Places in the Bible Today:

Ir-moab

Data

Translated Namescity of Moab, Ir-moab, Moabite city, Moabite town
Typesettlement
Geo Data KML (for Google Earth)
GeoJSON (for GIS applications)

4 Possible Identifications

  1. another name for Ar (ancient): 70% confidence. It may be:

    1. satellite view of the region around MisnaMisna

    2. ruins at Khirbet al BaluaKhirbet al Balua

    3. ruins at RabbaRabba

    4. satellite view of the region around Khirbet el MedeinehKhirbet el Medeineh

    5. castle at KerakKerak

  2. Khirbet el Medeineh (modern): less than 10% confidence

    1. satellite view of the region around Khirbet el MedeinehKhirbet el Medeineh

  3. not a proper name (region): less than 10% confidence
  4. Khirbet el Medeiyineh (modern): less than 10% confidence

    1. satellite view of the region around Khirbet el MedeiyinehKhirbet el Medeiyineh

Verses (1)

Num 22:36

Linked Data Identifiers

SourceIdentifier
Logos FactbookCity of Moab
OpenBible.info (2007)Moab
OpenBible.infoa6c0a5f (Ir-moab)
TIPNRMoab@Gen.36.35

Sources

  1. Aharoni, Land of the Bible (1979): page 433
  2. Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (1992): Moab, City of (place)
  3. Baly, Atlas of the Biblical World (1971): Moab, city of
  4. Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000): City of Moab
  5. HarperCollins Concise Atlas of the Bible (1991): City of Moab
  6. Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (2003): City of Moab
  7. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1979): City of Moab
  8. IVP Old Testament Bible Background Commentary (2000): Num 22:36-41
  9. New Interpreter’s Bible Dictionary (2009): Moab, City of
  10. Westminster Historical Atlas to the Bible (1956): Moab, City of
  11. Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible (2010): city of Moab

Confidence Trends over Time

This chart indicates how confidence in the identifications is changing over time. Each dot (connected by a dotted line) reflects the confidence of an identification over the preceding ten years (e.g., the 2009 dot reflects scholarship from 2000 to 2009), and the corresponding solid line reflects a best-fit line for the identification. Confidences that cluster near or below 0% indicate low confidence. Because of the small dataset, it's best to use this chart for general trends; if one identification is trending much higher than the others (in this case, another name for Ar), then you can probably have higher confidence in the identification. This chart only reflects the sources I consulted (listed above), not an exhaustive review of the literature.

Thumbnail Image Credits

Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2019, Bashar Tabbah, Dennis Jarvis, Berthold Werner

About

This page attempts to identify all the possible locations where this biblical place could be. The confidence levels add up to less than 100%, indicating that the modern location is uncertain. It's best to think about the confidences in relative rather than absolute terms. Often they reflect different schools of thought, each confident in their identifications.