Followers

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Mohammed and Kain's Descendants


Alice C. Linsley


Mohammed left Mecca in 622 A.D. after the Meccan chiefs of his own tribe had attempted to kill him. He went to Medina which was then called Yathrib. Compared with arid Mecca, Yathrib was a paradise with lush gardens, date-palm groves, and productive farms. It was originally a Horite settlement.  Yathrib (yt-rb) means "that which belongs to the son." The Y is a solar symbol also used to designate rulers such as Yaqtan, Yitzak, Yisbak, Yacob, Yosef, etc.

Medina is situated on the western edge of the central Arabian plateau in the heart of the region of Dedan. The Dedanites descended from Kush and from Abraham by his couisn wife, Keturah. Dedan the Younger was the son of Abraham's son Joktan.

Most Southern Arabians are descended from Abraham through Joktan, his first-born son.  He is remembered by Arabs as Yaqtan. Josephus knew him as Joctan and his name is preserved in the ancient town of Jectan near Mecca.

Medina had a population of roughly 10,000 people when Mohammed arrived. Word of his prophetic utterances had gone before him and he was greeted by the common folk as a prophet, many urging him to stay in their homes which they believed would bring a blessing upon their households. In Medina there were three clans of Kenites, descendents of Kain, the earliest ruler named in the Bible.[1] The Kenites had communities throughout the territories of Ham, Shem, Midian, Dedan, Raamah, Sheba and Joktan/Yaqtan.

In Medina, Mohammed built an open-air mosque with a shaded area to the south called the suffah and he aligned the prayer space facing north towards Jerusalem. The qibla (prayer direction) was later changed to face Mecca, to the south. Adjoining this mosque were homes for Mohammed’s two wives Sauda and Aisha. Aisha lived long after Mohammed died and was regarded as a prophet in her own right. Later Mohammed added other apartments for his many concubines. One of these was a Jewish girl named Safiya, who had been betrothed to the chief Kinana, who was slain when Mohammed’s raiders attacked the Khaibar Jews in their settlement six days journey northeast of Yathrib.

Among the people in Medina, there was a small community of Jews, a three-clan confederation who had resided in this area from before recorded history. These Jews agreed to protect Yathrib alongside Mohammed were the Meccans to attack. The agreement, called the Constitution of Medina, stated that “The Jews shall be responsible for their expenses and the Believers for theirs. Each, if attacked, shall come to the assistance of the other.” It also stated that “The Jews shall maintain their own religion and the Muslims theirs.” The nature of this treaty is the subject of dispute among historians. Many maintain that it is a cobbling together of oral and written agreements, and likely reflects different periods.[2]

The Banu Kainuka (بنو قينقاع‎) was one of the Jewish clans living in Medina. In 624, they threatened Mohammed's political authority by rejecting his claim to be The Prophet of Allah. Around this time, a Moslem girl visited a goldsmith shop owned by one of the Kainuka Jews. As she sat in the shop a mischievous Kainuka pinned her skirt behind her to her upper dress. When she arose she cried out in shame at her exposure. A Moslem then slew the offending Jew, whose brothers retaliated by killing the Moslem. For fifteen days, Mohammed blockaded the Kainuka Jews in their quarter until they surrendered. He then ordered them to leave Medina without their possessions.

These Jews were descendants of Kain or "Kenites" who had intermarried with their Arab brothers for many centuries. They numbered about 700, and their principal occupation was metal work. They resided in two fortresses in the south-western part of the city and they had Arabic names. Old Arabic, sometimes called "Dedanite" was in use in this region since the 8th century B.C.[3] 

Mohammed considered himself at war with the rulers of Mecca and felt justified in removing hostile elements living in Medina. He attacked the Banu-Nadhir Jews, charging them with helping his enemies and plotting against his life. After a three-week siege, these Jews were forced to leave Medina. This time, each family was allowed to take as much as a camel could carry.[4]

Mohammed appropriated their date orchards to support his household, and distributed other lands among his supporters.

Arab historians identify twenty Jewish clans living among the Arabs, including two priestly lines. These priestly lines are traced back to Abraham's Afro-Arabian ancestors. The priestly lines intermarried, with priests marrying the daughters of priests. This intermarriage began long before Jews can be identified as a separate group in about 580 BC. The ruling ancestors of Jews and Arabs intermarried so that the two groups are blood kin.


NOTES
 
1. Kain is associated with metal smiths and one of his descendents – Tubal-Kain – is said to be the “father” of smiths. Smiths held a high social status in the ancient world. Early in the Upper Nile, Badari smiths smelted copper. These are the same people who used ritual flint knives for circumcision, such at that used by Zipporah.

2. Ibn Ishak, an 8th century A.D.,  historian wrote a history for Muslims which includes genealogies representing the Islamic tradition. He appears to be the principal source of information about the Constitution of Medina.
 
