View source for Esau

{{short description|Older son of Isaac in the Hebrew Bible}}
{{Other uses}}
{{religious text primary|date=January 2024}}<!-- needs secular perspectives, including on whether or not this was a real person-->
{{Infobox person
| image              = Esau and Jacob (cropped).jpg
| caption            = Detail of Esau from ''Esau and Jacob'' (2014) by [[Andrei Mironov (painter)|Andrei Mironov]]
| name               = Esau
| native_name        = {{Nobold|{{Script/Hebrew|עֵשָׂו}}}}
| birth_date         = 
| birth_place        = [[Canaan]]<br>(present-day [[Israel]])
| death_date         = 
| death_place        = Canaan
| spouse             = {{Plainlist|
*[[Adah (wife of Esau)|Adah]]
*[[Aholibamah]]
*[[Basemath]]}}
| children           = {{Plainlist|
* [[Eliphaz]]
* [[Reuel (son of Esau)|Reuel]]
* [[Jeush (son of Esau)|Jeush]]
* [[Jaalam (son of Esau)|Jaalam]]
* [[Korah (son of Esau)|Korah]]}}
| father             = [[Isaac]]
| mother             = [[Rebecca (biblical figure)|Rebecca]]
| relatives          = {{Plainlist|
*[[Jacob]] (twin brother)
*[[Abraham]] (grandfather)
*[[Sarah]] (grandmother)
*[[Laban (Bible)|Laban]] (uncle)
*[[Ishmael]] (uncle)
*[[Joseph (Genesis)|Joseph]] and other 11 leaders of the tribes of Israel (nephews)
*[[Dinah]] (only niece)}}
}}

'''Esau'''{{efn|{{IPAc-en|ˈ|iː|s|ɔː}}; {{hebrew Name|{{Script/Hebrew|עֵשָׂו}}|ʿĒsáv|ʿĒśāw}}, [[ISO 259-3]] ''ʕeśaw''; {{langx|el|Ἠσαῦ}} ''Ēsaû''; {{langx|la|Hesau, Esau}}; {{langx|ar|عِيسَوْ}} ''‘Īsaw''; meaning "hairy"<ref name = "Easton, 236">Easton, M. ''Illustrated Bible Dictionary'', ({{ISBN|1596059478}}, {{ISBN|978-1-59605-947-4}}, 2006, p. 236</ref> or "rough".<ref name="Mandel, 175">Mandel, D. ''The Ultimate Who's Who in the Bible'', ({{ISBN|0882703722}}.{{ISBN|978-0-88270-372-5}}), 2007, p. 175</ref>}} is the elder son of [[Isaac]] in the [[Hebrew Bible]]. He is mentioned in the [[Book of Genesis]]<ref>{{Bibleverse|Genesis|25|JPS}}</ref> and by the [[minor prophet|prophets]] [[Obadiah]]<ref>{{bibleverse||Obadiah|1:8–21|JPS}}</ref> and [[Malachi]].<ref>{{bibleverse||Malachi|1:2,3|JPS}}</ref> The story of [[Jacob and Esau]] reflects the historical relationship between [[History of ancient Israel and Judah|Israel]] and [[Edom]], aiming to explain why Israel, despite being a younger kingdom, dominated Edom.<ref name="Esau">{{cite web |title=Esau |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Esau |website=Encyclopaedia Britannica}}</ref> The Christian [[New Testament]] alludes to him in the [[Epistle to the Romans]]<ref>{{bibleverse|Romans|9:13|NIV}}</ref> and in the [[Epistle to the Hebrews]].<ref>{{bibleverse|Hebrews|11:20,12:16|NIV}}</ref>

According to the Hebrew Bible, Esau is the progenitor of the [[Edomites]] and the elder brother of [[Jacob]], the [[Patriarchs (Bible)|patriarch]] of the Israelites.<ref name="oxford">Metzger & Coogan (1993). ''Oxford Companion to the Bible'', pp. 191–92.</ref> [[Jacob and Esau]] were the sons of Isaac and [[Rebecca (biblical figure)|Rebecca]], and the grandsons of [[Abraham]] and [[Sarah]]. Of the twins, Esau was the first to be born with Jacob following, holding his heel. Isaac was sixty years old when the boys were born.

