When Herod died the angel told Joseph, who was in Egypt,
that Herod was dead and that his son Archelaus reigned instead”
the man who had sought to slay the child was no
longer alive. Joseph took the child to Nazareth in Palestine,
to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet, "I called you out
of
Egypt." 322 Archelaus died, and the younger Herod became
king, in whose reign the likeness of Christ was crucified.
Sovereignty at the time was in the hands of Greek and Roman
kings; Herod and his sons, who ruled on their behalf, had titles
nevertheless” the sovereigns were titled "caesar." At the
time
of the crucifixion it was the younger Herod who reigned in
Jerusalem on behalf of Tiberius, the son of Augustus, except in
the matter of (criminal) court. This was entrusted to a Roman
called Pilate, on behalf of caesar; the exilarch was Liunan son
of Babbutan. 323 They mention that the man who was taken
for Isa and crucified was a Jew called Joshua, son of Pandera. 324
The reign of Tiberius lasted a little over twenty-three
years, over eighteen years before the ascension of Isa, and
five thereafter.
322. The reference ascribed here to Isaiah is in Hosea
11:1.
323. Augustus ruled from 31 B.C. to A.D. 14; Archelaus 4
B.C. - A.D. 6;
Tiberius A.D. 14-37. The Muslim author projects the
institute of the exilarch
into the distant past. The name of the exilarch is
unclear.
324. In ancient anti-Christian lore, Isa is the
illegitimate son of a Roman
named Pandera. See Morton Smith, Isa the Magician, New
York 1978, 26ff.,
46-50, 178.
The Roman Rulers
$
The Roman rulers, according to the Christians, reigned over
Palestine from the ascension of Christ to the age of the Prophet
Muhammad.
Abu Ja'far says: They assert that after Tiberius, Palestine
and other parts of Syria were ruled by Gaius, son of Tiberius,
for four years. He was succeeded by another son, Claudius, for
fourteen years, following which Nero ruled for fourteen years.
He slew Peter and crucified Paul head down. For four months
Botlaius [VitteiiusJ ruled thereafter. Then Vespasian, father of
Titus whom he sent to Jerusalem, ruled for ten years. Three
years after his rise to power, forty years after the ascension of
Isa, Vespasian sent Titus to Jerusalem. Titus destroyed it
and slew numerous Israelites in his wrath over the fate of
Christ. The following Roman kings then ruled:
Titus, son of Vespasian, ruled for two years; Domitian, six-
teen years; Nerva, six years; Trajan, nineteen years;
Hadrian, twenty-one years; Antonin, twenty-two years;
Marcus and his sons, nineteen years; Commodus, thirteen
years; Pertinax, six months; Severus, fourteen years,- Antoninus
( = Caracalla), seven years; Marciarus ( = Macrinus),
six years; Antoninus ( = Elagabalus), four years; (Severus)
Alexander, thirteen years,- Ghasmiyanus ( = Maxinimus),
(7431 three years; Gordian, six years; Philipp, seven years;
The Roman Rulers
127
Decius, six years; Callus, six years; Valerian and Gallienus,
fifteen years; Claudius II,
one year; Critalius, six
months; Aurelian, five years; Tacit, six months; Florian,
twenty-five days; Probus, six years; Carus and his two
sons, two years; Diocletian, six years; Maximian, twenty
years; Constantine, thirty years; Constantine, thirty
years,- Constantine, thirty years,- Julian the Apostate, two
years; Jovian, one year,- Valentinian and Gratian, ten years;
Valentinian II, one year, Theodosius the Great, seventeen
years; Arcadius and Honorius, twenty years,- Theodosius II
and Valentinian, sixteen years; Marcian, seven years; Leo,
sixteen years; Zeno, eighteen years; Anastasius, twentyseven
years; Justin I, seven years; Justinian I, twenty
years; Justin II, twelve years; Tiberius, six years; Maurice
(Maurikios) and his son Theodosius, twenty years,- Phocas,
who was slain, seven and a half years; Heraclius, to whom
the Messenger of God wrote an epistle, thirty years.
From the rebuilding of the Temple, after it was destroyed by
Nebuchadnezzar, to the hijrah there elapsed, according to
these scholars, over a thousand years. From the reign of
Alexander to the hijrah there elapsed over 920 years. Of these, 303
years elapsed from the rise of Alexander to the birth of Isa,
and thirty-two years elapsed from the birth of Isa to his ascension.
From his ascension to the
hijrah there elapsed 585
years and a few months.
Some authorities assert that the death of John the Baptist at
the hands of the Israelites took place at the time of Ardashir b.
Babak, after eight years of his reign, and that Nebuchadnezzar
went to war in Palestine against the Jews on behalf of Shapur
(Sabur) of the Troops b. Ardashir b. Babak.
According to Hisham b. Muhammad: Among the events taking
place under the petty rulers, before the rise of Ardashir b.
Babak, was the emergence of several Arab tribes from the
shores of Iraq and the settlement of some of them at HIrah and
Anbar.
Al-HIrah and al-Anbar 325
f
According to Hisham b. Muhammad: When Nebuchadnezzar
died, those Arabs whom he had settled at al-Hirah when he
was ordered to fight them, joined the people of al-Anbar, and
the enclosure (al-hayr) remained a ruin. Thus, a long time
elapsed during which no new wave (of tribesmen) from Arabia
appeared. But al-Anbar had its Arab population which was
joined by that of al-Hirah. All of them were from Arab tribes,
children of Ishmael and of Ma'add b. 'Adnan. 526 When the
progeny of Ma'add b. 'Adnan, and those of the Arab tribes who
were with them, multiplied and filled their land in al-Tihamah
and adjoining areas, they were dispersed by wars that occurred
among them and evils that befell them. Therefore they moved
out in quest of space and fertile land in the adjoining areas of
the Yaman and the Syrian approaches. Some tribes that
emerged settled in al-Bahrayn, among them a group of the Azd.
