Today in History: The Battle of Tours 10/10/732 [Charles Martel C in C]

The Battle of Tours (October 10, 732), often called Battle of Poitiers and also called in Arabic بلاط الشهداء (Balâṭ al-Shuhadâ’) The Court of Martyrs was fought near the city of Tours, France, by Frankish forces under Austrasian Mayor of the Palace Charles Martel and a massive invading Muslim army led by Emir ‘Abd-al-Raḥmān al-Ghāfiqī, Governor-general of al-Andalus. The Franks defeated the Umayyad Caliphate army and Emir ‘Abd-al-Raḥmân was killed.

Charles earned the nickname Martel ("The Hammer") for the merciless way he hammered his opponents during this victory, and went on to repulse later Muslim invasions, driving Muslim forces back to the port of Narbonne. Edward Gibbon said of the Muslim invasions and Charles Martel "in the public danger, he was summoned by the voice of his country."

The battle followed twenty years of Muslim conquests in Europe, beginning with the invasion of the Visigoth Christian Kingdoms of the Iberian peninsula in 711 and progressing into the Frankish territories of Gaul, former provinces of the Roman Empire.

Muslim military campaigns had reached northward into Aquitaine and Burgundy, including a major battle at Bordeaux and a raid on Autun.

Martel's victory is believed by many historians to have stopped the northward advance of Muslims from the Iberian peninsula, and is therefore also considered of macrohistorical importance in that it halted the Muslim conquests and preserved Christianity as the controlling faith in Europe during a period when Muslim rule was overrunning the remains of the old Roman and Persian Empires.

Despite the great importance of this battle, its exact location remains unknown. Surviving contemporary sources, both Western and Muslim, agree on certain details while disputing others. Most historians assume that the two armies met where the rivers Clain and Vienne join between Tours and Poitiers.

Varied estimates of the Frankish army defending Gaul suggest Martel commanded between 15,000 and 75,000 infantry in the first western standing army since the fall of Rome. They had been trained to fight in phalanxes in order to face the dreaded Muslim heavy cavalry.

Between 60,000 and 400,000 men, mostly Berber lighthorse cavalry supplemented by Muslim heavy cavalry were under Abd er Rahman, often fractured into raiding parties to plunder various Frankish centers. According to Arab accounts, in the six days before the battle, Abd er Rahman recalled his forces so they were all present for the battle.

By both western and Arab historical accounts, the Muslim forces probably outnumbered the Franks significantly at the onset of the Battle, but how far is unknown. Losses during the battle are unknown; according to St. Denis Martel's force lost about 1,500,; which was probably greatly understated; the Muslim force reportedly suffered massive casualties, including the loss of their commander Abd er Rahman.

Yep. But it goes back much further than that. Remember Amalek? Saul, first King of Israel helped drive the Amu, (an ignoble race that came from the East) out of Egypt...and regretfully, left some of them alive.

http://www.specialtyinterests.net/hyksos.html

The Amalekites lived in southern Palestine after escaping the calamities in Arabia.
Number 13:29

"The Amalekites live in the Negev (dwell in the land of the south)." NIV & KJ Translations. Even if the land of the south is usually Egypt in the scriptures, they had unhindered access to the Negev.

When they learned of the Israelites leaving Egypt they moved toward them to rob them of their possessions but could not overcome the Israelites at Mt. Sinai.

Numbers 14:43; Exodus 17:8-16; "The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephedim." From years later we read this information: "Since the Amalekites and Canaanites are living in the valleys, turn back tomorrow and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea." Numbers 14; 25, 43; 45.

03. They were cruel invaders.
Flinders Petrie, "Hyksos and Israelite Cities", p.12.
[UCR Rivera Library DT73.H9P48] 03. The Amalekites committed atrocities.

When you were weary and worn ... they cut off all who were lagging behind ..." Deuteronomy 25:17-19.

04. They were destructive people.
"..., they afterwards burnt down our cities, and demolished the temples of the gods, and used all the inhabitants after a most barbarous manner...." Manethos in Josephus Ibid; Also see the Speos Artemidos Inscription.

Restoration of the Desolation of the Hyksos
"... I have restored that which was in ruins, I have raised up that which was unfinished since the Asiatics ('mw) were in the midst of Avaris of the Northland, and the barbarians were in the midst of them, overthrowing, that which was made, while they ruled in ignorance of Re. ... I removed the abomination of the great god, [I] captured the land of their sandals. ..." [Breasted, `Records', Vol. II, `Speos Artemidos', Sec. 303]

05. They were a contemptuous people.
Sallier Papyrus I; Papyrus Ipuwer 17:2;

"So when they had gotten those that governed us under their power, they afterwards burned down our cities, and demolished the temples of the gods, and used all the inhabitants after a most barbarous manner: ney, some they slew, and led their children and their wives into slavery." [Manetho in Josephus, AA, Bk. I, Sec. 14]

06. They enslaved and taxed the native Egyptian population.

Papyrus Ipuwer; Papyrus Ermitage; Manetho-Josephus. 06. They stole women and children.
Numbers 14:3

07. a)
b) They were from Asia.
(In those days Asia meant the whole Middle Eastern area.)

Manetho in Josephus, Ibid; Papyrus Ipuwer 14:10;
They were herdsmen.

Manetho in Josephus, Ibid. 07. They were of hamitic descent.
Encyclopedia of Islam.

They were herdsmen.
Judges 6:3,33; 7:12; 1.Samuel 15:9,14

08. They were skilled with bow and arrow.
Papyrus Ipuwer 14:10; 15:3; Carnarvon Tablet. 08. They destroyed Egypt.
Macoudi, Ibid.

09. They ruled as Pharaohs.
Scarabs of Hyksos kings; Sallier Papyrus I; Manetho in Josephus; Breasted, `A History of Ancient Egypt', p.218.
The name of the first and last king was Apop.

"The prince of the southern city remained silent and wept a long time, and he did not know how to return answer to the messenger of king Apophis [Apop]."Papyrus Sallier I; "... Would that I might bring their beauty before thy face. Verily it is greater than [that of] any office." Papyrus Sallier II.

See also Flinders Petrie, `A History of Egypt', p. 243. 09. The name of the first and last king was Agog.
"Their (Israel's) king will be greater than Agog ..." Numbers 24:7; " ... but Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle ..." 1.Samuel 15:8.

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The Hyksos were the Amu were the Amalekites were ARABS!

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