The Resurrection of Edom
From the staggering mass of archeological material and evidence which is
at the disposal of the twentieth century scholar, it is very difficult
to choose the most perfect illustrations of our theme. If the case of
the Hittites offers a complete refutation of the critical theories
concerning the origin and veracity of the Old Testament, the
resurrection of Edom is no less dramatic and valuable.
The word “Edom,” together with its various derivates such as “Edomite,”
occurs more than fourscore times in the text of the Old Testament. As
the history of this region and its various inhabitants unfolds in the
Old Testament story, there is a complete, remarkable and stirring record
of this land and its people that covers many centuries of time. The word
Edom first occurs in the twenty-fifth chapter of Genesis, thirtieth
verse:
“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.”
In this first instance the word appears in connection with the eldest
son of Isaac, whose name was changed from Esau to Edom because of the
strange incident of the sale of his birthright. The pottage that his
younger brother, Jacob, had cooked was made from a lentil which gave a
red hue that was characteristic of any food in which this particular
lentil was used. So, because Esau exchanged his priceless rights of
inheritance for a pot of red mush, his name was thereafter called Edom.
In the thirty-sixth chapter of Genesis, verses one, eight, and nineteen,
this same definite statement is carried out:
“Now these are the generations of _Esau, who is Edom_.”
“Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir: _Esau is Edom_.”
“These are the sons of _Esau, who is Edom_, and these are their
dukes.”
Here we read that the dwelling place of Esau and his people was in mount
Seir, and that Esau is Edom. Hence the name of Edom was also applied to
the people who descended from Esau, as well as to the country wherein
they dwelt.
This region of the ancient world was also known as mount Seir. It was so
named because of the progenitor of the Horites who originally dwelt in
that section. We are told that this people derived their name from Hori,
who was the son of Seir. This ancient people habitually dwelt in caves.
Therefore, by transition, their name came to mean cave dwellers, as it
was descriptive of their type of habitation.
If one should journey from Jerusalem to the center of Edom today, the
most convenient route would lie through the modern city of Amman, which
is at the present writing the seat of government of Iraq. On the
outskirts of this city, and all through this region, the limestone caves
are today occupied by families of people. They, with their folks, their
horses and cattle, and all of their possessions, dwell in these
ancestral caves in contentment as their fathers have always done before
them. These caves are furnished as our modern homes are equipped, with
rugs, tapestries, and all the treasures that go to make a human
habitation into a home!
To summarize the Old Testament record of Edom and Edomites, we must
begin by noting that although Esau _sold_ his birthright, his brother
Jacob actually _stole_ the blessing. We are all familiar with this
fascinating drama of the deception wrought by Jacob at his mother’s
insistence, when he impersonated his brother to deceive his dying
father. This account constitutes one of the implacably honest records
characteristic of the Bible. No other book known to man is so frank in
the delineation of the weaknesses of its leading characters, as God can
deal honestly with sin and failure, since He knows how to overrule such,
and effect a cure! When Esau learned that the blessing of his father had
been stolen by his younger brother, he took a solemn oath that as soon
as the days of mourning for his father were ended, he would slay Jacob,
the deceiver. His vengeance was frustrated, however, as Isaac and
Rebekah sent Jacob to Padan-aram. Here Jacob met a shrewd bargainer more
ruthless than himself; and dwelt in Padan-aram for twenty years, during
which he prospered enormously.
On his way home from his long sojourn, the account tells how he met
Esau. Two chapters of Genesis, namely, the thirty-second and the
thirty-third, are occupied with this dramatic and human document. Still
burdened by the guilt of his dishonest conduct in the matter of the
blessing, and perhaps feeling also that he had been less than honorable
in buying the birthright, Jacob prepared an enticing bribe to soften the
wrath of Esau. Word had been brought to him that Esau was coming to meet
him with four hundred retainers, and Jacob believed that the hour of
reckoning had come. The score of years, however, had softened the wrath
of Esau, and he greeted his younger brother with love and affection.
Refusing to accept any bribe or present at his hand, he made him welcome
to his possession. The record distinctly states that at that time Esau
was dwelling in Seir.
