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ARNON.—A valley with a stream in its bed, now called Wâdy el-Môjib, which gathers the waters from many tributary vales—the ‘wadys’ [AV [Note: Authorized Version.] ‘brooks,’ RV [Note: Revised Version.] ‘valleys’] of Arnon (Num_21:14)—as it flows westward to the Dead Sea. It was the N. border of Moab. cutting it off from the land of the Amorites in old time (Num_21:13 etc.), and later, from that of the Eastern tribes (Jos_12:1 etc.). It is named in Isa_16:2 (‘the fords of Arnon’) and Jer_48:20 (where the reference may be to the inhabitants of the valley, or to a city of that name now unknown). Mesha made the ‘high way in Arnon,’ and built (possibly ‘fortified’) Aroer (Moabite Stone). This ‘high way’ probably followed the line of the Roman road, traces of which still remain, with indications of a bridge, some distance W. of Aroer—the modern ‘Ar‘âir, or ‘Ar‘ar, which stands on the N. bank.
W. Ewing.