AMORITES . An ancient people whose presence can be traced in Palestine and Syria and also in Babylonia. From Deuteronomy 3:9 it appears that their language differed only dialectically from Canaanite, which was Hebrew. This view is confirmed by many proper names from the monuments. They were accordingly of the same race as the Canaanites. Contract tablets of the time of Hammurabi (b.c. 2250) show that Amorites were in Babylonia at that time (cf. Meissner, Altbab. Privatrecht , No. 42). At this period their country was designated by the ideogram MAR-TU. It has long been known that this ideogram stood for Palestine and Syria. At that time, then, the Amorites were already in the West. Because of the identity of their proper names, it is believed that the Amorites were identical in race with that Semitic wave of immigration into Babylonia which produced the first dynasty of Babylon, the dynasty of Hammurabi (cf. Paton, Syria and Palestine , 25 29). Paton holds that an Amoritic wave of migration overran Babylonia and the Mediterranean coast about b.c. 2500, but Johns ( Expos ., April, 1906, p. 341) holds it probable, also on the basis of proper names, that the Amorites were in both Babylonia and the West before the time of Sargon, b.c. 3800. About b.c. 1400 we learn from the el-Amarna tablets that the great valley between the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon ranges, which was afterwards called CÅ“le-Syria, was inhabited by Amorites, whose prince was Aziru (cf. KIB [Note: IB Keilinschriftliche Bibliothek.] , v. Nos. 42, 44, and 50). At some time they seem to have overrun Palestine also, for in the E [Note: Elohist.] document they are regarded as the pre-Israelitish inhabitants of the mountain-land of Palestine, whom the Hebrews conquered (cf. Numbers 13:29 , Joshua 24:8; Joshua 24:18 ). This was also the view of the prophet Amos ( Amos 2:9-10 ), and, in part, of Ezekiel ( Ezekiel 16:8; Ezekiel 16:45 ). The J [Note: Jahwist.] document, on the other hand, regards the Canaanites (wh. see) as the original Inhabitants of the country. As the J [Note: Jahwist.] document originated in the southern kingdom and the E [Note: Elohist.] document in the northern, some have inferred that the Amorites were especially strong in Northern Palestine; but even the J [Note: Jahwist.] document ( Judges 1:34-35 ) recognizes that the Amorites were strong in the Valley of Aijalon. In Judges 1:36 ‘Amorites’ is probably a corruption of ‘Edomites.’ (So G. F. Moore in SBOT [Note: BOT Sacred Books of Old Testament.] .) Both J [Note: Jahwist.] ( Numbers 32:39 ) and E [Note: Elohist.] ( Numbers 21:13 ) represent the trans-Jordanic kingdom of king Sihon, the capital of which was at Heshbon, and which extended from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as Amoritic, and several later Biblical writers reflect this view. This kingdom was overcome by the Israelites when they invaded Canaan. After the Israelitish conquest the Amorites disappear from our view. George A. Barton.
Amorites. [Am'orites]A people descended from Canaan, son of Ham. Gen. 10:16, They dwelt in the mountains, as their name signifies, and were apparently at times in the mountains both east and west of the Jordan. Num. 13:29; Joshua 5:1; Judges 1:34-36; Judges 10:8; 1 Kings 4:19. Being the most dominant and the most corrupt people or tribe they sometimes represent the Canaanites generally. Gen. 15:16; 1 Kings 21:26. When Abraham was at Hebron some confederated with him. Gen. 14:13. A remnant out of the Gentile nations was thus associated with the heir of promise, though Lot (a type of Israel after the flesh) had separated from him. When Israel approached the promised land, they were in the east, and refused to let Israel pass; but they were overcome, their cities taken, and the people slain, with Sihon their king. Num. 21:21-26; Deut. 2:24; Amos 2:9-10. Some must have escaped, for we read of them later, and one of the controversies Jehovah had with Israel was for worshipping their gods. Ezra 9:1-2. Solomon made them tributary. 1 Kings 9:20-21; 2 Chr. 8:7-8. The Gibeonites were a remnant of the Amorites. 2 Sam. 21:2. After this nothing is heard of them. The low state of Jerusalem (Judah) by nature is described by stating her origin, her father being an Amorite and her mother a Hittite, but God in grace had compassion upon her in her degradation, and raised her into great glory; though, alas, she was shamefully unfaithful. Ezek. 16:3-43.