ipture tells us in Deut. 23:3 that no Moabite could enter the temple of the Lord down to tenth generation. We also read in scripture that the Israelites were forbidden to take a wife from the Moabites presumably because the Moabite people came from the incestuous relationship between Lot and his daughters. The Moabite culture was similar to that of the Hebrew and they also shared the same language. The country was not that far in modern times apprioxamenttly 50 miles from Bethlehem. According to the (Catholic Encyclopedia Volume X), the highlands are the great bulk of these territories. They form a table-land about 3000 feet above the Mediterranean, or 4300 feet above the dead sea, rising slowly from north to south, having steep western slopes, and separated eastward from the desert by low, rolling hills. The geology of this almost trees less plateau is the same as that of the range of western Palestine, but its climate is decidedly colder. In the spring, its limestone hills are covered with grass and wildflowers, and parts of the plateau are now sown with corn. In Old Testament times, Moab was an excellent pastureland (IV kings iii, 4) and its population was much more considerable than at present day. At the time that Naomi went into the land there was a period of friendly intercourse between Moab and Israel. The Moabites were polytheists. They worshipped Chamos as their national god; they also worshipped Asthar and Baal. Their religion is not fully known but it is a common belief that they sacrificed humans and did many impure rituals in there worship of foreign gods. No wonder the Lord commanded his people to steer clear of these pagans and there practices. The Biblical account starts of telling us that the Judges ruled over Israel and that the land was experiencing a severe famine. Elimelech in a weakened spiritual condition took his family to stay in the land of Moab. I have to question this decision because the Bible does not te...
