ARABIA, one of the most considerable parts of Asia. Arabia lies to the South-East of Judæa, or the Country of the Hebrews. It is distinguished into three parts, Deserta, Petræa, and Arabia Felix. Arabia Deserta is to the East of the mountains of Gilead, between the Euphrates to the East, and the mountains of Gilead to the West. It comprehends the Itureans, the Eastern part of the Edomites, the Nabathæans, the people of Kedar, and others, who lead a wandring life, and have no cities, houses, or fixed habitations. This Country seems more generally to be described in Scripture under the word Arab, which signifies properly in Hebrew, the West, or people gathered together. They may have taken the name of Arabim, or Western, from their situation to the West of the Euphrates. In Eusebius, and the Authors of that time, and of the following ages, the Country and greatest part of the Cities beyond Jordan, and of what they call the third Palestine, are made parts of Arabia.
Arabia Petræa reaches to the South of the Holy Land; Petra is the Capital of it. This Country contains the Southern Edomites, the Amalekites, the Cushims, called Ethiopians by the interpreters of Scripture; and some other people, such as the Hivites, the Meonians, or Maonims. These people are at present known only under the general name of Arabians. But it is of consequence to take notice of the ancient inhabitants of these Cantons, as they are set down in the Text of Scripture. In this Country was Kades-barnea, Gerar, Beersheba, Lachish, Libnah, Paran, Arad, Hasmona, Oboth, Phunon, Dedan, Segor, &c. There, lastly, is Mount Sinai, where the Law was given to Moses.
Arabia Felix lay extended more towards the South. It was bounded to the East by the Persian Gulph; to the South by the Ocean, and to the West by the Dead Sea. As this part of Arabia did not immediately 1 Kings x. 1.border on the Holy Land, or the Country of the Hebrews, there is not so frequent mention of it in Scripture. We are of opinion that the Queen of Sheba, who came to visit Solomon, was Queen of part of Arabia Felix. This Country abounds with riches, and particularly in odoriferous spices.
2 Chron. xvii. 1. Ch. ix. 14. Ch. xxii. 1. Isai. xiii. 20.The Scripture mentions pretty frequently the Arabians as a powerful people, who valued themselves upon their wisdom. Their riches consisted principally in their flocks and their cattle. They paid King Jehoshaphat an annual tribute of seven thousand seven hundred sheep, and as many goats. The Kings of Arabia furnished Solomon with a great quantity of gold and silver. They loved war, but made it rather like thieves and plunderers, than soldiers under discipline, and accustomed to military exercises. Their abode was generally under tents; they lived at liberty in the field, concerned themselves little about cultivating the earth, and were not very obedient to their Kings. This is the idea which the Scripture gives us of them.
1 Chron. iv. 40,41. 2 Chron. xx. 21. Gen. xiv. 5. Deut. ii. 8,9, &c.The ancient inhabitants of Arabia, who dwelt there before Abraham came into the Land of Promise, were descended from Ham. We find the Midianites there, of the race of Cush, among whom Moses retired. Abimelech King of Gerar is known to have lived there in the time of Abraham; and the Amalekites in the time of Moses. The Hivites, the Amorites, Kenites, Meonians or Mahonians, extended themselves a good way into Arabia Petræa; the Horims in the Mountains which lie to the South of the land of Canaan, and to the East of the Dead Sea. The Rephaïms, Emims, Zuzims, and Zamzummims, inhabited the Country called afterwards Arabia Deserta, which was peopled by the Ammonites, Moabites and Edomites.
As to Arabia Petræa, and Arabia Felix, they were possessed by the descendants of Ishmael, who were more particularly known by the name of Arabians. See the Article ISHMAELITES.
Here follows the history of the first inhabitants of Arabia, as it is related by the Arabians themselves, together with an account of the manner wherein they are said to have settled there.
The first people of Arabia1, whom they call pure and unmix’d Arabians, descended from Cahtan, or Joktan, the Son of Eber, and Brother of Peleg; who after the division of languages came and inhabited this Peninsula of Asia, which may have derived its name from Jarab, the Son of Joktan, or from a wide plain in the Province of Tahamat, called Arabor.2 The second Arabians, who succeeded these first, are the descendants of Ishmael the Son of Abraham and Hagar, who came and settled among the ancient pure Arabians, and was the Father of the mix’d Arabians, or Mota- Arabes, or Mosta-Arabes, or Ishmaelites, very different from the modern Mosarabians, or Mostarabians, so called by the Spaniards, because they are Arabians blended with the nations which lie out of Arabia.
The pure and ancient Arabians were divided by Tribes, as well as the Sons of Ishmael; and some of these Tribes are still in being in Arabia, others are lost and extinct; whether they were exterminated for their sins by the particular wrath of God, or were consumed by intestine wars, which were very common in this country.
