The people of Babylon said to Nebuchadnezzar, "Have you
seen these Israelite youths whom you gave to us upon our
request? By God, we have become estranged from our women
since the youths came to stay with us. We saw our women
attracted to them, turning toward them. Get them out of our
midst, or slay them." The king replied, "As you wish.
Whoever
prefers to slay those in his possession, let him do so." They
removed them but as the youths were led to be slain, they
implored God, "O Lord, we are the victims of other people's
sins."
God had mercy upon them, and promised to revive them after
they had been slain. They were slain, except for those -
Nebuchadnezzar kept alive, among them Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah
and Mishael.
When Almighty God wanted Nebuchadnezzar to perish, the
latter hastened to address the Israelites in his power, "Do
you
see this house which I destroyed, and these people I have slain?
Who are they, and what house is it?" They said, "It is
the
house of God, a temple of His, and the people were His people.
They were of the seed of the prophets. But they were wicked,
and transgressed, showing their disobedience; because of their
sins you were made ruler over them. Their Lord is the God of
64
The Ancient Kingdoms
heaven and earth, and Lord of all human beings. He both grants
and deprives them of honor. He makes them powerful, but if
their deeds call for it, He destroys them and imposes alien rule
over them."
The king then said, "Tell me, what could make me rise to
high heaven? Perhaps I shall rise to heaven, slay those who are
there, and take it over as my realm. For I am through with the
earth and its people." They answered, "You cannot do
that; no
creature can." And Nebuchadnezzar said, "You must do this
or
I shall slay you to the last [man]!" They cried to God,
implor-
ing Him. To show the king how weak and negligible he was,
God sent upon him a gnat that entered his nostril, penetrated
his brain, and bit into the very center of the brain, until the
king was unable to sit or rest without pain in his head at the
center of the brain. When he felt death was close, he said to his
retinue, "After I die, split my head open, and find out what
it
was that killed me." When he died, they split his head open,
and found the gnat biting at the very center of this brain, so
that God might show men His might and dominion. l68
God saved the Israelites who were under the king's rule.
Taking pity on them, he returned them to Palestine and Jerusalem,
and to the sacred Temple. They multiplied, and were
more prosperous than ever before. They say ” and God knows
best ” that God revived those who were slain, and that they
joined the others. When they returned to Palestine, they had
no divine scripture, for the Torah had been seized and burned,
and it perished. Ezra, one of the captives in Babylon who
returned to Palestine, spent day and night grieving over it, in
solitude. While he was in waterless valleys and in the wilderness,
grieving over the Torah and weeping, lo and behold, a man
approached him as he sat, and (the man) said, "O Ezra, what
grieves you?" Ezra said, "I grieve over God's scripture
and
covenant which was among us, but our transgressions and the
Lord's wrath against us came to such a pass that He made our
enemy prevail. They slew our men, destroyed our country and
168. The story of the gnat is found also in the rabbinic
legends concerning
Titus, the Roman emperor who destroyed the Second Temple.
See Ginzbcrg,
Legends, V. 60, n. 191.
Why Nebuchadnezzar Destroyed Jerusalem
65
burned our divine book, without which our worldly existence
and our life to come has no meaning. What shall I weep over if
not this." The man said, "Would you like it to be returned
to
you?" Ezra asked, "Is that possible?"
"Yes," the man replied.
"Go back, fast, cleanse yourself, and cleanse your garments.
Then be at this place tomorrow."
Ezra went back, cleansed himself and his garments, and
went to the appointed place. He sat there, and the man came
carrying a vessel filled with water — he was an angel sent by
God — and gave Ezra to drink from that vessel. The Torah then
presented itself in Ezra's consciousness. Ezra returned to the
Children of Israel and set down the Torah for them, so that
they might know what it permits and what it prohibits, its
patterns, precepts and statutes. They loved it as they had never
loved anything before. The Torah was established among
them, and with it their cause fared well. Ezra stayed among
them to carry out the divine truth. Then he died. In the course
of time, the Israelites considered Ezra to be the son of God.
God again sent them a prophet, as He did in the past, to
direct and teach them, and to command them to follow the -
Torah. 169
Others relate, on the authority of Wahb B. Munabbih, different
stories about Nebuchadnezzar and the Israelites, and
(about) his expedition against them. We omitted them, for the
sake of brevity.
169. Qur’an 9:30 concerning alleged Jewish claims that
Ezra was the son of
God.
