Kerioth

Ke’rioth. (cities).

1. A name which occurs among the lists of the towns in the southern district of Judah. Jos 15:25. Supposed by some to have been the birthplace of Judas Iscariot.

2. A city of Moab, named by Jeremiah only, Jer 48:24.

("closely contiguous cities".)

1. Read together, without "and," Kerioth Hezron (Kuryetein, "the two cities," now 10 miles S. of Hebron): Jos 15:25; in southern Judah. Hazor implies a pastoral spot; Kerioth, kir ("a wall"), kirjah, imply "military fortifications"; Welsh, caer. The Hazors are in the southern or Negeb plain; the Kirjahs in the hills.

2. A city of Moab (Jer 48:24), named with other places "far and near"; if "far" include 60 miles N.N.E. of Heshbon, then Kerioth is now Kureiyeh and Bozrah is Buzrah. Others conjecture Kureyat; Cyril Graham Kiriath and Kiriatain S.W. of Bozrah, containing primitive and gigantic edifices, the roofs formed of stone beams laid side by side, 25 ft. long, and the doors slabs of single stones; the work probably of the giant Emim, the name Kerioth too being perhaps of Anakim origin.

[Keri’oth]

1. City in the south of Judah. Jos 15:25. This passage is better read, ’Kerioth-hezron, which is Hazor.’ Identified with el Kureitein, 31° 21’ N, 35° 7’ E.

2. City of Moab denounced for judgement. Jer 48:24; Jer 48:41. Probably the same as KIRIOTH in Amo 2:2.

KERIOTH.—See Judas Iscariot.

KERIOTH.—A city of Moab, named in Jer 48:24; Jer 48:41, Amo 2:2, and in line 13 of the Moabite Stone. It has been identified with Ar, the capital city of Moab, as that has been with Rabbah—both identifications being precarious. More is to be said for Kerioth being the same as Kir-heres of Isa 16:11 and of Jer 48:31; Jer 48:36. The latter is a stronghold to this day, and fits in with the suggestion of the passages above that Kerioth was a capital city of Moab, and the seat of the worship of Chemosh.

W. F. Cobb.

kē´ri-oth, -ōth (קריּות, ḳ^erı̄yōth):

(1) A city of Moab, named with Beth-meon and Bozrah (Jer 48:24, Jer 48:41). Here was a sanctuary of Chemosh, to which Mesha says (M S, l. 13) he dragged “the altar hearths of Davdoh.” It may possibly be represented by the modern Ḳuraiāt, between Dibān and ‛Aṭṭārūs. Some (e.g. Driver on Amo 2:2) think it may be only another name for Ar-Moab. Buhl (GAP, 270) would identify it with Kir of Moab (Kerak). No certainty is yet possible.

(2) A city of Judah (Jos 15:25; the Revised Version (British and American) KERIOTH-HEZRON (which see)), possibly the modern el-Ḳuryatain, to the Northeast of Tell ‛Arād.