Esau, a "man of the field", became a [[hunter]]<ref name = "Easton, 236"/> who had "rough"<ref name="Mandel, 175"/> qualities that distinguished him from his twin brother. Among these qualities were his redness and noticeable hairiness.<ref name="Bibleref|Genesis|25:25|NASB">{{Bibleverse|Genesis|25:25|NASB}}</ref> Jacob was a plain or simple man, depending on the translation of the Hebrew word ''tam'' (which also means "relatively perfect man"). Jacob's color was not mentioned.<ref name="oxford"/> Throughout Genesis, Esau is frequently shown as being supplanted by his younger twin, Jacob (Israel).<ref name = "Harper, 40">Attridge & Meeks. ''The Harper Collins Study Bible'', ({{ISBN|0060786841}}, {{ISBN|978-0-06-078684-7}} ), 2006, p. 40</ref>

According to the Muslim tradition, the [[Prophet of Islam|prophet]] [[Jacob in Islam|Yaqub]], or Israel, was the favorite of his mother, and his twin brother ''Esau'' was the favorite of his father, prophet [[Isaac in Islam|Ishaq]], and he is mentioned in the "Story of Ya'qub" in [[Stories of the Prophets|Qisas al-Anbiya]]. {{Citation needed|date=April 2025}}

==In Genesis==

The story of Esau and Jacob reflects the historical relationship between Israel and [[Edom]], aiming to explain why Israel, despite being a younger kingdom, dominated Edom.<ref name="Esau"/>

===Birth===
[[Toledot|Genesis 25]]:25 narrates Esau's birth, "Now the first came forth red, all over like a hairy garment; and they named him Esau."<ref name="Bibleref|Genesis|25:25|NASB"/> The meaning of the word ''esau'' itself is not entirely certain.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0006_0_06072.html|title=Esau|encyclopedia=Jewish Virtual Library|access-date=28 August 2015}}</ref> Others have noted the similarity to {{langx|ar|عثا|ʿaṯā|hirsute}}.<ref name = "Bartlett, 26">{{cite journal |last=Bartlett |first=J.R.|date= 4 October 1977|title=The Brotherhood of Edom |journal=Journal for the Study of the Old Testament |volume=2|issue=4|page=26 |doi=10.1177/030908927700200401|s2cid=170383632}}</ref> The name ''Edom''  ({{langx|he|אדום|ʾəḏom|link=no}}) is also attributed to Esau, meaning "red";<ref name = "Harper, 40"/> the same color is used to describe the color of his hair. Genesis parallels his redness to the "red lentil [[pottage]]" that he sold his [[Jacob and Esau#Birthright|birthright]] for.<ref>{{Bibleverse|Genesis|25:30|JPS}}</ref><ref name = "Easton, 236" /> Esau became the progenitor of the [[Edom]]ites in [[Mount Seir]].

===Birthright===
[[File:Esau and Jacob Presented to Isaac.jpg|thumb|right|340px|Esau and Jacob Presented to Isaac (painting circa 1779–1801 by [[Benjamin West]])]]
In Genesis, Esau returned to his twin brother Jacob, famished from the fields. He begs Jacob to give him some "red pottage" (a play on his nickname, ''Edom''.) This refers to his red hair.<ref name="Bibleref|Genesis|25:25|NASB"/> Jacob offers Esau a bowl of [[lentil]] stew ({{Langx|he|נְזִיד עֲדָשִׁ֔ים|nəziḏ ʿəḏāšim|link=no}}) in exchange for Esau's birthright ({{Langx|he|בְּכֹרָה|bəḵorā|link=no}}), the right to be recognized as firstborn son with authority over the family, and Esau agrees. Thus Jacob acquires Esau's birthright. This is the origin of the English phrase "to sell one's birthright for a [[mess of pottage]]".

In {{Bibleverse|Genesis|27:1–40|JPS}}, Jacob uses deception, motivated by his mother [[Rebecca (biblical figure)|Rebekah]], to lay claim to his blind father Isaac's blessing that was inherently due to the firstborn, Esau.

