CHEMOSH ke’ mŏsh (כְּמֹ֑ושׁ, LXX Χαμώς, meaning uncertain; subduer?). The name of the national god of Moab, Chemosh is mentioned eight times in the OT. In Numbers 21:29 the Moabites are called the people of Chemosh (cf. Jer 48:46). However, in Judges 11:24 Chemosh is associated with the Ammonites.

Solomon built a high place for Chemosh, as he did for the gods of several other of his wives, but the text describes Chemosh as the abomination of Moab (cf. 1 Kings 11:7, 33). Josiah destroyed this shrine about three hundred years later (2 Kings 23:13). Jeremiah prophesied that Chemosh and his devotees would be carried into captivity (Jer 48:7), which would bring shame to his worshipers (48:13).

The name, Chemosh, appears twelve times on the Moabite Stone, two apparently in a compound form. On this stone, Mesha is described as “son of Chemosh...”; the last part of the phrase is obliterated but can be compared with the “Kammusunadbi of Moab” on the Taylor Prism which details Sennacherib’s invasion of Pal. in 701 b.c.

The other compound is “Ashtar-Chemosh” which suggests that Chemosh may have been an astral god paired with the goddess Ishtar, who was Venus. Mesha constructed a temple for them at Qrchh, the vocalization of which is unknown, but was prob. located close to Dibon.

Almost nothing is known of the character of Chemosh, but the inscr. on the Moabite Stone indicates that he was a savage war god. While Israel dominated Moab, Chemosh is said to have been angry with his people. With victory, he evidently became quite happy again.

Bibliography J. B. Pritchard, ed. The Ancient Near East, An Anthology of Texts and Pictures (1956); D. W. Thomas, Documents from Old Testament Times, New York (1958); “The Moabite Stone,” 195-199.