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Shem son of the Biblical Patriarch Noah

 

Also Sem. Literal meanings are named or renown (father of the Semitic races - Shemites). The sons of Shem were:

 

Arphaxad "I shall fail" (sons were Shelach, Anar and Ashcol) - (Chaldeans/Southern Iraqis, Hebrews/Israelis/Jews, Arabians/Bedouins, Moabites/Jordanians/Palestinians, and related groups); 

 

"Who were the Edomites?"

The Edomites were the descendants of Esau, the firstborn son of Isaac and the twin brother of Jacob. In the womb, Esau and Jacob struggled together, and God told their mother, Rebekah, that they would become two nations, with the older one serving the younger (Genesis 25:23). As an adult, Esau rashly sold his inheritance to Jacob for a bowl of red soup (Genesis 25:30-34), and he hated his brother afterward. Esau became the father of the Edomites and Jacob became the father of the Israelites, and the two nations continued to struggle through most of their history. In the Bible, “Seir” (Joshua 24:4), “Bozrah” (Isaiah 63:1) and “Sela” (2 Kings 14:7) are references to Edom’s land and capital. Sela is better known today as Petra.

The name “Edom” comes from a Semitic word meaning “red,” and the land south of the Dead Sea was given that name because of the red sandstone so prominent in the topography. Esau, because of the soup for which he traded his birthright, became known as Edom, and later moved his family into the hill country of the same name. Genesis 36 recounts the early history of the Edomites, stating that they had kings reigning over them long before Israel had a king (Genesis 36:31). The religion of the Edomites was similar to that of other pagan societies who worshiped fertility gods.

 

 

Esau Kills Nimrod

 

On the day of Abraham’s death, Esau had been out in the fields as usual. He had lost his way and was trying to find his way back, when King Nimrod arrived with two servants. Esau hid behind a rock, and when Nimrod was left unguarded, he killed him and fought the two servants who rushed to the aid of their master. Esau escaped with King Nimrod’s clothes. These were Adam’s garments which later became the property of Noah; Noah’s son Ham, who was Nimrod’s grandfather, had subsequently become their owner, and finally Nimrod had acquired them. These divine clothes had made Nimrod a powerful and skillful hunter and a mighty ruler over all other kings. Now Esau had come into possession of the most valuable and cherished property a hunter could desire.

 

Esau's evil ways

 

Although Jacob had gone to the academy of Shem and Eber to study the teachings of G-d, Esau refused to do anything of the sort. He led his life in his own way, and became more estranged from his father’s teachings. Yet, he honored his father and tried to appear an obedient and loving son, ready to comply with his father’s every wish, as long as it did not involve him in studying and learning. Isaac could not and did not see Esau’s G-dless behavior, for his eyes were dim with age, and he was confined to his tent.

 

Rebekah, however, saw everything. She observed the quiet and pleasing ways of Jacob, and watched with alarm the true nature of her first-born son Esau. For her there could be no doubt as to which of her children had chosen the right way.  After the death of Shem, Jacob returned to his father’s house, and Esau, too, came home from Seir. Isaac had grown old and weak and felt that the time had come for him to give his sons his last blessings.

 

Still believing that he could entrust Esau with the task of carrying on Abraham’s tradition, Isaac told Esau to hunt some deer meat, prepare a meal for him, and receive his blessings. Gladly, Esau took his bow and quiver and went out into the field.

 

Rebekah’s Ploy

 

Rebekah had heard what her husband told  Esau, and in a moment her resolve was taken. Esau should not receive the blessing which, as she believed, belonged even from his birth to her younger and wiser son. She went to Jacob, and hastily related to him what she had heard, and then she suggested to him that he prepare some meat and bring it to his father in the disguise of his brother Esau. Jacob was reluctant to trick his father, even though he knew his mother was right. But Rebekah ordered him to do as she said, taking full responsibility for the act.

 

Jacob did not dare to refuse his mother, and so he fetched two tender kids from the flock, and Rebekah prepared them so that they tasted like deer meat. Then she dressed her younger son in the festive garments of Esau, and to render the resemblance perfect, she covered his smooth neck and hands with the skins of the kids. She then put the meal into his hands and sent him to his father.