They had settled there in the age of 'Imran b. 'Amr, who was
from the remnant of the progeny of 'Amir, 527 that is Ma’al-
Sama’ b. Harithah, that is, al-Ghitrif b. Tha'labah b. Imru al-
325. See above, n. 178.
326. Ishmael (Isma'il) is regarded as the ancestor of the
Arabs in the Islamic
tradition. 'Adnan and his son Ma'add are considered the
ancestors of the north-
ern Arabs. See El 1 , s.v. Isma'il, 'Adnan, Ma'add.
327. 'Amir is the reputed ancestor of a South Arabian
tribe by the same
name. See El 1 , s.v. Dja'da.
Al-Hirah and al-Anbar
129
Qays b. Mazin b. al-Azd. Those Arabs who emerged from al-
Tihamah included Malik and 'Amr, the sons of Fahm b.
Taymallah b. Asad b. Wabarah b. Taghlib b. Hulwan b. 'Imran
b. al-Haf b. Quda'ah, and Malik b. Zuhayr b. 'Amr b. Fahm b.
Taymallah b. Asad b. Wabarah with a group of their people,
and al-Hayqar b. al-Hiq b. 'Umayr b. Qanas b. Ma'add b.
'Adnan with all the Qanas, followed by Ghatafan b. 'Amr b. al-
Tamathan b. 'Udh Manat b. Yaqdum b. Afsa b. Du'ml b. Ayad
b. Nizar b. Ma'add b. 'Adnan, and Zuhr b. al-Harith b. al-Shalal
b. Zuhr b. Ayad, and Sabah b. Sabah b. al-Harith b. Afsa b.
Du'ml b. Ayad. Thus a number of Arab tribes gathered in al-
Bahrayn. They became allies known as al-Tanukh, which
means "abode," and pledged themselves to assist and
support
one another; under the joint name of Tanukh they became a
force against other people. They bore that name as if they were
some great tribe. Clans of Numarah b. Lakhm dwelled with
them.
Malik b. Zuhayr invited Jadhimah al-Abrash 318 b. Malik b.
Fahm b. Ghanim b. Daws al-Azdl to settle with him, and he
married him to his sister Lamis bt. Zuhayr. fadhimah b. Malik
and all the Azd who came along settled there, and Malik and
'Amr, the sons of Fahm, and the Azd became allies ( halif ). This
(arrangement) excluded the rest of Tanukh who were united.
The gathering and the alliance of the Arab tribes in al-
Bahrayn took place in the period of the regional princes, a period
which lasted from (the time of) Alexander” who divided
the countries after he slew Darius son of Darius, king of Persia ”
down to the victory of Ardashir b. Babak, the king of Fars,
over the regional princes. After that, Ardashir was recognized
as supreme authority. Thus the regional princes were called
[muluk al-tawa'if] because each of them had only a small domain
with castles and structures
surrounded by a ditch.
Nearby enemies were similarly established, and they would
raid one another, only to retreat suddenly.
The Arabs of Bahrayn looked towards the land of Iraq; they
328. A king of pre-Islamic Arab antiquity, who lived
perhaps in Iraq in the
third century A.D. See El 1 , s.v. Djadhima al-Abrash.
See also Nicholson, Literary history, 34ff. ; CHI 3(1), 597.
130
The Ancient Kingdoms
were desirous of overpowering the non-Arabs in order to seize
the area adjoining Arabia, or to share it with them. Taking
advantage of the discord among the princes, the Arab chieftains
decided to march to Iraq. All who were with them agreed to do
so. The first to rise was al-Hiqar b. al-Hiq with a group of his
people and a motley crowd of others. They found the Armanis,
who were from Babylonia and the adjoining area up to Mosul,
fighting the Ardawanis, the petty princes in the area between
Niffar, 319 a town of lower Iraq, and Ubullah and the edge of
the wilderness ( badiyah ). 330 The Arabs did not submit to
their rule, and pushed them out of their own land. 'Ad used to
be called Iram, and when they perished Thamud was called
Iram. 331 Later they were called Arman, and they are the remnant
of Iram. They are the Nabat
of the Sawad. Damascus is
also called Iram. 332 These tribes disappeared from the Sawad
of Iraq and became remnants of tribes among the Arabs of al-
Anbar. Those of al-Hirah are remnants of Qanas b. Ma'add.
They are- related to 'Amr b. 'Adi b. Nasr b. Rabi'ah b. 'Amr b.
al-Harith b. Su'ud b. Malik b. 'Amam b. Numarah b. Lakhm.
This is the opinion of Mudar and Hammad al-Rawiyah, 333 but
it is incorrect. Nothing more certain has reached us concerning
Qanas b. Ma'add than Jubayr b. Mut'im's word that Nu'man
was of his progeny.
Al-Anbar was so named because there were food storehouses
(1 anabii ) there. 334 They were called al-ahra' (granaries),
because the Persian king used to supply the sustenance for his
men there.
Then there arose Malik and 'Amr, the two sons of Fahm b.
329. On Niffar, ancient Nippur, see LcStrange, Lands ,
73f. ; Oppenheimer,
Babylonia fudaica, 315 — 319.
330. On al-Ubullah see above, n. 234.
331. On 'Ad, Iram and Thamud, which are names of Arab
tribes in pre-Islamic times, see the relevant articles in El' and El 2 .
332. Iram and Aram are similar in appearance in the Arabic
script, hence
probably the identification with Damascus, which was
situated in the center
of an Aramaic-speaking territory at the time of the
Muslim conquest.
333. For Hammad al-Rawiyah, an eighth century collector
of Arabic verse,
see El 2 , s.v. Hammad al-Rawiya.
