Archaeologists find new evidence on Edom

A ruined copper mine in Jordan is shedding new light on the biblical civilization known as Edom, The New York Times reports.

Edomites lived south of the Dead Sea, in what is now Jordan, and are portrayed as the troublesome neighbor of Israelites. Recent excavations of an ancient copper mine have prompted archaeologists to reconsider when the Edomites may have existed, The Times said.

An international team of experts is arguing that Edom may have come together as a civilization as early as the twelfth century BC. They base their findings on recorded radiation dates, as well as artifacts like arrowheads and ceramics.