Answers to Quora Questions by Yair Davidiy
Who are the Edomites/descendants of Esau? And where are they today?
December 4, 2018
Bible Studies and Historical Researches
The name "Edom" in Hebrew means "Red." Edom is also known as Esau. He was the twin-brother of Jacob and his mortal enemy.
Jacob was re-named Israel and begat the 12 Tribes of Israel. From the Israelite Tribes we now have the Jewish People and the Lost Ten Tribes.
The Ten Tribes lost their identity but stayed together or re-coalesced after separating. They are now to be found among Western Peoples. Edomites are also among these peoples.
Descendants of Edom are also now located in other parts of Europe, and in other places.
It was prophesied that Edom would benefit from the riches of the world and live by his sword.
38 And Esau said to his father, 'Have you only one blessing, my father? Bless me, me also, O my father!' And Esau lifted up his voice and wept.
39 Then Isaac his father answered and said to him:
'Behold, your dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth,
And of the dew of heaven from above.
40 By your sword you shall live,
And you shall serve your brother;
And it shall come to pass, when you become restless [Hebrew: "red" i.e. separate yourself, move away]
That you shall break his yoke from your neck.'
Job came from the Land of Uz (Job 1:1). This, says Nachmanides, was in the area of Armenia. Job may have been a descendant of Edom as was Eliphaz from Teman (Job 2:11). Eliphaz was one of the Three Friends of Job who debated with him. Eliphaz is also the name of the first-born son of Esau (Genesis 36:4, 10).
Lamentations (NASB) 4:
21 Rejoice and gloat, daughter Edom, dwelling in the land of Uz, The cup will pass to you as well; you shall become drunk and strip yourself naked!
cf. Uz and Aran, Genesis 36:28.
The Temannu were descended from Teman of Edom (Genesis 36:11). They were spread in several areas and were noted for their wisdom and intellect (Jeremiah 49:7).
In the future Edom will have a bad end.
"For, lo, I will make you small among the heathen and despised among men" (Jeremiah 49:15).
This recalls the expression in Obadiah,
2 I will surely make you least among the nations;
you shall be utterly despised.
The Sages said this referred to the Roman Emperors who allowed themselves to be serviced as if they were women, i.e. as catamites. Adolf Hitler had also been such a person.
The Sages (Tamud Megilla 6) also said that Rome and the German nations were Edomites and if they ever united they would attempt to destroy the world. Well, they did unite. Mussolini attempted to revive the Roman Empire and he joined himself to Hitler and they went forward to try and obliterate humane humanity.
This too, is proof of identification of the founders of Rome and part of the Germans with Edom.
In addition, a small group of Edomites in ancient times helped give rise to the Chinese and Japanese civilizations.
Concerning the birth of Jacob and Esau we learn:
24 So when her days were fulfilled for her to give birth, indeed there were twins in her womb. 25 And the first came out red. He was like a hairy garment all over; so they called his name Esau. 26 Afterward his brother came out, and his hand took hold of Esau's heel; so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.
Esau means "made already, complete." He was precociously developed.
He was reddish (Admoni) and so was King David (1-Samuel 16:12, 17:42). They both had the warrior quality of bloodshed but David directed this quality to the service of God.
Red in Hebrew is "Edom." This became another name for Esau.
Esau was described as "like a hairy garment all over". He was hairy.
Esau was red and hairy. From a physical anthropological point of view the most hairy people in the world are the Turks. The early Turks were also described by others as red-haired. Later they intermixed with other peoples and largely lost this quality. This is interesting because there are those who identify the Turks with Edom. Nevertheless, even though there may be some Edomites among the Turks most of them, in our opinion, are descended from other ancestors and not from Esau.
There is also an Edomite element among the Russians? The name "Rus" can mean Red in some European dialects. The Communists (who Russia led) were called Red and red was a symbol of Soviet Russia.
Historically, Edom settled to the southeast of Judah in "Idumea." A portion of them became partly Jewish and helped give rise to Christianity. Many of them became Christians (Abarbanel).
Edomites also established enclaves in other nations. We find Edomites in Tyre of the Phoenicians, in Assyria and Babylon, in Urartu (Armenia). Later Edomite offshoots were also in Sparta, Macedonia, and among the Sabines and Romans.
The name "Odin" means Edom. Another name for Odin was 'Koz' which is the same name that was used by the Idumeans of Idumea for their national god.
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