334. Anbar is actually a Persian word meaning storehouse,
granary. See
above, n. 177-
Al-Hirah and al-Anbar
131
Taymallah, and Malik b. Zuhayr b. Fahm b. Taymallah, and
Ghatafan b. 'Amr b. al-Tamthan, and Zuhr b. al-Harith, and
Sabah b. Sabah, along with those from among their tribes and
allies who joined them to dwell at al-Anbar in the kingdom of
the Armanis. Then there arose Numarah b. Qays b. Numarah
and al-Najdah, a tribe ( qabilah ) of ‘Amaliq 335 claiming
relationship to Kindah, 336 and Malkan b. Kindah, and Malik and
‘Amr, the sons of Fahm, and those allied with them. They
dwelled together in Niffar in the domain of the Ardawanis.
The Ardawanis settled them at the enclosure which
Nebuchadnezzar had erected for those Arab traders whom he found
in his capital. This was when he was ordered to raid the Arabs
in their country and to lead the troops against them. The
garrison continued to be stationed at al-Anbar and Niffar,
distrustful of the foreigners and distrusted by them, until the
arrival of
the tubba’, that is, As’ad Abu Karib b. Malkikarib with his
troops. As’ad left behind those who had no strength to follow
his troops, and those who were too weak to proceed with him
or to return home. Thus they joined the Arabs within the enclosure
and mingled with them. Ka’b b. Ju’ayl b. 'Ajrah b.
Qumayr b. Tha’labah b. 'Awf b. Malik b. Bakr b. Habib b. ‘Amr
b. Ghanam b. Taghlib b. Wa’il referred to this in the verse:
And tubba' raided with Himyar
Until, from the people of 'Adan he arrived at al-Hirah.
The tubba ' set out marching, and then returned to them. They
settled (at al-Hirah), and he left them to themselves, returning
to the Yaman. Among them were people from all the tribes,
such as the Banu Lihyan, who were a remnant of Jurhum, the
Ju'fi, Tayi’, Kalb, and Tamim. The remnant of Jurhum was
only at al-Hirah. According to Ibn al-Kalbi: Lihyan represents
the remnant of Jurhum.
Many of the Tanukh settled at al-Anbar and al-Hirah, in the
335. The 'Amaliq are a mythical tribe of Arabs, the
designation of whom is
derived from the biblical Amalek, to which many further
legends and elaborate
stories were added by Arab story-tellers. See El 2 , s.v.
'Amalik.
336. Kindah was a confederation of tribes of South
Arabian origin that exercised rule over the Ma'add tribes in northern Arabia
and, for a time, over al-Hirah. See El 1 , s.v. Kinda ; CHI 3(2), 6oif. See GAS
II r62 f.
132
The Ancient Kingdoms
area between al-Hirah and the bank [taff] of the Euphrates. To
the west, they settled as far as the neighborhood of al-Anbar
and its surroundings. They lived in tents, small and large, but
not in clay houses; nor did they have any contact with the people
living in houses. Their
community extended into the area
between al-Anbar and al-Hirah, and they were known as the
Arabs of the unwalled area ( dahiyah ). The first ruler from
(750) among them in the time of the regional princes was Malik b.
Fahm who dwelled close to al-Anbar. Following his death, his
brother 'Amr b. Fahm reigned, and upon the death of 'Amr b.
Fahm, Jadhimah al-Abrash b. Malik b. Fahm b. Ghanim b.
Daws al-Azdl became ruler.
According to Ibn al-Kalbi: Daws is the son of 'Adnan b.
'Abdallah b. Nasr b. Zahran b. Ka'b b. al-Harith b. Ka'b b.
'Abdallah b. Malik b. Nasr b. al-Azd b. al-Ghawth b. Malik b.
Zayd b. Kahlan b. Saba’. According to Ibn al-Kalbi: It is said
that Jadhimah al-Abrash was from the proto- Arabs ( al-'aribah
al-ula) of the Banu Wabar b. Umaym b. Ludh b. Shem b.
Noah.
7 Jadhimah was one of the brightest Arab kings,
farreaching and effective in his raids, and most resolute. He was
the first to rule in Iraq. The Arabs joined him, and he raided
standing armies. He was a leper. The Arabs were too awestruck
to mention him by name or genealogy; they called him by his
nickname out of respect. Thus they referred to Jadhimah al-
Waddah (the Luminous) or Jadhimah al-Abrash (the Speckled).
His dwellings were in the area between al-Hirah and al-Anbar,
and in Baqqah and Hit and their environs. They were also in
'Ayn al-Tamr and the rim lands up to al-Ghumayr, al-Qutqutanah,
and Khafiyyah and the adjoining area. 8 Tribute was
paid to him, and delegations used to visit him. He raided the
dwellings of Tasm and Jadis, in Jaww and the environs. The
Tasm 9 and Jadis spoke Arabic. He encountered Hassan b.
Tubba' As'ad Abi Karib who raided the Tasm and Jadis in al-
337. On fadhimah see above, n. 328.
338. For Hit and 'Ayn Tamr see LeStrange, Lands, 6 5;
Yaqut, Mu’ jam, IV,
121, 137 (al-Qutqutanah); III, 664 (Ghumayr); II, 457
(Khafiyyah).
339. For Tasm and Jadis see £/*, s.v. Tasm. For Jaww,
see text above.
Al-Hirah and al-Anbar
133
Yamamah. Jadhimah then withdrew, returning with his men,
but the tubba ( 's cavalry came upon one of Jadhimah's raiding
parties and destroyed it. News of them reached Jadhimah, who
then recited:
How often did I gaze at a high spot
northern winds flaying my garb.
I was with youths their defender.
they spent the night in the raid's hardships.
Then to the livestock spoilers I was led,
and men were left dead by us.