In {{Bibleverse|Genesis|27:5–7|JPS}}, Rebekah is listening while Isaac speaks to his son Esau. When Esau goes to the field to hunt for venison to bring home, Rebekah says to her son Jacob, "Behold, I heard thy father speak to thy brother Esau, saying: 'Bring me venison and prepare a savory food, that I may eat, and bless thee before the Lord before my death.{{'"}} Rebekah then instructs Jacob in an elaborate deception through which Jacob pretends to be Esau, in order to steal from Esau his blessing from Isaac and his inheritance—which in theory Esau had already agreed to give to Jacob. Jacob follows through with the plan to steal his brother's birthright by bringing the meal his father Isaac requested and pretending to be Esau. Jacob pulled off his disguise by covering himself in hairy kid goat skin so that when his blind father went to touch him, his smooth skin did not give him away as an imposter of his hairy brother. Jacob successfully received his father Isaac's blessing ({{Bibleverse|Genesis|27:27-29|JPS}}). As a result, Jacob became the spiritual leader of the family after Isaac's death, and the heir of the promises of Abraham ({{Bibleverse|Genesis|27:37|JPS}}).

When Esau learns of his brother's thievery, he is livid and begs his father to undo the blessing. Isaac responds to his eldest son's plea by saying that he only had one blessing to give and that he could not reverse the sacred blessing. Esau is furious and vows to kill Jacob ({{Bibleverse|Genesis|27:41|JPS}}). Once again Rebekah intervenes to save her younger son from being murdered by his elder twin brother, Esau.

Therefore, at Rebekah's urging, Jacob flees to a distant land, Paddan-aram (towards [[Harran]]) to work for his uncle [[Laban (Bible)|Laban]] ({{Bibleverse|Genesis|28:5|JPS}}). Jacob does not immediately receive his father's inheritance after the impersonation aimed at taking it from Esau. Having fled for his life, Jacob has left the wealth of Isaac's flocks, land and tents in Esau's hands. Jacob is forced to sleep out on the open ground and then work for wages as a servant in Laban's household. Jacob, who had deceived and cheated his brother, is in turn deceived and cheated by his uncle. Jacob asks to marry Laban's daughter Rachel, whom he has met at the well, and Laban agrees, if Jacob will give him seven years of service. Jacob does so, but after the wedding finds that beneath the veil is not Rachel but Leah, Laban's elder daughter. He agrees to work another seven years and Jacob and Rachel are finally wed. However, despite Laban, Jacob eventually becomes so rich as to incite the envy of Laban and Laban's sons.

[[File:Francesco Hayez 061.jpg|thumb|[[Francesco Hayez]]: ''Esau and Jacob reconcile'' (1844)]]
{{Bibleverse|Genesis|32–33|JPS}} tells of Jacob's and Esau's eventual reconciliation. Jacob sends multiple waves of gifts to Esau as they approach each other, hoping that Esau will spare his life. Esau refuses the gifts, as he is now very wealthy and does not need them. Jacob bows down before Esau and insists on his receiving the gifts. Esau shows forgiveness in spite of this bitter conflict. He then asks Jacob to follow him to the South but Jacob decides later to move to the North.

===Family===
See: [[Wives of Esau]].

{{Bibleverse|Genesis|26:34–35|JPS}} describes Esau's marriage at the age of forty to two [[Canaan]]ite women: Judith, the daughter of Beeri the [[Hittites|Hittite]], and [[Basemath]] the daughter of Elon the Hittite. This arrangement grieved his parents.<ref>{{Bibleverse|Genesis|26:34–35|JPS}}</ref> Upon seeing that his brother was blessed and that their father rejected Esau's union to Canaanites, Esau went to the house of his uncle [[Ishmael]] and married his cousin,<ref>Mandel. ''Ultimate Who's Who'', p. 176</ref> [[Mahalath]] the daughter of Ishmael, and sister of [[Nebaioth]]. Esau's family is again revisited in {{Bibleverse|Genesis|36|JPS}}, this passage names two Canaanite wives; [[Adhah]], the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and [[Aholibamah]], the daughter of Anah, daughter of Zibeon the [[Hivites|Hivite]], and a third: Bashemath, Ishmael's daughter, sister of Nebaioth. Some scholars equate the three wives mentioned in Genesis 26 and 28 with those in Genesis 36.<ref name="Phillips, 284">Phillips. ''Exploring Genesis'', p. 284</ref><ref name="Jamieson-Fausset-Brown">Jamieson-Fausset-Brown. ''[[Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible]]''</ref> Casting his lot with the [[Ishmaelites]], he was able to drive the [[Horites]] out of Mount Seir to settle in that region.<ref name="Easton, 236" /> According to some views, Esau is considered to be the progenitor not only of the Edomites but of the [[Kenizzite]]s and the [[Amalek]]ites as well.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.3amthoughts.com/article/people-and-places/caleb|title=Caleb|access-date=8 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.3amthoughts.com/article/people-and-places/amalekites|title=Amalekites|access-date=8 October 2014}}</ref>