It is evident that he must have prospered there, as the genealogical
tables in the thirty-sixth chapter of Genesis list his progeny. All of
his grandsons appear in the record as dukes. Verses one, eight and nine
of this chapter identify the Edomites as descendants of Esau. They
further identify the land of their dwelling with the ancient site of
Seir. To clarify this point, we here reproduce these three verses:
“Now these are the generations of Esau, who is Edom.”
“Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir: Esau is Edom.”
“And these are the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in
mount Seir.”
Verse twenty begins the list of the previous inhabitants of Seir, who
are called the Horites. These people are listed in Genesis 14:6 as among
the races that were smitten by Chedorlaomer in the days of Abraham in
the notable Battle of the Kings. It seems evident, then, that Esau was
powerful enough to overcome the Horites and to impose his dominion upon
them. The two companies intermarried and became the Edomites of the
later record.
The next important point in their development is introduced in the
twentieth chapter of Numbers. As the children of Israel were making
their notable journey from Egypt to the land of Canaan, Moses sent a
courteous request to the king of Edom asking permission to make a
peaceful passage across that land. The salutation of Moses was brotherly
and affectionate. He reminded the king of Edom that Israel and the
Edomites were brethren. He asserted his peaceful purpose, and gave a
pledge not to harm the fields or the crops with the passage of his
flocks.
The king of Edom summarily refused this courteous request in the most
graceless manner. He threatened the company of Israel and forbade them
to pass over his domain. The answer of Moses was a renewal of the
request for peaceful passage. This time, Moses stated that they would
stay to the high and rocky way where no harm could come to the land from
their herds. He even covenanted to pay for such water as the flocks
might drink. The result was a renewal of the threat to oppose the
passage with the edge of the sword. Consequently the people of Israel
were forced to make a circuit of Edom, and they passed around its border
by way of mount Hor.
From this time on, there was implacable enmity between the two great
branches of these Semitic people. The subsequent history is a constant
record of battle and hatred on both sides.
Saul fought against them in the days of his might, and records with
delight his various successes against them.
When David occupied the throne warfare was renewed. So great a nuisance
did the Edomites prove to the people of Israel in David’s day, that this
great warrior king finally directed a complete campaign against them. In
the notable battle that was fought in the salt valley, he slew eighteen
thousand of the Edomite army and pressed on to capture their cities. In
their conquered strongholds, he placed capable garrisons. Under Joab
these garrisons patrolled the land for more than six months. At this
time Benhadad, to whom we shall again refer, escaped to Egypt to become
a later source of distress to Israel.
In all of their history, the Edomites were consistently allied against
Israel. They never missed a chance to vex their kinsmen. No matter who
the enemy of Israel might be, the Edomites hastened to form an alliance
with that foe and gladly accepted the occasion to battle against Israel.
This bad blood that existed between these races, who should have been
allied by the ties of consanguinity, resulted in the prophecies that
foretold the final overthrow of Edom and the destruction of the people.
Such a prophecy is written in Jeremiah 49, verses seventeen and twenty:
“Also Edom shall be a desolation: every one that goeth by it shall be
astonished, and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof.”
“Therefore hear the counsel of the Lord, that he hath taken against
Edom; and his purposes that he hath taken against Edom; and his
purposes that he hath purposed against the inhabitants of Teman:
Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out; surely he shall
make their habitations desolate with them.”
When Nebuchadnezzar finally took the people of Israel away into their
great captivity, the Edomites rejoiced without restraint. Their
happiness was utterly unbounded and they celebrated with every means at
their disposal. They overran the southern regions of Judah and took much
of that land for themselves during the days of the captivity.
Jeremiah, in the Book of Lamentations, reproves their unnatural
jubilation and warns Edom that the same fate that overtook Israel will
come upon them.
So also the prophet Ezekiel speaks from his refuge and warns Edom. In
the twenty-fifth chapter of Ezekiel, we read in verses twelve to
fourteen, this following warning:
“Thus saith the Lord God; Because that Edom hath dealt against the
house of Judah by taking vengeance, and hath greatly offended, and
revenged himself upon them;
“Therefore thus saith the Lord God; I will also stretch out mine hand
upon Edom, and will cut off man and beast from it; and I will make it
desolate from Teman; and they of Dedan shall fall by the sword.
