Kerioth
“Cities (plural of qiryah)”
Summary
The name of two biblical cities, one in southern Judah possibly connected to Judas Iscariot's origin, and another in Moab that was a center of worship for the god Chemosh.
☩Kerioth of Judah
Kerioth was a town in the southern district of Judah, listed between Hadattah and Hezron in the territory that was later included within Simeon. Some scholars suggest the name should be read together with the following word as Kerioth-Hezron, meaning "cities of Hezron," which would be another name for Hazor. The site is traditionally identified with the ruined village el-Kuryetein, about ten miles south of Hebron. This Kerioth has been proposed as the origin of the name "Iscariot," suggesting Judas came from this town (Ish-Kerioth, "man of Kerioth").
☩Kerioth of Moab
A second and more prominent Kerioth was a strong city of Moab, mentioned in the prophetic denunciations of Jeremiah and Amos against that nation. This city contained a sanctuary of Chemosh, the chief god of Moab, and is mentioned in the famous Moabite Stone (Mesha Inscription) where King Mesha records dragging altar hearths there from a conquered city. The prophets foretold that Kerioth would be taken, its strongholds seized, and the hearts of Moab's warriors would become like a woman in labor. Various identifications have been proposed for its location, including Kuraiat between Diban and Attarus, and some scholars suggest it may be another name for Ar-Moab or even Kir of Moab (modern Kerak).
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Kerioth," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. V (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Kerioth," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. III (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.George Morrish, "Kerioth," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).
- 4.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Kerioth," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).