John Hyrcanus

 

From Encyclopedia  Judaica Jerusalem, Volume 6, page 379, edited by Cecil Roth, Library of Congress Control No. 72177492, call number DS102.8 .E496, we learn about how the JEWS converted the EDOMITES [the eternal enemies of us Israelites], to “Judaism” [a conversion for which the Israelite Paul apologized profusely to his fellow Israelites]:

“In the Bible Edom is described as the eternal enemy of Israel (and Judah, Amos 1:11; Ezek. 35:5) who not only always oppressed Israel, but at the time of the destruction of the First Temple took advantage of the situation and seized control of parts of Judah (Ezek. 25:12, 35:5, 10;2: Obad. 11:16) and it is hinted that Edom also took part in the destruction of Jerusalem (Ps. 137:7, Obad. 11) and even in that of the Temple itself (Obad. 16).  In consequence, during the Second Temple period there spread a belief that it was actually the Edomites who burned the First Temple (1 Esdras 4:45; Ethiopian Enoch 89:660, and also interfered with the building of the Second Temple 9ibid. 720.  Hence the intense enmity toward Edom which grew stronger in the course of time (Ecclus. 50:25), until the conquest of Edom and its conversion to Judaism in the time of John Hyrcanus, a conquest which is the background to the descriptions of the wars of Jacob and his sons with Esau and his sons in the Book of jubilees 937 38) and in the Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs (Judah 9).  Edom is even compared to a black boar (1 En. 89:12, 42, 43, 49, 66; Jub. 37:20, 24) …”

 

 

Also from Encyclopedia  Judaica Jerusalem, in Volume 8, page 1147,  we learn even more about how the Edomites  “FROM THIS TIME [ ] BECAME AN INSEPARABLE PART OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE”, casually mentioning that it was jew Hyrcanus who destroyed the historic capitol of the House of Israel:

 

“Hyrcanus achieved the complete independence of Judea and undertook extensive conquests throughout the whole of the land of Israel.  At first he turned to the center of the country, seizing Shechem and later destroying the Samaritan temple on Mt. Gerizim.  Later he conquered Idumea (Edom) and compelled its inhabitants to adopt Judaism.  FROM THIS TIME THE IDUMEANS BECAME AN INSEPARABLE PART OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE [emphasis added].”