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Ammon
The people of Ammon were Semitic
Canaanites, known by the
Bible as the 'children of Ammon'. Their kingdom was situated east of the
River Jordan, and the people were closely related to the
Israelites,
Moabites, and
Edomites. Although their western
border was clearly defined after they lost the territory beyond it first to
an Amorite invader and
then to the Israelites in about 1200 BC, their eastern borders were never
clearly defined, opening out as they did onto the
Syrian Desert. The southern
border was shared with Moab, while to the north it may have met the border
of the city state of Geshur. The kingdom's key city was Rabbah, or Rabbath
Ammon, which survives today as Amman, the capital of the kingdom of
Jordan. A
good source of wealth was the fact that Ammon lay along the 'King's
Highway', an important north-south trade route between
Egypt,
Syria, and
Mesopotamia.
Akkadian sources which date to the kingdom's earliest years of existence
mention nomadic groups along the Trans-Jordanian highlands whom they term
the Shutu. These groups extend deep into Mesopotamia, probably occupying the
edges of the habitable zone there. Speculation about the Shutu mentions that
the name may be a variant of the Egyptian term 'Shasu', Semitic
cattle-herding nomads who operated in a clan system with tribal chieftains. While the historical
identity of these Shutu is unknown, they have been linked to the Moabites
and Ammonites.
The Ammonites were worshippers of Molech, an old Canaanite idol who was
known as Melkarth, Baal-melech, Malcom, and other such names by the
Phoenicians and
Carthaginians. he was related to Baal, a sun-god worshipped by the sacrifice
of children. According to Unger's Bible Dictionary, Palestinian
excavations have uncovered evidences of infant skeletons in burial places
around heathen shrines. The Moabite god, Chemosh, may have
been closely related to Molech, or a substitute for him.
(Information by Peter Kessler, with additional information from Unger's
Bible Dictionary, Merrill F Unger (1957), from Easton's Bible
Dictionary, Matthew George Easton (1897), from Egypt, Canaan and
Israel in Ancient Times, Donald Redford (Princeton University Press,
1992), from Early Israel and the Surrounding Nations, A H Sayce,
and from External Link:
Encyclopędia
Britannica.) |
c.1740 BC |
Ben Ammi |
Son of Lot, who was nephew to Abraham. First king of
Ammon. |
c.1740 BC |
According to the Old Testament, the Ammonites are descended from Ben Ammi,
an illegitimate son of Lot and a grandnephew of Abraham of the early
Israelites. The early close
relations between Ammon and the kingdom of
Moab are confirmed by their later
history and both groups have to expel native groups to claim their land, the
Emim in Moab and the Rephaim Zuzim in Ammon. These two groups may essentially
be one and the same people, regarded as brigands by larger states but probably
nothing more than nomadic, cattle-herding pastoralists who mount the occasional
raid. The Rephaim Zuzim are referred to as giants, a label often used to mark
out indigenous people who are defeated by newcomers
(Finns,
Germanics,
and Celts
in
Britain all have similar references, for example).