The
Story of Nebuchadnezzar's Raid
Against
the Arabs
According to Hisham b. Muhammad: It is mentioned” and
God knows best ” that the settlement of the Arabs in Iraq,
their establishment there, and their taking of al-Hirah and al-
Anbar as their domicile, began when God inspired Berechiah b.
Hananiah 170 b. Zerubabel b. Shealtiel (Hisham said that al-
Sharqi said Shealtiel is the first who made the dish tifshil), in
of the tribe of Judah, saying, "Go to Nebuchadnezzar and
command him to raid the Arabs whose houses have no locks, nor
gates . 171 Let him conquer their land with soldiers, slay their
fighting men, and despoil their wealth. Tell him that they do
not believe in Me, that they have taken other deities, and that
they deny My prophets and messengers."
170. The name Hanahiah is uncertain in the text. The
editor suggests it follows I Chronicles 3:19.
171. Tifshll (the form tafayshal is also attested) is a
dish of grains; see de
Goeje, Glossarium, p, CCCXLI; Dozy, Supplement, II, 48.
Persian knows a
dish called tafshila (variant forms: tafshira, taf shara,
etc.), consisting of meat,
eggs, carrots and honey, but other ingredients are also
mentioned; see Burhan-i
Qati', soi. The word seems to be of Aramaic origin, See
[Aram, tabshila, a
kind of broth; see Jastrow, Dictionary, r646.
172. Jeremiah 49:31 regarding Kedar and Hasor. The Hebrew
expression "inhabitants of the tents of Kedar" had become synonymous
with the Arabs of the
desert.
Nebuchadnezzar's Raid Against the Arabs
67
Berechiah proceeded from Najran, 173 until he reached
Nebuchadnezzar at Babylon ” his name was Nebuchad Nazr but
the Arabs arabicized it. 174 The prophet announced the revelation,
and told him as he was charged. That was at the time of
Ma'add b. 'Adnan. 175
Nebuchadnezzar pounced upon the Arab merchants who
were in his land. They used to come to buy and sell, securing
grain, figs, clothes, and so forth. He assembled those whom he
succeeded in seizing and built an enclosure around them on a
sand hill. The king fortified it, concentrated them therein, and
appointed guards and watchmen over them. Thereupon he
announced the expedition against the Arabs. While the
expedition was in preparation, the news spread to the neighboring
Arabs. Groups [ tawa’if] of them came out to him suing for
peace and guarantees of safety. Nebuchadnezzar consulted
Berechiah about them, and the latter said, "Their coming out
of their land to meet you before you start to march upon them
is a sign of repentence over their practices; accept it and treat
them kindly." So Nebuchadnezzar settled them in the
Sawad, 176 on the bank of the Euphrates, where they later
developed the site of their military encampment into the city of
al-Anbar. 177 He left the people of al-Hirah 178 undisturbed,
and the Arabs settled there during the lifetime of Nebuchadnezzar.
When he died, they joined the people of al-Anbar, and
that fenced-off area (al-HIrah) remained a ruin.
173. Najran, which is situated in the Yaman, was a
Christian center in pre-
Islamic times.
174. On the form of the name in Arabic, Bukht-Nasar, see
above, n. 136.
175. 'Adnan was the legendary ancestor of the northern
Arabs. See El 1 , s.v.
'Adnan.
176. The fertile black land of southern Iraq. See
LeStrange, Lands, 24.
177. On Anbar see LeStrange, Lands, 6$f. ; El 2 , s.v.
al-Anbar. See also F.C.
Andreas in Pauly's Realencyclopadie det classischen
Alteitumswissenschaft,
ed. G. Wissowa, Stuttgart, 1893-., I, 1790-1795, s.v.
Ambara. Anbar is identified by some scholars with the important Jewish center
of learning Pumbedita
of the talmudic period. Detailed information in
Oppenheimer, Babylonia
Judaica, 3 6aff .
1 78. Hirah is located southwest of present-day Najaf in
Iraq, and was the capital of the Lakhmid dynasty in the pre-lslamic period. See
LeStrange, Lands,
7 5 f • / s.v. al-Hira; CHI 3(1), 597ft. The most
detailed treatment of the history of Hirah is in Rothstein, Dynastie der
Lqjimiden, nff.
68
The Ancient Kingdoms
Apart from Hisham, another scholar versed in antiquity
mentioned that when Ma'add b. 'Adnan was born, the
Israelites began slaying their prophets. The last of those slain
was
John b. Zechariah (the Baptist). This does not include those
slain by the men of al-Rass and the people of Hadur. 179 When
they had the audacity to attack God's prophets, He decreed the
destruction of that generation, to whose prophets Ma'add b.
