Heshbon in Biblical History

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Schaff's Bible Dictionary

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What is Heshbon?
HESH'BON
(reason, device), a city originally belonging to the Moabites, but taken by Sihon, king of the Amorites, and made his capital; captured and occupied by the Israelites, Num 21:25-26; situated on the boundary between Reuben and Gad; rebuilt by Reuben and made a Levitical city, then being territorially a Gadite city. Num 32:3, Num 32:37; Deut 1:4; Deut 2:24-30; 2 Sam 3:2,Deut 3:6; Deut 4:46; Deut 29:7; Josh 9:10; 1 Kgs 12:2, Josh 12:5; Josh 13:10-27; Acts 21:39; Jud 11:19, Jud 11:26; 1 Chr 6:81. In later times the Moabites regained possession of Heshbon, so that it is mentioned as a Moabitish town in the prophetic denunciations against that people, Isa 15:4; Isa 16:8-9; Jer 48:2, Jer 48:34, Jer 48:45; Jer 49:3. The ruins of the city still exist some 15 miles east of the northern end of the Dead Sea, on the great table-land of Moab. A small hill rises 200 feet above the general level, and upon this is Heshbon, now called Heshbun. The whole city must have had a circuit of about a mile. The hill is described as "one heap of shapeless ruin." "Jewish stones, Roman arches, Doric pillars, and Saracenic arches are all strangely mingled." -See Tristram, Land of Israel, p. 544. The site was admirably adapted for the capital of a warlike people. It was the key both to the plain of the Jordan and to the mountains of Gilead. East of the city are the remains of water-courses and an enormous cistern, or "fish-pond," which illustrates Cant. Acts 7:4.

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Schaff, Philip, Dr. "Biblical Definition for 'heshbon' in Schaffs Bible Dictionary".
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