The Ammonites were a people group frequently mentioned in the Old Testament, known for their interactions and conflicts with the Israelites. Their descent is traced back to a significant and somewhat controversial event recorded in the Book of Genesis.

Ancestry and Origin

The Ammonites are descendants of Ben-Ammi, the son of Lot, Abraham's nephew. The account of their origin is found in Genesis 19:30-38. After the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot and his two daughters took refuge in a cave in the mountains. Fearing the extinction of their family line, Lot's daughters devised a plan to preserve their lineage by getting their father drunk and lying with him. The elder daughter bore a son named Moab, the progenitor of the Moabites, while the younger daughter bore a son named Ben-Ammi, the ancestor of the Ammonites. Genesis 19:38 states, "The younger daughter also gave birth to a son, and she named him Ben-Ammi; he is the father of the Ammonites of today."

Territory and Relations

The Ammonites settled in the region east of the Jordan River, in what is now modern-day Jordan. Their territory was primarily located in the area known as Ammon, with its capital at Rabbah (modern-day Amman). The land of the Ammonites was characterized by its rugged terrain and was bordered by the territories of the Moabites to the south and the Israelites to the west.

Throughout the Old Testament, the Ammonites are depicted as both adversaries and occasional allies of Israel. Their relationship with the Israelites was complex, marked by periods of conflict and coexistence. The Ammonites were often involved in military confrontations with Israel, as seen in the accounts of Judges and the books of Samuel and Kings.

Cultural and Religious Practices

The Ammonites, like many of their neighboring peoples, practiced a polytheistic religion. Their chief deity was Milcom (also known as Molech), to whom they offered sacrifices, including, at times, human sacrifices. This practice is condemned in the Old Testament, and the Israelites were explicitly warned against adopting such customs. In 1 Kings 11:7 , it is noted that King Solomon, influenced by his foreign wives, built a high place for Molech, "the abomination of the Ammonites."

Historical Interactions with Israel

The Ammonites frequently appear in the biblical narrative as antagonists to Israel. During the period of the Judges, they oppressed the Israelites, leading to the rise of Jephthah, who delivered Israel from their hand (Judges 11). In the time of King Saul, the Ammonites, under King Nahash, besieged Jabesh-gilead, prompting Saul to rally the Israelites and defeat them (1 Samuel 11).

Later, during the reign of King David, the Ammonites again came into conflict with Israel. The incident involving the humiliation of David's envoys by the Ammonite king Hanun led to a series of battles, resulting in the subjugation of the Ammonites (2 Samuel 10-12).

Legacy

The Ammonites continued to exist as a distinct people group throughout the biblical period, though their power and influence waned over time. They are last mentioned in the context of the post-exilic period, where they are noted as adversaries of the returning Jewish exiles (Nehemiah 4:7).

The Ammonites' descent from Lot and their subsequent history serve as a testament to the complex and often tumultuous relationships between the ancient peoples of the Near East, as recorded in the biblical narrative.Genesis 19:38
And the younger, she also bore a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon to this day.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Saul's Expedition against the Nation of the Ammonites and victory ...
... the Assyrians and their forces, he then made you to overcome the Ammonites and the ...
God gave such great signals by thunder and lightning, and the descent of hail ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 5 sauls expedition against.htm

The Nations of the South-East
... occupation of Seir was long subsequent to the settlement of the Ammonites and Moabites ...
Both traced their descent from Abraham; it was only on the side of the ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter iii the nations of.htm

The Alleged Discrepancy in the Gospels in Regard to the Genealogy ...
... 2. 46. [130] It was the custom of the Jews, to whom tribal and family descent meant
so ... p. 347 sq., 2d ed.). [132] Achior was a general of the Ammonites in the ...
/.../pamphilius/church history/chapter vii the alleged discrepancy in.htm

2 Cor. xi. 21
... not all Hebrews that were Israelites, since both the Ammonites and Moabites were
Hebrews. Wherefore he added somewhat to clear his nobility of descent, and says ...
/.../homilies on the epistles of paul to the corinthians/homily xxv 2 cor xi.htm

The Jewish Institutions and Laws of Far Higher Antiquity than the ...
... whom, the people having sinned again, were delivered to the Ammonites eighteen years ...
of Orpheus the production of Zopyrus of Heraclea, and The Descent to Hades ...
/.../the stromata or miscellanies/chapter xxi the jewish institutions and.htm

The Israelites
... Bedawin, not Bedawin proper; not Bedawin by blood and descent, but Semites ... Moabites
and Midianites, Ammonites and Bedawin, even the king of distant Mesopotamia ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter i the israelites.htm

The Ascension of Isaiah.
... It is true that David is said to have put the Ammonites under saws; but ... seventh heaven,
as well as Christ's future advent on the earth; His descent into hell ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/the ascension of isaiah.htm

On the Righteousness and Efficacy of the Providence of God
... an act because God willed to have Christ born in direct descent from Judah ... nations,
preferred to march against the Jews rather than the Ammonites, through the ...
/.../the works of james arminius vol 1/disputation 10 on the righteousness.htm

The Historical Books.
... a notice of his exploit in delivering the people of Jabesh-gilead from the Ammonites. ...
A knowledge of the descent of the families of the different tribes would ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xx the historical books.htm

Canaan
... Even the Israelites and Ammonites are called "Hittites" by an Assyrian king. ... The
Kenites came from the desert, and were apparently of Midianitish descent. ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter ii canaan.htm

What is an abomination? | GotQuestions.org

What is significance of Mount Seir? | GotQuestions.org

Who was Lot in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

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