Online Encyclopedia

Search over 40,000 articles from the original, classic Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition.

EDOM

Online Encyclopedia
Originally appearing in Volume V08, Page 950 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
» Make a correction to this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Spread the word: del.icio.us del.icio.us it!

EDOM , the See also:

district situated to the See also:south of See also:Palestine, between the Dead See also:Sea and the Gulf of 'See also:Akaba (Aelanitic Gulf), the inhabitants of which were regarded by the Israelites as a " See also:brother " See also:people (see See also:Esau). On the E. it touched See also:Moab, the tribes of the See also:great See also:desert and the See also:northern See also:part of See also:Arabia; on the W. its boundaries were determined by the Sinaitic See also:peninsula, See also:Egypt and See also:Israel. Both Kadesh and Mt. See also:Hor (perhaps See also:Jebel Madera) are represented as lying on its border (Num. xx. 16, 22), and the See also:modern See also:Wadi el-Fikreh, in which the " See also:Scorpion pass " was probably situated (Judg. 36; Num. xxxiv. 4), may have marked its limits from Jebel Madera See also:north-See also:west towards the See also:southern extremity of the Dead Sea. Kadesh ('See also:Ain Iadis), however, lies about 50 M. south of See also:Beersheba (the southern end of Israel as opposed to See also:Dan in the north), and the precise See also:borders must always have been determined by See also:political conditions: by the relations between Edom and its neighbours, See also:Judah, the See also:Philistine states, Moab, and the restless desert tribes with which Edom was always very closely allied. The northern part of Edom became known by a See also:separate name as Gebalene (Gebal in Ps. lxxxiii. 7), the modern Jibal, " See also:mountain See also:country." Seir or Mt. Seir, a synonym for Edom, not to be confused with the Judaean locality (Josh. xv. lo), has been identified with the modern el-Sarah, the hilly region to the south of See also:Petra; though its use probably varied in See also:ancient times as much as that of Edom certainly did. Mt: Halal, apparently one of its offshoots (Josh. xi.

17, xii. 7), is of uncertain See also:

identification, nor can the exact position of Paran (probably desert of et-Tih) or Zin (See also:Sin) be precisely deter-See also:mined. The See also:chief Edomite cities extended from north to south on or adjoining an important See also:trade-route (see below) ; they include See also:Bozrah (Buseire), ShObek, Petra (the See also:capital), and Ma'an; farther to the south See also:lay the important seaports Ezion-See also:Geber (mod. 'Ain el-Ghudyan, now 15 m. north of the See also:head of the Aelanitic Gulf) and Elath (whence the gulf derives its name). Petra (q.v.) is usually identified with the biblical Sela, unless this latter is to be placed at the south end of the Dead Sea (Judg. i. 36). The sites of Teman and Dedan, which also were closely associated with Edom (Jer. xlix. 7 seq.; Ez. See also:xxv. 13), are uncertain. No doubt, as a See also:general See also:rule, the relations between Edomites and the " sons of the See also:east " (Ezek. xxv. to; See also:Job i. 3) and the " kingdoms of Hazor " (See also:nomad states; Jer. xlix. 28, 30, 33) varied considerably throughout the See also:period of O.T. See also:history.

The See also:

land of Edom is unfruitful and forbidding, with the notable exception of fertile districts immediately south of the Dead Sea and along its eastern border. It was traversed by an important trade-route from Elath (the junction for routes to Egypt and Arabia) which ran northwards by Ma'an and Moab; but See also:cross-routes turned from Ma'an and Petra to See also:Gaza or up the See also:Ghor (south end of Dead Sea) to See also:Hebron and See also:Jerusalem.. Thus Edom formed a prominent centre for See also:traffic from Arabia and its seats of culture to Egypt, the Philistine towns, Palestine and the Syrian states, and it enjoyed a commercial importance which made it a significant See also:factor in Palestinian history. The earliest history of Edom is that of the " See also:sand-dwellers," " archers " or Shasu (perhaps " marauders "), whose conflicts with ancient Egypt are not infrequently mentioned. The first clear reference is in the eighth See also:year of MineptahIl. (See also:close of 13th See also:century B.C.), when a tribe of Shasu from Aduma received permission to enter Egypt and feed their flocks.2 A little more than a century later See also:Rameses III. claims to have overthrown the Saaru among the tribes of the Shasu, and the identification of this name with Seir is usually recognized, although it is naturally uncertain whether the Edomites of Old Testament tradition are meant. According to the latter, the Edomites were a new See also:race who drove out the Horites from Mt. Seir. The designation suggests that these were " See also:cave-dwellers," but although many caves and hollows have been found about Petra (and also in Palestine), this tradition probably " serves only to See also:express the See also:idea entertained by later generations concerning their predecessors " (Ndldeke). Not only is Edom as a nation recognized as older than Israel, but a See also:list of eight See also:kings, who reigned before the Israelite See also:monarchy, is preserved in Gen. See also:xxxvi. The first See also:Bela, son of Beor, is often identified with See also:Balaam, but the traditions of the See also:Exodus are not precise enough to See also:warrant the See also:assumption that the seer was the See also:king of a hostile land in Num. xx. 14 sqq., which in Deut. ii.

