The 16 expressions of forgiveness

Some thoughts on the bomb named "Moab" in terms of historical context for that nation attacking Afghanistan.

It seems Afganaistan was originally subsumed by the Persian/Mede empire and later conquered by Alexander the great and then under Selucid rule (think Chanuka...) so if we want to find a Biblical frame of reference for Moav attacking Afganistan we might look there.

However there is an earlier tradition of king Solomon's grand children moving back there.

The pasuk clearly states that Shlomo married Moabite women and, perhaps in some nod to king David and Shlomo's Moabite princess ancestress, Rus. 

וְהַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה, אָהַב נָשִׁים נָכְרִיּוֹת רַבּוֹת וְאֶת-בַּת-פַּרְעֹה,מוֹאֲבִיּוֹת עַמֳּנִיּוֹת אֲדֹמִיֹּת, צֵדְנִיֹּת חִתִּיֹּת".

As Wikipedia relates there is such a tradition:

It was used to refer to a common legendary ancestor known as "Afghana", grandson of King Saul of Israel.^[58]Hiven Tsiang, a Chinese pilgrim, visiting the Afghanistan area several times between 630 and 644 CE also speaks about them.^[54]

As well as one of the mountain ranges being named for him:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulaiman_Mountains

We can perhaps echo a couple verses from Yermia's nevua of the downfall of Moav that spring to mind:

 לח עַל כָּל-גַּגּוֹת מוֹאָב וּבִרְחֹבֹתֶיהָ, כֻּלֹּה מִסְפֵּד:  כִּי-שָׁבַרְתִּי אֶת-מוֹאָב, כִּכְלִי אֵין-חֵפֶץ בּוֹ-...

"On all the rooftops of Moav and it's city streets, all are mourning, because I have broken Moav, as an unwanted vessel ..."

הִנֵּה כַנֶּשֶׁר יִדְאֶה; וּפָרַשׂ כְּנָפָיו, אֶל-מוֹאָב.  מא נִלְכְּדָה, הַקְּרִיּוֹת, וְהַמְּצָדוֹת, נִתְפָּשָׂה...

"...Flying like an eagle, it will spread its wings towards Moav. The cities captured, and it's fortresses reached..."

Then, there is the juxtaposition of Moav's complacency to the final peaceful, calm state of being that Israel is promised:

שַׁאֲנַן מוֹאָב מִנְּעוּרָיו וְשֹׁקֵט הוּא אֶל שְׁמָרָיו וְלֹא הוּרַק מִכְּלִי אֶל כֶּלִי וּבַגּוֹלָה לֹא הָלָךְ עַל כֵּן עָמַד טַעְמוֹ בּוֹ וְרֵיחוֹ לֹא נָמָר.

וְאַתָּה אַל תִּירָא עַבְדִּי יַעֲקֹב וְאַל תֵּחַת יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי הִנְנִי מוֹשִׁעֲךָ מֵרָחוֹק וְאֶת זַרְעֲךָ מֵאֶרֶץ שִׁבְיָם וְשָׁב יַעֲקוֹב וְשָׁקַט וְשַׁאֲנַן וְאֵין מַחֲרִיד.

That's all I can come up with for now. If someone has some other Torah perspective, historical context, that might parallel this, please share.

A good Moed!