 

The Blessing

 

Isaac wondered at his son’s early return, and at his soft-spoken and pious address. Feeling Jacob’s arms and neck, Isaac exclaimed: “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau!” Isaac ate of the meat Jacob brought him. Then he blessed his son with the words: “And may the Lord give you of the dew of the heavens and [of] the fatness of the earth and an abundance of corn and wine. Nations shall serve you and kingdoms shall bow down to you; you shall be a master over your brothers, and your mother's sons shall bow down to you. Those who curse you shall be cursed, and those who bless you shall be blessed!”

 

Esau Returns

 

Hardly had Jacob left Isaac, when Esau returned from the hunt. He prepared the deer meat and brought it to his father. He soon learned what had happened in the meantime, and cried with anger and disappointment. Isaac blessed him too, giving him the right to throw off the yoke of his brother whenever his brother strayed from the path of G-d. But Esau hated Jacob, and Jacob evaded the rage of his brother by returning to Eber to study under his care.

 

 

Rebecca Sends Jacob to Haran

 

During Jacob’s absence, Esau’s hatred had died down. But as soon as Jacob returned from Eber, his old grudge flared up, and day and night he brooded over a scheme to kill Jacob. Yet, he feared his father too much to cause him such grief, and he decided to postpone his revenge until after Isaac’s death.

 

But Rebecca observed Esau and understood that his gloomy scheming boded ill for Jacob. She, therefore, spoke to Isaac and asked him to send Jacob to her brother Laban in Haran for some time, to seek out a wife for himself from Laban’s daughters, Jacob’s cousins. Isaac readily consented, recommended his son to take a wife from the daughters of Laban, and dismissed him with a fervent and affectionate benediction: “And may G-d the Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest inherit the land of thy sojourn, which G-d gave to Abraham.”

 

Jacob and Eliphaz

 

With his father’s blessings still ringing in his ears, Jacob left Beer Sheba, and proceeded on his way to his uncle Laban in Padan Aram. Esau soon found out that his brother had left the house. He immediately sent his oldest son Eliphaz with ten armed men to pursue and kill Jacob. But Eliphaz, instead of murdering his uncle, agreed to take all Jacob’s possessions, and let Jacob continue on his way.

 

Esau's descendants eventually dominated the southern lands and made their living by agriculture and trade. One of the ancient trade routes, the King's Highway (Numbers 20:17) passed through Edom, and when the Israelites requested permission to use the route on their exodus from Egypt, they were rejected by force.

Because they were close relatives, the Israelites were forbidden to hate the Edomites (Deuteronomy 23:7). However, the Edomites regularly attacked Israel, and many wars were fought as a result. King Saul fought against the Edomites, and King David subjugated them, establishing military garrisons in Edom. With control over Edomite territory, Israel had access to the port of Ezion-Geber on the Red Sea, from which King Solomon sent out many expeditions. After the reign of Solomon, the Edomites revolted and had some freedom until they were subdued by the Assyrians under Tiglath-pileser.

During the Maccabean wars, the Edomites were subjugated by the Jews and forced to convert to Judaism. Through it all, the Edomites maintained much of their old hatred for the Jews. When Greek became the common language, the Edomites were called Idumaeans. With the rise of the Roman Empire, an Idumaean whose father had converted to Judaism was named king of Judea. That Idumaean is known in history as King Herod the Great, the tyrant who ordered a massacre in Bethlehem in an attempt to kill the Christ child (Matthew 2:16-18).

After Herod's death, the Idumaean people slowly disappeared from history. God had foretold the destruction of the Edomites in Ezekiel 35, saying, “As you rejoiced over the inheritance of the house of Israel, because it was desolate, so I will deal with you; you shall be desolate, Mount Seir, and all Edom, all of it. Then they will know that I am the Lord” (Ezekiel 35:15). Despite Edom’s constant efforts to rule over the Jews, God's prophecy to Rebekah was fulfilled: the older child served the younger, and Israel proved stronger than Edom.