1-8 appears to have been peaceful; see BALAAM; EXODUS. In Husham, the third king, several scholars (Gratz, Klostermann, Marquart, &c.) have recognized the true adversary of See also:

Othniel (q.v.; Judg. iii.). The defeat of See also:Midian in the land of Moab by his successor See also:Hadad has been associated with the Midianite invasion in the See also:time of See also:Gideon (q.v.; Judg. vi. sqq.). The See also:sixth is Shaul, whose name happens to be identical with See also:Saul, king of Israel, whilst the last Hadad (so 1 Chron. i. 50) of See also:Pau (or Peor in Moab, so the See also:Septuagint) should belong to the time of See also:David. The list, whatever its value, together with the other See also:evidence in Gen. xxxvi., implies that the Edomites consisted of a number of See also:local See also:groups with chieftains, with a monarchy which, however, was not hereditary but due to the supremacy of stronger leaders. The tradition thus finds an See also:analogy in the Israelite " See also:judges " before the time of Saul and David. Saul, the first king of Israel, conquered Edom (1 Sam. xiv. 47).3 Of the See also:conquest of Edom by David, the first king of the See also:united Judah and Israel, several details are given (2 Sam. viii. 13 seq.; 1 Kings xi. 14 sqq.; r Chron. xviii. 11 seq.; cf.

Ps. lx. See also:

title and ver. 8 seq.), although the See also:account of the slaughter is certainly exaggerated. The See also:scene was the valley of See also:Salt, probably to the south of the Dead Sea. Of the See also:escape of the Edomite See also:prince Hadad, and of his See also:residence in Egypt, a twofold account is 1 See further, E. See also:Robinson, Biblical Researches, vol. ii.; E. See also:Hull, Mt. Seir; E. H. See also:Palmer, Desert of the Exodus; See also:Baedeker's Palestine and See also:Syria; C. W. See also:Wilson, " Quart. Stat." (See also:Pal.

Explor. Fund), 1899, p. 307, and G. A. See also:

Smith, Ency. Bib. See also:col. 5162 seq. 2 In the old See also:story of Sinuhit (ascribed to the 12th dyn.) the See also:hero visits the land of Kedem, which, it was suggested, lay to the south-east or south of the Dead Sea; see, however, now A. H. See also:Gardiner, Site.-See also:Bee. of the See also:Berlin See also:Academy, 1907, pp. 142 sqq. The See also:suggestion that the See also:city Udumu, in the land of Gar, mentioned in the 15th century (Amarna Tablets, ed.

Winckler, No. 237), is Edom, Gar being the Eg. Kharu (Palestine) and the O.T. Horites (see above), is extremely hazardous. That the name Aduma (above) refers to Etham (so Naville, &c.) is improbable. 2 That the Edomites preserved this tradition of Saul's See also:

sovereignty and (from their standpoint) enrolled him among their kings (Gen. xxxvi. 37) cannot of course be proved. The account of the ferocious slaughter of the priests of See also:Nob at Saul's command by Doeg the Edomite is a secondary tradition and probably of See also:late origin (i Sam. xxi. 1-9, xxii. 6-23); cf. the hostility of Edom in exilic and See also:post-exilic times (p. 878, col. I).

preserved.' After the See also:

