Jews living in a Christian environment tended to attribute to Esau the cultural characteristic of their neighbors. For example, in Yiddish folksongs Esau is often depicted as an immoderate consumer of alcoholic drinks, which has no Biblical basis but is could have been drawn from a widespread practice in Slavic societies (which most Jews in the same countries conspicuously did not participate, at least until well into the Twentieth Century).

Early on, the [[Edomites]] or [[Idumeans]], descendants of Esau, peopled the country of Arabia Petrea. Their capital was Mount Seir, whence they expelled the aboriginal [[Pathrusite Nation|Horites]], and succeeded to their possessions.