When Israel left Egypt, the Ammonites refused to assist them in any way, and God punished them for their lack of support (Deuteronomy 23:3-4). In the time of Moses, the fertile plains of the Jordan River valley were occupied by the Amorites, Ammonites and Moabites. The Ammonites, descendants of Ben-Ammi, were a nomadic people who lived in the territory of modern-day Jordan, and the name of the capital city, Amman, reflects the name of those ancient inhabitants. The older daughter had a son named Moab (“from father”), and the younger gave birth to Ben-Ammi (“son of my people”). Probably thinking they were the only people left on the earth, Lot’s daughters got him drunk and had incestuous relations with him to produce children (Genesis 19:37-38). When God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of their wickedness, Lot and his daughters fled to the hill country on the southern end of the Dead Sea. After Abraham and Lot separated (Genesis 13), Lot settled in the city of Sodom. Lot, Abraham’s nephew, was the progenitor of the Ammonites. Despite that relationship, they were more often counted enemies than friends.

Who were they, where did they come from, and what happened to them? The Ammonites were a Semitic people, closely related to the Israelites. Throughout the early history of Israel, we find references to the Ammonite people.

Ammonite in the bible