kingdom · Anatolia and the Levant
Edom
Origins
The Edomites lived in the mountains east of the Arabah valley, mentioned in Egyptian texts from the 13th century BCE. In the 10th century BCE large-scale copper smelting at Faynan, such as Khirbat en-Nahas, supported an emerging elite, and a kingdom with its capital at Bozrah formed by the 8th century BCE.
Rule and society
Edomite kings worshipped the god Qos and drew revenue from copper and from caravan routes carrying Arabian incense to Gaza. The Bible records wars with the Kingdom of Judah. Edom became a loyal vassal of the Assyrian Empire, and kings such as Qaus-gabri sent tribute and workers.
Decline and legacy
Edom survived the fall of Assyria but lost its independence to Nabonidus of the Chaldean Empire, who campaigned there c. 552 BCE. Edomites later settled in southern Judah, which became Idumaea, while Arab groups and the Nabataean Kingdom took their old lands.
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (3)
- Edom was a vassal of Kingdom of Judah900 BCE – 850 BCE
- Edom was a vassal of Assyrian Empire734 BCE – 612 BCE
- Edom was conquered by Chaldean Empire552 BCE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Edom. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/edom
- MLA
- “Edom.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/edom. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Edom.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/edom.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Edom’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/edom (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