Esau had five sons:<ref>{{Bibleverse|Genesis|36:4–5|JPS}}</ref>
* By [[Adah (wife of Esau)|Adah]]: [[Eliphaz]]
* By [[Aholibamah]]: [[Jeush son of Esau|Jeush]], [[Jaalam (son of Esau)|Jaalam]], [[Korah (son of Esau)|Korah]]
* By [[Basemath]]: [[Reuel (son of Esau)|Reuel]]

===Family tree===
{{chart top|width=100%}}
{{tree chart/start|align=center}}
{{tree chart| | | | | | | | | Tra | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Tra=[[Terah]]}}
{{tree chart| |,|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|^|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|.| | | | | |}}
{{tree chart| Srh |y| Abm|y| Hgr | | |!| | | | | | | | Hrn | | | | |Srh=[[Sarah]]|Abm=[[Abraham]]|Hgr=[[Hagar]]|Hrn=[[Haran]]}}
{{tree chart| | | |!| | | |!| | | | | Nhr | | | |,|-|-|-|+|-|-|-|.| |Nhr=[[Nahor, son of Terah|Nahor]]}}
{{tree chart| | | |!| | | Ish | | | | | |L|y|~| Mca | | Lot | | Isc |Ish=[[Ishmael]]|Mca=[[Milcah]]|Lot=[[Lot (biblical person)|Lot]]|Isc=[[Iscah]]}}
{{tree chart| | | |!| | | |!| | | | |,|-|-|^|.| | | |,|-|+|-|v|-|.| |}}
{{tree chart| | | |!| | | Ish | | | Sons| | Btl | | Dr1 |e| |f| Dr2 |Ish=''[[Ishmaelites]]''|Sons=7 sons<ref>{{Bibleverse|Genesis|22:21-22|niv}}: Uz, Buz, Kemuel, Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, and Jidlaph</ref>|Btl=[[Bethuel]]|Dr1=1st daughter|Dr2=2nd daughter}}
{{tree chart| | | |!| | |,|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|^|.| | |!| |!| |!| |!| |}}
{{tree chart| | Isc |y| Rbc | | | | | | | | | Lbn | | Mob | | Bmi | |Isc=[[Isaac]]|Rbc=[[Rebecca (biblical figure)|Rebecca]]|Lbn=[[Laban (Bible)|Laban]]|Mob=''[[Moab]]ites''|Bmi=''[[Ammon]]ites''}}
{{tree chart| | |,|-|^|-|.| | | | | | | |,|-|-|^|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|.| |}}
{{tree chart| | |!| | |Jacob|~|~|~|V|~|~|b|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|y| Rcl |Esau=Esau|Jacob=[[Jacob]]|Rcl=[[Rachel]]}}
{{tree chart| | |!| | | | | | | | |D|~|~|b|~|~|~|~|~|y|Blh  |!| | | | |Blh=[[Bilhah]]}}
{{tree chart| | |!| | | | | | | | |D|~|~|b|~|y|Zzp  |!| | | |!| | | | |Esau=[[Edomites]]|Zzp=[[Zilpah]]}}
{{tree chart| | |!| | | | | | | | |L|y| Leah|!| | | |!| | | |!| | | | |Leah=[[Leah]]}}
{{tree chart| | |!| | | | | | | | | |!| | | |!| | | |!| | | |!| | | | }}
{{tree chart| | |!| | | | | | | | | Leah| | Zlp | | Blh | | Rcl | | | |Leah=1. [[Reuben (son of Jacob)|Reuben]]<br>2. [[Simeon (son of Jacob)|Simeon]]<br>3. [[Levi]]<br>4. [[Judah (son of Jacob)|Judah]]<br>9. [[Issachar]]<br>10. [[Zebulun]]<br>11. [[Dinah]]|Zlp=7. [[Gad (son of Jacob)|Gad]]<br>8. [[Asher]]|Blh=5. [[Dan (son of Jacob)|Dan]]<br>6. [[Naphtali]]|Rcl=12. [[Joseph (Genesis)|Joseph]]<br>13. [[Benjamin]]}}
{{tree chart| | |!| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |}}
{{tree chart| | Esau|V|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|y| AD  | |Esau=Esau|AD=[[Adah (wife of Esau)|Adah]]}}
{{tree chart| | | | |D|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|y| AO  | | | | | |!| | | |AO=[[Aholibamah]]}}
{{tree chart| | | | |L|~|y|~| Bas | | |!| | | | | | | | |!| | | |Bas= [[Mahalath]]/ [[Basemath]]}}
{{tree chart| | | | | | |!| | | |,|-|-|^|v|-|-|-|.| | | |!| | | | |}}
{{tree chart| | | | | | RE  | | JE  | | JA  | |  CO | | EL  | | | |RE=Reuel|JE=[[Jeush son of Esau|Jeush]]|JA=[[Jaalam (son of Esau)|Jaalam]]|CO=[[Korah (son of Esau)|Korah]]|EL=[[Eliphaz]]}}
{{tree chart/end}}
{{chart bottom}}