'Adnan belonged. So God set Nebuchadnezzar upon the
Israelites. After the destruction of the Temple and the towns, and
the dispersion of the Israelites and their captivity in Babylon,
the king was urged in a dream ” or some prophet was
instructed to command him to do it ” to enter Arabia, wipe out
man and beast, and obliterate it completely, leaving no sign of
life there. Nebuchadnezzar concentrated cavalry and infantry
between Aylah and al-Ubullah. 180 They entered Arabia and
massacred every living being they had come upon and seized.
God had revealed to Jeremiah and Berechiah, "God has warned
your people but they did not desist, so after having had a
kingdom they became slaves, and after an affluent life, they became
beggars. Similarly I warned the people of 'Arabah but they were
obstinate. I imposed Nebuchadnezzar's rule over them to take
revenge upon them. Now rush to Ma'add b. 'Adnan of whose
progeny will be Muhammad, whom I shall bring forth at the
end of time to seal prophethood and lift humility."
Setting out, the two rushed through the land as the earth
folded under them miraculously. 181 They preceded
Nebuchadnezzar and met 'Adnan who received them, whereupon
they rushed him to Ma'add who was then twelve years old.
Berechiah carried him on al-Buraq 181 and sat behind him. At
179. For these evildoers, sec Qur’an 25:40 and 50:12.
Hadur is also men-
tioned in Baydawi's commentary of Qur’an 21:14. See also
Yaqut, Mu' jam, II, 289; III, 73; index, 100.
180. Aylah is in northwest Arabia at the gulf of Akabah.
See El 2 , s.v. al-Ayla.
For Ubullah, which is in Iraq, see LeStrange, Lands, 47.
What is implied here is
that Nebuchadnezzar ranged his forces east-west all along
the border with
Arabia.
181. "The earth folded under them" is analogous
to the Hebrew qefisath
hadderekh.
182. That is, the wondrous beast of Muhammad's celestial
journey to reach a
distant sanctuary, interpreted as Jerusalem. See El 1 ,
s.v. al-Burak.
Nebuchadnezzar's Raid Against the Arabs
69
once they reached Harran. The earth miraculously folded up
and rushed Jeremiah to Harran. 183 Thus 'Adnan and
Nebuchadnezzar met in battle. Nebuchadnezzar put 'Adnan to
flight, and he proceeded through Arabia down to Hadur in
pursuit of 'Adnan. Most of the Arabs of the 'Arabah area gathered
at Hadur, and the two forces established defensive trenches
Nebuchadnezzar set an ambush, some assert the very first
ambush ever. A heavenly voice called out, "Woe to the slayers
of
the prophets." Swords struck them from behind and in front.
They repented their sins and called out in distress. 'Adnan was
prevented from reaching Nebuchadnezzar, and the latter from
reaching 'Adnan. Of those who were not at Hadur and had
escaped before the defeat split into two groups, one force betook
itself to Raysut 184 under 'Akk, the other set out for Wabar and
a group of settled Arabs.
It is to them that the Qur’anic passage refers: "How many a
city that was evildoing We have shattered [of miscreants; yet
when the chastisement descended upon the cities and engulfed
them at the last blow, they were about to flee but failed to do
so). Then when they perceived Our might [to take revenge of
them], behold, they ran headlong out of it [fleeing; swords
struck them in front and from behind]. Run not! [Do not flee!]
Return to the luxury that you exulted in, [to the pleasant life
for which you were not grateful], and to your dwelling places;
haply you shall be questioned." 185
When they understood what was striking them, they
admitted their sins, exclaiming, " 'Alas for us! We have been
evildoers.' So they ceased not to cry, until We made them stubble,
silent and still [dead and slain by the sword]."
Nebuchadnezzar returned to Babylon with captives from the
land of the Arabs ('Arabah), 186 and placed them at al-Anbar; as
a result it was called al-Anbar of the Arabs. Later the Aramaic
speakers mingled with them. When Nebuchadnezzar returned,
'Adnan died, and Arabia remained in ruins during Nebuchadnezzar's
183. For Harran which is in northern Syria, see El 2 ,
s.v. Harran.
184. The text reads Raysub; read Raysut, as in Yaqut,
Mu'jam, III, 633.
185. Qur’an 21:11-15.
186. For 'Arabah see Yaqut, Mu'jam, III, 633.
70
The Ancient Kingdoms
lifetime. After Nebuchadnezzar's death, Ma'add b.
