Alvan

Alvan, also spelled Alian in 1 Chronicles 1:40, was a Horite chief, a son of Shobal son of Seir, listed among the indigenous pre-Edomite inhabitants of the land of Seir (Genesis 36:23). The Horites were gradually displaced or absorbed by the descendants of Esau who settled the same region (Deuteronomy 2:12, 22). Alvan represents the older population of the Seir highlands, and his genealogical listing alongside the Edomite chiefs in Genesis 36 reflects the biblical interest in preserving the memory of the pre-Israelite inhabitants of the region. He appears in no narrative episode.