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I.BeforetheConquest
significanceforhistoricalresearchisquestioned,asitisdisputablewhetherthey
concerntheerabeingdescribedortheyrefertothelatertimes40.
TefirstinformationaboutArabs,whosedatingisreliable,comesfrom
theBookofIsaiah,originatingfromthesecondhalfofeighthcenturyBC41.It
showsthatthenameArabsstartedtoappearinthetimewhenthetermIshma-
eliteshadalreadyvanished42.UnlikeIshmaelites,ithasnothingtodowithbib-
licalterminology.Nothingpointsouttoitsancestralorigineither.Ratherthan
that,itdenotesthenomadicwayoflife43.Consideringthiswemaydoubtifboth
termsregardthesameethnicgroup.ItisworthconsideringiftheArabscould
invadetheareasinhabitedbyIshmaelitesandtaketheirplacethere.
TeBibledoesnotprovideinformationaboutrelationsbetweenIshmaelites
andArabs.Teonlypartthatcanpointoutidentityofbothtermsistheverse
fromGenesisinwhichthesonsofIshmaelarenamed44.Teterritoriestheyin-
habitedcoverwiththosewhich-accordingtoAssyriansources-usedtobelong
totheArabs.
TehistoryofHagarandhersonmadenumerousJewishandChristian
writersidentifybothgroupsandcalltheArabsbythenameofHagarenesor
Ishmaelites.AlreadyinJosephFlavius’AntiquitatumJudaicarumtheyappearas
Ishmael’sprogeny
45,butheusesalsothenameArabs,referringtobothbiblical
timesandthetimescontemporarytohim.Accordingtohisnarration,thesons
ofIshmael,knownformGenesis46becametheancestorsoftheArabtribeswhich
controlledacountrywhichextendedfromtheEuphratestotheRedSea47.
Chron.22,1(AndtheinhabitantsofJerusalemmadeAhaziahhisyoungestsonkinginhisstead:
forthebandofmenthatcamewiththeArabianstothecamphadslainalltheeldest);1Kings10,15
(Besidethathe[Solomon]hadofthemerchantmen,andofthetrafckofthespicemerchants,and
ofallthekingsofArabia);2Chron.26,7(AndGodhelpedhimagainstthePhilistines,andagainst
theArabiansthatdweltinGurbaal,andtheMehunims);Neh.4,1-2;Neh.6,1;1Macc.5,39;1
Macc.11,17;1Macc.11,39;1Macc.12,31;2Macc.5,8;2Macc.12,10;Jer.3,2.
40I.Eph’al,“Ishmael”and“Arab(s)”…,p.227.
41Isa.13,20(aboutBabylonpunishedbyGod:neithershalltheArabianpitchtentthere;
neithershalltheshepherdsmaketheirfoldthere).
42I.Eph’al,“Ishmael”and“Arab(s)”…,p.227.
43Isa.13,20;Jer.3,2(Inthewayshastthousatforthem,astheArabianinthewilderness).
I.Eph’al,“Ishmael”and“Arab(s)”…,p.227.
44Gen.25,13-16.I.Eph’al,“Ishmael”and“Arab(s)”…,p.228.
45JosephFlavius,I,12,2;I,12,4.TeJewishhistorianisreportingthestoryof
Hagar,knownfromOldTestament.A.G.C.Savvides,SomeNotes…,p.92;A.J.Wensinck,
Ismail,[in:]EI,vol.III,pp.543-544.
46JosephFlavius,I,12,4.
47JosephFlavius,I,12,4;I.Eph’al,“Ishmael”and“Arab(s)”…,p.232.