“And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people
Israel: and they shall do in Edom according to mine anger and
according to my fury; and they shall know my vengeance, saith the Lord
God.”
Joel adds his voice in a characteristic reference such as we find in the
third chapter and nineteenth verse of his prophecy:
“Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness,
for the violence against the children of Judah, because they have shed
innocent blood in their land.”
So also Amos, in chapter one and verse eleven utters this fateful
sentence:
“Thus saith the Lord: For three transgressions of Edom, and for four,
I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he did pursue his
brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did
tear perpetually, and he kept his wrath forever.”
Thus the prophet is moved of God to list the continued transgressions of
Edom, and the consequent and subsequent judgment.
So literally were these words of the prophets fulfilled that Edom was
not only overthrown and its people vanquished, but for a great deal more
than a thousand years the very name of their city and people dropped out
of the memory of men. Here is one more case where a great people
catastrophically disappeared from the stage of history, leaving no
secular record of the part that they had played in the drama of human
life.
Needless to say, this was the critics’ _great_ occasion! With a
vociferous unanimity they argued and wrote that there had been no city
called Edom, and no people called Edomites. Since the word “Edom”
literally means “red,” the critics erected a fanciful demonstration
purporting to show that the Edomites would be any people with a red
complexion. According to their fanciful theory, any race or group of
people whose skin or hair was red would be poetically called Edomites.
When the defenders of the text pointed to the denunciations in the
prophets, the critics laughed them out of the picture. These utterances
were listed as pure, poetic fancy and figurative diatribes. The critics
pointed out that all such outbursts were found _in the prophecies_! As a
stated principle of higher criticism, all prophecies are repudiated.
They are held to be purely fanciful, and any fulfillment is entirely
coincidental. This attitude is the proper one for criticism to assume.
The supernatural fulfillment of prophecy is one of the strongest
evidences of the Divine origin of the Scriptures. Such demonstrations
cannot be reconciled with the critical basis of humanism. Therefore, it
is only logical that it be ignored or denied in a critical approach to
the text.
The enemies of orthodoxy had one strong argument that in the early day
seemed to be unanswerable. Their constant cry was “Where is Edom?”
Admittedly, this was a question that the orthodox believer could not
answer. The city had disappeared, the people were forgotten, and no
relic nor remnant of this race remained. It was not until the nineteenth
century of the Christian era that the resurrection of Edom began.
The first and earliest archeological reference to Edom which was
discovered, was a statement from the record of Ramses the Third, who
proudly boasted that in his great campaign he smote the people of Seir.
The next discovery came when the record of Tiglath-pileser was read. In
his story he told of the campaign against Rezin, king of Syria. He
recounted that among other vassals who yielded to his yoke, he received
homage from Quaus-Malaka of Edom. This Rezin, with whom we shall later
deal in Tiglath-pileser’s voluminous records, is the king of Syria who
is warned in the seventh chapter of Isaiah as allied with Israel against
Judah.
Following this, we have the monument of Esar-haddon. He also tells how
among his Assyrian conquests he overthrew the Edomites and forced their
king to render homage and allegiance to his power. Again, the records of
Nebuchadnezzar tell us that in his final battle with Judah, the Edomites
were among his allied forces.
Gradually, as this people began to rise from the silence and obscurity
of forgotten antiquity, something of their customs and beliefs began to
be recovered. At least three of their deities are known today. These are
Hadad, Quaus and Kozé. About 300 B. C., Edom fell into the hands of a
people who were called the Nabataeans. Their inscription claims that
they captured Edom, exterminated its then numerous population and
occupied its capital, _which was Petra_.
Here, then, is the final vindication of the text of Scripture. This
city, Petra, is variously mentioned in the Old Testament text as the
center of Edomite dominion. It is sometimes called “Sela” in the
historical and prophetical references, and twice is referred to by the
name of “Rock.” Obadiah calls the city “the rock,” the Greek form of
which would be “_he Petra_.” It is thus evident that it was known
peculiarly for its structure. This fact appeared to be of no
significance until archeology had brought it to the prominence of our
present comprehension. The issue of the National Geographic Magazine for
May, 1907, made Petra so well known to the English speaking world that
there remains little to be said of an historical nature to establish the
actuality and certainty of this great discovery.
