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Bible Encyclopedias
Chemosh
Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature
or Che´mosh is the name of a national god of the Moabites (; ; ; who are for this reason called the 'people of Chemosh,' in ), and of the Ammonites (), whose worship was introduced among the Israelites by Solomon (). No attempt which has been made to identify this god with others whose attributes are better known, are sufficiently plausible to deserve particular notice. The only theory which rests on any probability is that which assumes a resemblance between Chemosh and Arabian idolatry. Jewish tradition affirms that he was worshipped under the symbol of a black star; and Maimonides states that his worshippers went bare-headed, and abstained from the use of garments sewn together by the needle. The black star, the connection with Arabian idolatry, and the fact that Chemosh is coupled with Moloch, favor the theory that he had some analogy with the planet Saturn.
Public Domain.
Kitto, John, ed. Entry for 'Chemosh'. "Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature". https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/kbe/c/chemosh.html.
