Unlocking the Secrets of Edom: How an Ancient Kingdom Became a Copper Powerhouse
Tel Aviv University researchers trace the rise of biblical Edom to a copper industry breakthrough in the 10th century BCE, possibly spurred by Egyptian influence. Their findings shed light on a key biblical narrative.
- גבי שניידר
- פורסם י"ט אלול התשע"ט
Timna Valley Area (Photo: Doron Horowitz/Flash90) #VALUE!
A groundbreaking archaeological study reveals how the ancient biblical Kingdom of Edom evolved into the largest copper power in the Near East, attributing this growth to a military campaign by Pharaoh Shishak of Egypt in the latter half of the 10th century BCE.
The research, led by Professor Erez Ben-Yosef from the Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures at Tel Aviv University, in collaboration with the University of California, San Diego, was published in the journal PLOS ONE.
Researchers analyzed hundreds of artifacts from ancient copper mines in the Faynan region of Jordan and the Timna Valley in the Arava, aiming to trace the development of the copper industry over approximately 500 years, from 1300 to 800 BCE. Utilizing microscopic and chemical analyses of copper slag—the waste produced in mining furnaces—they identified dramatic technological shifts, marked by a significant statistical decrease in copper content in the slag, indicating a technological leap in production methods.
"Copper was the 'high-tech' of the ancient world," Professor Ben-Yosef explains. According to him, "The application of technology and its efficiency over time reflects social processes, and our results reveal, for the first time, the time and manner in which a society emerged to control the entire region. This society is identified with the biblical Edom, which according to the Bible, was conquered and subjugated by Israel during the time of David."
Some researchers have downplayed the significance of the copper industry in the Arava region during this period, claiming that a loose collection of tribes extracted copper sporadically and temporarily. Professor Ben-Yosef notes that his study's findings align with the biblical story that a kingdom existed in the area: "The evidence we found for the copper industry in the Arava can only be attributed to a centralized and hierarchical kingdom, namely ancient and biblical Edom."
The dramatic development in the copper industry was dated by the researchers to the latter half of the 10th century BCE. They attribute it to the campaign of the Egyptian Pharaoh Shishak mentioned in the Book of Kings. This campaign, it is suggested, was the catalyst for the technological innovations adopted by the Kingdom of Edom in copper production, transforming it into the largest power in this field in the ancient Near East.
