101 Myths of the Bible: how ancient scribes - Conscious Evolution TV

150
yth #59:
Esau is Edom.
The Myth: Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir: Esau is Edom. And these are the generations
of Esau the father of the Edomites in mount Seir…. (Gen. 36:8–9)
The Reality: Biblical redactors erroneously identified Esau with Edom.
Genesis depicts Esau as the father of the Edomites, but such connections arise
from a variety of errors on the part of the biblical editors.
Esau’s most notable physical attribute was his thick red hair all over his body. The
name Edom, with which Esau is identified means“red” and the name arises from the
large amount of reddish sandstone found there. The Bible also places Mount Seir
within Edom, which territory is an important part of the Edomite region. The name
Seir means “hairy” and it is the combination of this name together with the name
Edom meaning “red” that accounts for the connection of the red-haired Esau with
Edom. Genesis even attempts to give Esau the nickname of Edom in the story of his
selling the birthright:“And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red
pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom” (Gen. 25:30).
According to the biblical account, Esau conquered Edom by defeating a native
group known as the Horites. No archaeological evidence tells us who the Horites were
or when they existed. They appear only in the Bible.
Since the character of Esau is derived from images of the god Set, Esau’s victory
over the Horites would correspond to the Set-worshipping Hyksos kings in Egypt
defeating the army of the Horus king of Thebes. The biblical redactors, having erroneously
connected Esau with Edom, wrongfully assumed that he conquered the
Horites in Edom when the story actually reflects historical events in Egypt.