DICTIONARY OF THE BIBLE
stirs up Koa‘ and Shoa’ against the mountain’ have, however, given up the paronomasia and corrected Kir to Koa‘ (yip), a nation mentioned together with Shoa’ in ΕΖ 23%; the Kutdé or Ki of the Assyrian inscriptions, a warlike nomadic tribe S.E. of eas chiefly on the banks of the modern rivers Dijéla (the Gyndes of the classics) and Adhem adjoining the Sutd, i.e. the biblical Shoa’. This agrees with Is 22°, where Kir is a neighbour of Elam. It results that we have to try the same emendation also in this passage (Is 22°), and indeed the LXX reads there consonants which come nearer to yp than to Vp, likewise in Am 9 (where 7yp=original yp). See, further, art. KoA, footnote.
It is very probable, then, that in all passages the same pastoral people Koa’ tp, were originally meant. The corruption of one may have caused that of the other places. (For the Assyrian and Babylonian texts see Delitzsch, Paradies, 233; Schrader, K-A 7? 425). The country Gutiwm, Guti, which is mentioned as early as B.C. 3000 in in- scriptions, seems to be the same as Kuti, Kuti, Kw, which is only the later spelling.* The in- habitants seem to have been always Semites, so that their relationship to the Aramzeans, who a in cuneiform inscriptions first in Southern Babylonia, is very plausible. Otherwise, the cuneiform inscrip- tions are been searched in vain for a Stage ot The ancient versions (Aq., Vulg., partly ᾿ Targum) were guessing when they introduced the Libyan Cyrene, which is absurd. By those to whom the emendation of Kir to Koa’ seems too bold, the conjecture may be hazarded that some day the name Kir will be discovered in the same region E. of the Lower and Middle Tigris, where various nomadic tribes roamed with the rapacious Shoa’ and Koa’. But the emendation seems more plausible.
W. Max MULLER.
KIR (OF MOAB) (2y:07'2, τὸ τεῖχος τῆς Mwaf(e)iridos, murus Moab).—One of the chief towns of the land of Moab, coupled with Ar of Moab, Is 15'. Since in the Moabite tongue ‘ir=Heb. ‘ir or ‘ar, it is conceivable that Kir of Moab and Ar of Moab are identical. The almost universally ae identi- fication of Kir of Moab with the modern Kerak
* Perhaps occurring also in Egyptian texts as Gut, see W. M. Miiller, Asien, p. 281.
+ More modern guesses : the Κῦρος or Kippes, river of Armenia, the modern Kur (Michaelis), But this name has ἃ not &, and is too far north. Bochart proposes Κιυρένη (Ptol.) in Eastern Media, but this place is obscure and too far east. Furrer suggests the region near Antioch called Kipper, Κυρρεστικά, but this name was given only in later times in imitaten οἵ» Macedonian city (see Mannert).
2 KIRAMA
Moab). This may have been a native name which has survived, or it may be a rendering of that name which has supplanted it. The modern name of Kerak can be traced back as belonging to the place in early times. Under the form Χαρακμῶβα it appears in the acts of the Council of Jerusalem A.D. 536, and in the geographers Ptolemy and Stephanus of Byzantium. The Crusaders discerned the strategic importance of the place as command- ing the trade route from Egypt and Arabia into Syria. Under king Fulco of Jerusalem, A.D. 1131, a castle was built there, of which extensive re- mains may yet be seen. Saladin in A.D. 1183 unsuccessfully besieged it; it fell into his hands in A.D. 1188. The contributions which the Chroniclers of the Crusades make to the local- izing of the site are full and interesting ; it was then the chief city of Arabia Secunda, or Petra- censis; it is specified as in the Belk&f, and dis- tinguished from Moab or Rabbat, and from Mons Regalis or Montreal. The Crusaders further identified it with Petra, or gave that name to it; an error which the Greek Church has per- petuated, for the Greek bishop of Petra has his seat at Kerak. It is frequently referred to in writers of the Christian period as Charak-Moba (also Mobu-Charax), corrupted to Charakéma, Charagmucha, Karach, and Kara. On the ques- tion of the identity of Kir of Moab with Kir- hareseth or Kir-heres see art. on these names.
The Wady el-Kerak runs §8.E. from the head of the bay of the Dead Sea, which lies east of the pons el-Lisin, uniting with the Wady ‘Ain
ranji about 10 miles up. Kerak is situated on a lofty spur between these two ravines, and is about four thousand feet above the level of the Dead Sea. The sides of the hill descend steeply some thousand feet to the bottom of the valleys, but the height on the other side is much greater, so that the town is commanded by hills on every side. (This may explain 2 Καὶ 3%°"¢), Such a position was for ancient warfare almost impreg- nable. The great weakness must have been want of water, and there are remains of enormous rock- hewn cisterns. The city was surrounded by a wall of great thickness, which had but two entrances—one on the N.W., the other on the $., each being approached by a long tunnel cut through the solid rock. There are remains of five great towers; but further investigation seems needed to decide what is ancient Moabite work, and what is due to medieval engineers.