Baal-meon

Baal-meon (meaning lord of dwelling or master of the house) was a town on the Transjordanian plateau assigned to the tribe of Reuben, listed in Numbers 32:38 among the cities rebuilt by Reubenites — the text notes that the names were changed, suggesting a renaming of Canaanite sacred sites. It is also called Beth-meon (Jeremiah 48:23), Beth-baal-meon (Joshua 13:17), and Beth-baalmeon (1 Chronicles 5:8). The site is identified with the modern Maan, about nine miles south-southwest of Heshbon.

By the time of Ezekiel and Jeremiah, Baal-meon had fallen under Moabite control — both prophets mention it in their oracles against Moab (Jeremiah 48:23; Ezekiel 25:9). Its history illustrates the contested nature of Transjordanian territory throughout the biblical period, with Israelite tribal settlement giving way to Moabite resettlement after the fall of the northern kingdom.