The Northern Ḥeǧâz/Appendix 7
APPENDIX VII
MOUNT IRAM AND THE ARABS OF THE BIBLE
Ptolemy, Geography, VI, 7: 27, refers to Aramaua, the first locality in Arabia Felix, not far from the Red Sea. It is identical with the Iram or Ârâm mountain range (now Ramm), which likewise formed the northern frontier of the Ḥeǧâz.
The poet Lebîd, Dîwân (al-Châlidi), p. 25, speaks of the tribes of Iram, ʻÂd and Ṯamûd, who vexed Allâh and were destroyed by him as a punishment. Lebîd saw their mummies in old graves, and he says of them that they had covered themselves up and were thus resting in the anterooms of the houses.
Abu Šâma, Rawḍatejn (Cairo, 1287—1288 A. H.), Vol. 2, p. 7, states that as long as the Crusaders had al-Kerak and aš-Šowbak in their power the Egyptian army, during the march of the pilgrims from Ajla to Mecca, encamped by Iram and in the vicinity.—The Egyptian army had to beat off the attacks made by the Crusaders on the pilgrims through the valleys of al-Jitm and al-Mabrak, through which the roads to the Pilgrim Route from Ajla to al-Medîna led past Mount Iram.
Jâḳût, Muʻǧam (Wüstenfeld), Vol. 1, p. 212, records that the Prophet Mohammed gave the Iram mountain range in fief to the clan of Ǧiʻâl of the Ǧuḏâm tribe and confirmed this for them in a document. According to Jâḳût, this high mountain range rises between Ajla and the desert of Tîh of the sons of Israel and forms a part of the mountains of the Ḥesma region in the territory of the Ǧuḏâm. The inhabitants of the wilderness stated that in Iram there were vineyards and pine trees.—
Jâḳût continually confuses the regions west of the Gulf of al-ʻAḳaba and the rift valley of al-ʻAraba with the regions situated to the east. He therefore locates the desert of Tîh to the east of Ajla. The vicinity of Iram can be cultivated, and both grapes and pine trees would flourish admirably there. It is thus possible that the Arabian nomads saw the remains of old vineyards and pine groves in that locality.
Al-Ḳazwîni, ʻAǧa’ib (Cairo, 1321 A. H.), Vol. 1, p. 224, states that the members of the ʻÂd tribe had their houses on the peak of Mount Gajš Iram in the territory of the Ṭajj tribe. It is said that statues wrought of stone are to be found there. The houses and the statues are weathered by wind-blown sand, by heat, and by frost; and many of them can be seen in the vicinity of Mount Iram. In the thirteenth century the great chiefs of the Ṭajj tribe held sway over all the smaller tribes and clans from the Dead Sea to the Red Sea.
In the vicinity of Mount Iram I locate the Biblical Gûr Baʻal, which belonged to the Arabs. Both the Assyrian monuments and the Bible use the word ʻArab, ʻArabi, to denote nomad.
In 2 Chronicles, 9: 14, it is recorded that all the kings of the Arabs brought Solomon gold and silver.—Gold and silver were conveyed only by the trade caravans, especially those arriving from southwestern Arabia, so that we should expect to find these kings of the Arabs to the south of Palestine and to the southeast of the harbor of Elath, which belonged to Solomon even after Edom was separated from his kingdom.
According to 2 Chronicles, 17: 11, the Arabs brought 7700 rams and 7700 goats to Joshaphat, king of Judea (873–849 B. C.). Joshaphat still held sway over the harbor of Elath and the trade route leading thence to the northwest and west. It is therefore probable that annual gifts were sent to him by the tribes passing along that route in the trade caravans. His son and successor Jehoram (849–842 B. C.) lost Elath and according to 2 Chronicles, 21: 16; 22: 1, had to fight against the Philistines and Arabs dwelling near the Kushites, who made inroads as far as Judea and plundered it.
The Edomites then gained possession of Elath (2 Chronicles, 21: 8—10), and the Arab tribes encamped on the peninsula of Sinai were certainly incited both by them and the Philistines against Judea. The Assyrian records also refer to kings of the Arabs on the peninsula of Sinai (Rawlinson, Cuneiform, Vol. 3, pl. 35, no. 4, rev., 1. 2; Winckler, Textbuch, p. 54.) The Arabs dwelling near the Kushites may be those who encamped on the Egyptian border in the western part of the Sinai peninsula; but according to the Biblical view they were also those who encamped with the tribes of southern Arabia near the transport route which runs from southwestern Arabia northward, with one branch leading to Syria and another to Egypt. This road was guarded by South Arabian garrisons. The Arabs are to be sought at the southeastern frontier of the Sinai peninsula in the vicinity of Elath.
This view is upheld by 2 Chronicles, 26: 7, according to which God helped Uzziah against the Philistines, against the Arabs dwelling in Gûr Baʻal, and against the Meʻûnites. Uzziah (779—740 B. C.) reconquered Elath and in consequence became involved in dispute with the Philistines and the Meʻûnites. The Philistines owned Gaza, a city to which the trade caravans from southwestern Arabia conveyed their goods. The transport routes to Gaza led from Elath and the oasis of Maʻân or Maʻôn. The term Meʻûnites denotes partly the inhabitants of the settlement of Maʻôn and partly also the garrisons dependent upon this settlement. The latter certainly extended as far as the harbor of Elath, to which an important branch road led from Maʻôn. As soon as Uzziah was in possession of Elath he had control over both roads to Gaza, and he necessarily endeavored, either in an amicable or a hostile manner, to gain the favor of the Meʻûnites and their allies the Arabs to the south and southwest of Maʻôn. I identify Gûr Baʻal with the northwestern corner of the territory of Ḥesma. Two old transport routes lead through it, and the whole region is covered with isolated mesas known as ḳûr (singular ḳâra).
The Bible also refers to the Arabs and consequently to the nomads on the northeast and east of Edom. Jeremiah, 25: 23 f., threatens destruction upon Dedan, Têma, Bûz, and all those with shaven heads; and in the following verse it is added that all the kings of Arabia and all the kings of the Arabs shall perish.
According to the context the kings of Arabia are the kings of the Arabian oases of Dajdân, Tejma, and Bûz, while the kings of the Arabs denote all the nomads with shaven heads. Even to the present day nearly all the nomads have their heads shaved and leave only a tuft, varying in size, at the crown.
After the Babylonian Captivity the Arabs encamped near the eastern border of Judea, for Nehemiah, 4: 1, relates that they, together with the Ammonites, prevented the Jews from completing the building of the walls of Jerusalem.
In Isaiah, 13: 20, it is noted that on the site of former Babylon not even an Arab (ʻarabi)—that is, a nomad satisfied with the worst kind of soil—will venture to encamp.
From the above-mentioned account in 2 Chronicles, 17: 11, as well as from Ezekiel, 27: 21, we learn that the Arabs used to breed sheep and goats, which they sold to the surrounding settlers. But according to Jeremiah, 3: 2, they also engaged in robbery, lying in wait by the roadside and watching for anyone whom they could attack and plunder.