3. The highest concentration of Old Arabic texts has been found in the region of Dedan. Genesis 10:7 tell us that Dedan the Elder was a grandson of the Kush by his son Raamah.
 
4. A large bull camel can carry up to 1323 pounds (600 kg) and smaller camels up to 882 pounds (400 kg). To read about Abraham's camels, go here.


Related reading: The Shock of Mohammed Atta's Afterlife; Some Jews and Some Arabs Have Horite Blood

13 comments:

Regina said...

Greetings! Thank you for this blog. For me, it is something like looking through a kaleidoscope - intricate design, fascinating and verging on poetic.

I'm interested to know more about what it means to be "descendents of Kain" or to be known as Kenite -the connection (if any) to Cain (Abel's jealous brother) and "the curse" or "the mark of Cain".

Alice C. Linsley said...

Poetic in the intricacy of the pattern... Indeed! Not many people see this.

Both Jews and Arabs are descendents of Kain who is the first earthly ruler named in the Bible. These were craftsman and artisans who specialized in metal work and they were dispersed throughout the ancient Kushite/Egyptian civilization.

The rulers who descend from Kain are listed in Genesis 4 and the rulers who descend from his brother Seth are listed in Genesis 5. These two king lists should be considered a single genealogy as the lines of Kain and Seth intermarried. This is evident in analysis of the genealogy where we find couin or niece brides naming their first-born sons after their fathers. This explains the appearance of linguistically equivalent names in both lines: Enoch/Enosh, Irad/Jared and of course Lamech/Lamech. To see the pattern, search Just Genesis for the essay titled "Lamech Segment".

BTW, There is a subtle criticism of Lamech the Elder whose two wives were Adah and t-Zillah. Their names refer to Dawn and Dusk and suggest that Lamech placed his wives on an East-West axis. This was NOT done among the rulers of Abraham's people because it would have been like setting oneself up as equal to God. The Sun was the Creator's emblem and His daily journey from east to west over all the Earth marked His territory.

This does raise a interesting question about the placement of Mohammed's 2 wives. Since he oriented his mosque on a north-south axis, where did he place the apartments of his two wives?

The oldest site of metal working in Africa is the region of Nok (Enoch in Hebrew). Kain and Seth married daughters of Nok. That is why both their first-born sons have the name Nok (Enoch). Kain and Seth were likely the sons of Nok by his 2 wives. They married couins or nieces.

As to the idea of Kain being cursed, that appears to have been introduced later. God's treatment of Kain in Genesis shows great mercy. He rightfully deserved to die for having murdered his brother, but God permitted him to live and even placed a protective mark on him. The nature of that mark isn't known. It is probably something that the Inadan of Niger and Nigeria still have as a characteristic mark, but I haven't figured that out yet. See what you can find out and let me know!

Regina said...

Thanks for your reply, Alice. The mark of Cain is rather paradoxical - a curse/punishment that is also meant to protect.

What is the Flood's implication for the line of Cain. I always assumed only the line of Seth survived this. You point out though that the two lines (Seth and Cain) should be seen as one due to intermarriage.

The account of the names and positions of the wives (East-West; Dawn-Dusk) is fascinating. Makes me think something like alchemy was being observed.

Anonymous said...

"... he aligned the prayer space facing north towards Jerusalem. The qibla (prayer direction) was later changed to face Mecca, to the south."

This explains everything.

Facing and being in Jerusalem in Scripture is a metaphor for true worship and surrender to GOD and of agreement and alignment with GOD.

Though Mohammedism has a presence in Jerusalem today, they are not 'of Jerusalem.'

Mohammed forged his own religion, placing himself above both God the Father (Judaism), Jesus Christ (Christianity) and the Holy Spirit (declaring his ways superceded both religions and all others). The fruit of the religion of Mohammed is the opposite kind of man to the One Who is The (Ikon and Model) of Man, Jesus The King/Christ. (John 19:5, 14)

Whereas Jesus loved and respected women and children, Mohammed's followers do not. Where Mohammedism rules and dominates a country, there is misery, hatred, deception, cruelty, injustice, intolerance, conflict, domination, rape, murder and exploitation of women and children... There is not justice, compassion, forgiveness, freedom, righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit that characterizes followers of the Way of the Cross of Jesus Christ.

O True and Living GOD of Love, have mercy and help me, I hate that pernicious religious political system.

Anonymous said...

Alice, Please pull my comment if you wish. I wouldn't blame you. It would have been better if I had written to you personally for your as always peaceable, temperate and Holy Spirit-led response.

Alice C. Linsley said...

I'm for free speech. Likely there are others who would agree with you.

