Dedanim

Dedanim (meaning the descendants of Dedan) were the inhabitants or descendants of the Arabian tribe of Dedan (see Dedan). The name appears in Isaiah 21:13 in an oracle concerning Arabia, where the Dedanim caravans are depicted as encamped in the forest of Arabia, urged to bring water and bread to the weary fugitives of Tema. The passage envisions a military disaster overtaking these Arabian trading peoples, described as carrying drawn swords. The Dedanim are thus portrayed as a people of commercial importance along the ancient Arabian trade routes who will be disrupted by coming political upheaval.