'Adnan marched with the prophets, that is, the prophets of the
Israelites, until he came to Mecca. He restored its landmarks
and performed the pilgrimage, as did the prophets with him.
He then marched on until he came to Raysut. Ma'add questioned
its people, inquiring about the remnant of the clan of al-
Harith b. Mudad al-Jurhumi — he was the one who had fought
Daws al-'Atq. Most of the Jurhum had been wiped out by
Daws; however, he was told that Jusham b. Julhumah was
alive. Ma'add married his daughter Mu'anah, and she bore him
Nizar b. Ma'add.
Returning
to the Story of Bishtasb,
His
Reign and Its Events,
Initiated
by Him as well as Others,
Such
as His Governors;
Also the Deeds of Nebuchadnezzar
Arab and Persian scholars well-versed in the lore of the ancient
peoples say that Bishtasb, son of Kay Luhrasb said on this
coronation day, "We are directing our thought, activity and
knowledge toward everything
through which righteousness is secured."
It is said that he built in Fars the city of Fasa. 187 And in
India and elsewhere he built sanctuaries for fire-worship,
appointing priests to serve
there. It is also said that he set up
seven dignitaries, 188 each of them as a king in a region given
to him,- and it is said that Zoroaster the son of Isfiman 189
187. On Fasa see LeStrange, Lands, 290 and El 2 , s.v.
188. The motif of the seven highly placed dignitaries in
the Persian court
who are closest to the person of the king was fairly
widespread in antiquity. It
occurs, for example, in Esther 1:14. The story of the
seven conspirators in the
court of the pseudo-Smerdis, one of whom was the future
Darius I (Herodotus
III; 7 iff.) may go back to a similar idea. See further
Noldeke, Geschichte, 437.
189. Zaradusht-i Spitaman is a Middle Iranian form of the
name of the
founder of the religion of ancient Iran, called in
English, following the Greek
72
The Ancient Kingdoms
appeared after thirty years of Bishtasb's reign. He claimed
prophethood and counseled the king to embrace the new faith; the
latter at first refrained from doing so, but later gave credence to
his claim and accepted his tenets and the scripture which
Zoroaster claimed was divinely revealed. It was written on
twelve thousand cow skins, that is, carved on skins and
painted in gold . 190 Bishtasb sent it to a place called Diz Nibisht
in Istakhr 191 to which he assigned priests. He prohibited
teaching it to the rank and file . 191 In those days Bishtasb kept
his peace with Kharzasf b. Kay Sawasf , 193 brother of Frasiyat,
king of the Turks, observing a kind of truce. A condition of that
truce was that Bishtasb should have at the gate of Kharzasf
a royal mount, reserved, as befits royalty . 194 Zoroaster
instructed Bishtasb to break with the Turkish king. Accepting
the suggestion, Bishtasb sent for the horse and the man in
charge, and took them over. The news was broken to Kharzasf
who was angered by it — he was a powerful sorcerer. He
decided to fight Bishtasb,
and wrote him an insulting and roughly
worded message, informing him that a major incident has
occurred. He also reproved him for embracing Zoroaster's
tradition, Zoroaster. The name Zaradusht and some of the
legends connected
with his person occur quite frequently in Arabic sources.
For a survey of the
Arabic material see H.S. Nyberg, "Sasanid Mazdaism
according to Moslem
sources," jCOl, 39 (1958), 1-63. For a modern
scholarly theory of Zoroaster's
life and religious conceptions see M. Boyce, History of
Zoroastrianism, especially I, 1 8 iff. The traditional materials are collected
and analyzed in Jackson,
Zoroaster.
190. For the legend that the Avcsta was written on twelve
thousand cow
skins, see Nyberg, op. cit., isff.
1 91. Istakhr is ancient Persepolis, where an important
Achaemenid palace
and center of government existed. The meaning of the term
diz { i ) nibisht is
"the fortress of the writings." An attempt, not
entirely convincing, to distin-
guish two separate traditions in ancient Iran, one
connected with Istakhr and
the other with Shiz, in ancient Media, was made by S.
Wikander, Feuerpriester,
esp. I3iff.
192. For the tradition about the secrecy in which the
Avesta was to be kept
see Shaked, Proceedings of the Israel Academy, 3 (1969),
175-nt/ esp. iM.
193. On this person, the Sasanian form of whose name was
probably Arjasp
(the older form was Arejat-aspa) son of Syawasp, see
Justi, IranNb, nf., s.v.
Arejadaspa, and 300, s.v. Syawaspa. See also Noldeke,
Persische Studien, II, 6.
