THE TERRITORY OF THE MOABITES WAS ORIGINALLY East and Northeast of the Dead Sea, extending from the River Arnon on the South to the River Jabbok on the North, and from the Dead Sea and Jordan River on the West across the plains and foothills into the mountains to the East. Also included were the “plains of Moab” which were across the Jordan River on the West Bank “towards Jericho”. Deut. 32:49, 34:1 and Josh.3:16 all say part of Moab was “against Jericho”, and this is confirmed by:
Num. 26:63 “These are they that were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by Jordan, near Jericho”.
Now what is important here is that Jericho is on the West bank of Jordan, and thus this part of “the plains of Moab” are also West of Jordan, according to the verses given above. The story of Ruth does not involve anything about the extermination of Moabites (by race) in certain areas East of Jordan, such as is found during Israel’s advance towards their Jordan crossing.
The story of Ruth is placed at about 1322 BC. Before this in about 1406 BC we read:
Judges 3:28 And they went down after him, and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over. And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valour; and there escaped not a man. So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore years”.
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