Bible Dictionaries
Rabbah

Holman Bible Dictionary

(rab' buh) Place name meaning, “greatness.” 1. Village near Jerusalem (Joshua 15:60 ) assigned to tribe of Judah but apparently in territory of Benjamin. Its location is uncertain.

2. Capital of Ammon that Moses apparently did not conquer (Deuteronomy 3:11; Joshua 13:25 ), located about twenty-three miles east of the Jordan River. Inhabited in prehistoric times and again before 1500 B.C., the city became a fortified settlement early in its history. David besieged the city (2 Samuel 11:1 ) and captured it (2 Samuel 12:28-29 ). It remained under Israelite control throughout the period of the United Monarchy, but regained its independence shortly after the Israelite division. Rabbah was destroyed during the Babylonian sweep through the area (590-580 B.C.) and not rebuilt for several hundred years. Rabbah was renamed Philadelphia by the Hellenists and later became Amman, the modern capital of Jordan. See Philadelphia .