We were in their passage
as the people's passage was brotherhood.
I wish I knew what slew them.
We set out at nightfall but they stayed on at night;
They were ours.
When one of us spoke, they shouted.
Ours were the distant deserts
whose black people were scattered,
A company of the best, a witness
that is, my people, my kinsfolk.
I imbibed wine amidst them
delighted, with no voices.
Now over the generosity that was, my young girls
might weep over me.
I am the lord of all men,
beside my restraining and discouraging Lord.
By "restraining" he meant He who cuts short their lives;
by
"discouraging" he meant God who makes them fail.
Ibn al-Kalbi says: Three lines of the poem are genuine; the
rest are not. 340 In his account of expeditions and raids of the
proto- Arabs, a pre-Islamic poet declared:
340. The authenticity of much of pre-Islamic poetry in
Arabic, which was
transmitted orally and was not committed to writing
before the rise of Islam,
was regarded as suspect by some medieval Arab scholars.
It was assumed, with
some plausibility, that much of it was made up in the
Islamic period for a variety of reasons, not least among them the great
interest in Arab antiquities that
developed in the early period of Islam. The statement by
Ibn al-Kalbi reflects
this kind of critical attitude. See Nicholson, Literary
history, i3iff.
134
The Ancient Kingdoms
Jadhimah, in Yabrin, his abode
became possessor of the treasure of 'Ad of old.
Jadhimah acted as prophet and soothsayer. He had two idols,
called the two Dayzans. The place of the two Dayzans at al-
Hirah is known. They were entreated for water, and aid against
the enemy. The Iyad 41 were at the well of Ubagh, a man of
the 'Amalik. Jadhimah settled at that well, and conducted raids
against the Iyad. It is mentioned that Jadhimah had a servant
from the Lakhm 42 who had among his maternal uncles, men
of the Iyad. His name was 'Adi b. Nasr b. Rabi'ah b. 'Amr b. al-
Harith b. Su'ud b. Malik b. 'Amam b. Numarah b. Lakhm” he
was handsome and graceful. Jadhimah raided the Iyad, so they
sent men who gave the custodians of the two idols wine to
drink and then stole the two idols. This is how the idols came
to be possessed by the Iyad. A message was now sent to
Jadhimah, "Your idols are with us. They shun you and are attracted
to us. If you will assure us that you will not raid us, we
shall return them to you."
He said, "Send me 'Adi b. Nasr also." They did, along
with
the two idols. Jadhimah left the Iyad in peace, kept 'Adi, and
put him in charge of his wine. Jadhimah's sister Raqash, 4
the daughter of Malik, noticed 'Adi and fell in love with him.
She sent for him and said, "O 'Adi, speak to the king about
your marrying me, for you are a man of lineage and status."
But
he said, "I dare not talk to him about the matter, nor do I
wish
him to marry you to me." She said, "When he sits over his
wine, and his drinking companions arrive, give him pure wine
to drink, but offer the company diluted wine; then when he is
overcome with wine, talk to him about marrying me ; he will
not refuse you nor decline, and if he marries you to me, make
the company witnesses."
The young man acted upon her order. When the wine had
taken effect, he asked the king for the girl's hand, which was
341. On the ancient Arab tribe of Iyad see EI Z s.v.
342. The Lakhm were an Arab tribe who formed a state
around al-Hirah,
which was friendly to the Sasanians. See Rothstein, Dynastie
der Lahmiden â– , S. Smith, BSOAS, 16 (1954), 425-468; CHI 3(2), 596ft.
343. El 1 , s.v. Djadhima al-Abrash, reads this name as
Riqash.
Al-Hirah and al-Anbar
135
granted to him. 'Adi went to her, and celebrated his wedding
feast that very night. He became red-stained from the woman's
perfume, and Jadhimah, disapproving of 'Adi's appearance,
asked, "What are those traces, 'Adi?" To which 'Adi
replied,
"From the wedding." "What wedding?" asked the
king. At this
'Adi replied, "The wedding with Raqash." Jadhimah then
said,
"Woe unto you. Who married her to you" 'Adi answered,
"The
king did." Jadhimah slapped his forehead and threw himself
upon the ground in remorse and lament, while 'Adi fled from
his presence. Nobody saw any trace of him or heard of him (after
that).
Jadhimah sent for Raqash, and said to her:
Tell me, and do not lie
did you fornicate with a noble man or an ignoble one?
Was it a slave?
then you are worthy of a slave.
Perhaps a worthless man?
then a worthless one you deserve.
She replied, "No, you gave me in marriage to an Arab who is
well-known, and of noble birth. You did not consult me about
my fate, and I had no power over myself." He recognized her
plea and let her be. 'Adi b. Nasr returned to the Iyad, and stayed
with them. One day he left with youths on a hunt, and one of
the young men, who was from the Lihb, shot him at a spot
between two mountains. He retired to a tent, and died. Raqash
was with child, and she gave birth to a boy whom she named
'Amr. 344 She reared him until he grew up. She then perfumed
him and clothed him, and brought him to his uncle Jadhimah.
As soon as Jadhimah saw the boy, he was taken by him, and he
showered him with tender love. The boy frequently visited the
king's children, and stayed with them. One day, Jadhimah set
out into the wilderness with his kin and children in a year of
abundant rich herbage. Tents were set up for him in a garden
with flowers and pools. The princes, and 'Amr with them,
were gathering mushrooms. Whenever they found a good
mushroom, they ate it, but whenever 'Amr found one he
344. On 'Amr b. 'Adi see El 2 s.v.
1 3 6 The Ancient Kingdoms
concealed it in his waistband. They raced toward Jadhimah while
'Amr recited:
This is what I have gathered, and the best of it is in it [fihi]
when every gatherer [but myself J has his hand to his
mouth [fihi] HS
Jadhimah hugged him and held him, pleased with his word
and deed. The king ordered a silver trinket and a necklace
made for 'Amr ; 'Amr was the first Arab to wear a necklace, and
was nicknamed 'Amr the Necklaced (Dhu al-Tawq). While he
was in his prime, he was lured and carried away by the jinn.
