RABBATH-MOAB

RABBATH-MOAB, a town in the country of Moab, stated by Stephanus, who is followed by Reland, Raumer, Winer, and other moderns, to be identical with Ar of Moab, the classical Areopolis. This identification is almost certainly erroneous; and indeed it is very doubtful whether a Rabbath did exist at all in the country of Moab All the notices of such a name in the Bible are identified with Rabbath-Ammon, except in Joshua (13.25), where Aroer is said to be before Rabbah,which may possibly be Rabbath-Ammon, and certainly cannot, in the absence of other ancient evidence, be admitted to prove the existence of a Rabbath in Moab. There is, however, some evidence that such a town may have existed in that country, in the modern site of Rabba, marked in Zimmerman's map about halfway between Kerak(Kir of Moab) and the Mojeb(Arnon), and by him identified with Areopolis, which last, however, was certainly identical with Ar of Moab, and lay further north, on the south bank of the Arnon, and in the extreme border of Moab (Numb. 21.15, 22.36). [AREOPOLIS] Rabbais placed by Burckhardt 3 hours north of Kerak(Syria, p. 377), and is doubtless the site noticed in Abulfeda's Tabula Syriaeas Rabbathand Mab(90). Irby and Mangles passed it two hours north of Kerak. The ruins,they say, are situated on an eminence, and present nothing of interest, except two old ruined Roman temples and some tombs. The whole circuit of the town does not seem to have exceeded a mile, which is a small extent for a city that was the capital of Moab, and which bore such a high-sounding Greek name. (Journal, June 5, p. 457.) They must not be held responsible for the double error involved in the last cited words, regarding the etymology of the name Areopolis, and its identity with Rabbath, which are almost universal.
[G.W]