Mede @ (Heb. Madai), a Median or inhabitant of Media
Daniel:11:1). In Genesis:10:2 the Hebrew word occurs in the list
of the sons of Japheth. But probably this is an ethnic and not a
personal name, and denotes simply the Medes as descended from
Japheth. Medeba @ waters of quiet, an ancient Moabite town
Numbers:21:30). It was assigned to the tribe of Reuben
Joshua:13:16). Here was fought the great battle in which Joab
defeated the Ammonites and their allies ( 1Chronicles:19:7-15;
comp. 2Samuel:10:6-14). In the time of Isaiah (15:2) the
Moabites regained possession of it from the Ammonites. (See
HANUN.) The ruins of this important city, now Madeba or
Madiyabah, are seen about 8 miles south-west of Heshbon, and 14
east of the Dead Sea. Among these are the ruins of what must
have been a large temple, and of three cisterns of considerable
extent, which are now dry. These cisterns may have originated
the name Medeba, "waters of quiet." (See OMRI.)