Arts and Cultures
Dr Archana Verma
Image Source - The Eagle on the head of the Goddess is regarded as a symbol of Qos
Edom was the land south of Israel, populated by Edomites, who claimed descent from Esau, the elder grandson of Abraham. They worshipped many deities, who were under the rulership of Qos. The characteristics of Qos were very similar to that of Yahweh, the God of Israelites. He was known as the King, the ruler, the mighty one, who gives and blesses to his followers and avenges those who disobey him.
He was associated with rain, thunder and storm and also with mountains. His name meant the "bow." Gradually, he came to be identified with Quzah of ancient Arabia, who was an archer god worshipped as a god of thunder and storm.
Scholars have suggested that originally, Qos and Yahweh were either identical or closely related to each other. Edomites worshipped both. Gradually, Qos became the supreme god of Edom. The Hebrew Bible never mentions both together.
The Biblical injunction to worship only the God of Abraham and not other deities shows an attempt to marginalise these other supreme deities worshipped in Canaan and Mesopotamia.
The Nabataean language inscriptions talk about Qos seated on a throne holding thunder in his hand and flanked by bulls.