194. We have evidence for the notion that such a custom
existed in the
Sasanian court. See S. Shaked, fSAI, 7 (1986), 75 ' 9 *-
es P' 79 â–
The Story of Bishtasb
73
faith, and ordered him to extradite Zoroaster or else, he swore,
he would attack and shed the blood of Bishtasb and his house.
When the messenger brought the letter to Bishtasb, the latter
assembled his kith and kin and the great men of his realm,
among them Jamasb, 195 their scholar and reckoner, and Zarin
b. Luhrasb. 194 Then Bishtasb wrote the king of the Turks an
insulting letter in reply to his message; it declared war and
announced that he would not desist even if his rival did. Both
were on the move, each with an innumerable fighting force.
With Bishtasb was Zarin, 197 his brother, Nastur b. Zarin, 198
Isfandiyar 199 and Bushutan, 100 the two sons of Bishtasb, and
the men of Luhrasb. With Kharzasf were his brothers fawharmaz 201
and Andirman 202 his family, and Bidarafsh the sorcerer. 203
In the battles that ensued Zarin was killed, which
grieved Bishtasb. Zarin's son Isfandiyar lamented his father in
fine music. He slew Bidarafsh in single combat. Fate turned
against the Turks, and they lost men heavily. Kharzasf fled,
and Bishtasb returned to Balkh. Some years later a certain
Jurazm 104 slandered Isfandiyar and turned Bishtasb against
him. The king sent Isfandiyar on one campaign after another;
then he ordered him to be chained and had him sent to a castle
which served as a prison for women.
Bishtasb went to Kirman and Sijistan, then to the mountain
195. Jamasp(a) was a famous sage of Iranian antiquity.
See Justi, Iran Nb,
109, s.v. Jamasp, No. 2.
196. The reading of the name is uncertain. See Justi,
Iran Nb, 378, s.v. Zaen-
iga, and 41, s.v. Aurwadaspa.
197. A corruption of Zarer. See Noldeke, Persische
Studien, II, 2; Justi, Iran
Nb, 382, s.v. Zairiwari; Jackson, Zoroaster, 105.
198. The correct form of the name is probably Bastwar b.
Zarer. See Noldeke,
Persische Studien, II, 3; Justi, Iran Nb, 6s, s.v.
Bastawairi; Jackson, Zoroaster,
105.
199. See Justi, Iran Nb, 308, s.v. Spentodata, No. 1. The
correct form of the
name, as given by Justi, means "adhering to the holy
(or bounteous) law."
200. That is, Peshotan. See Justi, Iran Nb, 25 1, s.v.
Peschotanu.
201. See Justi, Iran Nb, 112, s.v. Gauhormizd.
202. For Andirman see above, n. 59.
203. More details about this person in Justi, Iran Nb,
368, s.v. WidrafS.
204. The text reads Jurazm; the name should be read
Kurazm, one of the sons
of Vishtaspa. The Avestan form of the name is Kavarazem.
See Darmesteter,
Etudes Iraniennes, II, Paris, 1883, 23of.; Justi, IranNb,
159, s.v. Kawarazem;
Jackson, Zoroaster, 117.
74
The Ancient Kingdoms
Tamldhar 205 to study his religion and perform acts of devotion.
He left his father Luhrasb in the city of Balkh, an old man
and invalid; his treasures, his wealth and his women he left
with his wife Khatus. 206 Spies carried the news to Kharzasf;
upon receiving it, he rallied innumerable troops and marched
from his land toward Balkh, in the hope of taking advantage of
Bishtasb and conditions in his realm. As he reached the border
of the kingdom of Fars, he sent ahead Jawhurmuz, his brother,
who was to succeed him as king, with a large fighting force. He
sent him with an order to speed towards the center of the
kingdom, smite the people, and attack villages and towns.
Jawhurmuz acted accordingly and spilled blood, committing untold
infamies. Kharzasf followed suit; he burned the archives, slew
Luhrasb and the priests, destroyed the fire-worship sanctuaries,
seized the wealth and treasures, and captured two daughters
of Bishtasb, one called Khumani 207 and the other Badhafrah, 208
Among the things seized was the great banner called
dirafsh-e-kabyan . W9 He pursued Bishtasb, who kept fleeing
until he finally took up a fortified position in that region, near
Fars, in the mountain known as Tamidar. Bishtasb was
hardhit by adversity. It is said that when the situation became
desperate, he sent Jamasb to Isfandiyar to set him free from his
detention and rush him to the king. When Isfandiyar was brought
in, the king apologized and promised to crown him and treat
him as Luhrasb had treated him (that is, Bishtasb). He put him
in charge of the army and of fighting Kharzasf.
