Edomite

Edomite refers to a member of the ancient Semitic people who inhabited Edom, a region in the southern Levant corresponding to parts of modern southern Jordan and the Negev. The name Edom derives from Hebrew Edom meaning red, linked to the biblical Esau, who is described as the progenitor of the Edomites. Geographically, Edom lay to the southeast of ancient Israel and Judah, with principal urban centers such as Bozrah and the fortress of Sela, often identified with Petra. The Edomites were traditionally pastoralists who also engaged in copper mining and trade.

Edom is described in biblical and other Near Eastern sources as a neighboring power to Israel and Judah, sometimes at war, sometimes in alliance or trade. In the first millennium BCE Edom is depicted as an autonomous or semi-autonomous kingdom, though under the influence or control of larger empires at various times. After the Babylonian conquest of Judah in the 6th century BCE, Edom’s status shifts in later sources. In the 2nd century BCE the Hasmonean rulers conquered Idumea and forced many Edomites to adopt Judaism, integrating the region into the Jewish state as Idumea. In the Roman period the area continued to be known as Idumea, and the Edomites gradually assimilated into the broader populations of the southern Levant. Linguistically, Edomite refers to a Northwest Semitic language related to Hebrew and Moabite, attested in inscriptions and biblical texts; culturally, the Edomites shared features with their neighbors while maintaining distinctive traditions.