JUDAICA - Wisdom In Torah

FROM JEHOSHAPHAT TO AHAZ. There is no information
about Edom from the end of Solomon’s reign until Jehoshaphat’s,
either from the Bible or from other sources. It
may be assumed that after the collapse of Solomon’s kingdom
and its division, and especially after Shishak’s campaign in
Judah and Israel, Edom finally overthrew the yoke of Israel’s
rule and established an independent kingdom, which lasted
around 50 years, until the time of Jehoshaphat. With the expansion
of Judah southward in the time of Jehoshaphat, the
submission of the Arabian tribes (II Chron. 17:11), and the institution
of a mercantile fleet at Ezion-Geber (I Kings 22:49),
Edom was probably conquered. In fact, there is an explicit
statement in this regard from which it can be understood that
not only was Edom conquered by Jehoshaphat but he dealt
with it as did David and turned it into a province ruled by
governors. Chronicles writes in connection with Jehoshaphat
that “there was no king in Edom; a deputy was king” (I Kings
22:48 (47)). The conquest of Edom probably stemmed from
the same economic motivations which existed at the time of
David and Solomon. Edom became subject to Judah, and,
during the period of subjection, “the king of Edom” (probably
the “deputy” mentioned above) joined the campaign of
Joram king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah against
Mesha, the rebellious king of Moab, which passed “through
the wilderness of Edom” (II Kings 3:8). The participation of
the “king of Edom” angered the king of Moab, who attempted
first and foremost “to break through opposite the king of
Edom” (3:26). The failure of this campaign led to the weakening
of the rule of Judah and Israel in eastern Transjordan,
as well as Judah’s rule in Edom. It is explicitly stated that during
the time of Joram, Edom rebelled against Judah: “In his
days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made
a king over themselves” (II Kings 8:20). Joram attempted at
the beginning of his reign (probably in 848 B.C.E.) to reinstate
Israel’s hegemony over Edom in a great campaign including
“all the chariots” (8:21–22), which apparently failed (the biblical
text is corrupt here), and Edom was completely liberated
from the domination of Judah. Edom maintained its independence
for about 60 years, until the middle of Amaziah’s reign.
At the time of Amaziah, Judah recovered from the pressure of
Aram, to which it paid heavy taxes. This recovery is expressed
in the undertaking of a military campaign against Edom in
order to renew the rule of Israel there. It is said of Amaziah
that “He slew of Edom in the Valley of Salt 10,000, and took
Sela by war, and called the name of it Joktheel unto this day”
(II Kings 14:7). The battle was waged in northern Edom, the
Valley of Salt (as in David’s time), and in Sela. Amaziah (like
Joab) treated the Edomites with cruelty, as is recounted in
II Chronicles 25:11–12: “…and [Amaziah] smote 10,000 men
of Seir. The men of Judah captured another 10,000 alive and
took them to the top of a rock and threw them down from the
top of the rock; and they were all dashed to pieces.” It seems
that the changing of Sela’s name can be interpreted not only
as a symbol of renewed domination but perhaps also as the
introduction of Judahite settlers in the new important town
edom
Joktheel which “on account of its geographic conditions, its
distinctly strategic location, its close proximity to the capital
Bozrah which lay south of it, and its control over the approach
to the mines of the Arabah, … was subject to a violent controversy
between Israel and Edom” (S. Abramsky). With the conquest
of Sela, Amaziah assured Judah of control over northern
Edom and the copper mines of the Punon area. It appears
that Uzziah son of Amaziah completed his father’s activity by
conquering Edom. Uzziah, who expanded his kingdom in the
direction of south and the Negev, “built Elath and restored it
to Judah” (II Kings 14:22); this was the climax of his activity
in the Negev and the Arabah, in developing agriculture, industry,
and commerce, which has been confirmed by archaeological
excavations and surveys. Apparently, in the days of
Jotham son of Uzziah as well, Judah ruled over Edom. The
“םתיל” (lytm) seal found at Ezion-Geber may have belonged
to Jotham. This period of Judah’s rule over Edom did not last
long, and ended with the establishment of the Aramean-Israelite
coalition between Rezin king of Aram and Pekah king
of Israel: “At that time the king of Edom recovered Elath for
Edom (the MT text reads Aram instead of Edom) and drove
the men of Judah from Elath; and the Edomites came to Elath,
where they dwell to this day” (II Kings 16:6). The Edomites
took the opportunity to penetrate Judah itself: “For again the
Edomites had come and smitten Judah, and carried away captives”
(II Chron. 28:17). There was probably a final attempt on
the part of Judah, during the time of Hezekiah, to renew its
hegemony over Edom. In the genealogical list of Simeon’s descendants,
it is stated parenthetically that “some of them, 500
men of the Simeonites, went to Mount Seir … and they destroyed
the remnant of the Amalekites that had escaped, and
they have dwelt there to this day” (I Chron. 4:42–43). This
attempt, however, was probably limited to the western border
district of Edom and had no real results since Edom, like
Judah, was subjugated by Assyria.
FROM AHAZ UNTIL THE DESTRUCTION OF JUDAH. From
the time of Ahaz, Edom became an Assyrian vassal state,
like the other nations of Palestine and Syria. Tiglath-Pileser
III (745–727 B.C.E.) mentions, together with the kings of
Palestine and Syria, Qosmalaku, king of Edom, who surrendered
to him (Pritchard, Texts, 282). Sennacherib mentions
the king of Edom, Aiarammu (ibid., 287), who surrendered
to him in his campaign against Jerusalem (701 B.C.E.). Esarhaddon
(680–669 B.C.E.) mentions Qosgabri king of Edom
together with the 22 vassal kings whom he swore to loyalty at
Nineveh (ibid., 291). In addition to its subjugation to Assyria,
Edom was, beginning with the eighth century B.C.E., under
pressure from the Arabian tribes that impoverished the land
and brought about its decline in material culture. Toward the
end of the kingdom of Judah (beginning of the sixth century
B.C.E.), when Judah was rising up against Babylonian
rule, Edom was among the peoples preparing to rebel against
the Babylonian king. The king of Edom sent messengers to
a meeting of rebels called in Jerusalem by Zedekiah king of
ENCYCLOPAEDIA JUDAICA, Second Edition, Volume 6 155