Chemosh (Art by Joss Monzon)
Chemosh, also known as Kamōš, was the national deity of the Moabites and who was also worshipped by the Ammonites. He was called by the ancient Israelites as "the abomination of Moab".
Description[]
Like the Hebrew god Yahweh, he blessed his people with military victory when they pleased him, and allowed them to be conquered by their enemies when they did not. The Moabite King Mesha dedicated a high place to Chemosh which contained a well-preserved inscription on the so-called Moabite Stone, describing Chemosh's involvement in Mesha's battles against the descendants of the Israelite kings Omri and Ahab.
The specific characteristics of Chemosh are not clear in many respects. The Moabites, Ammonites, and Israelites were reportedly kinsmen, and the Israelites sometimes worshiped Chemosh, as well as their own national god, Yahweh. King Solomon dedicated an altar to Chemosh outside of Jerusalem in honor of his Moabite wife. Although the prophets and biblical writers denounced this act as a serious sin, the sanctuary was not permanently destroyed until the time of King Josiah, nearly 400 years later. At times, human sacrifice was dedicated to Chemosh, as it was to Moloch and occasionally to Yahweh as well.
Overview[]
Like the Israelite god Yahweh, he had punished his people by allowing neighboring tribes or nations to subjugate them. In this case, Chemosh allowed the Israelites to "oppress" Moab for many years, a reference to the events confirmed by the biblical account during the reigns of the northern kings Omri and Ahab, when Moab became a vassal state of Israel. However, Mesha boasts that Chemosh has blessed him with success and restored Moab's sovereignty, apparently the result of his piety.
It is also shown that Chemosh communicated with the king, probably through a form of divination similar to the many biblical references to Israelite kings "inquiring of the Lord." Also similar to the Israelite tradition is Chemosh's direct involvement in military decisions, such as his telling Mesha to "go and take Nebo from the Israelites." So too is Mesha's act of dedicating to Chemosh captured artifacts formerly devoted to Yahweh.