Teman (Edom)
Edomite clan and an ancient biblical town of Arabia Petraea
Teman (Biblical Hebrew: תֵּימָן, romanized: Tēmān, lit. 'South') was the name of an Edomite clan and of its eponym, according to the Hebrew Bible in Genesis 36:11–43. The term means "south" and was later applied to Yemen due to its location at the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, so Yemenite Jews are called Temanim in Modern Hebrew. The Arabic name Yaman is from the same Semitic root.
In Genesis 36:15, Teman is a son of Eliphaz, Esau's eldest son. Job's friend Eliphaz is descended from Teman in Job 2:11.
In Kuntillet Ajrud inscription
The Kuntillet Ajrud inscriptions in the Sinai Peninsula, dated to the 9th century BCE, use Tēmān as a place name.
It is unclear if "his asherah" refers directly to Asherah, the consort of Yahweh, or to the ritual items known as asherah poles. An image on Pithos A from the site shows a couple interpreted as Yahweh and Asherah with a female aurochs and calf on one side and a scribe on the other.
Location
In Late Roman period
Eusebius' Onomasticon knows a district in the Gebalene region called Theman, and also a town with the same name, occupied by a Roman garrison, 15 miles from Petra. Unfortunately no indication of direction is given.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Teman (Edom)” is edomite clan and an ancient biblical town of Arabia Petraea. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Teman, Edom and Edomite, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “edomite clan and an ancient biblical town of Arabia Petraea” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Apr 17, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1546303. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Teman (Edom)”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Teman (Edom) primary sources, Teman (Edom) archive and Teman research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Teman (Edom)”?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Teman (Edom)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.