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This slightly fanciful view of the migrating Israelites does
show a surprisingly small number of participants (more are
cropped off from the left, but even so their numbers are very
finite), something that chimes with the 'ruling elite' theory
of migration detailed in the introduction on the Israelites page
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17th cent BC |
An
Egyptian execration text dated to the seventeenth century BC refers to
an 'Ayyab' as king of the Shutu. The name is possibly a variant form of
'Job', with Jobab of Edom being a
handy candidate. However, tentative identification of the mysterious Shutu
has linked them with the Moabites
and Ammonites to the north of Edom. |
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1453 BC |
The
Egyptians conquer the Levant and
Syria
and establish
three provinces in their conquered territories which are named
Amurru (in southern Syria),
Upe (in the
northern Levant), and Canaan (in the southern Levant). Each one is governed
by an Egyptian official. Native dynasts are allowed to continue their rule
over the small states, but it is not known whether Ammon is included, or
indeed if it has a single head of state at this time. |
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1286/1258 BC |
Ramses
II of
Egypt reaches a stalemate with the
Hittites at the Battle of Kadesh, after which the earliest known peace
treaty is signed in 1258 BC. Ramses limits his control to southern
Palestine,
where he draws a firm and fortified boundary. He is also known during his
reign as the oppressor of the
Israelites,
possibly the unnamed pharaoh of the Old Testament, but whether the
well-known story of the Israelite exodus from Egypt occurs at this point in
time is still unproven and highly debatable. |
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c.1150 BC |
After
apparently being militarily dominant since their arrival half a century before,
the Israelites suffer a reversal
in fortunes when at least some of them are subdued by
Moab, possibly with support provided
by Ammon. More of their territory, in the south, is conquered by the
Philistines
who maintain vassal kings in Israel. |
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fl c.1115 BC |
Sihon |
Amorite
ruler of parts of
Moab and
Ammon. |
c.1115 BC |
According
to the Old Testament, Sihon, an
Amorite, captures areas of
Moab ('from Arnon even unto Jabbok
and unto Jordan'), and forms his own kingdom around the city of Heshbon. He is
referred to as a king of Ammon by the
Israelites when they make
contact and he refuses to allow them to return from
Egypt
to Canaan through
his western territories. In retaliation they attack and capture his walled towns,
including Heshbon, wiping out his people. His land becomes part of Israel. This
is a bone of contention with the Ammonites, who would rather have their territory
returned to them. The upper waters of the Jabbok now form their western
border. |
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c.1050 BC |
A weakened
Egypt
loses its remaining imperial possessions in Canaan.
At the same time, Ammon appears to gain a recognisable line of kings for the
first time. |
fl 1050s - 1000 BC |
Nahash |
Attacked Jabesh-Gilead. |
c.1000 BC |
The
Israelite king
Saul defeats Nahash after the citizens of the frontier city of Jabesh-Gilead
call for assistance against the Ammonite army. A small nation, the Ammonites
are not strong enough to stand against the Israelites without support, which
is usually received from
Moab. |
early 900s BC |
Hanun ben Nahash |
Son. |
c.980 BC |
Ammon
is conquered by Israel,
despite assistance being supplied by the northern state of
Aram Damascus. King
David appoints Sobi as the new king to keep the peace, successfully, it seems,
as relations visibly improve between the two states. |
early/mid-900s BC |
Sobi ben Nahash / Shobi |
Brother? Vassal of
Israel. |
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Vassal of
Israel. |
c.880 BC |
Ammon
regains its independence after a period of hostilities provoked by the kings
of Samaria. It is
possible that the state becomes a vassal of
Damas for a time,
but this is uncertain. |
c. 870s - 860s BC |
Ruhubi |
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fl 860s / 853 BC |
Ba'asa (the Ammonite) / Baasha |
Son. Ruler of Bit-Ruhubi (Ammon). |
860s? BC |
Asa
of Judah and
Ba'asa (Baasha) of Ammon maintain a near-lifelong feud. When Ba'asa pushes
Samaria's frontier to
within five miles of Jerusalem, Asa, just like his father before him when under
pressure, calls on
Damas for help.
In this case it is Ben-Hadad who responds to Asa's offer of payment if Damas
will break its treaty with Ammon. |
853 BC |
Ba'asa
is a member of an alliance of states which also includes
Arvad,
Byblos,
Damas,
Edom,
Egypt,
Hamath,
Kedar, and
Samaria. Together
they fight Shalmaneser III of
Assyria at the
Battle of Qarqar which consists of the largest known number of combatants in
a single battle to date, and is the first historical mention of the Arabs
from the southern deserts. Despite claims to the contrary, the Assyrians are
defeated, since they do not press on to their nearest target, Hamath, and do
not resume their attacks on Hamath and Damas for about six years.
