MEDEBA water of rest;' in Num.
xxi. 30, Mwdp; Miaaf3dp; MnSagd; in Josh. xiii. 16 the LXX. omits the word ; and in Is. xv. 2, it reads Mwapiriaor; Medaba), a city of Moab, first mentioned in the short ode describing the conquest of that country by Sihon the Amorite (Num. xxi. 27-3o). From Josh. xiii. 9 we learn that it gave its name to a section of the high plain [MIsHoa] of Moab, south of Heshbon (cf. ver. 16). In the days of King David it appears to have passed into pos session of the Ammonites, for there they concen trated their forces and allies to resist an attack which their own insolence and folly led them to antici pate. They were totally defeated by Joab, David's general ; the allies were dispersed ; but the Am monites found refuge in Medeba (I Chron. xix. 1-15). In the prophetic curse pronounced upon Moab by Isaiah, Medeba is mentioned as one of its chief cities (xv. 2). The Moabites had at that time regained possession of their ancient country [Moms]. It is somewhat remarkable that Medeba is not found in the list of cities assigned to Reuben, though it was evidently within the borders of that tribe ; nor have we any proof that it was ever pos sessed by the Israelites. The whole plain of Medeba was occupied by the Renbenites; but the city itself was perhaps strongly fortified, and suf fered to remain, like many in western Palestine, in the hands of its old inhabitants (Josh. xiii. 9, 16-2o). It is true we find it stated (ver. 21) that all the cities of the plain' were given by Moses to Reuben; but had Medeba been included it would in all probability have been named with the other principal cities. The city continued to
he an important fortress during the rule of the Maccabees, and its people succeeded in capturing John, the brother of Jonathan the Jewish prince (I Maccab. ix. 35-37), for which treacherous act they were afterwards made to suffer (Joseph. Antiq. xiii. I. 4; 9. 1). Medeba (written 111n8Ova and MiSava) is mentioned by Ptolemy as a town of Arabia Petrma (v. 17), between Bostra and Petra (Reland, p. 666) ; and the name occurs also among the episcopal cities of the province of Arabia (Reland, p. 217). It was known to Eusebius and Jerome, for they describe Cariatba as a village of Christians west of Medaba (Onomast., s. v. Cariatha); and they state that Medaba is to this day a city of Arabia near Heshbon, retaining its ancient name' (Onomast., s. v.) The ruins of Medeba still exist and bear their old name, under the Arabic form Mideba. They lie about four miles south-east of Heshbon, with which they are connected by an ancient paved road. The city occupied a low hill a mile and a half in circumference. The whole site is covered with ruins, not a solitary building remains standing. The only objects of interest are a large cistern, and the remains of a massive temple of the Doric order. The plain around it, though now desolate, is fertile, and thickly dotted with ancient cities (Burckhardt, Syrth, p. 366 ; Irby and Mangles, p. ; Hand book, p. 303; Reland, Pat. L. P.