Still later, under Nebuchadnezzar, we see the Moabites acting as the auxiliaries of the ChaldHans (2 Kings xxiv. 2), and beholding with malicious satisfaction the destruction of a kindred people (Ezek. xxv. 8-it) ; yet, according to an account in Josephus (Antig. x. 9. 7), Nebuchadnezzar, when on his way to Egypt, made war upon them, and subdued them, together with the Ammonites, five years after the destruction of Jerusalem. On the other hand, there is no authority in any one ancient account for that which modern historians have re peatedly copied from one another ; viz., that Moab was carried into exile by Nebuchadnezzar, and re stored with the Hebrews under Cyrus.
That continual wars and contentions must have created a feeling of national hostility between the Hebrews and the Moabites, may be readily con ceived. This feeling manifested itself on the part of the Hebrews, sometimes in bitter proverbs, sometimes in the denunciations of the prophets ; on the part of the Moabites in proud boastings and expressions of contempt (Is. xvi. 6).
Among the prophecies, however, that of Balaam (Num. xxii. -xxiv.) is above all remarkable, in which this ancient prophet (who withal was not an Israelite), hired by Moab to curse, is impelled by the Divine Spirit to bless Israel, and to announce the future destruction of Moab by a mighty hero in Israel (Num. xxiv. 17). It is a genuine epic representation worthy of the greatest poet of any age. Nor should we overlook the song of triumph and scorn respecting Moab, suggested by Heshbon, and obscure only as to its origin (Num. xxi. I7-30). Among the later prophets, Amos (ii. 1-3) predicts their destruction in consequence of their cruelty to the king of Edom ; probably with reference to the war recorded in 2 Kings iii., when the Edomites were confederate with the Hebrews ; although the particular instance of cruelty is not there specified. Zephaniah (ii. S-to) condemns them to punishment for their scorn and contempt of Israel. Jeremiah repeats the denunciation of evil, for the most part in the words of Numbers and Isaiah (Jer. xlviii. ; comp. also ix. 26 ; xxv. 21) ; and Ezekiel threatens them with punishment for their malicious joy at the overthrow of Judaea (xxv. 8-ii). Moreover, the subjection of Moab finds a place in every ideal description of splendid wars and golden ages pre dicted for Israel (Is. id. ; xxv. to; Ps. lx. 8, 4 Moab is my wash-pot ;' Ps. lxxxiii. 6).
After the exile, an intimate connection between the two nations had found place by means of inter marriages (Ezra ix. 1, seq. ; Neh. xiii. t), which, however, were dissolved by the theocratic zeal of Ezra. The last (chronologically) notice of the Moabites which occurs in Scripture is in Dan. xi. 41, which contains an obscure intimation of the escape of the Moabites from the overthrow with which neighbouring countries would be visited: but Josephus, in the history of Alexander Jannseus, mentions the cities between Anion and Jabbok under the title of cities of Moab (Antiq. xiii. 15). Thenceforth their name is lost under that of the Arabians, as was also the case with Ammon and Edom. At the time of Abulfeda, Moab Proper,
south of the Amon, bore the name of Karak, from the city so called; and the territory north of the Amon, that of Belka, which includes also the Ammonites. Since that time, the accounts of that region are uncommonly meagre; for through fear of the predatory and mischievous Arabs that people it, few of the numerous travellers in Palestine have ventured to explore it. For scanty accounts, see Busching's Asia, pp. 507, 508. Seetzen, who in February and March 18°6, not without danger of losing his life, undertook a tour from Damascus down to the south of the Jordan and the Dead Sea, and thence to Jerusalem, was the first to shed a new, and altogether unexpected, light upon the topography of this region. He found a multitude of places, or at least of ruins of places, still bearing the old names; and thus has set bounds to the per fectly arbitrary designations of them on the old charts. Seetzen's wish, that some other traveller might acquaint the public with the remarkable ruins of this region, especially those of Gerasa and Amman, and then advance to the splendid ruins of Petra at Wady Mousa, is already partly accom plished, and will soon be completely so. From June to September 1812, Burckhardt made the same tour from Damascus beyond the Jordan down to Karak; whence he advanced over Wady Mousa, or the ancient Petra (which he was the first European traveller to visit), to the bay of Aila, and thence went to Cairo. The accurate details of this tour, which are contained in his Travels in Syria and the Holy Land, 1822, threw much light upon the ancient topography and present condition of the lands of Moab and Edom. The accounts of Seetzen and Burckhardt give the substance of all the information which we even yet possess con cerning the land of Moab in particular, although of Edom, or rather of Petra, fuller, if not more exact accounts, have been since obtained. Most of the travellers who visited Petra after Burckhardt, passed also through the land of Moab ; but it after wards became usual so pass from Petra direct to Hebron ; whence this country has escaped the researches of many travellers whose observations have of late years enriched the topography of this region. A party of English gentlemen, Captains Irby and Mangles, Mr. Bankes and Mr. Legh, passed through the land of Moab in returning from Petra in t8i8; and their observations, pub lished in their Travels by Irby and Mangles, and by Legh in a Supplement to Dr. Macmichael's Yourney from Moscow to Constantinople, 1819, furnish the most valuable additions which have as yet been obtained to the information of Seetzen and Burckhardt. The northern parts of the country were visited by Mr. Buckingham, and more lately by Mr. George Robinson and by Lord Lindsay, hut very little additions have been made by these travellers to our previous knowledge. The plates to Laborde's new work, Voyage ex 01 lent, show that he also visited the land of Moab ; but the particulars of his journey have not yet been published.