EDOM, EDOMITES - The Edomites were a tribe or group of tribes residing in early Biblical times in Mount Seir (Gn.32.3, Jg.5.4), but covering territory on both sides of it. At times their territory seems to have included the whole region from the Dead Sea to the Red Sea and Sinai (1 K.9.26, Jg.5.4). The original population of this region were the Horites (Hurrians) whom the Edomites dispossessed at some early time in their history (Dt.2.12, Gn.14.6, 36.21f). Edom or Esau was their reputed ancestor. The Israelites were conscious that the Edomites were their near kinsmen and an older nation, hence the tradition that Esau was the firstborn twin brother of Jacob (Gn.25.24f). The story how Jacob tricked Esau out of his birthright (Gn.27), with the result that enmity arose between the brothers, is an actual reflection of the hostile relations of the Edomites and Israelites, for which the latter were to a considerable degree responsible.
Before the conquest of Canaan, Edom is said to have refused to let Israel pass through his territory. During the monarchy Saul fought the Edomites (1 S.14.47) and David conquered Edom and put garrisons in the country (2 S.8.13f). Solomon exploited the rich copper and iron mines of Edom and built the metal-manufacturing city of Ezion-geber on the Gulf of 'Aqaba as N. Glueck's explorations have revealed (AASOR, xv [1935], 22 ft; BASOR, 71 [1938], 3-18 ; 72 [1938], 2-13; 75 [1939], 8-22; 79 [1940], 2-18). Ezion-geber also served as port of departure for Solomon's Ophir expeditions (1 K.9.26, 2 Ch.8.17). These evidences show how important Edom had become in the economy of Solomon's empire. The country seems to have regained its independence shortly before Solomon's death (1 K.11.14-22), but Jehoshaphat reconquered it a century later during his reign (cf 1 K.22.47f), and Edomites helped him in his war with Moab (2 K.3). In the reign of Joram, his successor, the Edomites regained their independence after a bloody revolution (8.20-22). At the beginning of the 8th cent. BC. Amaziah reconquered them for a short time. He even captured Sela, their capital, slaughtering a large number of Edomites (2 K.14.7). However, Edom quickly regained its independence from Judah, and took revenge on his former masters. Amos accuses Edom of pursuing his brother with the sword (Am 1.11f).
In Assyrian records Edom appears for the first time under Adadnirari III., spelled Udummu (ANET, p. 28 Ib). King Kaushmalaku of Edom paid tribute to Tiglath-pileser III. (ANET, p. 282a) and Aiarammu to Sennacherib (ANET, p. 287b), while Esarhaddon summoned to him Qaushgabri, King of Edom (ANET, p. 29 la), who also paid tribute to Ashurbanipal (ANET, p. 294a).
In connexion with the wars of Nebuchadnezzar, which resulted in the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC, many Jews migrated to Edom (Jer.40.11); but the Edomites rejoiced in the overthrow of the Jews. This deepened the old-time enmity, and called forth bitter denunciations and predictions of vengeance from Israel's prophets (cf Ezk.25.12-14, Ob.1f). A little later the Nabataeans overran Edom and pushed the Edomites into southern Judah. This invasion of Nabataeans is probably referred to in Mal.1.4ff, for by 312 BC they were in this region and Antigonus and Demetrius came in contact with them (cf Diodorus Siculus, x. 95, 96, 100).
From that time on the Edomites occupied the territory of Judah as far north as Beth-zur, which became the Idumaea of the NT period. Here Judas Maccabaeus fought with the Edomites (1 Mac.5.3, 65), and John Hyrcanus shortly before the end of the 2nd cent. BC conquered them, and compelled them to be circumcised and to accept the Jewish religion (cf Jos. Ant. xiii. ix. 1 [257], xiv. i. 3 [8], and xv. vii. 9 [254]). This was the end of the Edomites as a nation, but they obtained a kind of revenge on the Jews by furnishing the Herodian dynasty to them. [Article: Dictionary of the Bible, J.Hastings, 2nd Ed., T&T.Clark, 1963. - G.A.B. - S.H.Hn.]