Khaybar
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Khaybar (Arabic,خيبر) is the name of an oasis some 95 miles to the north of Medina (ancient Yathrib), Saudi Arabia. It was inhabited by Jews before the rise of Islam, and was conquered by Muhammad in 628 A.D.
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[edit] History
[edit] Khaybar in the 7th century
In the 7th century, Khaybar was inhabited by the Jews, who pioneered the cultivation of the oasis and made their living growing date palm trees, as well as through commerce and craftsmanship, accumulating considerable wealth. Some objects found by the Muslims when they entered Khaybar — a siege-engine, 20 bales of Yemenite cloth, and 500 cloaks — point out to an intense trade carried out by the Jews. While in the past some scholars attempted to explain the presence of a siege-engine, suggesting that it was used for settling quarrels among the families of the community, nowadays the common opinion among academics is that it was stored in a depôt for future sale, in the same way that swords, lances, shields, and other weaponry had been sold by the Jews to Arabs. Equally, the cloth and the cloaks must have been intended for sale, as it is not conceivable that such a quantity of luxury goods was kept for the exclusive use of the Jews.[citation needed]
The oasis was divided into three regions: al-Natat, al-Shikk, and al-Katiba, probably separated by natural diversions, such as the desert, lava drifts, and swamps. Each of these regions contained several fortresses or redoubts containing homes, storehouses and stables. Each fortress was occupied by a separate family and surrounded by cultivated fields and palm-groves. In order to improve their defensive capabilities, the fortresses were raised up on hills or basalt rocks.
[edit] Aftermath
Jews continued to live in the oasis for several more years afterwards until they were finally expelled by caliph Umar. The imposition of tribute upon the conquered Jews of the Khaybar Fortress served as a precedent for provisions in Islamic law requiring the exaction of tribute known as jizya from dhimmis, i.e. non-Muslims under Muslim rule, and confiscation of land belonging to non-Muslims into the collective property of the Muslim community.
For many centuries, the oasis at Khaybar was an important caravan stopping place. The center developed around a series of ancient dams that were built to hold back run-off water from the rain. Around the water catchements date palms grew, and soon Khaybar became an important date producing center.
[edit] Battle of Khaybar
[edit] Expulsion of the Jews from Khaybar
The Jews were exiled from Khaybar in reign of caliph Umar (634-644) for betrayal during the battle of Khaybar. During his caliphate, the Muslims conquered vast territories in the Middle East, bringing to the Arabia large numbers of workers, and the Jewish labor force was no longer necessary. The Jews of Khaybar settled in many areas throughout the Middle East, and they maintained a distinctive identity until the 12th century.[citation needed]
[edit] The journey of Benjamin of Tudela
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 today in the geographic area of Saudi Arabia. One map of his travels in the areas of present-day Saudi Arabia shows that he stopped at Jewish communities living in Tayma and Khaybar.[2] His trek began as a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.[3] 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 the Holy Land so as to provide a guide to where hospitality may have been found for Jews travelling to the Holy Land.[4] 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.
[edit] The Jews of Khaybar in Arabic folklore
In later times, the Jews of Khaybar became popular figures in Arabic folklore.[citation needed] One of the stories went that on the road to Mecca many Jewish tent-dwellers lived in the desert in the neighborhood of many Arabs who robbed everybody passing by. The Jews and the Arabs then had an equal share in the booty. Legends such as this one persisted well into the modern times.[5]
[edit] Chant
In modern times, Khaybar has inspired an Arabic chant commonly used in demonstrations against Israel. The chant essentially goes, Khaybar Khaybar ya Yahud, jaysh Muhammad saya‘ud, and the translation is "Khaybar, Khaybar o Jews, the army of Muhammad will return". Another version is Khaybar, Khaybar ya Sahyun, Hizbullah qadimun "Khaybar, Khaybar you Zionists, Hizbullah is coming".[6] [7] [8]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ PDF: The Itinerary of Benjamin of Tudela trans. Nathan Marcus Adler. 1907: Includes map of route (p. 2) and commentary.. teachittome.com.
- ^ Map Image:Benjamin of Tudela route.jpg: "The Travels of Benjamin of Tudela" from The Itinerary of Benjamin of Tudela trans. Nathan Marcus Adler. 1907: Includes map of route (p. 2) and commentary.. Wikipedia map.
- ^ Shatzmiller, Joseph. "Jews, Pilgrimage, and the Christian Cult of Saints: Benjamin of Tudela and His Contemporaries." After Rome's Fall: Narrators and Sources of Early Medieval History, p. 338. University of Toronto Press: Toronto, 1998.
- ^ Shatzmiller, Joseph. "Jews, Pilgrimage, and the Christian Cult of Saints: Benjamin of Tudela and His Contemporaries." After Rome's Fall: Narrators and Sources of Early Medieval History, p. 347. University of Toronto Press: Toronto, 1998.
- ^ Stillman (1979), p. 290
- ^ Goldberg, Jeffery (2001). Arafat’s Gift. The New Yorker - From the Archive. CondéNet. Retrieved on 2006-09-29.
- ^ Alagha, Joseph Elie (2006). The Shifts in Hizbullah’s Ideology (pdf). ISIM Dissertations. Amsterdam University Press. Retrieved on 2006-09-29.
- ^ Lin, Carol; Wolf Blitzer. "War in the Middle East" (transcript 072901CN.V88), CNN Saturday Night 10:00 PM EST, Cable News Network, July 29, 2006 Saturday. Retrieved on 2006-09-29.
