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===The Edomites’ Conflicts with Israel and Judah===

The Edomites transitioned from a primarily nomadic society to a more or less sedentary state around the same time that the states of Moab, Ammon, and Israel formed in the same region. <ref> Kuhrt, Amélie. <i>The Ancient Near East: c. 3000-330 BC.</i> (London: Routledge, 2010), p. 416</ref> There are no signs of conflict between Edom and Israel in this period immediately before 1000 BC, and in fact many scholars have suggested that early Edom and Israel shared many cultural affinities. Although little is known about Edomite religion, the Israelite’s god was probably known in Edom and shared attributes with the Edomites’ primary god. The Edomites may also have worshipped the Israelite god and shared some of the Israelites’ rituals, but this is unknown. <ref> Assis, Elie. “Why Edom? On the Hostility Towards Jacob’s Brother in Prophetic Sources.” <i>Vestus Testamentum.</i> 56 (2006) p. 437</ref> It is known, though, that there was no theological or religious conflict between the two peoples. By the time the Edomites and Israelites transitioned into kingdom states, land became a commodity that was exploited and taken by force if need be, which proved to be at the core of the Israelite-Edomite conflict.