KIR-HARESH, KIR-IIERES, KIR-HARA SETH, KIR- HARESETH, and KIR-MOAB (-vrin vp, is. xvi. ; trIrrop, Jer. xlviii. 31, 36 ; 71;?..,7! -op, 2 Kings iii. 25 ; ro:ai i4p, is. xvi. 7, 2t5-; nbsiv-op, is. xv. a strong city of Moab. It is remarkable that in not a single instance does the Vulgate version render this as a proper name; and the authors of the LX.X. only make' it a proper name in one pas sage, Is. xvi. 7, and there corruptly. Kir was one of the chief fortresses and cities of Moab ; and the word heres or hareseth would seem to imply that its wall was built of `brick.' When Jorain king of Israel invaded Moab, Kir was the only city left standing in the whole country ; and it was saved by an act of savage cruelty, which is recorded in 2 Kings iii. 25-27. In the Chaldee paraphrase Kir-Moab of Isaiah is rendered toin 3N101, Kerakka of Moab ; and in 2 Mac. xii. the city is called Xcipam. Ptolemy (v. r7) has it XapaxiD Ida, and Steph. Byzant. Xapatc/.463 pa. The city became the seat of a bishopric in the province of Pahrstina Tertia (Reland, p. 7o5). The Crusa ders captured it, rebuilt its fortifications, and, mis taking it for Petra, established there, in A, D. 1167, a Latin bishopric of that name (Will. Tyr. xi. 26 ; Xv. 21 ; Jacobi de Vitri. in Gesta Dei, ch. lvi. p. ro77 ; cf. Winer, R. TV., s. v. ; Robinson, B. R., ii. 166). There can be no doubt of the identity of Kir and Kharacca with the Kemk of Arab geogra phers (Schultens, Index Geogr. in Vit. Salaa', s.v.
Caraeha), and the modern villac,e of that name.
Kerak stands on the top of% rocky hill about ten miles from the south-east corner of the Dead Sea, and near the southern frontier of Moab. The hill is encompassed by deep narrow ravines, be yond which rise loftier mountains, shutting it in on all sides except the west, where a sublime glen descends 3000 feet to the shore of the Dead Sea. The city was at one time strongly fortified ; and is still enclosed by a half ruinous wall, flanked by seven massive towers. Originally there were but two entrances, one on the north, the other on the south, and both tunnelled through the rock. for a distance of nearly a hundred feet, On the western side stands the citadel, a strong building, separated from the town by a deep moat hewn in the rock. It appears to have been built by the Crusaders. Within it is a ruinous church, on whose walls are a few traces of rude paintings. The present popu lation numbers about 3000, one-third of whom are Greek Christians. Their strong position, numbers, and valour, make them the rulers of a large district, and almost independent of the Turk ish government. (Handbook for S. and P., pp. 59, seq. ; Burckharcit, Syria, p. 3S7 ; De Saulcy, yaurng ;mind the Dead Sea, i. 366-98 ; Lynch, Expedition, pp. 263, seg., English ed. )—J. L. P.