Edoms

Edom refers to the region and the people traditionally called Edomites in the Bible. The name derives from Hebrew edom, meaning red, linked to Esau, the twin of Jacob. Geographically, Edom lay in the southern Levant, south of Moab and east of the Arabah, with Sela (Petra) as its capital. The territory covered parts of what are now southern Jordan and the Negev.

During the Iron Age, Edom existed as a distinct political entity that traded along caravan routes and often clashed with Israel and Judah. Biblical sources describe Edom's refusals of passage and military engagements with Israelites. In the 6th century BCE, Edom came under Neo-Babylonian influence and later fell under Nabataean and then Roman control, with the Romans using the designation Idumea for the region. By late antiquity the Edomites had largely merged into surrounding populations.

Linguistically, Edomite is a Northwest Semitic language closely related to Hebrew, known from inscriptions dated to the 7th–4th centuries BCE. The Edomite script influenced later writing in the region. Archaeological sites, especially Petra, preserve the material legacy of Edom. In biblical literature, Edom figures prominently in Obadiah and in narratives depicting its relations with Israel. The term Edom, when used today, refers to the historical territory and its people, whose political identity faded by late antiquity.