EDOMITES. - Inhabitants of Edom (v.), also called Idumeans (Septuagint: Iḍhūm). Esau, having abandoned the land of Canaan, came to settle in the mountain of
Seir. His descendants must have driven from that seat
the ancient population of the Hurrians (v. Deut. 2:12, 22).
Gen. 36:31-39 gives a list of 8 Edomite kings, the last of
whom, Hadad II, is probably the contemporary of
David and of Solomon, in the course of the 10th century, and the first of whom may have begun this royal era in the 12th century,
or even earlier. None of these kings is presented as
the son of the preceding one. Perhaps, having come to power through some
notable exploit, the Edomite kings then retained their authority as
military leaders. Edom organized itself and arrived at the monarchical
regime before Israel: at the time of the Exodus the king of
Edom opposed the passage of the Hebrews through that
region (Num. 20:12, 21; Judg. 11:17).
From the beginning of the monarchy in Israel conflicts
broke out between the Edomites and the Hebrews. Saul fought against the
Idumeans, and had as his servant the Idumean Doeg (v.); David
subjugated the country of Edom and established garrisons there (II
Sam. 8:13 ff.): Esau became, according to Jacob's prophecy
(Gen. 27:40), the servant of his brother. Solomon
continued to govern the regions and fitted out the fleets at Eziongeber and at Elath on the Red Sea. Even after the schism
the Edomites remained under Judah. They rebelled under
Jehoram, spurred by the example of King Mesha (II Kings 3:4-27
and the Mesha Stele); they regained their independence and established
a national monarchy (II Kings 8:20-22; II
Chron. 21:8 ff.). Defeated by Amaziah, who occupied Sela or
Petra (ibid. 16:7-10), they reconquered their freedom under
Ahaz. In the Assyrian monuments, Qausmalaka of Edom
appears with Ahaz as a tributary of Tiglath-Pileser III.
By Obadiah and Malachi the Edomites are cursed bitterly, as
the object of divine wrath for the hatred they bore to the descendants of Jacob: God destines the Edomites to an eternal
destruction (Mal. 1:4). Implacable enemies of Israel,
they rejoiced at the destruction of Jerusalem and during the exile occupied the depopulated Judea as far as Hebron
(Ez. 36:5; I Macc. 5:65). Around 300 B.C. eastern Idumea,
with its capital Petra, was conquered by the Nabateans; the western part, with Hebron, was completely subjected by John Hyrcanus (126 B.C.), who forced the
Idumeans to be circumcised.
With Antipater and his son Herod an Idumean dynasty
rose even to the throne of Judea. In Mk. 3:8 Idumea is
mentioned once again among the regions of those who
followed Jesus. The Idumeans rushed to the defense of Jerusalem besieged by Titus (Flavius Josephus, Bell. Jud.,
IV, 4, 1. 5); thereafter they disappear from history.
About their idolatrous religion (II Chron. 25:14 ff.)
we have no detailed indications (v. PETRA).
Bibliography5 works
Vincenzo M. Jacono