Becky Golden, age 11, of Fargo, N.D., for her question:

WAS THERE A COUNTRY NAMED EDOM?

Edom was an ancient country that is mentioned in the Old Testament. It was located between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba, where the border between Israel and Jordan now runs.

Prosperity was with Edom between 1200 and the 700s B.C. The country's rich copper and iron mines contributed to the splendor of the Kingdom of Israel, which reached its peak under Solomon.

Moses was refused permission to enter Edom on his journey to the promised land.

Edom's prosperity started to decline in the 700s B.C. During the next 200 years, Judah, Assyria and Babylonia ruled Edom. Many Edomites fled to southern Judah during the Persian invasion of the 500s and the 400s B.C. They helped establish a territory there known as Idumea.

The Hasmonean dynasty conquered the Idumeans in the 100s B.C. and converted them to Judaism.