17. An ancient rival of the Tribe of Judah, the Kingdom of Edom was widely believed to have been an exaggerated myth until modern archaeological discoveries
According to the biblical narrative, Edom was an ancient kingdom neighboring the Kingdom of Judah. Engaging in sustained conflict with their rivals, the Edomites were supposedly defeated by King Saul, before being subjugated by King David into vassalage. Historical opinion traditionally viewed this claim with great skepticism, with the consensus held that the Edomites, believed to have been a predominantly pastoral civilization, remained too small in size or power to assemble an army as described. However, modern archaeological explorations have greatly expanded the potential scale of the ancient kingdom and offered tacit corroboration.
Discoveries at the Khirbat en-Nahas archaeological site have concluded that the Kingdom of Edom was not merely a pastoral society but instead one chiefly focused on copper mining. Slag heaps, pottery, and even an Iron Age fortress, dated to around the 10th century BCE, all demonstrate the long-standing existence of a far more advanced and militarized civilization. Further adding to the historicity of the biblical story, reference is made to an Egyptian ruler who invaded the area in the years after the death of Soloman to claim the resources of Edom. Recent archaeological surveys have uncovered an ancient Egyptian amulet in modern-day Jordan, inscribed with the name of Pharaoh Shesong.