Government

Edom was governed by kings during the later Iron Age. Biblical traditions also preserve accounts of earlier kings and chiefs, although their dates and historical relationships are uncertain.

Assyrian inscriptions identify Edomite rulers who paid tribute to the empire. These records provide independent evidence that Edom possessed a recognized monarchy during the eighth and seventh centuries BC.

Bozrah, generally identified with the archaeological site of Busayra in southern Jordan, is commonly regarded as an important royal or administrative center.

As in neighboring kingdoms, royal authority probably depended on relationships with local communities, agricultural settlements, trade networks, and religious institutions.