Jadhimah searched for him for a long time throughout many
lands, but to no avail. Two brothers from Bulqayn, one called
Malik, the other 'Aqil, sons of Farij b. Malik b. Ka'b b. al*Qayn
b. Jasar b. Shay'allah b. Asad b. Wabarah b. Taghlib b. Hulwan
b. 'Imran b. al-Haf b. Quda'ah came from Syria and sought to
meet Jadhimah for whom they had brought gifts and precious
things. While they were on their way, they alighted at a house.
They had a songstress with them whose name was Umm 'Amr.
She served them food, and while they were eating, there arrived
a haggard, naked youth with tangled hair and long nails.
Looking ill, he sat down at their side and stretched out his
hand for food. The songstress gave him a leg. He ate it and then
stretched out his hand toward her. She said, "Give the slave a
leg, he will covet the arm." It became a proverb. Then she offered
the two men some of her wine, and tied up the skin. 'Amr
b. 'Adi said:
Pass round from left to right! Why do you allow Umm 'Amr,
me and my comrades thirst,
Yet you will not serve me this morning, Umm 'Amr,
Am I the worst of us three Malik and 'Aqil then asked, "Who
are you, young man?" His answer was, "As you do not know me or my
lineage, I am 'Amr
b. 'Adi, the son of a Tanukh woman of the Lakhm tribe;
tomorrow you shall not see me at Numarah, but renounced."
345. Translated in Lane, Arabic- English Lexicon, 471
col. 3.
346. This verse is from the Mu'allaqah of 'Amr b.
Kulthum. The translation
is based on Nicholson, Literary history, hi.
Al-Hirah and al-Anbar
137
Malik and 'Aqil rose to embrace him. They washed his head,
cut his nails, cleansed his hair, dressed him in clothes they
had, and said, "We could not present to Jadhlmah anything
more precious to him or more beloved by him than his sister's
son. God has returned him to Jadhimah through us." The two
set out taking 'Amr along, and reached the gate of Jadhimah at
al-HIrah. They announced to him the glad tiding, and he rejoiced
greatly, but he did not recognize 'Amr in his current
state. The two brothers exclaimed, "Bless you, a man in his
state will change." Jadhimah then sent 'Amr to his mother and
he stayed with her for a few days, after which she returned him
to her brother. Jadhimah said, "I saw him on the day he
disappeared, when he was wearing a necklace. Since then, till this
day, he has never left my mind nor my heart." They returned
the necklace to 'Amr. But when the king looked at him, he
said, "'Amr has outgrown the necklace." This locution has
become proverbial. Jadhimah
turned to Malik and 'Aqil, "How
about your reward?" They replied, "Our reward is to be
your
boon companions as long as we and you are alive." So they
were the two boon companions of Jadhimah and became
proverbial in Arabic poetry. It is about them that Abu Khirash al-
Hudhali says : 347
By your life, Kabishah has not been bored by my appearance,
yet my stay with her was slight indeed.
Know you not, that long before us, they had to part
The two sincere boon companions, Malik and 'Aqil?
Mutammim b. Nuwayrah said : 348
For a long time we were [inseparable] like Jadhimah's two
boon-companions
so that it was said, "Never will they part. "
But after we parted, lo, Malik and I,
despite the long companionship, we spent not a single
night together."
347. See Hell, Neue Hudailiten- Diwane, II, 24, 49. Here the first
line is different. The text of Hell reads, "By my life, my appearance
truly upset Umaymah [la’amri laqad ra'at Umaymata tal'ati ]."
348. See Noldeke, Beitrage zur Kenntnis der Poesie, 100, 106.
'Amr b. Zarib 349
< 5 >
The ruler of the Arabs in the Jazirah and the fringes of Syria
was 'Amr b. Zarib b. Hassan b. Udhaynah b. al-Sumayda' b.
Hubar al- 'Amlaq he is also called al-'Amliqi. Jadhimah
gathered hosts of Arabs and marched toward 'Amr to attack
him, while 'Amr b. Zarib advanced from Syria at the head of
his forces. They met, and they fought a fierce engagement.
'Amr b. Zarib was slain and his forces scattered; Jadhimah
with his men returned safe and sound, carrying their booty.
Concerning this, al- A'war b. 'Amr b. Huna’ah b. Malik b. Fahm
al-Azdi recited the (following) verses:
It is as if 'Amr b. Tharb had never lived as a king,
and never did banners around him flutter.
He encountered Jadhimah with a spreading cavalry
like locusts jumping amidst flames.
349. On 'Amr b. Zarib, see Nicholson, Literary history,
35.
Al-Zabba 350
After 'Amr, his daughter al-Zabba reigned. Her name was
Na’ilah. Al-Qa'qa' b. al-Darma al-Kalbi referred to her in the
verse:
Do you know a home between the road
and Na’ilah's ancient track?
Her army consisted of remnants of the 'Amaliq and the protoArabs,
and Tazid and Salih, the two sons of Hulwan b. 'Imran
b, al-Haf b. Quda'ah, and those who joined them from the
tribes of Quda' ah. She had a sister named Zabibah. Al-Zabba’
built herself a fortress on the western bank of the Euphrates.
She used to spend the winter with her sister, and the spring at
Batn al-Najjar from where she would go to Palmyra (Tadmur).