death of David he returned to Edom; if, as the narrative implies, he became a troublesome adversary to See also:Solomon, nothing is known of his achievements, and if the royal trading-journeys from Ezion-geber were maintained, Edom could have done little. However, in the first See also:half of the 9th century Edom was under the rule of See also:Jehoshaphat of Judah, and this king together with Israel held Ezion-geber (1 Kings xxii. 47 sqq.; 2 Chron. xx. 35 sqq.). But some See also:catastrophe befell the See also:fleet, and shortly afterwards Jehoshaphat's son See also:Jehoram had to See also:face a revolt in which Edom and the men of Libnah (the See also:Philistines) were concerned. It was about this period that Israel had conquered Moab, thrusting it farther south towards Edom, and the subsequent success of Moab in throwing off the yoke, and the unsuccessful See also:attempt of Jehoram of Israel to regain the position, may show that Edom was also in See also:alliance with Moab.' In the time of See also:Adad-nirari of See also:Assyria (812–783 B.C.) Edom is mentioned as an See also:independent tributary with Beth-See also:Omri (Israel) and Palashtu (Philistia); the See also:absence of Judah is perplexing. Amaziah of Judah had gained a See also:signal victory over Edom in the valley of Salt (2 Kings xiv. 7), but after his defeat by Jehoash of Israel there is a See also:gap and the situation is obscure. Consequently it is uncertain whether Edom was the See also:vassal of the next great Israelite king See also:Jeroboam II., or whether the See also:Assyrian evidence for its independent position belongs to this later time. However, See also:Uzziah, a contemporary of Jeroboam II., and one of the most successful of Judaean kings, overcame Edom and its natural See also:allies (2 Chron. See also:xxvi. 6 sqq.), and at this See also:stage Edomite history becomes more prominent. It joined the great See also:coalition in which Philistia and Israel were leagued against Assyria, and drove out the Judaeans who had been in See also:possession of Elath.3 On the events that followed see See also:AHAZ; HEZEKIAII; PHILISTINES.

The Assyrian See also:

inscriptions name as tributary kings of Edom, Kau--melek (time of Tiglath-Pileser IV.), Malik (?)-See also:ram (701 B.C.), and Kau--gabri (7th century). In the See also:middle of the 7th century both Edom and Moab suffered from the restlessness of the desert tribes, and after another period of obscurity, they joined in the attempt made by See also:Zedekiah of Judah to revolt against See also:Nebuchadrezzar (Jer. See also:xxvii. 3). In the last years before the fall of Jerusalem many of the See also:Jews found a See also:refuge in Edom (Jer. xl. although other traditions throw another See also:light upon the attitude of Edom during these disasters. That Edomites burned the See also:temple after the destruction of Jerusalem (1 Esd. iv. 45, cf. v. 5o) is on a See also:line with the repeated denunciation of their " unbrotherly " conduct in later writings. Certainly the weak See also:state of Palestine invited attacks from the outlying tribes, but the See also:tone of certain late writings implies a preliminary period of, at least, See also:neutrality (cf. Deut. ii. 4 sqq., See also:xxiii. 7 seq.

; the omission of Edom in xxiii. 3; Neb. xiii. 1; and in See also:

Ezra ix. 1—contrast I Esd. viii. 69). Subsequently Edom is execrated for revengeful attacks upon the Jews, and its speedy destruction is foretold; but the passages appear to be much later than the disaster of 587 B.C., and may even imply conditions after the restoration (Ob. to sqq. ; Ezek. xxv. 12-14; Jer. xlix. 7; Ps. exxxvii. 7; Lam. iv. 21 seq., v. 2 sqq.).

But at length the See also:

day of reckoning came (cf. Is. xxxiv. 5; lxiii. 1-6), and the See also:fate of Edom is still fresh in the mind of See also:Malachi (i. 1-5)• The problem is complicated by the possibility that during the ages over which the references can range many changes of See also:fortune could have occurred. The pressure of the See also:Nabataeans (q.v.) forced Edom to leave its former seats and advance into the south of Judah with Hebron as the capital. This had been fully accomplished by 312 B.C., but the date of the first occupation cannot be ascertained from the See also:literary evidence alone. Thus the district ' t Kings i.e., 'see the Septuagint and, especially, H. Winckler, Alttest. Untersuch., pp. 1-15; C. F.

See also:

Burney, Kings, pp. 158 sqq.; J. See also:Skinner, Kings, pp. 443 sqq.; Ed. See also:Meyer, Israeliten, pp. 358 sqq. On 2 Kings iii. see JEHORAM; JEHOSHAPHAT; MOAB; and for the biblical traditions See also:relating to this period see KINGS (See also:Book) and JEws: History. The chronicler's account of Judaean successes (2 Chron. xvii. to seq.; xx.) and reverses (xxi. 16, xxii. 1) may See also:rest originally upon the source from which 1 Kings xxii. 47 seq.; 2 Kings viii. 20, 22, have been abbreviated.

It is hardly probable that there was enmity between Edom and Moab as 2 Kings iii. now implies, although hostile relations at other periods are likely (cf. Am. ii. I) ; for Edom in Moabite territory see above on Gen. xxxvi. and " Quart. Stat." (Pal. Explor. Fund), 1902, pp. 10 sqq. 2 Kings xvi. 6; on the See also:

text see the commentaries.in question is Jewish in the time of See also:Nehemiah (Neh. xi. 25-30), but it is uncertain whether the Edomite occupation was earlier (a See also:fusion being assumed) or later, or whether the passage may bs untrustworthy. Henceforth, the new See also:home of the Edomites is consequently known as See also:Idumaea. See, for further history, See also:HEROD; JEWS.4 Although but little is known of the inhabitants of Edom, their close relationship to Judah and their kinship with the surrounding tribes invest them with particular See also:interest.

