The land of Edom was a region located south and southeast of the Dead Sea. The word "Edom" means "red" and refers to both the land and to Esau, who sold his birthright for red stew (Genesis 25:30; 36:1, 8, 19). People also called this land Seir (Genesis 32:3; 36:30; Numbers 24:18).
Where Was Edom?
The northern border of Edom was the Wadi Zered ("the Brook of the Willows"), a stream valley (Isaiah 15:7). Long ago, movements in the earth's surface pushed this land upward, forming a high plateau with dark-red sandstone cliffs on its western side. These cliffs drop sharply into a valley called the Arabah, which connects to the Dead Sea and Jordan Valley.
The Edom Plateau rises to 1,523.9 meters (over 5,000 feet), reaching 1,706.8 meters (over 5,600 feet) in places. The area is divided into two unequal parts. Punon is a valley between the smaller northern and the longer southern parts. The northern section is not quite so high, though in a limited area near Radhadiyeh it reaches 1,615.4 meters (5,300 feet). The southern section is longer and higher. Its central ridge is 1,523.9 meters (over 5,000 feet) high, with a point at 1,733.3 meters (5,687 feet). To the east, the slope does not fall below 1,219.1 meters (4,000 feet), except in the north. The desert lies beyond and limits expansion eastward. To the west, the land descends sharply into the Arabah.
The size of Edom to the west varied from time to time. Access to the Negev of southern Judah was easy here. Edomites encroached from time to time. The southern frontier had a limestone cliff at the edge of the plateau. This ran eastward from Ain Gharandal in the Arabah. Beyond this barrier to the south lay a rocky, barren desert. Merchants must have journeyed through it to the port at Ezion-geber for trade.
Though most of Edom was difficult to live in, some areas in the northeast were good for farming and raising animals. However, Edom's wealth came mainly from trade. Merchants traveling from India and South Arabia to the Mediterranean coast and Egypt passed through Edom on an important road called the King's Highway (Numbers 21:22).
The Story of Edom's People
Though Genesis 10 lists many family lines from ancient times, it does not mention Edom. The name first appears in Genesis 25:30, which tells how Esau got the name "Edom." This happened when he traded his special rights as the oldest son (his birthright) to his brother Jacob in exchange for a red stew. Genesis 36 mentions an Edomite kingdom that existed before Israel had its own kings. However, the "chiefs" of Edom may have been more like tribal leaders (similar to Israel's judges) rather than kings.
The earliest mentions of Edom outside the Bible come from Egypt and seem to confirm this. Amarna Letter 288 (from the early 14th century BC) refers to the "lands of Seir." Egyptian kings Seti II, who ruled from 1214 to 1208 BC, and Ramses III, who ruled from 1198 to 1166 BC, mention the Shashu tribes of Edom crossing into Egypt. There are no Egyptian references to towns or rulers, only to wandering tribes from Seir-Edom.
There is some evidence that Ramses II was in Transjordan (the land east of the Jordan River) from about 1280 to 1270 BC. But, there is no evidence of an organized kingdom with a single ruler before the 13th century BC. Instead, most people lived as shepherds who moved from place to place with their animals. From then on, they started building permanent settlements and cities. This timing helps historians understand when the exodus (Israel's departure from Egypt) might have happened. The Song of Moses in Exodus 15 refers to the “chiefs of Edom.” By the time of the exodus, there appears to have been a kingdom of Edom (Numbers 20:14, 18, 20–23; 33:37; 34:3). The Israelites went around Edom on their journey to the promised land (Judges 5:4; 11:17–18).
When Israel began to be ruled by kings, Saul fought and won against Edom (1 Samuel 14:47). Doeg the Edomite was the chief of Saul’s herdsmen (1 Samuel 21:7; 22:9, 18–22). In the early 10th century BC, King David defeated the Edomites in the Valley of Salt and put military bases in their land (2 Samuel 8:13, 14; 1 Chronicles 18:12l2 Samuel 8). It is unclear if David saw them as a military threat. It is possible he wanted their copper and the wealth from caravan traffic through Edom.