With the collapse of the Roman empire, Petra disappeared from the
knowledge of mankind and became shrouded in mystery and darkness. It
began to emerge into the light again when a young Swiss traveler first
visited its site in 1812. The record of his discovery was not published,
however, until ten years later.
The next notice of the site of Petra was taken when two British naval
officers visited the splendid remains in 1818, and published their
observations seven years later. After this it became the custom for
adventurous travelers to take a brief look at the stupendous beauty of
this forgotten city and make some passing mention. The real exploration
of Petra, however, began some thirty years ago when certain German
scholars made a scientific investigation of the site. The results of
their labors were printed only in German, and filled a surprising number
of lengthy volumes. A large literature on Petra is now in the possession
of the English speaking world, but surprisingly little of a definite
nature is known about its earlier inhabitants.
The monuments of Petra, which we here illustrate in plates numbered
Plate 22 and Plate 23, were not built by the later inhabitants, who were
called Nabataeans. These monumental structures were carved out of the
living rock. Some of them were temples, and others were tombs. To
illustrate the extent of these works, we may note that the great
open-air theatre at Petra would comfortably seat a crowd of three
thousand spectators.
Just a word of explanation is necessary before we proceed to the
application of this discovery. Petra, the capital of Edom and the
principal city of the Edomites, is found in the most rugged region of
that part of the earth. The land is thrown up into abrupt ranges, which
are deeply incised with canyons and gorges until they form one of the
wildest and most entrancing geographical spectacles to be seen in the
Eastern world. In some regions the underlying structure is limestone.
The walls of the canyon, however, are largely porphyry and sandstone.
The sandstone is brilliantly colored with hues which run from brown
through red, to a definite purple. Some of the strata, grotesquely
twisted and torn and laid bare by erosion, are among the loveliest and
most entrancing geological studies in that region.
In approaching the site of Petra, it is necessary to journey up a narrow
canyon called in the Arabic, a siq. This approach is so narrow that
almost all of the way it is scarcely possible for two horsemen to ride
abreast. This might have been an important factor in deciding the site
of the city in antiquity. A dozen men could have successfully defended
the approaches to Petra against an entire army of invaders.
Plate 24 will give some conception of the ruggedness of the country and
the difficulty of approach. In place of a truck, such as would have been
used in flat country, we have the familiar donkey carrying the camera
and supplies. This resting place is in one of the wider sections of the
canyon. Plate 25 is the first glimpse of one of the amazing monuments of
Petra. This great structure bears the Arabic name of El Khazne. A full
view of this temple is given in plate 26.
Petra was not built after the fashion in which cities are constructed
today. Every structure was hewn out of the living sandstone. The city
has been called “The Rose Red City, half as old as time,” and this
description is perfect. When the sunlight strikes the ruins of Petra, it
is as red as blood. Edom, indeed, and Edomites, might well be applied by
the ancients to the color and beauty of this old site, as well as to its
inhabitants! In plate 27 we have illustrated this manner of carving a
dwelling from the living stone in the great structure which the Arabians
call El Deir. (See Plate 28.) Observing this photograph, you will note
that the rock wall has been hewn away into the shape of columns,
pillars, and decorated facade in the similitude of a building that has
been put together by the orthodox style of masonry. Such, however, is
not the case. Plate 29 shows some of the detail of one of these notable
monuments. It will be observed that the workers began from the top and
carved their way down. In the upper left corner of the picture a series
of holes will be seen. These were chiseled for the foothold of the
workers who started the process.
Their manner of labor was unique. The architect laid out the size,
shape, and site of the building, and the workmen began to cut away the
stone about the top of their designated area until they had a recessed
trough some ten feet deep into the face of the cliff, on the top and
both sides. Then, beginning with the top of the structure, they carved
that slab in the similitude of a building. As they worked their way
down, they shaped the pillars, carved these brilliant decorations and
recessed the cliff on both sides to make their monuments stand forth.
