Moriah
/məˈraɪ.ə/noun
A biblical place-name associated with the mountain where Abraham was commanded to offer Isaac and, in Chronicles, with the site of Solomon’s Temple.
Did you know?Moriah appears in Genesis as the destination of Abraham’s test and in 2 Chronicles as the Temple Mount, linking one name to both sacrifice and sacred architecture.
Etymological Timeline
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
מֹרִיָּה (Mōriyāh)
“The biblical place-name Moriah; its original meaning is uncertain.”
Ancient Israelite tradition
Hebrew
Moriah
“The land or mountain associated in Genesis with Abraham’s test involving Isaac.”
Second Temple period
Hebrew
Moriah
“A traditional designation for the mountain connected with the Jerusalem Temple.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
Μωριά (Mōria)
“A Greek rendering of the biblical place-name.”
Latin Bible
Latin
Moria
“The Latin form used in biblical translations.”
Modern English
English
Moriah
“A biblical place-name and personal name.”
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