are possibly the smoothly cut rocky walls of the separate graves, upon which here and there the remains of Nabataean inscriptions are visible. It is perhaps possible, however, that at the time of Ḥaǧǧi Ḫalfa there were actually exhibited at Madian stone slabs with ancient inscriptions covering the separate tombs. The present natives have no knowledge of such slabs and are not aware of any place which contained stones and inscriptions.
The halting place of al-Bedʻ is called Moṛâjer Šuʻejb, because the Prophet Šuʻejb is said to have lived there in caves, in one of which he worshiped God upon a large, flat stone. Somebody who had been there explained to ʻAbdalṛani that he noticed a pleasant fragrance, which led him to a cave where he found a coffin with a corpse swathed in linen. The corpse emitted a pleasant odor and radiated a luster which aroused reverence (ʻAbdalṛani an-Nâbulusi [1698], Ḥaḳîḳa, Codex Vindobonensis, No. 1269 [Mxt. 712], Vol. 2, fol. 12 v.).
THE TRIBE OF MADIAN
In the environs of the oasis of al-Bedʻ I locate the settlements of the tribe of Madian. According to the Bible the Madianites belonged to the descendants of Abraham by Keturah. Reference to these descendants is also made in the Assyrian records, but there are not enough particulars given in these records to enable us precisely to fix the limits of the area they occupied in the south and east. The Assyrian and Biblical records place their camps and settlements to the south and southwest of Maʻôn (Maʻân) as well as to the east and southeast of the Gulf of al-ʻAḳaba. The southernmost of their settlements hitherto known was the oasis of Dedan, or the modern al-ʻEla’. Their main group, those known as Madianites, were encamped in the region of Ḥesma and in the neighboring territories; that is to say, where the classical writers also located the Madianites.
There is an interesting remark in Genesis, 25: 6, that the descendants of Abraham by Keturah during Abraham’s lifetime went “eastward into the land of Ḳedem (eastern land).” As Abraha and Isaac dwelt in southern Palestine and in the northern part of the Sinai peninsula, the descendants in question left the Sinai peninsula and went “eastward into the eastern land.” This phrase is still used by the present-day camel breeders. Among the Bedouins šerḳ denotes the interior of the desert as well as the east. If at the end of August they leave the border of the inhabited territory, “they go eastward into the eastern land, šarraḳaw,” irrespective of the direction they take. If the Rwala go “eastward into the eastern land,” they usually proceed in a southerly or southeasterly direction; while the ʻAmârât, camping westward of Babylon, go “eastward into the eastern land” but in reality make their way to the west. Similarly the Hebrew ḳedem must not always be translated by the word “east,” because it frequently denotes also the interior of the desert. Thus the meaning of Genesis, 25: 6, is that the descendants of Abraham by Keturah left the Sinai peninsula and proceeded into the interior of the desert, ḳedem. We cannot seek their camps and settlements west of the rift valley of al-ʻAraba.
The Bible refers to Madianites in two regions completely separated and at some distance from each other. The first one may be defined fairly closely. It is situated to the east and northeast of the Dead Sea.