DISPERSION OF.) 2. A king of Moab, 1,vho possessed an immense number of flocks and herds, and appears to have derived his chief wealth from them. In the time of Ahab, he being then under tribute, 'rendered unto the king of Israel roo,000 lambs and roo,000 rams, with the wool' (2 Kings iii :4). These numbers may, seem exaggerated if understood as the amount of yearly tribute. It is, therefore, more probable that the greedy and implacable Ahab had at some one time levied this enormous impost upon the Moabites ; and it is likely that it was in the apprehension of a recurrence of such ruinous exactions that they seized the opportunity for revolt wh;ch the death of Ahab seemed to of fer (2 Kings i it ; :5). The short reign of ziah afforded no opportunity for reducing them to•obedience ; but after his death his brother and successor, Jehoram, made preparations for war ; and induced Jehoshaphat to join him in this expe dition. The result, with the part talcen by Elisha the prophet, has been related under other heads.
(See ELISFIA ; JEHORAM ; JEHOSHAPHAT.) King Mesha was at length driven to shut himself up, with the remnant of his force, in Areopolis, his capital. He was there besieged so closely that,
having been foiled in an attempt to break through the camp of the Edomites (who were present as vassals of Judah), he was reduced to extremities, and in the madness of his despair sought to propi tiate his angry gods by offering up his own son, the heir of his crown, as a sacrifice, upon the wall of the city. On beh,olding this fearful sight, the besiegers withdrew in horror, lest some portion of the monstrous crime might attach to their own souls. By this withdrawal they, however, afforded the king the relief he desired, and this was. no doubt, attributed by him to the efficacy of his offer ing, and to the satisfaction of his gods therewith. The invaders, however, ravaged the country as they withdrew, and returned with much spoil to their own land. (See MomurEs.) Mesha was the author and subject of the inscription on.the famous Moabite Stone. (See DIBON ; MOABITE