When Isfandiyar heard his words, he forgave the king. He
205. There are a number of variants listed for this name in the
manuscripts
of Tabari, among them Tindhar and Tahmandar, but none seems to be
con-
nected to a known locality. The name may possibly be reconstituted
as
Tahm(an)-diz, "the Fortress of the Brave."
206. The name of Vishtaspa's wife as attested in the Iranian
sources is Hu-
taosa. See Justi, Iran Nb , 139, s.v. Hutaosa ; [ackson, Zoronsfer,
70. She was,
like her husband, of the Naotarya family (some sources present her
as his sis-
ter, in accordance with the Iranian custom of incestuous
marriages).
207. He is known as Huma or Huma’i in the Zoroastrian
and late Iranian tra-
ditions. See Justi, Iran Nb, 1 3 1; Jackson, Zoroaster,
72.
208. The name, according to Firdawsi, is Wch-afrid, which
means "created
well." See Justi, lranNb, 348, s.v. Wanuhi-afriti;
Jackson, Zoroaster, 72.
209. See above, n. 47.
The Story of Bishtasb
75
rose 210 and immediately took charge of the army review and
selection and of all the urgent matters. He spent the night
occupied with the mobilization. At dawn he ordered the trumpets
sounded; the soldiers assembled, and he led them against
the Turks' position. When the Turks saw his army, they
rushed out to face it. Among them were Jawhurmuz and Andirman.
Fighting flared up between the opposing forces. Isfandiyar,
spear in hand, struck like
lightning amidst the people, eager to
pounce upon the enemy. Soon enough he made a mighty
breach in their position. The rumor now spread among the
Turks that Isfandiyar had been released from prison, and they
took flight in panic. Isfandiyar pressed forward, regained the
great banner, and carried it unfurled. When he came before
Bishtasb, the latter was delighted by his victory and ordered
him to pursue the enemy. One of his directives was to slay
Kharzasf, if possible, in retribution for Luhrasb's death, and to
slay Jawhumuz and Andirman as revenge for the death of the
princes. Moreover, he was to destroy the Turks' fortress and
put the torch to their cities. He was to slay their inhabitants in
order to avenge the followers of the faith whom they had
killed; and he was to save the captives. Bishtasb sent along
with him the generals and chieftains needed.
They say that Isfandiyar entered the land of the Turks from a
direction never before attempted, and that in controlling the
army, killing wild beasts, and striking the 'Anqa 5 , 211 he performed
unparalleled feats. He forced his way into the Turkish [680]
city named Dizru’In 212 which in Arabic means "the one of
brass." He killed the king, his brothers and fighters, seized
the
king's wealth, captured his women, saved his two captive sisters,
and reported the victory to his father. After Isfandiyar, the
greatest share in that battle fell to his brother Fashutan, to
Adarnush, 213 and to Mahrin, the son of his daughter. 214
210. An account of the war led by Isfandiyar, based on
the various sources, is
in Jackson, Zoroastei, n6f.
21 1. For this fabulous bird see El 1 , s.v. al-'Anka’.
212. Diz-ruyin, or, as the name is given in the
Shahnamah, Ruyin-diz,
means "the brazen fortress."
213. Adarnush occurs under the form Nush-Adar in the
Shahnamah. See
76
The Ancient Kingdoms
It is said that they reached the city only after crossing
mighty rivers — the Kasrud, the Mihrud , 218 and another of
their mighty rivers. It is also said that Isfandiyar entered a city
called Wahishtkank 216 which belonged to Frasiyat, and that
he subjugated the land (of the Turks), reaching its farthest
limits, up to Tibet and the
Sul Gate . 217 After that he divided up
the land and, upon the conclusion of peace, entrusted each region
to a Turkish dignitary, and
he set the tribute due annually
from each of them to Bishtasb. Thereupon he retired to Balkh.
Furthermore, it is said that Bishtasb envied his son Isfandiyar
for the valor he displayed, and therefore he sent him to Rustam
in Sijistan.
According to Hisham b. Muhammad al-Kalbi: Bishtasb
declared that his son Isfandiyar would succeed to the throne. He
sent Isfandiyar to wage war against the Turks, and the crown
prince returned victorious to his father. The latter said, “This
man Rustam is in the very midst of our land; he is disobedient
because he claims that Qabus has released him from submission
to the empire. Therefore go to him and bring him to me."
