Page "Moses" Paragraph 40

Now ready to enter Canaan, the Israelites abandoned the idea of attacking the Canaanites head-on in Hebron, a city in the southern part of Canaan.

Having been informed by spies that they were too strong, it was decided that they would flank Hebron by going further East, around the Dead Sea.

This required that they pass through Edom, Moab, and Ammon.

These three tribes were considered Hebrews by the Israelites as descendants of Lot, and therefore could not be attacked.

However they were also rivals, and did not therefore give permission to allow the Israelites to pass openly through their territory.

So Moses lead his people carefully along the eastern border of Edom, the southernmost of these territories.

While the Israelites were making their journey around Edom, they complained about the manna.

After many of the people had been bitten by serpents and died, Moses made the brass serpent and mounted it on a pole, and if those who were bitten looked at it, they did not die.

According to the Biblical Book of Kings this brass serpent remained in existence until the days of King Hezekiah, who destroyed it after persons began treating it as an idol.

When they reached Moab, it was revealed that Moab had been attacked and defeated by the Amorites led by a king named Sihon.

The Amorites were a non-Hebrew Canaanic people who once held power in the Fertile Crescent.

When Moses asked the Amorites for passage and it was refused, Moses attacked the Amorites ( as non-Hebrews, the Israelites had no reservations in attacking them ), presumably weakened by conflict with the Moabites, and defeated them.