AR (“city,” the Moabite form of ‘ir; or “vulture”) of MOAB. - Capital of the Moabites (Num. 21:15, 28; Deut. 2:9, 18, 29). God forbade the Israelites to capture it (Deut. 2:9). Its history is merged with, or represents, Moab (v.).
The Aroer (v.). Some identify it with Umm er-Rašāš northeast of the Arnon, or with Muḥaṭat el-Heḏā at the outlet of Wādi Enkeileh into the Arnon; more commonly, however, with Hībet er-Rabbē, 930 m above sea level, 22 km south of the Arnon, with important Roman ruins, corresponding to Rabbath Moab (“the great [city] of Moab”), which at least since the fourth century (Eusebius, St. Jerome) has been identified with Ar Moab.
In the fourth century (Eusebius, Onomasticou, s. V. Moāšā; St. Jerome, Liber de situ et nomin. loc. hebr.; PL 23, 909, and Comm. in Is., 15, 1; PL 24, 167) it was called Areopolis (from 'Ar; Ares or Mars is depicted on the coins of Rabbath Moab), perhaps near el-'Ejr. Included in «Palæstina tertia», it was an episcopal see (three bishops of Aeropolis from the fifth and sixth centuries are known: Anastasius, Polychronius, Elias). It was partially destroyed by an earthquake (344 or 365).