Idumean

Idumea is a historical region situated south of the Dead Sea, in what is now modern-day southern Israel and Jordan. The people of Idumea are known as Idumeans. Historically, Idumea was inhabited by the Edomites, descendants of Esau according to the Hebrew Bible. The Edomites were a Semitic people who were often in conflict with the Israelites.

Following the Babylonian conquest of Judah in the 6th century BCE, many Edomites migrated into the territory of Judea, particularly the southern parts of it. Over time, these Idumeans became integrated into the Jewish population. During the Hasmonean period, the Idumeans were forcibly converted to Judaism by John Hyrcanus I.

This integration meant that by the time of Jesus, the Idumeans were considered part of the broader Judean populace. Herod the Great, who ruled Judea as a client king under the Romans, was of Idumean descent, though he adhered to Judaism. The term "Idumean" thus came to refer to people of this background who were part of the Jewish community. The region itself lost its distinct identity as a separate political or ethnic entity as it was absorbed into larger neighboring powers throughout history.