The ties which united See also:

Lot (the "See also:father " of See also:Ammon and Moab), See also:Ishmael, Midian and Edom (Esau) with the southern tribes Judah and See also:Simeon, as manifested in the genealogical lists, are intelligible enough on See also:geographical grounds alone, and the significance of this for the history of Judah and Palestine cannot be ignored. The traditions recording the separation of Lot from See also:Abraham, of Hagar and Ishmael from See also:Isaac, and of Esau from See also:Jacob, although at See also:present arranged in a descending See also:scheme of See also:family relationship, . are the result of systematic grouping and cannot express any See also:chronological See also:order of events (see See also:GENESIS). Many motives have worked to bring these legends into their present See also:form, and while they depict the See also:character of Israel's wilder neighbours, they represent the recurrent alternating periods of hostility and fellowship between it and Edom which See also:mark the history. Esau (Edom) although the older, loses his superiority, and if the oracles declare that the See also:elder shall serve the younger (Jacob, i.e. Israel), the final See also:independence of Esau (Gen. xxv. 23, xxvii. 39 seq.), as foretold, obviously alludes to some successful Edomite revolt. As an enemy, Edom in alliance with the tribes along the trade-routes (Philistines, Moabites, &c.) was responsible for many injuries, and in frequent forays carried away Judaeans as slaves for Gaza and See also:Tyre (Am. i. 6 seq., 9). As an ally or vassal, it was in See also:touch with the See also:wealth of Arabia (Ezek. xxvii. 16, read " Edom " for " See also:Aram "), and Judah and Israel as well as Gaza and See also:Damascus enjoyed the fruits of its See also:commerce. In view of the evidence for the advanced culture of See also:early Arabia, the question of Edom is extremely suggestive, and although See also:speculation at this stage would be premature, it is interesting to observe that Edomite and allied tribes were famed for their See also:wisdom,5 and that apart from the possibility of Arabian See also:influence upon Israelite culture, the influence of Midian and related tribes is certain from the traditions of See also:Moses and of his See also:work (see See also:JETHRO; See also:KENITES; MOSES), and the Edomite district was a traditional home of Yahweh himself (Deut. xxxiii.

2; Judg. v. 4; Hab. iii. 3); see See also:

HEBREW See also:RELIGION. It should be added, however, that the Edomite names and other evidence point to the cult of other gods, viz. See also:Baal, Hadad, Malik (cf. See also:MoLOCH), Kaus, or Ku-, and Kozeh (Jos. See also:Ant. XV. 7, 9), who was probably a See also:sky or See also:lightning deity. The names Esau and Edom are possibly old divine names; see EsAu and Ency. Bib. s.v. " Obed-edom " (the name appears to mean servant of Edom ").

For Kaus, see Baethgen, Beitr. z. remit. Religiansgeschichte, p. 11 seq. ; G. A. See also:

Cooke, N. Semi Inscr. p. 234; Ency. Bib. col-. 2682, n. 2 and 2688 (s.v. " Kushaiah ") ; and Zimmern, Keilinschr. u. d. alte Test.3, pp.

472 seq. On the question of early Arabian See also:

civilization see See also:YEMEN. That the name See also:Mizraim (Misraim), " Egypt," was extended eastwards of the See also:Delta is in itself probable, but it is still uncertain whether the See also:term (also See also:Ass. Musri) was applied to Edom. The evidence (which is of mixed value) makes the view a plausible one, but the theory has often been exaggerated (see MIZRAIM). For Edom see, generally, Buhl, Gesch. d. Edomiter (1893); Nildeke's See also:article in Ency. Bib.; W. Libbey and F. E. See also:Hoskins, The See also:Jordan Valley and Petra (1905) ; the conjectural See also:sketch by I. See also:Levy in Rev. d'itudes juives (See also:Jan.

1906). For the history and culture of the latest period, see J. P. See also:

Peters and See also:Thiersch, Painted Tombs in the See also:Necropolis of Marissa (1905), ch. i. (S. A.

End of Article: EDOM

Additional information and Comments

There are no comments yet for this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Please link directly to this article:
Highlight the code below, right click, and select "copy." Then paste it into your website, email, or other HTML.
Site content, images, and layout Copyright © 2006 - Net Industries, worldwide.
Do not copy, download, transfer, or otherwise replicate the site content in whole or in part.

Links to articles and home page are always encouraged.

[back]
EDMUNDS, GEORGE FRANKLIN (1828– ) 		[next]
EDRED (EADRED)

Site © 2006 - Net Industries