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History of Jews in Saudi Arabia

The history of Judaism in Saudi Arabia can be traced back at Classical antiquity.

Jews and Judaism in pre-Islamic Arabia

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By the 7th century, there was a considerable amounts of Jews in the Hijaz (Hejaz) and Yemen due to the embrace of Judahite culture (Judaism) by the Himyarite Kingdom in the 4th century. The Yemen lost its Judeanness (Judaism) after Dhu Nawas instigated a murder of the Christian community of Najran.

According to Al Masudi, the Northern Hejaz (Hijaz) was a satellite state of Judah the Israelite kingdom[1] and according to Al Bustani, the Judahites of the Hejaz (Hijaz) established a sovereign state.[2] German orientalist Fernidand Wustenfeld believed that the Judahites established a state in the Northern Hejaz (Hijaz).[3]

Jewish clans of Arabia:

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Tribes of Medina:

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There were three main Judaean sub-clans in Medina in Pre-Islamic times: Banu Nadir, Banu Qainuqa and Banu Quraitha.

The Banu Nadir were hostile to Muhammad. They joined the Meccan army against the Islamic army but were lost. Other Judaean sub-tribes lived relatively peacefully under Islamic rule such as the Banu Qaynuqa and Banu Quraitha in northern Arabia (north western Arabia) in Medina until the 7th century. The men were executed and the women and children were enslaved after they betrayed the pact they made with the Muslims[4] after the Siege of Banu Quraitha.

Other Judeo-Arab clans:

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The Journey of Benjamin of Tuleda

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A historical journey to visit far-flung Jewish communities was undertaken by Rabbi Benjamin of Tudela from 1165 to 1173 that crossed and tracked some of the areas that are located in modern Saudi Arabia. One map of his travels shows that he stopped at the partial Judahite communities in Tayma and Khaybar two places that are known to have a longer significant historic Jewish presence in them, the Battle of Khaybar was fought between Muhammad and his followers against the centuries-long established Judaean community of Khaybar in 629. Tudela's trek began as a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.[5] He may have hoped to settle there, but there is controversy about the reasons for his travels. It has been suggested he may have had a commercial motive as well as a religious one. On the other hand, he may have intended to catalogue the Jewish communities on the route to Palestina so as to provide a guide to where hospitality may have been found for the Jews travelling to the Holy Land.[6] He took the long road stopping frequently, meeting people, visiting places, describing occupations and giving a demographic count of Jews in every town and country.

References:

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  1. ↑ "Kitāb al-ʿibar wa-dīwān al-mubtadaʾ wa-l-khabar fī ayyām al-ʿArab wa-l-ʿajam wa-l-Barbar wa-man ʿāṣarahum min dhawī l-ṣulṭān al-akbar". Christian-Muslim Relations 600 - 1500. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
  2. ↑ "Butrus al-Bustani", The Emergence of the Arab Movements, Routledge, pp. 19–21, 2013-02-01, ISBN 978-0-203-04372-1
  3. ↑ Sidik, Mohd Akmal; Berahim @ Ibrahim, Ahmad Zaki (2013-06-30). "Metodologi al-Sakhawi dalam Penulisan Kitab al-Tuhfat al-Latifah fi Tarikh al-Madinah al-Syarifah". Journal of Al-Tamaddun. 8 (1): 133–146. doi:10.22452/jat.vol8no1.9. ISSN 1823-7517.
  4. ↑ Ansary, Mir Tamim (2009). Destiny disrupted : a history of the world through Islamic eyes. Internet Archive. New York : PublicAffairs. ISBN 978-1-58648-606-8.
  5. ↑ Shatzmiller, Joseph (1998-01-31), "16. Jews, Pilgrimage, and the Christian Cult of Saints: Benjamin of Tudela and His Contemporaries", After Rome's Fall, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, retrieved 2024-12-12
  6. ↑ Shatzmiller, Joseph (1998-01-31), "16. Jews, Pilgrimage, and the Christian Cult of Saints: Benjamin of Tudela and His Contemporaries", After Rome's Fall, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, retrieved 2024-12-12
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