When her power was well established and she was well
entrenched in her reign, she decided to attack Jadhimah al-
Abrash to avenge the death of her father. Her sister Zabibah,
thoughtful, clever and cunning that she was, said to her, "O
alZabba’,
if you attack Jadhimah, it may be a battle fraught with
consequences. If you are victorious, you will have achieved
your vengeance; but if you are slain, your kingdom will be
350. On al-Zabba’see Nicholson, Literary history, 35H. M.
Piotrovskii discussed the legend in Paleztinskij Sbomik v. 84 (1970).
140
The Ancient Kingdoms
gone. War is a matter of ups and downs, and its vicissitudes
cannot be avoided. Your glory still prevails over your foe and
contestant; you have not yet encountered trouble or vicissitudes
of fate, and you do not know who may be the victor, and
whose turn it may be." Al-Zabba’ said to her, "You offer
reflection and good advice and it is well taken." She gave up
the idea
of attacking fadhimah and she approached the matter by way of
duplicity, treachery, and craftiness. She wrote to Jadhimah
inviting him to visit her and her kingdom, and to join his country
with hers. She also wrote him in her letter that she felt that the
reign of women tended only toward ill-repute, weak rule, and
inefficient administration,- that she considered nobody but him
to be her peer and to be worthy of her kingdom. "Come to me,
join my kingdom to yours," (she wrote), "join my country
to
yours and assume my power along with yours."
When al-Zabba’s letter reached Jadhimah, and her messengers
came to him, he was delighted with her invitation and
excited by her offer. He assembled men of good sense and
intelligence from among his trusted associates. He was at the time
at
al-Baqqah on the bank of the Euphrates, he presented the
invitation of al-Zabba’ to them, and consulted them on the matter.
They agreed he should proceed to her and take over her
kingdom. Among them was a man called Qasir b. Sa'd b. 'Umar b.
Jadhimah b. Qays b. Rabi b. Numarah b. Lakhm. Sa'd (his father)
had married a servant of Jadhimah, and she gave birth to
Qasir. Resourceful and energetic, he was an influential advisor
to Jadhimah. He opposed the advice of the other men, saying,
"Feeble thought and sheer treachery." The locution became
proverbial. 351 But they refuted his words and contested his
thoughts. Then he said, "I see a matter that is neither odd
nor
even" ” this too became a proverb. 351 Then he said to
Jadhimah, "Write to her that if she is sincere, let her come
to
you; if not, do not expose yourself to her power, and do not fall
into her trap. You enraged her, because you killed her
father."
But Jadhimah did not accept Qasir's advice. Qasir then recited:
351 . ra'y fatir wa-ghadr hadir.
352 . innila'aia amr laysa bi-l-khasa wa-la al-zaka.
Al-Zabba
141
I am a man whom failure will not deflect from quenching his
thirst
if the gall of excess comes before the goal. 353
Jadhimah replied, "No, but you are a man whose opinion is
cautious, not enterprising" ” this too became a proverb. 354
The king now summoned his nephew 'Amr b. 'Adi for
consultation. 'Amr encouraged Jadhimah to proceed, and said,
"The
Numarah are my people; they are with al-Zabba’. If they could
they would join you." Jadhimah listened to him, rejecting
Qasir's counsel. Qasir then said, "None follows Qasir's advice.
" Concerning this Nahshal b. HarrI b. Damrah b. Jabir, of
Tamim recited:
The master, obstinate, defied me,
Just as Qasir was not followed in the two Baqqahs
But when the result of my affair and his affair became
clear,
And hearts turned with the failures of affairs
he wished belatedly he had followed my advice
As events followed events.
The Arabs said, "In Baqqah the affair was settled." 355
The
expression then became a proverb. Jadhimah appointed 'Amr b.
'Adi to be his deputy over his realm and power, and 'Amr b.
'Abd al-Jinn al-Jarmi to head his calvary. Then he set out with
his best men, taking the route along the western side of the
Euphrates. When he alighted at al-Furdah 356 he summoned
Qasir and asked, "What is the prudent course?"
"Prudence you
left at al-Baqqah," was the reply ” it became proverbial. 357
The messengers of al-Zabba’ received the king with gifts and
pleasantries, whereupon he said, "O Qasir, what think
you?"
The reply was, "A minor occurrence in a major affair" ”
this
too became proverbial. 358 "The cavalry will meet you,"
(Qasir
353. inni imru' la yamilu al-'aiz tarwiyati idha atat
duna shay mirrat
al-wadham.
354. fi al-kinn la fi al-dihh.
355. fi Baqqah ubrima al-amr.
356. See LeStrange, Lands, 107, 125.
357. bi-Baqqah taiakta al-ia'y.
358. khatar yasir fi khatb kabir. On this seventh century
poet see GAS II 196
142
The Ancient Kingdoms
continued). "If they march in front of you, the woman is
sincere; but if they outflank you and encircle you, they mean
treachery. Ride al-'Asa” this was Jadhimah's unrivalled
mare” "and I, too, shall ride her and accompany you."
The king was met by the cavalry and the squadrons, and they
separated him from al-'Asa. But Qasir jumped on the mare's
back. Jadhimah glanced at him as he was turning back on the
mare, and exclaimed, "Woe to his mother! What resolution on
'Asa's back" ” this became proverbial. 359 Then he exclaimed,
"What a frustration al-'Asa is carrying." 360 The mare
ran until
sunset, and then expired after having covered a vast distance.
Qasir erected a tower over the spot, called the 'Asa Tower. The
Arabs say, "The best al-'Asa did was to set an example."
361
Jadhimah was surrounded by horsemen and brought before
al-Zabba’. When she saw him, she uncovered and, lo and
behold, the hair of her pudendum was plaited. She said, "O
Jadhimah, do you see the concern of a bride?" 361 This became
a
proverb. He said, "The limit has been reached, the moist
ground has dried up, and I see a case of treachery." 363 She
replied, "By my deity, we do not suffer from a lack of razors,
or
scarcity of surgeons, but it is a custom of men" ” this too
became proverbial. 354 Then she said, "I was told that royal
blood
is a cure against madness." She seated him on a skin and ordered
a golden bowl which she
prepared for him. She gave him
wine to drink until he was intoxicated, and then ordered the
veins in his arm to be cut. She moved the bowl toward him.
