AMMONITES (am'rnon-ites), (Heb. am monites; , a m-nzo-ne' , the sons of Ammon, the Ammonitai), the descendants of the younger son of Lot (Gen. xix :38).
The Ammonites originally occupied a tract of country east of the Amorites, and separated from the Moabites by the river Arnon. It was previously in the possession of a gigantic race called Zamzummin (Deut. :2o), but the Lord destroyed them before the Ammonites, and they succeeded them and dwelt in their stead.' The Israelites, on reaching the borders of the Prom ised Land, were commanded not to molest the children of Ammon for the sake of their progen itor Lot. But, though thus preserved from the annoyance which the passage of such an im mense host through their country might have occasioned, they showed them no hospitality or kindness ; they were therefore prohibited from 'entering the congregation of the Lord' (i. e. from being admitted into the civil community of the Israelites) 'to the tenth generation for ever' (Deut. xxiii :3). This is evidently intended to be a perpetual prohibition, and was so understood by Nehemiah (Neh. xiii :1).
(1) Active Hostility. The first mention of their active hostility against Israel occurs in Judges iii :13 : 'The king of Moab gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Ainalek, and went and smote Israel.' About Lto years later we are informed that the children of Israel for sook Jehovah and served the gods of various na tions, including those of the children of Ammon, and the anger of Jehovah was kindled against them, and lie sold them into the hands of the Philistines and of the children of Ammon.
The Ammonites crossed over the Jordan and fought with Judah, Benjamin and Ephraim, so that 'Israel was sore distressed.' (2) Jephthah. In answer to Jephthah's mes sengers (Judg. xi :12), the king of Ammon charged the Israelites with having taken away that part of his territories which lay between the rivers Arnon and Jabok, which, in Joshua xiii :25, is called 'half the land of the children of Am mon,' but was in the possession of the Amorites when the Israelites invaded it, and this fact was urged by Jephthah, in order to prove that the charge was ill-founded. Jephthah 'smote them from Aroer to Minnith, even twenty cities, with a very great slaughter' (Judg. xi:33 ; Joseph. Antiq. V :7). (See JEPHTHAH.) (3) Saul and David. The Ammonites were again signally defeated by Saul ( I Sam. xi :it), B. C. 1095, and, according to Josephus, their king Nahash was slain (Antiq. vi :5). (See SAUL.) His successor, who bore the same name, was a friend of David, and died some years after his accession to the throne. In consequence of the gross insult offered to David's ambassadors by his son Hanun (2 Sam. x :4 ; Joseph. Antiq. vii :6), a war ensued, in which the Ammonites were defeated, and their allies, the Syrians, were so daunted that they feared to help the children of Ammon any more (2 Sam. x:19). Contin uing the war, in the following year David took their metropolis, Rabbah, and great abundance of spoil, which is probably mentioned by antici pation in 2 Sam. viii :12 (2 Sam. X:14; Xii:26-31;
Joseph. Antiq. vii :7). (See DAVID.) (4) Jehoshaphat. In the reign of Jehosha phat (B. C. 896) the Ammonites joined with the Moabites and other tribes belonging to Mount Seir to invade Judah ; but, by the divine inter vention, were led to destroy one another. Jehoshaphat and his people were three days in gathering the spoil (2 Chron. xx :25).
In 2 Chron. xx 1, it is said, 'It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab and the children of Ammon„ and with them (other) besides the Ammonites, came against Jehosha phat to battle.' (See JEHOSHAPHAT.) The Ammonites 'gave gifts' to Uzziah (2 Chron. xxvi :8), and paid a tribute to his son Jotham for three successive years, consisting of too talents of silver, Loco measures of wheat, and as many of barley.
(5) Captivity of the Israelites. When the two and a half tribes were carried away captive, the Ammonites took possession of the towns belonging to the tribe of Gad (Jer. xlix :1). 'Bands of the children of Ammon' and of other nations came up with Nebuchadnezzar against Jerusalem (B. C. 607), and joined in exulting over its fall (Ezek. xxv :3, 6). Yet they allowed some of the fugitive Jews to take refuge among them, and even to intermarry (Jer. xl I ; Neh. xiii :13). On the return of the Jews from Babylon the Ammonites manifested their ancient hostility by deriding and opposing the rebuilding of Jerusa lem (Neh. iv :3, 7, 8). Both Ezra and Nehemiah expressed vehement indignation against those Jews who had intermarried with the heathen, and thus transgressed the divine command (Deut. vii :3 ; Ezra x ; Neh. xiii :25). Judas Maccabmus (B. C. 164) fought many battles with the Am monites, and took Jazer with the towns belong ing to it. Justin Martyr affirms that in his time the Ammonites were numerous. Origen speaks of their country under the general denomination of Arabia. Josephus says that the Moabites and Ammonites were inhabitants of Ccele-Syria (Antiq. Sec. 5).
(6) National Idol. The national idol was Molech or Milcom, whose worship was intro duced among the Israelites by the Ammonitish wives of Solomon (1 Kings xi:5, 8) ; and the high places built by that sovereign for this 'abomi nation' were not destroyed till the reign of Josiah (2 Kings xxiii :t3), B. C. 6ro.
Besides Nahash and Hanun, an Ammonitish king, Baalis, is mentioned by Jeremiah (xl :t4). Sixteen manuscripts read Baalim; and Josephus, Baalim BaciXeLA (Antiq. x :o, sec. 3).
(7) Denunciations of the Prophets. In the writings of the prophets terrible denunciations are uttered against the Ammonites on account of their rancorous hostility to the people of Israel ; and the destruction of their metropolis, Rabbah, is distinctly foretold (Zeph. ii :8; Jer. xlix :1-6; Ezek. xxv:I-5, to; Amos 1:13-15). (See RAB BAH.)