Plate 28 shows the result of this type of labor, looking from the bottom
upward. Reaching the bottom of their carved columns, these artisans
would then chisel away between and behind the posts that they had formed
of the face of the cliff until they had a great square entry way. The
face of this entry way would be further beautified by carving the
semblance of a doorway. A short tunnel would then be run back into the
cliff to serve as a hall, and rooms hollowed out on the inside into a
series of apartments or caves. “Cave-dwellers,” indeed, is the proper
name for these people!
Plate 24
[Illustration: The rough approach to Petra (Photo by Matson)]
Plate 25
[Illustration: Approaching Petra by way of the main siq the first
sight of the ruins]
The extent of their operations may be dimly understood from plates
numbered plate 22 and plate 23. Some of these tombs that are here
depicted, were never finished. A few of them have suffered from the
ravages of time, but the general state of preservation of these
priceless monuments of Petra is fascinating. In plate 30 we have
depicted the approach to the garden tomb. By the side of this tomb there
is the ascent to the “high place” for the sacrifices of their idolatrous
religion. In plate 31 we have shown the altar and the “high place.”
These high places of antiquity should be the subject for a volume in
themselves. They are mentioned one hundred two times in the Old
Testament. Being the altars of heathen sacrifices, they were the subject
of constant denunciation on the part of the Lord God and were a source
of trouble and distress to Israel during all her periods of apostasy.
The _groves_ to which the prophets refer and which the godly kings cut
down, were the places where Ashtoreth was worshipped. Very few systems
of degenerate religion in antiquity were more lecherous and vile than
the cult of this unclean goddess. The high places, however, were the
altars where sacrifice was made to the gods of the heathen nations. As
these sacrifices were very often human, and as it was not uncommon for
the ancients to dedicate their children to the fierce and abominable
worship of their false religion, the people of Israel were sternly
forbidden to have any contact with such idolatrous practices. So when
godly kings occupied the throne, they destroyed the “high places.” In a
time of apostasy the high places were builded and dedicated again. Some
of the most stirring denunciations of the prophetic sections of the Old
Testament are in the words that God directs against the high places of
Israel and in the announcing of His final and complete victory over
them.
This high place shown in plate 31 is characteristic, then, of the
ancient custom. It shows that the Hittites had forsaken whatever
knowledge they may have derived from their earlier Hebrew origin and
were wholly dedicated to the practices of idolatry. Incidentally, the
worship of God is still practiced by Israel, but the “high places” of
Edom and all other heathen centers are merely curiosities today!
As far as artistry and ability are concerned, antiquity knew no greater
or more capable people. The monument that they have left to mark their
mysterious disappearance is a lasting testimony to their culture and
power.
But more than that, it is a living, resurrected testimony to the truth
and credibility of the Word of God!
There is no scene of desolation and ruin that amazes the spirit of man
as much as the desolation of Edom. Forsaken of human occupants, the
wonderful Rose Red City is today a curiosity to be viewed by the hardy
adventurer who would study the antiquities of the Eastern world.
Just what hands constructed these noble temples and tombs it is not at
this time possible to say. The Nabataeans were incapable of producing
this kind of work, nor would they have invested the time. The bodies of
the departed were spread upon the field as fertilizer or buried in the
most indescribably filthy pits of their day and time. The Semitic
peoples who preceded them, however, have left this record in stone as a
testimony to their reverence for the dead. What the future will yield in
the hoped-for excavations of Petra, no one is able to say. If, however,
a spade is never sunk into soil and no more appears to the gaze of man
than is seen by the casual traveler today, we have sufficient to call
forth a doxology from the hearts of those who love and reverence the
Word of God. We cannot refrain from commenting again and again upon the
marvelous manner in which the Author of this Great Book has cared for
His own case.
The consternation and defeat of the critics have been complete in this
instance. What a quaint conceit it is in our generation to note that God
is so firm in His promised defense of His Book, that He will move to
crush the enemies of the Word even if it is necessary to smite their
fallacious fancy with a carved mountain of stone!