== Other references ==

===Minor prophet references===
Esau was also known as [[Edom]], the progenitor of the Edomites who were established to the south of the Israelites. They were an ancient enemy nation of Israel.<ref>Peter Ackroyd, ''Exile and Restoration: A Study in Hebrew Thought of the Sixth Century B.C.'', 1968, p.&nbsp;224.</ref> The minor prophets, such as [[Obadiah]], claim that the Edomites participated in the destruction of [[Solomon's Temple]]  in the [[Siege of Jerusalem (587 BC)|siege of Jerusalem]] in 587 BCE. Exactly how the Edomites participated is not clear. [[Psalm 137]] ("By the waters of Babylon") suggests merely that Edom had encouraged the [[Babylonia]]ns: God is asked to "remember against the Edomites the day of Jerusalem, how they said 'raze it, raze it to its foundations'" in [[Psalm 137]]:7. However, the prophecy of Obadiah insists on the literal "violence done" by Esau "unto [his] brother Jacob" when the Edomites "entered the gate of my people..., looted his goods..., stood at the parting of the ways to cut off the fugitive,... delivered up his survivors on his day of distress".<ref>{{Bibleverse|Obadiah|10:13–14|JPS}}</ref>

By the [[intertestamental period]], Edom had replaced Babylon as the nation that burned the Temple ("Thou hast also vowed to build thy temple, which the Edomites burned when Judah was laid waste by the Chaldees"<ref>[http://www.ccel.org/study/1_Esdras_4 1 Esdras 4:45]</ref>).

===Jubilees===
[[file:Facial Chronicle - b.01, p.243 - Jacob kills Esau.jpg|thumb|Isaac kills Esau]]
In the [[Book of Jubilees]], Esau's father, Isaac, compels Esau to swear not to attack or kill Jacob after Isaac has died. However, after the death of Isaac, the sons of Esau convince their father to lead them and hire [[mercenaries]] against Jacob to kill Jacob and his family and seize their wealth (especially the portion of Isaac's wealth that Isaac had left to Jacob upon his death). "Then Ya'aqov bent his bow and sent forth the arrow and struck Esau, his brother on his right breast and slew him (Jubilees 38:2) . . . Ya'aqov buried his brother on the hill which is in Aduram, and he returned to his house (Jubilees 38:9b)."
<ref>"Verses Two & Nine." Cepher, 3rd ed., Cepher Publishing Group, LLC, 2017, pp. 255–256.</ref>

===New Testament references===
{{bibleverse||Hebrews|12:15–16|NIV}} depicts Esau as unspiritual for thoughtlessly throwing away his birthright. {{bibleverse||Romans|9:13}} states, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated," based upon {{bibleverse||Malachi|1:2-3}}.