She had been told that if a drop of his blood should fall outside
the bowl, his blood would be avenged. Out of respect for royalty,
kings were not killed by decapitation except in battle.
When Jadhimah 's hands weakened, drops of his blood spilled
outside the bowl, and al-Zabba’ said, "Do not lose any of the
359. wayl ummihi hazm 'ala zahr al-'Asa.
360. yd dulla ma tajri bihi al-'Asa. See Lane, Arabic-
English Lexicon 1797,
s.v. dull.
361. khayrma ja'at bihi al-'Asa mathal.
362. a-da'b 'arus tardl
363. balaqha al-mada wa-jaffa al-thara wa-amr qhadtard.
364. ma bind min 'adam mawasin wa-la qillat awasin
wa-lakinnahu shimat ma unasin.
Al-Zabba
143
king's blood." Whereupon Jadhimah said, "Leave blood lost
by
its owner" ” the phrase became proverbial. 365 Jadhimah died
and al-Zabba’ sought to absorb his blood with a piece of cotton
in her perfume container.
Qasir left the tribe where the mare al-'Asa had died, and
continued on his way until he came to 'Amr b. 'Adi who was at
al-Hirah. Qasir then said to him, "Oblivious or
avenging?" 366
The reply was, "No, avenging, marching" ” and it became a
proverb. 367 Qasir now met up with Jadhimah's people; they
had split. One faction was with 'Amr b. 'Abd al-Jinn al-Jarmi ;
another, with 'Amr b. 'Adi. Qasir went back and forth until he
brought them together, and 'Amr b. 'Abd al-Jinn became
reconciled with 'Amr b. 'Adi. The people sympathized with 'Amr b.
'Adi, who said about it as follows:
I called upon Ibn 'Abd al-Jinn for peace after he
ran in the distance of imprudence, and hurried.
But when he refrained from impeding us by being obstinate
I urged him like a mother would her young ones.
'Amr b. 'Abd al-Jinn replied: 368
Verily, by blood flowing, and running hither and thither,
Which you would think to be dragon's blood
Upon the mountain top of al-'Uzza, or by al-Nasr
And what the monks sanctified at every temple,
The most saintly Christ son of Mary.
The verse was found in this form, incomplete; the third line
is likely to have read, "such and such happened." Qasir
now
said to ‘Amr b. 'Adi, "Prepare and be ready; do not let your
uncle's
blood be unavenged."
'Amr replied, "But how can I reach
her when she is more inaccessible than the eagle of the air?"
” this became a proverb.
365. da'u dam dayya'ahu ahluhu.
366. a-dathir am tha'irl
367. tha'ii sa'ir.
368. The translation is based on Lane, Arabic- English
Lexicon, 2033. For the
pre-Islamic deity al-'Uzza , see SEI. Nasr
"vulture" or "eagle" was also a deity
in pre-Islamic Arabia. See W. Robertson Smith, The
religion of the Semites,
226; J. Wellhausen, Reste arabischen Heidentums, 23.
144
The Ancient Kingdoms
Al-Zabba’ asked one of her woman soothsayers about power
and rule, and the woman replied, "I see your death because of
a
youth, vile and disloyal, 'Amr b. ‘Adi; you will not die at his
hand but at your own, on his account." Wary of 'Amr, al-
Zabba’ built a tunnel from the audience hall in which she held
court to a fortress inside her city, and said, "Should
something
unexpected occur, I shall enter the tunnel to get to my fortress."
She called in a painter, the
best and most successful of
her country's painters. She equipped him, treated him well,
and said to him, "Go in disguise and reach 'Amr b. 'Adi, stay
with his retinue, join them, mingle with them, make them
aware of your knowledge of painting and your expertise. Then
make the acquaintance of 'Amr b. 'Adi, and paint him seated,
standing, riding, in simple garb, and fully armed, reproducing
his costumes and color. If you succeed in carrying this out,
come to me." The painter set out, and he arrived at 'Amr's
(camp). Proceeding according to the instructions of al-Zabba’,
he carried out his task. Then he returned to her with the
likenesses she wanted, so that she might recognize 'Amr b. 'Adi in
any shape or guise and be on her guard.
Qasir said to 'Amr b. 'Adi, "Cut off my nose, beat my back
and leave her to me." To this 'Amr replied, "I am not
going to
do that. This is not what you deserve from me." Qasir now
said, "If you would help me, you will be clear of blame" ”
this
became a proverb . 369
According to Ibn al-Kalbi: The father of al-Zabba’ built the
tunnel for her and her sister; her sister's fortress was inside her
city. 'Amr said to Qasir, "You are a man of discernment."
But
Qasir cut off his own nose, and covered his back with wounds.
So the Arabs say of a ruse, "Qasir cut off his nose ."'
70 Al-
Mutalammis refers to this in the verse:
For the sake of blood vengeance it was that
Qasir cut off his nose, and Bayhas plunged to death by
sword . 371
369. khalli 'anni idhan wa-khalaka dhamm.
370. jada'a anfahu Qasir.
371. On the pre-Islamic poet al-Mutalammis see Nicholson,
Literary history, toyf. Bayhas lost seven brothers. To urge blood revenge, he
wore the
Al-Zabba
145
Another version has "He desired death." 'Adi b. Zayd recited:
372
Like Qasir when he found nothing else,
Qasir cut off his ears and nose for gratitude.
