Wednesday, November 27, 2013

This Great Deep of Elemental Water Remaineth Forever Pure.

To all our readers of Jewish descent or religion, Happy Hanukkah. To all our US American readers, Happy Thanksgiving.

Can't think of anything to say tonight - unless you fancy more of my investigation into the flood stories of the Near-East and North Africa??

Since the Arab peoples were around long before Islam - they're a Semitic people, closely related to the Jews. (Which is why the languages have so many similarities). In fact, the Arabs are the Ishmaelites of Genesis. They trace their ancestry back to Abraham's first-born (illegitimate) son, Ishmael, while the Jewish people (Israelites) trace theirs back to Abraham's second (but only legitimate) son, Isaac.

But anyway... pre-Islam Arabic tribes had religions, it isn't too hard to find information about the early Arab kingdoms and divisions... but their religions?? No chance. From what little written evidence there is it seems that some groups/kingdoms of pre-Common Era Arabs practiced Judaism. Some practiced a monotheistic religion very similar to early Judaism.

Some worshipped a pantheon of gods and goddesses. Some were more (what we now regard) as pagan - worshipping the sun, moon, stars, tress, etc. We don't really have a lot of written evidence for these - except that the Qu'ran rails against them.

And some followed no organised religion at all.

So any attempt to uncover a pre-Islam Arabic deluge-myth runs slap bang into the biblical-influence problem again. It's just that it's a pre-Christian biblical influence this time.

I may never find out exactly where the localised flood that spawned the tale actually was - but I'm having fun trying.

See you next week. Goodnight and may your God/s go with you.

Ze

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