As to the Ishmaelites, they formed twelve Tribes, according to the number of the twelve Sons of Ishmael, viz. Nebajoth, 13,14,&c.Kedar, Abdiel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadar, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. But altho’ these people are very careful in their enquiries into, and preservation of their genealogy, yet they cannot trace it so high as Ishmael; they are obliged to stop at Adnan, one of his descendants; and the genealogy even of Mahomet rises no higher.
Ver. 1, 2, 3, &c.Besides the descendants of Ishmael, who peopled the greatest part of Arabia, it must be acknowledged likewise, that the Sons of Abraham and Keturah, of Lot and Esau, and some of Nahor’s, dwelt in the same country, and extirpated part of the old inhabitants.
The inhabitants of Arabia are divided into those who dwell in cities, and those who live in the open fields: the latter have their abode continually under tents, and in desart places; they are called Bedoui, or Arabi; they are much honester and more subtle than the Arabians who live in towns. The Arabians are farther divided into Gentiles and Mussulmen; the former preceded Mahomet, and are called among them Arabians in the days of ignorance; the others are those who have received the doctrine of the Unity of God, which was preached by Mahomet. These are called Mos-lemoun, or Mussulmen; that is to say, Believers; these are the people who conquered the greatest part of Asia and Africk, and several large Provinces even in Europe, and who founded the four great Monarchies of the Turks, and Persians, of Morocco, and Mogul; without taking notice of several Provinces possessed by them in the Indies.
Arabia, as we have already observed, is divided into three principal parts, viz. Teman, which we call Arabia the Happy; the Provinces of Tahamah and Temanah, are as it were in the center of the country. Arabia the Desart is called Hegiaz, and is become the most celebrated of all, by reason of the Cities of Mecca and Medina, which are situated in it. Arabia the stony goes at present by the name of Hagar, or Hagiar; which signifies Stone, and the Capital of this Country is so called. But Arabia Deserta, in the account of the Ancients, extended much farther towards Syria and Euphrates.
Joktan the Son of Eber having settled in Teman, erected a Kingdom there, whereof he was himself the first Monarch3. His Son Jarab succeeded him, who introduced the Arabian language, which borrowed its name from him, as did in like manner the whole Country. The third King of Arabia Felix was Jaschab; and the fourth Abdalscham, he was sirnamed Sobas, and from him the old Sabæans derived their name. His descendants reigned in Teman above two thousand years before the original of Mahometanism.
The Arabians in general are a cunning, witty, generous, and ingenious people; excessive lovers of Eloquence and Poetry; but then they are superstitious, vindictive, and sanguinary, and make no scruple of robbing, which they think allowable, because Abraham the Father of Ishmael gave his Gen. xxv. 5, 6.Son nothing.
The old Aarabians were all idolaters: they worshiped a Stone, says Clemens Alexandrinus4. Maximus Tyrius, and the modern Arabians, accuse them of the same superstition. The black Stone which was the object of their worship is still to be seen in the Porch of the Temple of Mecca. Herodotus5 says they were acquainted only with two Deities, viz. Bacchus, and Venus the Celestial. Bacchus, or Dionysius, they called Urostalt; and Venus, Alilat, or Alilatta. Strabo6 tells us, that they adored none but Jupiter and Bacchus: which Alexander the Great being informed of, resolved to subdue them, that he might oblige them to worship him as their third Deity.
The modern Arabians, who are descended from Ishmael, acquaint us with some names of the old Deities adored by these ancient people of Arabia; for example, Lakiah, whom they invoked for rain; Hafedah, to whom they had recourse for preservation from bad accidents in their journeys; and Razora, of whom they desired the necessaries of life. They likewise worshiped Lath, or Ablat, which is a diminitive of Abla, the true name of God; Aza, or Uza, derived from Aziz, which signifies the Mighty God. Menat, derived from Menan, distributer of fa vours. It is very probable that they adored likewise the two golden Antelopes, whereof there is such frequent mention in their histories, and which were offered at the Temple of Mecca. The ancient Midianites, among whom Moses retired, and was received by Jethro, worshipped Abda and Hinda7. Finally Urotalt, mentioned by Herodotus, denotes probably the Sun, and Alitat the Moon. The first of these words may signify the God of light; the second the God, or Goddess without any addition: the Goddess in the way of eminence. See farther what we have said above in the article Abraham.
Since the Gospel was first preached, many of the Arabians have embraced Christianity: we know of some Bishops and Martyrs, who were of Arabia; and in Origen’s time a Council was held there against certain hereticks. The Mahometans themselves acknowledge8, that before Mahomet there were three tribes in the country which professed Christianity viz. those of Thanouk, Babera and Naclab. That of Thanouk having had some difference with their neighbours upon the subject of Religion, retired to the province of Baharain upon the Persian Gulf, and there settled.
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