When Qasir cut off his nose and injured his back he left,
pretending that he was fleeing. He claimed that 'Amr did it all to
him asserting that Qasir had been plotting against his uncle
Jadhimah who was gullible about al-Zabba’. Qasir then proceeded
to al-Zabba’. She was told that Qasir was at the gate,
and he was admitted by her order. Lo and behold, his nose had
been cut off and his back carried the signs of beating. She said,
"What is it that I see upon you, O Qasir?" He replied,
"'Amr b.
'Adi asserted that I had misled his uncle by extolling the trip to
you, and that I had duped him and sided with you against him.
He thus did to me what you see; I proceeded to you, as I knew
that nobody would be more averse to him than you." She
treated him kindly, honored him, and found in him some of the
resoluteness, good sense, experience, and knowledge of royal
affairs that she sought.
When he felt that she had become friendly with him and
trusted him, he said to her, "I have much wealth in Iraq,
including rarities, clothes, perfume. Send me to Iraq so that I may
get my wealth and bring to you some of the clothes and rare
garments, Iraqi varieties of perfumes and commodities. You
will gain much profit and acquire objects useful to royalty, for
Iraq's rarities are incomparable." He kept describing this to her
in glowing terms, until she let him go and sent a caravan with
him. She said, "Go to Iraq, sell what we have equipped you
with there, and buy for us of their rarities in clothes and the
like." Qasir set out with what she gave him. He reached Iraq
and came to al-Hirah disguised. He was received by 'Amr b.
'Adi, to whom he told the story. Qasir said, "Equip me with
cloth, rarities, goods. Maybe God will deliver al-Zabba’ to us,
shirt instead of the trousers and vice versa. When asked
about it, he said, "I
wear garb for every occasion, be it pleasant or
calamitous." See Nicholson,
ibid.
372. A pre-Islamic Christian poet. See GAS , II, 778; El
2 , s.v. 'Adi b. Zayd ;
Nicholson, Literary history, 45-48.
146
The Ancient Kingdoms
and you will be able to exact your vengeance and slay your
enemy." 'Amr gave Qasir what he needed, supplying him with all
manner of clothes and other goods. Qasir then returned to al-
Zabba’ and displayed it all to her. She liked what she saw and
was pleased, and her trust and confidence in him increased.
She then equipped him with even more goods than on the first
trip, and he again went to Iraq. He met 'Amr b. 'Adi and
obtained from him what he thought would suit al-Zabba’. He
returned to Iraq on a third trip, reported to 'Amr, and said,
"Gather your trusted men and soldiers, and prepare for them
sacks and haircloth" — according to Ibn al-Kalbi, Qasir was
the
first to use sacks. "Load two men each in a sack on a
camel,"
(he continued), "and sew the seams of the sack heads on the inside.
When they are inside the city of al-Zabba, I shall station
you at the gate of her tunnel; the men will come out of the
sacks, shout at the city people, and kill whoever resists. If al-
Zabba’ comes seeking the tunnel, strike her with the sword."
'Amr b. 'Adi acted accordingly. He loaded the men in sacks,
as suggested by Qasir, and sent the camels off to al-Zabba’
with men and arms. When they were close to her city, Qasir
came to her, announcing their arrival and the quantity of
garments and rarities they were carrying to her. He asked her to
come out to see the train of those camels and their load, saying,
"I brought what shrieks and keeps silent" ” this became a
proverb. 373
According to Ibn al-Kalbi: Qasir hid during the day, and
traveled at night; he was the first to do that. Al-Zabba’ came out
and saw the camels almost collapsing under the heavy load.
She said, "O Qasir,
What is the matter with the camels that their march is so
slow?
Do they carry stone or iron?
Or solid cold lead?"
The camels entered the city until the last passed by the gate-
keeper. He was a Nabatean holding an ox-goad. With it he
prodded the sacks near him; the prod hit the waist of a man in
373 . ji'tu bi-ma sa'a wa-samata.
Al-Zabba
147
the sack and the man broke wind. The gate-keeper became
frightened and exclaimed in Nabataean, 374 " Bishta
besaqqe," meaning "There is mischief in the sacks" ”
the phase
became proverbial. When the camels reached midtown, they
were made to kneel down. Qaslr had signaled to 'Amr the gate
of the tunnel, and had shown it to him. The men got out of the
sacks and threw themselves upon the people of the city,
attacking them with arms.
'Amr b. 'Adi stood at the gate of the
tunnel. Al-Zabba’ rushed back to get into the tunnel but
noticed 'Amr standing there. She recognized him from the picture
the painter had made. She sucked her seal-ring, which contained
poison, and exclaimed, "By my own hand, not by yours,
O 'Amr" ” the phrase
became a proverb. 375 'Amr countered
and, striking her with his sword, he killed her. After inflicting
casualties among the city's people, 'Amr returned to Iraq.
In his ode ( qasidah ), 'Adi b. Zayd referred to the story of
Jadhimah, and of Qasir and al-Zabba’ , and how 'Amr b. 'Adi
killed al-Zabba’:
Were the abodes changed or obliterated?
Did they become very antiquated or did they disintegrate . . . ?
Al-Mukhabbal, that is, Rabi'ah b. 'Awf al-Sa'di 376 recited:
O 'Amr, I longed to join you,
and for each longing to join there is separation.
Nay, how often have I seen time parting.
those whose inclination is not to part.
Good luck had al-Zabba’, she built herself
abodes and fountains with tunnels,
Gentle-paced, fine-necked camels from the people of Dumah
carried prosperous life to her, devoid of hardship.
Until they were scattered by a shining sword,
violence flashing like a blade.
374. This is in Aramaic.
375. bi-yadi, la bi-yadika ya 'Amr.
376. On the sixth-century poet, 'Adi b. Zayd see EP I
196. On the seventh-
century poet al-Mukhabbal see GAS II, 20 iff.
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