This is the account of the family line of Esau (that is, Edom). – Genesis 36:1

Today’s Scripture Reading (July 27, 2018): Genesis 36

And they all lived happily ever after. In North American culture, that is the preferred ending to every story. Well, maybe not. It has been noted that endings are what differentiates stories written in the United States from those written in Canada. Maybe it is the political situation or just another tale of the elephant and the mouse, but stories written in the United States more often end with some form of “and they lived happily ever after” than their Canadian counterparts. After all, the Elephant (United States) has more control over its future. Canada (the mouse), on the other hand, is often sent into terror every time the elephant burps. Okay, that might be an exaggeration, but you get the meaning. Everything that happens in the United States affects Canada, whether Canadians want it to or not. Put simply, Canada is too small and too close to the United States not to be affected by every wave that the United States creates. It is why Canada is interested in the politics of the United States. While they have no say, they will bear the brunt of what happens in Washington. Therefore, Canadians are not as in control of the future as their counterparts in the United States, a reality that is revealed in the ambiguous endings more often written in Canada. (Personal Note: I am trying not to use the word “Americans” to describe people from the United States. As almost every Canadian will tell you, they are Americans too – they are citizens of the North American continent.)

Genesis has a unique way of saying goodbye; they give us a lineage and tell us what is significant about the people born in this family line. It is the Genesian way of saying goodbye. The presence of this family account of Esau and Edom is a signal that the story is not going to go in this direction, but the authors of Genesis also attempt to provide a reason why this lineage is important. In the case of Esau, while the brothers did “kiss and makeup,” their descendants would be in conflict for much of their history together.

During the Greek and Roman dominance of the Middle East, Edom became known as Idumea. And maybe the most famous of the Idumeans were Herod the Great and his family. Much of the Jewish problem with Herod’s reign as King of the Jews stemmed from the fact that Herod was not a Jew; he was not a descendant of Jacob (Israel) but, rather, a descendant of Esau.

But during the first Jewish-Roman War, Edom supported their Jewish brothers. According to the Historian Josephus, 20,000 Idumeans fought with the Jews during the “Siege of Jerusalem” in 70 C.E.

And while Genesis provides an exit for the descendants of Esau here in Genesis 36, it is after the First Jewish-Roman War that history finally loses sight of the Edomites. Here they disappear. Their land will still be called Idumea for another few centuries, but the people make their final exit from the pages of history. Their fate is unknown, but most likely they were dispersed at this time among the other people of the earth.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Genesis 37