Posted on 03/15/2016 4:02:05 PM PDT by nickcarraway
The discovery of the oldest-known pre-Islamic Arabic writing in Saudi Arabia, from ca. 470 CE, evidently caused some consternation, given its Christian and Jewish context.
In 2014, researchers from a French-Saudi expedition studying rock inscriptions in southern Saudi Arabia announced they had discovered what could be the oldest texts written in the Arabic alphabet. But they did so very quietly, perhaps because the context of the texts is something of an embarrassment to some.
The dozen or so engravings had been carved into the soft sandstone of the mountain passes around Bir Hima – a site about 100 kilometers north of the city of Najran, which over millennia has been plastered with thousands of inscriptions by passing travelers and officials. Conveniently, at least two of the early Arabic petroglyphs that were discovered cited dates in an ancient calendar, and expert epigraphists quickly calculated that the oldest one corresponded to the year 469 or 470 CE.
The discovery was sensational: the earliest ancient inscriptions using this pre-Islamic stage of Arabic script had been dated at least half a century later, and had all been found in Syria, which had suggested that the alphabet used to write the Koran had been developed far from the birthplace of Islam and its prophet.
Yet the announcement of the discovery was subdued. A few outlets in the French and Arab media tersely summarized the news, hailing the text as the “missing link” between Arabic and the earlier alphabets used previously in the region, such as Nabatean. Most of the articles were accompanied by stock photos of archaeological sites or other ancient inscriptions: it is almost impossible to find a picture of the inscription online or a reference to the actual content of the text.
Thawban son of Malik, the Christian
(Excerpt) Read more at haaretz.com ...
Rioting to begin in 3, 2, 1, . . . .
Aww, man, I need to subscribe? Can you post another excerpt in the comments?
Pay per view ... too bad.
Next set of “peace” negotiations, the Isreali’s should demand a right of return that covers all of the Arabian Peninsula, going back at least two millennia.
well, the inscriptions from year 410 weren’t gonna be about Mohammed
(time for Israel to reclaim Arabia!)
Ah, the good ‘ol days...
Plug the title into google and you bypass ppv. I just did it.
The real strength of Islam is its ability to destroy any evidence that contradicts it.
Notice how they claim Jefferson as revering Islam while the truth is he thought it ridiculous and absurd. Islam changes history.
I know this is Ha'aretz but ...
Nope.
Not really surprising. There were Jewish tribes, along with Christians. The Ghassanids and Lakhmids were both kingdoms that were proxies for Rome and Iran respectively.
Unless you buy into Muslim propaganda that Arab civilization was next to nonexistent before Islam. Highly doubt the Romans could have a client state whose elite weren’t even literate.
Ethiopia was originally a Jewish kingdom as well. That’s why one of Haile Selassie’s titles was the “Lion of Judah” and the royal house of Ethiopia claimed descent from King David (through his liaison with the Queen of Sheba). (And why Rastafarians believe he (also known as Prince Ras Tafari before he became Emperor) was the Messiah.)
Now I can use CE. BCE is Before Christian Era.
Jews were very successful residents, and in considerable numbers too, in what we now call Arabia. Mohammed killed them all or forced them to leave, using outright lies (about truces, promises they could remain, etc.) and tactics (instructing his warriors to ‘kill every Jewish person’ they could find, etc....)......... that definitely prove he was guided by anybody but God
Jews communities in that region that were especially well known included Medina (then Yathrib), Teya, Khaybar (the one in Arabia, tho the Jews were also living in Afghanistan), and of course Yemen.
Mohammed and his followers were vicious lying aggressors and they took over (killing thousands and thousands of innocent people) the entire peninsula and then as we all know a major part of the world. Their expansion continues now as they invade to take over Europe and America, also in Africa further south... and more.
But yes, the first Moslem conquests were in Arabia
We’re everywhere.
Ok, so Israel trades “Palestine” for Saudia Arabia, and everything’s fair and square.
Wild exaggeration. There were a couple of Jewish tribes that carved out a little geography like other desert tribes carved out theirs. It was but a tiny fraction of what is now called Saudi Arabia.
I'm with you on that statement.
Before I actually got into studying what Islam was about I did some research on that Area we now call Saudi Arabia, before Islam.
It was a miserable part of the world and no one really controlled it, or wanted to.
There were no Govts or laws, it was an Idol worshiping tribal society and had some one God worshipers mixed in like Jews and Christians. I was a lawless place and you had to depend on your tribe for protection, and make deals with other tribes so you could travel on the caravan routes without being attacked.
The Kabah in Mecca was there many centuries before Islam, and it is where the Arabian tribes went to honor their 360 Gods of the various tribes, plus the Jews and Christians were also welcome there.
In the tribes you could have as many wives as you wanted.
Muhammad limited it to 4 for the Muslims.
When the Muslims took over Mecca around 630 they kicked everyone except Muslims from visiting the Kabah. And it is that way today.
To me, implying some outside group like Romans , Greeks or Jews had control over that Arabian area doesn't wash. -Tom
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