Mount Seir was a mountainous area north of the Gulf of Aqaba, east of the Arabah and the Dead Sea (see study note on 1:1).
The Horites first settled there (Genesis 14:6). Many scholars now identify the Horites with the Hurrians. Ancient texts describe the Hurrians as traveling traders and explorers. They lived in many parts of the ancient Near East.
Over time, the descendants of Esau replaced the Horites in Mount Seir (Deuteronomy 2:22). The region was called Edom (meaning “red”), possibly because of the area's rose-red stone.