Mohammed often conversed with Jews living in Mecca. What he knew of the Bible was what the Jews told him and they didn't know what Genesis actually says about the common ancestors of Jews and Arabs. This is because the Jews were better versed in the Babylonian Talmud's interpretation of Genesis than in Genesis itself. The Talmud takes a Zionist view, attempting to exclude all from claim to the Land except Jacob's descendents. The tragedy of this is that when Mohammed heard the Jews speaking about their history, he didn't hear the message of God's love for all of Abraham's sons and their descendents. So, naturally Mohammed rejected Jewish teaching.

Alice C. Linsley said...

Obiterspeak, Genesis tells us that one of Cain's descendents, the sister of Tubal-Cain, married Methuselah, a descendent of Seth. Her name was Naamah and she named her first-born son Lamech, after her father. This younger Lamech is the father of Noah. This manes that Noah and his sons and their wives were descendents of both Shem and Cain.

Noah lived in the area of Lake Chad, in the region which is named for him - "Bor-Nu" - meaning the Land of Noah. He lived there in the Gurian wet period which was marked by about 500 years of rain. This was during the Halocene Period, about 12,000 years ago. Lake Chad was then a sea, 5 times the size of Lake Superior. As Noah and his fellow Afro-Asiatic rulers controlled the waterways, they had fleets of boats. Many people would have survived the extensive flooding during that period. Noah obviously was responsible for saving many lives, which is why he is remembered. Add to this the fact that Noah's 3 sons are the progenitors of only 3 human populations. The story of Noah's flood is told from the perspective of these peoples and tells us about the other human populations which lived outside of the Afro-Asiatic Dominion.

You show great insight in this statement: "The account of the names and positions of the wives (East-West; Dawn-Dusk) is fascinating. Makes me think something like alchemy was being observed."

Alchemy, which developed in the Middle Ages, drew its symbolism from Semitic mysticism. Semitic mysticism involves the 4 cardinal points and the Sun's movement.

Anonymous said...

"This is because the Jews were better versed in the Babylonian Talmud's interpretation of Genesis than in Genesis itself. The Talmud takes a Zionist view, attempting to exclude all from claim to the Land except Jacob's descendents. "

That is sad...especially because there is evidence that the Jews had made converts outside the bloodlines of Isaac and in other nations at the time of Jesus, and some say earlier they taught and possibly converted the Wise Men (Magi) during the earlier captivity. Jesus did chide the Pharisees for teaching the traditions of men rather than the Words and precepts of GOD, saying they had made devils out of their converts.

Still, Mohammed 'turned South' and away from Jerusalem and he resisted and rejected not only Judaism, but Christianity as well. He incorporated the names of the principle characters of Judaism and Christianity in his religion in order to subsume and supplant them both. There is little evidence of love, peace and good will toward them either then or now.

Alice C. Linsley said...

According to Arabic history, Mohammed's Quraysh tribe in Mecca was a branch of the Kinanah/Kina tribe, the tribe God chose over the other sons of Ishmael. The Kina are an Egyptian tribe. Both Ishmael's wife and mother were Egyptian. This is the explanation given for the realignment of his mosque's prayer direction.

I've looked at GPS calculations of the qiblahs of the oldest mosques and I'm not sure that they pointed to Jerusalem. They appear to point to Beersheba which is where Abraham lived with Keturah. Keturah is the "mother" of most Arabs. If we extend the line further, the mosques would align with a point on the Nile. I want to go back a caluculate the area on the Nile. I wouldn't be surprised if they point to the shrine of Karnach. Apparently, Abraham's mother was associated with Karnach.

Anonymous said...

'Coincidentally,' my morning devotions and the sermon this Sunday were both about 'turning toward Jerusalem'
provoking more thought on the subject.

Anonymous said...

PS - there is no evidence that Mohammed was ever truly turned toward Jerusalem, either spiritually or physically.

Osmund Kilrule said...

Hello Alice,

I lost track of your blog for some time- to my great disadvantage. W.r.t. to the 3-sons theory- what about the consequences for the Christian Faith and Tradition in which Isaac held to be as the Eldest(acc. to God's promise) as a prefig of Christ- and subsequently, his 'sacrifice'- the mention in the Roman Canon, for example. Sorry if these questions have already been touched upon earlier. I must do some catching up!

Cheers

Francis

Alice C. Linsley said...

Good to hear from you again, Francis!

The rulers among Abraham's people had 2 wives and many children. The oldest son received an earthly kingdom from his father. To become rulers, the youngest sons (such as Abraham and David) would have to receive heavenly kingdoms - that is to say, kingdoms prepared for them by God.

The offering of Isaac does prefigure that of Christ. Possibly this is because Abraham believed that Isaac was the promised Son of Gen. 3:15. If this were the case, he expected the sacrificed Son to be restored to life. You can read more about that here:

http://jandyongenesis.blogspot.com/2010/05/did-abraham-believe-isaac-to-be-messiah.html

Muslims believe that Abraham offered Ishmael, but the circumstances of Ishmael's birth don't seem to fit the Horite expectation of a miraculous birth.