Brotherhood and Inheritance

This study offers a canonical reading of the Esau and Edom traditions examining the portrayal of Esau and Edom in Genesis Deuteronomy and the prophetic material. First it is argued that the depiction of Esau and his descendants in Genesis and Deuteronomy is on the whole positive. Second it is put forward that Edom is portrayed negatively by the prophets for violating their kin and for disrespecting the divine apportioning of the lands. Finally it is suggested that these traditions have resonance with one another based on recurring literary and theological motifs heuristically framed as brotherhood and inheritance.