This document provides background on Esau and the Edomites:
1) Esau was the firstborn son of Isaac and Rebekah and heir to Abraham's lineage, but he despised his birthright by marrying outside his race.
2) His descendants, known as Edomites, lived in Mount Seir and the land of Edom. Over time they were driven from their lands and some resettled in Judea.
3) Under John Hyrcanus in the 2nd century BC, the Edomites were incorporated into the Jewish nation but remained hostile. Later, the Edomite Herod gained power over Judea.
4) Most modern Jews are descended