===In Islamic tradition===

According to Islamic scholars, the prophet [[Job in Islam|Ayyub]] was the great-grandson of Esau's son [[Reuel]].<ref>[[Ibn Kathir]] states in ''[[Stories of the Prophets]]'': "Ibn Ishaaq stated that he was a man of Rum. His name was Job, son of Amwas/Amose, son of Zarih (Zerah), son of Razih/Rum (Reuel), son of Esau, son of Isaac, son of Abraham."</ref>

== Rabbinic Jewish sources ==
The [[Targum Pseudo-Jonathan]] connects the name Esau to the Hebrew ''asah'', stating, "because he was born fully completed, with hair of the head, beard, teeth, and molars."<ref name="Anderson, 35">{{Cite book | last = Anderson | first = Bradford A. | title = Brotherhood and Inheritance: A Canonical Reading of the Esau and Edom Traditions | publisher = T&T Clark International | date = 2011 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=766oAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA35 | isbn = 9780567368256 | page = 35 }}</ref> Other traditional sources connect the word with  {{langx|he|שָׁוְא|šāwʾ|worthless|link=no}}.<ref>Anderson, Bradford A. (2011). ''Brotherhood and Inheritance: A Canonical Reading of the Esau and Edom Traditions.'' T&T Clark International. p. 35. {{ISBN|9780567368256}}.</ref>

Jewish commentaries have a negative view of Esau because of his rivalry with Jacob and likewise viewed the apparent reconciliation between the brothers described in Genesis 32–33 as insincere on Esau's part. The [[midrash]] says that during Rebecca's pregnancy, whenever she would pass a house of [[Torah]] study, Jacob would struggle to come out; whenever she would pass a house of [[idolatry]], Esau would agitate to come out.<ref>[[Genesis Rabba|Bereshit Rabbah]] 63:6.</ref>

He is considered to be a rebellious son who kept a double life until he was fifteen when he sold his birthright to Jacob. According to the Talmud, the sale of the birthright took place immediately after Abraham died.<ref>[[Bava Batra]] 16b.</ref> The Talmudic dating would give both Esau and Jacob an age of fifteen at the time. The lentils Jacob was cooking were meant for his father Isaac because lentils are the traditional mourner's meal for Jews. On that day before returning, in a rage over the death of Abraham, Esau committed five sins; he raped a betrothed young woman, he committed murder ([[Nimrod]]), he denied God, he denied the resurrection of the dead, and he spurned his birthright.<ref>{{cite book |title=Bava Batra 16b:13 |url=https://www.sefaria.org/Bava_Batra.16b.13?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en}}</ref>

[[Haman]]'s lineage is given in the [[Targum Sheni]] as follows: "Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, son of Srach, son of Buza, son of Iphlotas, son of Dyosef, son of Dyosim, son of Prome, son of Ma'dei, son of Bla'akan, son of Intimros, son of Haridom, son of Sh'gar, son of Nigar, son of Farmashta, son of Vayezatha, (son of Agag, son of Sumkei,) son of [[Amalek]], son of the concubine of [[Eliphaz]], firstborn son of Esau".

According to Rashi, Isaac, when blessing Jacob in Esau's place, smelled the heavenly scent of Gan Eden (Paradise) when Jacob entered his room and, in contrast, perceived [[Gehenna]] opening beneath Esau when the latter entered the room, showing him that he had been deceived all along by Esau's show of piety.<ref>''Pirkei d'Rav Kahana'', quoted in Scherman, p. 139.</ref>

In Jewish folklore, the Roman emperor [[Titus]] was a descendant of Esau.<ref>[https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/953573/jewish/Tituss-Death.htm Titus death Chabad.org]</ref>

===Death===
According to the [[Babylonian Talmud]], Esau was killed by [[Hushim]], son of [[Dan (son of Jacob)|Dan]], son of [[Jacob]], because Esau obstructed the burial of Jacob into the [[cave of Machpelah]]. When Jacob was brought to be buried in the cave, Esau prevented the burial, claiming he had the right to be buried in the cave; after some negotiation [[Naphtali]] was sent to Egypt to retrieve the document stating Esau sold his part in the cave to Jacob. Hushim (who was hard of hearing) did not understand what was going on, and why his grandfather was not being buried, so he asked for an explanation; after being given one he became angry and said: "Is my grandfather to lie there in contempt until Naphtali returns from the land of Egypt?" He then took a club and killed Esau, and Esau's head rolled into the cave.<ref>[https://www.sefaria.org.il/Sotah.13a.7?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en Sotah 13a]</ref> This means that the head of Esau is also buried in the cave.