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When the Neo-Assyrian empire threatened the various city states
of southern Syria and Canaan around 853 BC, they united to
protect their joint territory - successfully it seems, at least
for a time (click or tap on image to view full sized)
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c.740 BC |
Ammon is made a vassal of
Assyria.
Assyrian tribute lists show that Ammon is a poor country, contributing as it
does tribute just one-fifth of the size of that from
Judah. |
fl c.740 BC |
Budili |
Known only in
Assyrian records. Ammonite name lost. |
fl c.735 BC |
Shanip / Sanipu |
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fl before 701 BC |
Pado'el / Pudu'ilu |
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fl 680s BC |
Kabus-Gabri |
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ELSM? |
Inscription. No other known records. |
fl c.675 BC |
Barak-el |
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MNHRN? |
Inscription. No other known records. |
fl c.650 BC |
Amminadab I |
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fl c.620 BC |
Hissal'el I ben Amminadab |
Son. |
fl c.600 BC |
Amminadab II ben Hissal'el |
Son. |
c.590s - 585 BC |
Baalis |
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597 BC |
Nebuchadnezzar of
Babylonia invades
Judah and occupies Jerusalem (with the help of Ammon). Despite this, Baalis
still receives
Jews who flee Babylonian rule. |
c.585 BC |
Baalis instigates the murder of the Babylonian governor of
Judah, and
Ammon is soon made a vassal of
Babylonia. |
fl c.585 BC |
Milcomur |
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fl c.580s BC |
Tobiah I |
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c.539 BC |
Ammon is made a vassal of
Persia. There are few mentions of Ammon in this period. |
fl c.520s BC |
Tobiah II |
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fl mid-400s BC |
Tobiah III |
Governor? |
446 - 444 BC |
Tobiah incites the Ammonites to hinder Ezra and Nehemiah's efforts to
rebuild Jerusalem in
Judah. |
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c.332 - 323 BC |
Ammon is made a vassal of the
Greek empire under Alexander the Great. |
c.323 -200 BC |
Alexander the Great's general, Seleucus, take control of the region. In 305
BC his domains become the
Seleucid empire. |
c.270 BC |
The city Rabbath Ammon is renamed Philadelphia in honour of Ptolemy II of
Egypt,
possibly around this date which is when he takes the name himself. |
fl c.270 BC |
Tobiah IV |
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fl c.200 BC |
Tobiah V |
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200 - 195 BC |
To achieve his part of a treaty with Philip V of
Macedonia
that is designed to carve up
Egypt's
colonial possessions, Antiochus III of the
Seleucid empire invades Coele Syria. This triggers the Fifth Syrian War
and sees Ptolemaic General Scopas defeated at Panion near the source of the
River Jordan in 200 BC. This gains Antiochus control of
Palestine and
Phoenicia
(which includes the city of Miletus). The campaign ends in a peace deal in
195 BC which gains for Antiochus permanent possession of southern
Syria (which
includes Idumaea), while
Ammon takes advantage of the shift in power to declare its own independence. |
? - 160 BC |
Timotheus |
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c.160 BC |
Timotheus is defeated by the Maccabaean Jews and control of
Ammon passes to them in a newly independent
Judea. |
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120s - 110s BC |
Zoilus Cotylas |
Tyrant of Philadelphia. |
c.110 - 85 BC |
Philadelphia within the Dekapolis. |
late 100s - 90s? BC |
Theodoros |
Tyrant of Philadelphia. |
87 - 63 BC |
The
Seleucid King
Antiochus XII attacks the Nabataeans, intent on recapturing lost territory
from them, but although he kills their king, the Nabataeans
resist his advance. To make it worse, their new king strikes back and takes
southern
Syria and Ammon.
Ammon remains a Nabataean territory until 63 BC. |
64 - 63 BC |
The region is conquered by Pompey of Rome
and becomes a province. Ammonites are still numerous in the south of
Palestine into the second century AD. |
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