David's successes caused a certain Hadad to flee to Egypt. He was “from the royal line of Edom” (1 Kings 11:14–17). While in Egypt, he married a member of the Egyptian royal family (1 Kings 11:18–20). When David died, Hadad returned to Edom, where he became king. It would seem that a kingship had developed by David’s time. Solomon continued to influence Edom. He had access to the port of Ezion-geber (1 Kings 9:26).
The Bible does not mention Edom for many years after King Solomon's rule ended. The next time Edom appears in the story is during the time of King Jehoshaphat of Judah, who ruled from 872 to 848 BC. Jehoshaphat took control of the port city of Ezion-geber. However, his ships were destroyed there, possibly by the Edomites (1 Kings 22:48; 2 Chronicles 20:36–37). Later, the three kingdoms of Israel, Judah, and Edom worked together. They fought against King Mesha of Moab but did not win (2 Kings 3:4–27). During the rule of King Jehoram, who ruled from 853 to 841 BC, Edom broke free from Judah's control and chose its own king (2 Kings 8:20–22).
Edom stayed independent until King Amaziah of Judah, who ruled from 796 to 767 BC. Amaziah defeated a large Edomite army in the Valley of Salt and conquered their land as far south as the city of Sela (2 Kings 14:7; 2 Chronicles 25:11–13). This gave Judah control of the copper mines in the Punon area. King Uzziah of Judah was able to extend his control south to Elath (near Ezion-geber; 2 Kings 14:22; 2 Chronicles 26:1–2). Before the end of the eighth century BC, in the days of King Ahaz from 735 to 715 BC, Edom defeated Judah and recovered Elath (2 Kings 16:6). After this, Judah lost control over Edom.
During the eighth century BC, the Assyrians began to move into Transjordan. Around 800 BC, Adad-nirari III said he had defeated several kingdoms in this area and forced them to pay money and goods as tribute. Later, another Assyrian king, Tiglath-pileser III, received tribute from Qaus-malaku of Edom.
In 713 BC, Sargon II mentioned an unnamed ruler of Edom who took part in the rebellion of Ashdod. The next Assyrian king, Sennacherib, mentioned that an Edomite ruler named Aiarammu brought him gifts. Esarhaddon referred to Qaus-gabri, king of Edom. Qaus-gabri brought 22 of his local leaders with him to promise their loyalty to Assyria. Edom is also mentioned in records from the time of Ashurbanipal
After this, the Babylonian empire defeated Assyria and took control of the region. Edom continued to serve under Babylonian rule as a vassal. In 594, it joined other nations in talking about a rebellion against Babylon (Jeremiah 27). However, when King Nebuchadnezzar later attacked some of these nations, he did not attack Edom or Moab.
When the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem in 586 BC, Edom stayed neutral in the conflict. They even gave shelter to some people who fled from Judah (Jeremiah 40:11). However, the prophet Obadiah criticized Edom for not helping Judah during the Babylonian invasion (Obadiah 1:11). Instead, they raided Judah, gave captives to Babylon, and took lands in the Negev (Ezekiel 35).
For many years, there was strong hatred between Judah and Edom. Several prophets spoke strong words against Edom in their messages from God (Isaiah 11:14; 34:5–17; Ezekiel 32:29; Joel 3:19; Amos 1:11–12; Malachi 1:2–4). Edom began to grow weaker. Many people left their cities, and these cities were abandoned. At the same time, groups of Edomites moved to new areas. They settled in the hill country south of Judah, on the western side of the Arabah Valley. Much later, during Roman times, this area became a province called Idumea. Idumea grew out of what had been the Persian province of Edom, and its main government center was in the city of Lachish.
Meanwhile, in Edom's original homeland east of the Arabah Valley, Arab groups began moving into the empty land. Eventually, a people called the Nabateans made their home in what had once been Edom.