Jewish sources state that Esau sold his right to be buried in the cave. According to [[Shemot Rabbah]], Jacob gave all his possessions to acquire a tomb in the [[Cave of the Patriarchs]]. He put a large pile of gold and silver before Esau and asked, "My brother, do you prefer your portion of this cave, or all this gold and silver?"<ref>[[Shemot Rabbah]] 31:17</ref> Esau's selling to Jacob his right to be buried in the Cave of the Patriarchs is also recorded in ''Sefer HaYashar''.<ref>[[Sefer haYashar (midrash)|''Sefer Hayashar'']] Chapter 27 p. 77b</ref>

== Reputed grave on the West Bank ==
South of the Palestinian town of [[Sa'ir]] on the West Bank there is a tomb reputed to be that of Esau – ''El 'Ais'' in his Arab name.

The [[Palestine Exploration Fund|PEF]]'s [[PEF Survey of Palestine|''Survey of Western Palestine'']] (SWP) wrote: {{blockquote|The tomb is in a chamber 37 feet east and west by 20 feet north and south, with a [[Mihrab]] on the south wall. The tomb is 12 feet long, 3 1/2 feet broad, 5 feet high, covered with a dark green cloth and a canopy above. An [[ostrich egg]] is hung near. North of the chamber is a vaulted room of equal size, and to the east is an open court with a fig-tree, and a second [[cenotaph]] rudely plastered, said to be that of Esau's slave. Rock-cut tombs exist south-west of this place.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/surveyofwesternp03conduoft#page/379/mode/1up|title=The survey of western Palestine : memoirs of the topography, orography, hydrography, and archaeology|work=archive.org}}</ref>}}

The SWP stated this identification was false and that Esau's tomb was in the Biblical [[Mount Seir]].<ref>Conder and Kitchener, 1883, p. [https://archive.org/stream/surveyofwesternp03conduoft#page/309/mode/1up 309] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161020110927/https://archive.org/stream/surveyofwesternp03conduoft#page/309/mode/1up |date=October 20, 2016 }}</ref><ref>Conder, 1881, p. [https://archive.org/stream/quarterlystateme13pale#page/215/mode/1up 215] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160421042955/https://archive.org/stream/quarterlystateme13pale#page/215/mode/1up |date=April 21, 2016 }}–6 in PEFQS</ref><ref>Conder, 1889, p. [https://archive.org/stream/quarterlystateme21pale#page/123/mode/1up 123] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160403025047/https://archive.org/stream/quarterlystateme21pale#page/123/mode/1up |date=April 3, 2016 }}–4 in PEFQS</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed" class="center">
File:Holman esau going for venison.jpg|Esau Going for Venison (illustration from the 1890 Holman Bible)
File:Giotto di Bondone 080.jpg|Isaac upon Esau's Return (fresco circa 1292–1294 by [[Giotto di Bondone]])
File:Maitre Birth of Esau and Jacob (detail).jpg|Birth of Esau and Jacob (illumination circa 1475–1480 by François Maitre from [[Augustine of Hippo|Augustine's]] ''[[City of God (book)|La Cité de Dieu]]'', at the [[Museum Meermanno-Westreenianum]])
File:Master of Jean de Mandeville The Birth of Esau and Jacob.jpg|The Birth of Esau and Jacob (illumination by Master of Jean de Mandeville, Paris, from a ''[[Bible Historiale]]'' c. 1360–1370)
File:Jan van den Hoecke - Jacob and Esau are reconciled.jpg|The reconciliation of Jacob and Esau (1640 painting by [[Jan van den Hoecke]])
File:Figures Esau Sells His Birthright for Pottage of Lentils.jpg|Esau Sells His Birthright (from the 1728 ''Figures de la Bible'')
</gallery>

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist|20em}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book
 |editor1-last=Metzger
 |editor1-first=Bruce M.
 |editor1-link=Bruce M. Metzger
 |editor2-last=Coogan
 |editor2-first=Michael D.
 |editor2-link=Michael Coogan
 |title=The Oxford Companion to the Bible
 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]
 |year=1993
 |location=Oxford, UK
 |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780195046458
 |isbn=978-0-19-504645-8
 |url-access=registration
 }}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/5846-esau Esau at the Jewish Encyclopedia]
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Esau|short=x}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Esau| ]]
[[Category:Edom]]
[[Category:Jacob]]
[[Category:Biblical twins]]
[[Category:Book of Genesis people]]
[[Category:Book of Malachi people]]
[[Category:Book of Obadiah people]]
[[Category:Nimrod]]
[[Category:Bigamists]]
[[Category:Mythological hunters]]
[[Category:Legendary progenitors]]
[[Category:Book of Jubilees]]