1 Kings False Gods

MILCOM (see also Molech) mil’ k?m (Heb. ?????????, from mélék, king, with mimation), the national god of the Ammonites. Milcom was one of the foreign gods for whom Solomon built a high place on the Mount of Olives (1 Kings 11:5, 7, 33). This was later destroyed by Josiah (2 Kings 23:13). The Heb. text reads Malcham, “their king,” but scholars are agreed that Milcom was intended (Jer 49:1, 3). The form Malcham denotes a god whose name was melech, “king” (Zeph 1:5). It is not clear whether Malcham (2 Sam 12:30; cf. 1 Chron 20:2) is indeed another designation for Milcom. If so, then this god must have had a human stature of immense proportions, for the crown taken from his head weighed one talent of gold. Most scholars identify Milcom with Molech on the basis of 1 Kings 11:7, where Molech is called the abomination of the Ammonites (cf. 1 Kings 11:5, 33). The best Gr. MSS, however, read Milcom. According to K. Dronkert (De Molochdienst in het OT [1953]) Milcom must not be identified with Molech. They were worshiped separately (cf. 1 Kings 11:5; 11:33; 2 Kings 23:13). One knows nothing in regard to the worship of Milcom.

https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/encyclopedia-of-the-bible/Milcom

CHEMOSH ke’ mosh (?????????, LXX ?aµ?´?, meaning uncertain; subduer?). The name of the national god of Moab, Chemosh is mentioned eight times in the OT. In Numbers 21:29 the Moabites are called the people of Chemosh (cf. Jer 48:46). However, in Judges 11:24 Chemosh is associated with the Ammonites.

Solomon built a high place for Chemosh, as he did for the gods of several other of his wives, but the text describes Chemosh as the abomination of Moab (cf. 1 Kings 11:7, 33). Josiah destroyed this shrine about three hundred years later (2 Kings 23:13). Jeremiah prophesied that Chemosh and his devotees would be carried into captivity (Jer 48:7), which would bring shame to his worshipers (48:13).

The name, Chemosh, appears twelve times on the Moabite Stone, two apparently in a compound form. On this stone, Mesha is described as “son of Chemosh...”; the last part of the phrase is obliterated but can be compared with the “Kammusunadbi of Moab” on the Taylor Prism which details Sennacherib’s invasion of Pal. in 701 b.c.

The other compound is “Ashtar-Chemosh” which suggests that Chemosh may have been an astral god paired with the goddess Ishtar, who was Venus. Mesha constructed a temple for them at Qrchh, the vocalization of which is unknown, but was prob. located close to Dibon.

Almost nothing is known of the character of Chemosh, but the inscr. on the Moabite Stone indicates that he was a savage war god. While Israel dominated Moab, Chemosh is said to have been angry with his people. With victory, he evidently became quite happy again.

Bibliography J. B. Pritchard, ed. The Ancient Near East, An Anthology of Texts and Pictures (1956); D. W. Thomas, Documents from Old Testament Times, New York (1958); “The Moabite Stone,” 195-199.

https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/encyclopedia-of-the-bible/Chemosh

In the Hebrew Bible, Moloch is presented as a foreign deity who was at times illegitimately given a place in Israel's worship as a result of the syncretistic policies of certain apostate kings. The laws given to Moses by God expressly forbade the Jews to do what was done in Egypt or in Canaan.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Moloch-ancient-god