Interesting Facts

• Aholibamah (also referred to as Ahlibamah) was taken as a wife by Esau in addition to his other wives.
• She is identified as the daughter of Anah the Hivite, who was the son of Zebeon. This makes her lineage connected to the Hivites, a Canaanite people.
• Aholibamah was the mother of three of Esau’s sons: Jeush, Jaalam, and Korah, born in the land of Canaan.
• Her brother, Anah the son of Zebeon, married Esau’s elder daughter Marzith. This establishes a close familial tie between Aholibamah’s immediate family and Esau’s offspring.
• The text indicates that Esau intermarried with the Horites and gave his daughters to the sons of Seir the Horite, and Aholibamah’s Hivite lineage is part of this pattern of Esau forming alliances through marriage.

Genealogy

• Husband: Esau.
• Father: Anah, the son of Zebeon the Hivite. (Note: While Genesis 36:25 and Jasher 36:36 state she was the daughter of Anah the son of Seir, Genesis 36:2, 5, 14, 18 and Jasher 30:24, 25, 36:22 consistently identify her father as Anah the son of Zibeon. Furthermore, Jasher 30:29 clarifies that Esau gave his daughter Marzith to Anah, the son of Zebeon, who is Aholibamah’s brother. Therefore, the identification of her father as Anah son of Zibeon is more consistently supported.)
• Grandfather (Paternal): Zebeon the Hivite.
• Brother: Anah, husband of Marzith (Esau’s daughter with Jehudith).
• Sons: Jeush, Jaalam, and Korah.
• Mother: Not explicitly named in the provided sources.

Historical Context

Aholibamah lived during a time when Esau was establishing his family and possessions in the land of Canaan before eventually relocating to the land of Seir (Edom) due to increasing abundance and potential conflict with the local inhabitants. Esau’s marriages, including his union with Aholibamah the Hivite, reflect a practice of forming alliances and integrating with the indigenous populations of the regions where he settled. The intermarriage between Esau’s children (Marzith marrying Aholibamah’s brother Anah) further solidifies these familial and potentially political connections within the extended family and with the Hivite community. This period occurred while Jacob, Esau’s brother, was in Haran, and these familial developments in Canaan and Seir took place independently of Jacob’s immediate narrative until his eventual return.

Narrative

Aholibamah’s narrative presence in the provided sources is primarily through her role as one of Esau’s wives and the mother of three of his sons. Her marriage to Esau is noted as occurring after he had already taken other wives, including Jehudith. The text highlights her Hivite lineage through her father, Anah the son of Zebeon, underscoring Esau’s practice of marrying women from the local Canaanite and Horite populations. A significant aspect of her story is the familial link created when Esau gave his daughter Marzith, from his marriage to Jehudith, to Aholibamah’s brother Anah in marriage. This intermarriage within Esau’s household and Aholibamah’s family indicates a level of integration and alliance-building. While the sources detail Esau’s hunts in Seir and his eventual interactions with his brother Jacob upon Jacob’s return, Aholibamah’s direct actions or dialogues are not explicitly mentioned. Her significance lies in her genealogical role as a wife of Esau and the mother of his descendants, contributing to the formation of the Edomite lineage through intermarriage with the Hivites.