Esau Esau in English (Esav in Hebrew) is the son of Isaac and Rebekah and the older twin brother of Jacob in the biblical Book of Genesis. The root of the name in Hebrew is derived from the word asuy denoting "completion", made and complete, since Esau was born hairy and very strong, being "completed" and not infantile. Esau is also known as Edom in the Hebrew Bible. According to the Torah, Esau's brother Jacob tricked him into giving up his birthright for a "mess of pottage", that is, a meal of lentils (Genesis 25:29-34). From this, "Esau" metaphorically stands for anyone who is tricked into a worthless bargain. According to all midrash, Esau is a very significant character in world history, in so much as Jacob is considered to be the creator of the Children of Israel, it is Esau who is regarded as the forefather of Rome and the Roman Empire. The struggle between the Roman Empire and the Jews stemming from the land of Judah has alternated between co-operation and outright hate and warfare. The argument is proposed that Esau was born with red coloring in his hair and body, and the ancient rabbis have connected this with the red banner and standard favored by Rome's legions. Esau has also been called Edom, which is also the name of the land where his descendents settled (Gen 36:16). The Book of Genesis connects this name with the red stew for which Esau exchanged his birthright (Gen 25:27-34). Edom means 'red'. The Biblical narrative describes Jacob and Esau in the womb of their mother Rebekah as being locked in constant struglle and combat. The narrative continues that she could not bear the pain of her pregnancy, yet is told by God that she will give birth to two nations who will always be locked in symbiotic combat each one trying to overpower the other. Later Jacob is described as a dweller of tents and Esau is wild hunter. After Jacob deprives Esau of Isaac's blessings, Esau is nevertheless given a fitting blessing that he will "live by the sword". This is another sign of Rome, famous for her unique sword made of steel that smashed its way to world hegemony and on the way massacred the descendents of Jacob/Israel. The struggle remains unresolved through the ages. Most Popular Articles: Music    Musical Instruments    Guitar    Classical Music    History    Music Definition    Country Music    Rock Music    Pop Music    Hip Hop    Rap    DJ    Video Games    Casino Games    Poker    Blackjack    Casinos    Real Estate    Loan    Auction    eBay    Marketing    Search Engine Optimization    File Sharing    MP3    Music Industry    Kazaa    Internet    Supermodel    Fashion    Fashion Designers    Erotica    Modeling    Clothing    Boots    Shoes    Diamond Engagement Rings    Diamond    Rugs    Gospel Music    Affiliate    E-Commerce    Radio This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License at http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html You may copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license. You must provide a link to http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html To view or edit this article at Wikipedia go to http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esau