Amorites

AMORITES, People descended from Amorrhæus, the fourth Son of Canaan. They first of all peopled the Mountains lying to the West of the Dead Sea. They had likewise establishments to the East of the same Sea, between the brooks Jabbok and Arnon, from whence they forced the Josh. v. 1. Numb. xiii. 30. xxi. 29.Ammonites and Moabites. Moses made a conquest of this Country from their Judg. xi. 19,20,&c.Kings Sihon and Og, in the year of the World 2553. before J. C. 1447. before the vulgar Æra 1451.

Amos ii. 9.Amos speaks of their gigantick stature and valour. He compares their height with that of Cedars, and their strength with that of an Oak. The name Amorite is often taken in Scripture for all Canaanites in general. The Lands which the Amorites possessed on this side Jordan, were given to the Tribe of Judah; and those which they had enjoyed beyond this river were distributed between the Tribes of Reuben and Gad. The Arabians derive their name Amorites from the City of Gomorrah, one of the five which were condemned to perish by fire from Heaven. But Gomorrah, or Hamorrah¹, is written otherwise than Emor the Father of the Amorites. So that there is no probability that either the Amorites or Emor their Father founded Gomorrah, and called it by their name.

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