Isfandiyar rode out to Rustam and fought him, but Rustam
killed Isfandiyar . 218
Bishtasb died after a reign of 1 12 years.
An author mentions that an Israelite by the name of Sami,
who was a prophet, was sent to Bishtasb. He set out to meet
him at Balkh, and entering the city he met Zoroaster, the
Magian teacher, and the learned Jamasb b. Qahad. Sami spoke in
Hebrew; Zoroaster knew that tongue and recorded in Persian
Justi, Iran Nb, 17, s.v. AnoS (under AnoSadar); Jackson,
Zoroaster, 113. The
name means "immortal fire" or "possessor
of immortal fire."
214. Mahrin (Mahren or rather Mihren) is unknown from
parallel sources.
The translation given here, "son of his daughter†is doubtful.
215. For Kasrud see above, n. 35. The river Mihrud is
probably the same as
Mihra(n) Rud, occurring in the Bundahishn. See Markwart,
Wehrot, 97H., 113.
216. This toponym should be read Wahisht-kang. The form
given in the
Shahnamah is Kang-i bihisht. See Noldeke, Nationalepos,
168; Markwart,
Wehrot, 165.
217. $ul is a city near Derbend in the Caucasus. See
Yaqut, Mu' jam, s.v.
218. On this episode as it is told in the Shahnamah see
Noldeke, National-
epos, 1 66 ; Jackson, Zoroaster, 12 r.
The Story of Bishtasb
77
what Sami was saying in Hebrew. Jamasb joined them, and
that is why Jamasb was called "the Learned." 219
A Persian authority asserts that Jamasb was the son of Qahad
b. Hu 220 b. Hakaw 221 b. Nadhkaw b. Fars b. Raj b. Khurasraw
b. Manushihr the King; and that Zoroaster was the son of
Yusisf 222 b. Fardwast b. Urudahd b. Mabjadsaf b. Jakhshanash
b. Fatarasf b. Alhadi b. Hardan b. Saqman b. Bidasht b. Adra b.
Raj b. Khurasraw b. Manushihr.
It is said that Bishtasb and his father Luhrasb embraced the
religion of the Sabians, 223 until Sami and Zoroaster came to
Bishtasb with their tenets. This occurred after thirty years of
his reign had elapsed. This authority said that Bishtasb's reign
lasted 150 years; he was one of those who considered Bishtasb
one of the seven noble men whom they call Bihkanid. 224
Bishtasb lived in Dihistan of Jurjan and was a contemporary of
Falhawi who dwelled at Mah Nihawand, of Surin Falhawi who
dwelled in Sijistan, and of Isfandiyar Falhawi who dwelled at
al-Rayy. 225
Others say Bishtasb ruled for 120 years.
219. This story, like the tradition about Zoroaster being
identical with Ba-
ruch, Jeremiah's secretary, combines Iranian and Jewish
traditions. The
prophet Sami is unknown from other sources.
220. Hu is probably a form of Hvogva, Hvova, one of the
prominent people of
the early Zoroastrian period. See Justi, Iran Nb, 140,
s.v. Hwogwa. His son's
name is unclear; it could be read Fhd, etc.
221 . Hakaw is possibly Jakaw. The following names are
not clear.
222. Yusisf is quite likely to be a corruption of
Bushtasf, a variant form of
Wishtasp.
223. The Sabians are mentioned in Qur’an 2:59; 5:73;
22:17. The pre-Islamic
group mentioned in these passages were perhaps the
Mandaeans of Iraq. In Islamic times down to the eleventh century the term
applied to a group centered
in Harran whose religion consisted of an amalgam of
ancient pagan elements,
especially star worship, with philosophical
interpretations. See EI l , s.v. Saba’iyya; Tardieu, JA, 274 [1986], 1-44.
224. The reading of the word is uncertain. For the idea
of the seven noble
men in the Persian court see above, n. 188.
225. For these locations see LeStrange, Lands, 379ft.;
196ft.; 334ft.; 214ft.
The
Account of the Kings of the
Yaman
in the Days of Qabus,
And
After Him, to the Age of
Bahman
b. Isfandiyar.
Abu Ja'far says: As reported previously, some assert that
Qabus lived in the age of Solomon the son of David. We have
also mentioned the kings of the Yaman in the age of Solomon,
and the story of Bilqis, the daughter of Ilsharah . 226
According to Hisham b. Muhammad al-Kalbi: After Bilqis,
kingship over the Yaman went to Yasir b. 'Amr b. Ya'fur who
was called Yasir An'am. He was named Yasir An'am (the Gracious)
because of the gifts he bestowed upon them, which strengthened
their realm and their loyalty.
