Edom (Modern Southern Jordan and Parts of Southern Israel)
This rugged, red-rock region was home to Esau’s descendants, who frequently clashed with Israel. Trade routes through the mountains made it prosperous until Nabataean and Roman takeovers in the 1st century BCE. The name disappeared, becoming “Idumea” before blending into modern Jordan. Some of the region’s most famous sites, including parts of Petra, rest in southern Jordan, where desert tourism flourishes.
