Two baby brothers fought before they were even born! What “fun” for their mother. Then came the Lord’s word: “two nations are in your womb. . . and the elder shall serve the younger.” The elder was Esau, later called Edom. The younger was Jacob, later called Israel. They fought as fetuses, they fought as youths, and they fought as nations.
Edom was originally located south of the Dead Sea. Several centuries before Christ, they were pushed from there into the southern parts of Judea. Their new location became known as Idumea, which is Greek for Edom. Later on, the Israelites forced them to be circumcised and become a part of the Jewish state.
Histories of Edom and Idumean end with the account of the Herods, who were Idumeans. After the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., Idumea and the Edomites vanish from world history.
Israel is still alive today. Edom is dead and gone. Who cares? We do, because the Bible prophesied this disappearance. “Thus says the Lord God concerning Edom. . . the house of Jacob shall be a fire. . . and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall. . . devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau” (Obadiah 1,18). “Not be any remaining.” Another version says, “no survivors.”
Once again we have proof that the Bible was inspired by the Holy Spirit. It was written, and it came to pass. We can depend on the Bible.