The people of the Yaman assert that he conducted raids
westward until he reached a dried out river bed {wadi} called
Wadi al-Raml which had never been reached by anybody before
him. Once there, he found no passage beyond it, so abundant
was the sand {rami}. However, while staying there, the sand
opened up. He then ordered a man of his house, 'Amr by name,
226. That is, the Queen of Sheba who visited Solomon. See
I Kings to;
Qur'an 27:20-45. The story of their meeting receives wide
prominence in
the Arabic Isra'iliyyat literature. See El 1 , s.v.
Bilkis. Abu Ja'far-Tabari, the
author.
Kings of the Yaman
79
to cross with his companions. They crossed but did not return.
Seeing that, he ordered a copper statue to be cast and set on a
rock at the edge of the valley, and on its chest it carried an
inscription in South-Arabian, "This is the statue of Yasir
An'am
of Himyar. There is no passage beyond it. Let no person attempt
it lest he perish."
After him ruled a king ( tubba '), that is, Tiban As'ad, the father
of Karib b. Malki Karib Tubba' b. Zayd b. 'Amr b. Tubba',
that is, Dhu al-Adh'ar, the son of Abrahah Tubba' Dhi al-Manar
b. al-Ra’ish b. Qays b. Sayfi b. Saba’. He was called al-Ra’id. 227
This king lived in the days of Bishtasb and Ardashir Bahman
b. Isfandiyar b. Bishtasb. He emerged from the Yaman on the
road taken by al-Ra’ish (and travelled) until he reached two
mountains of the Tayyi’. He then marched toward al-Anbar,
but when he reached al-Hirah — this was at night — he became
confused [tahayyara] and stopped, and that place was named
al-HIrah. 228 He left some men there of the tribes of the
Azd, 229 Lakhm Judham, 'Amilah, and Quda'ah. They built it
up and remained there. Later they were joined by people from
the tribes of the Tayyi’, Kalb, Sakkun, Balharith b. Ka'b and
Iyad. The king advanced to al-Anbar, then to Mosul, and then
to Adharbayjan, where he encountered the Turks. He put them
to flight, slaying their fighting men and capturing the children.
Following this, he returned to the Yaman where he spent many
years; the kings held him in awe and respect, and they brought
him gifts.
A messenger of the king of India came to him with gifts and
presents of silk, musk, aloe and other precious products of India.
He saw things the like of which he had not seen before, and
said, "My, is all that I see found in your country?" The
messenger replied,
227. Tubba ' was the title of the kings of the Yaman.
Most of the following
accounts have their origins in the Alexander Romance. See
Friedlander, Chadirlegende-, Nagel, Alexander der Grosse in der
friihislamischen
Volksliteratur.
228. The pun indicates that the name of al-Hirah is
derived from the root
h-y-r, "to get confused."
229. On the Azd and many of the other Arab tribes
mentioned in these pages
see the relevant entries in EL
8o
The Ancient Kingdoms
"Bless you, some of what you see is available in our
country; most of it is from China." The messenger then described
China to the king: its
vastness, fertility, and the extent
of its borders. The king swore to conquer it. He set out at the
head of the Himyar along the coast, until he reached alRaka’ik 230
and the wearers of black
headgear. He sent one of
his men’a man called Thabit” with a large force to China.
However, Thabit was wounded; so the king (himself) proceeded
until he entered China. He killed its defenders and
(686) plundered what he found there. They assert that his
expedition
to China, his stay there, and the return took seven years, and
that he left in Tibet twelve thousand horsemen from Himyar.
They are the people of Tibet, and assert nowadays that they are
Arabs. They are Arabs in constitution and pigmentation.
According to 'Abdallah b. Ahmad al-Marwazi ” his father
” Sulayman ” 'Abdallah ” Ishaq b. Yahya ” Musa b. Talhah:
A king [tubba' ) set out with a few Arabs until they lost their
way outside (what is now) Kufah. It became one of the stations
where some infirm men remained. It was called Hirah because
they had lost their way ( tahayyur ). The king proceeded on his
way but later returned to them. In the meantime, they had
built up the place as a permanent settlement. The king left for
the Yaman but they stayed on, and among them were people
from all the Arab tribes such as Banu Lihyan, Hudhayl,
Tamim, fu'fi, Tayyi’, and Kalb. 231
230. Al-Raka’ik is not a known place name. It may be
regarded as a plural
form of the adjective which means
"shallow-minded".
231. On these tribes see the appropriate entries in El.
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