or legitimate converts. Female Moabites, when converted to Judaism, were permitted to marry with only the normal prohibition of a convert marrying a kohen (priest) applying. However, the prohibition was not followed during the Babylonian captivity, and Ezra and Nehemiah sought to compel a return to the law because men had been marrying women who had not been converted at all (Ezra 9:1–2, 12; Nehemiah 13:23–25). The heir of King Solomon was Rehoboam, the son of an Ammonite woman, Naamah (1 Kings 14:21).

On the other hand, the marriages of the Bethlehem Ephrathites (of the tribe of Judah) Chilion and Mahlon to the Moabite women Orpah and Ruth (Ruth 1:2–4), and the marriage of the latter, after her husband’s death, to Boaz (Ruth 4:10–13) who by her was the great-grandfather of David, are mentioned with no shade of reproach. The Talmudic explanation, however, is that the language of the law applies only to Moabite and Ammonite men (Hebrew, like all Semitic languages, has grammatical gender). The Talmud also states that the prophet Samuel wrote the Book of Ruth to settle the dispute as the rule had been forgotten since the time of Boaz. Another interpretation is that the Book of Ruth is simply reporting the events in an impartial fashion, leaving any praise or condemnation to be done by the reader.

The Babylonian Talmud in Yevamot 76B explains that one of the reasons was the Ammonites did not greet the Children of Israel with friendship and the Moabites hired Balaam to curse them. The difference in the responses of the two people led to God allowing the Jewish people to harass the Moabites (but not go to war) but forbade them to even harass the Ammonites (Deuteronomy 23:3–4).

Ruth adopted the god of Naomi, her Israelite mother-in-law. Ruth chose to go back to Naomi’s people after her husband, his brother and his father, Naomi’s husband, died.

Ruth said to Naomi, «Whither thou goest, I will go; whither thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people and thy God my God». The Talmud uses this as the basis for what a convert must do to be converted. There are arguments as to exactly when she was converted and if she had to repeat the statement in front of the court in Bethlehem when they arrived there.

Jehoash was one of the four men who pretended to be gods.^[14] He was persuaded thereto particularly by the princes, who said to him. «Wert thou not a god thou couldst not come out alive from the Holy of Holies» (Ex R. viii. 3). He was assassinated by two of his servants, one of whom was the son of an Ammonite woman and the other the offspring of a Moabite (2 Chron. 24:26); for God said: «Let the descendants of the two ungrateful families chastise the ungrateful Joash» (Yalk., Ex. 262). Moab and Ammon were the two offspring of Lot’s incest with his two daughters as described in Gen. 19:30–38.

Jehoshaphet subsequently joined Jehoram of Israel in a war against the Moabites, who were under tribute to Israel. The Moabites were subdued, but seeing Mesha’s act of offering his own son (and singular heir) as a propitiatory human sacrifice on the walls of Kir of Moab filled Israel with horror, and they withdrew and returned to their own land.^[15]

According to the Book of Jeremiah, Moab was exiled to Babylon for his arrogance and idolatry. According to Rashi, it was also due to their gross ingratitude even though Abraham, Israel’s ancestor, had saved Lot, Moab’s ancestor from Sodom. Jeremiah prophesies that Moab’s captivity will be returned in the end of days.^[16]

The book of Zephaniah states that «Moab will assuredly be like Sodom, and the sons of Ammon like Gomorrah—Ground overgrown with weeds and full of salt mines, and a permanent desolation.» (2:9).

List of rulers[edit]

The following is a list of rulers of the ancient kingdom of Moab.

Iron Age[edit]

• Kamōš-ayat, c. 900-870 BC^{[citation needed]}
• Mesha, c. 870-840 BC^{[citation needed]}
• Salmanu, c. 744-727 BC^{[citation needed]}
• Kamōš-nadab, c. 704 BC^[17]

Assyrian period[edit]

• Muṣuri, fl. c. 670-668 BC^{[citation needed]}
• Kamōš-ʿaśa, c. 668-633 BC^{[citation needed]}

Explanatory notes[edit]

See also[edit]

• Plains of Moab, region along the Jordan across from Jericho

References[edit]

Further reading[edit]

• Bienkowski, Piotr (1992). Early Edom and Moab: The Beginning of the Iron Age in Southern Jordan. ISBN 9780906090459.
• Dearman, John Andrew (1989). Studies in the Mesha Inscription and Moab. ISBN 9781555403577.
• Many comparisons of Biblical Hebrew with the language of the Mêša˓ inscription appear in Wilhelm Gesenius’ Hebrew grammar, e.g. §2d , §5d , §7b , §7f , §49a , §54l , §87e , §88c , §117b , etc.
• Jacobs, Joseph and Louis H. Gray. «Moab». The Jewish Encyclopedia. Funk and Wagnalls, 1901–1906, which cites to the following bibliography:
  • Tristram, H. B. (1874). The Land of Moab: Travels and Discoveries on the East Side of the Dead Sea and the Jordan (Second ed.). London: John Murray.
• Miller, J Maxwell. (1997). “Ancient Moab: Still Largely Unknown.” The Biblical Archaeologist 60 (4): 194–204.
• Routledge, Bruce (2004). Moab in the Iron Age: Hegemony, Polity, Archaeology. ISBN 9780812238013. The most comprehensive treatment of Moab to date.

External links[edit]

• Gutenberg E-text of Patriarchal Palestine by Archibald Henry Sayce (1895)
• Moab entry in Smith’s Bible Dictionary