Horvat Uza Edomite Ostracon
An Edomite letter blessing by 'Qaus' found in a Judean fort — Edom moving into the Negev
Found 1983 — Itzhaq Beit-Arieh (Tel Aviv University) and Bruce C. Cresson (Baylor University), excavations 1982–88 and 1996; Nahman Avigad had dug briefly at the site in the 1950s
Where Horvat Uza, eastern Negev near Arad (Israel)
Dates from early 6th century BCE · Iron Age IIC · Last years of Judah; Edomite encroachment
Now at Israel Antiquities Authority (Tel Aviv University excavation finds)
How Horvat Uza Edomite Ostracon was found
Found in the fort's destruction debris along with Hebrew ostraca, including a literary text possibly echoing the book of Job.
What it is
A potsherd inscribed in Edomite script and language: a man named Lumalak greets Blbl and says 'I bless you by Qaus', the Edomite national god, then orders food to be given. Its presence in a Judean border fort suggests Edomites had taken it over shortly before or after 586.
Why it matters for the Bible
The prophets accuse Edom of taking advantage of Judah's fall (Obadiah, Ezekiel 35, Psalm 137:7). Arad Ostracon 24 warns 'lest Edom come'; the Horvat Uza letter shows Edom already inside the gate. Together with the Edomite shrine at Horvat Qitmit nearby, it documents the Edomite push into the Negev that later produced Idumea. It also shows Edomites and Judeans writing nearly the same script but blessing by different gods.
The Hebrew word: eh-DOHM
אֱדוֹם
אֱדוֹם is pronounced eh-DOHM and means Edom, the nation descended from Esau (Strong's H123).
People this discovery connects to
- Esau / Edom — עֵשָׂו (eh-SAHV) — hairy
Places
- Edom — אֱדוֹם (eh-DOHM) — red
Events
Edomite incursions into southern Judah (c. 600–580 BCE)
Horvat Uza Edomite Ostracon in Scripture
Genesis 25:30 First mention of Edom in Scripture.
Obadiah 1:13 Edom enters the gate of YHVH's people on the day of their calamity — an Edomite garrison in a Judean fort.
Psalms 137:7 'Remember, YHVH, against the Edomites the day of Jerusalem.'
Questions people ask
What is Horvat Uza Edomite Ostracon?
A potsherd inscribed in Edomite script and language: a man named Lumalak greets Blbl and says 'I bless you by Qaus', the Edomite national god, then orders food to be given. Its presence in a Judean border fort suggests Edomites had taken it over shortly before or after 586.
When was Horvat Uza Edomite Ostracon discovered?
It was found in 1983 by Itzhaq Beit-Arieh (Tel Aviv University) and Bruce C. Cresson (Baylor University), excavations 1982–88 and 1996; Nahman Avigad had dug briefly at the site in the 1950s, at Horvat Uza, eastern Negev near Arad.
Where is Horvat Uza Edomite Ostracon today?
Israel Antiquities Authority (Tel Aviv University excavation finds).
Which Bible verses does Horvat Uza Edomite Ostracon relate to?
Genesis 25:30, Obadiah 1:13, Psalms 137:7.
Related discoveries
- אֱדוֹםHorvat Qitmit Edomite ShrineThe first Edomite sanctuary ever excavated — inside Judah's Negev
- נְחֹשֶׁתTimna Valley Copper MinesEgyptian-run mines in the Aravah, later worked by Edomite and Midianite smelters
- בֵּית יְהוָהArad Ostraca (the Eliashib Archive)Supply orders from a Judean desert fort naming the 'House of YHVH' and the Kittim
- אֱדוֹםPapyrus Anastasi VIA border official lets Shasu of Edom through the fort to the pools of Pithom
- בָּצְרָהBozrah (Buseirah): Capital of EdomBennett's excavation of the Edomite royal city that Amos and Isaiah singled out
- נְחֹשֶׁתKhirbet en-Nahas (Faynan Copper Center)A fortress and slag mounds in Edom dated to the tenth century
Sources
- Beit-Arieh & Cresson, 'An Edomite Ostracon from Horvat Uza', Tel Aviv 12 (1985)
- Beit-Arieh, Horvat Uza and Horvat Radum: Two Fortresses in the Biblical Negev (2007)
- Harvard White-Levy Program, 'Horvat Uza and Horvat Radum: Two Fortresses in the Biblical Negev'
- Beit-Arieh & Cresson, 'An Edomite Ostracon from Horvat Uza', Tel Aviv 12 (1985)