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3.TeArabsbeforeIslam…
39
TeoldesttracesofhumanpresenceintheArabianPeninsuladatetothesev-
enthmillenniumBC.Rockpaintingsfeaturingelephants,rhinocerosesand
antelopesappearedinthatera.AroundthesixthmillenniumBC,theclimate
begantochange-thechangeisreflectedintherockpaintings.Tepicturesof
elephantsandforestanimalsgraduallydisappeared,givingwaytohornedcat-
tle.InthefourthandthirdmillenniaBC,thereappeareddesertandsemi-desert
creatures-ostrichesandcamels.InthesecondmillenniumBC,theinhabitants
oftheArabianPeninsuladomesticatedthehumpcamel(dromedary)-initially
probablyintheregionoftoday’sOman.Rockpaintings,reflectingchangesin
humanlife,testifytothespreadofnomadism.Socialdevelopmentadvancedto
thepointwhereclimatenolongerplayedacrucialroleinpeople’slives.Man’s
activityexpandedandacquirednewsignificance.
Teintroductionofthenewsaddle,attheendofthefirstmillennium
BC,playedasignificantroleinthatdeveloppement.Itallowedmentomake
betteruseoftheircamels,withnomadicshepherdsquicklytransforminginto
warriors
3.
ItisworthstressingthattheArabianPeninsulaisthecradleofSemiticpeo-
ple.Teymigratedfromthatareainwavesoccurringaroundeverythousand
years(theMesopotamian-Egyptianwavearound3500BC,theSyrian-Amorite
oneinaround2500BC,andtheAramaicinaround1550-1200BC),spilling
allovertheMiddleEast,wheretheyformeddilerentcentresofancientciviliza-
tions.TelastwaveofthesemigrationsmarkedtheendofprehistoryoftheAra-
bianPeninsula.Tetribesthatstayed,irrespectiveofthedilerencesbetween
them,canbereferredtoasArabs.
InthemiddleofthesecondmillenniumBC,andforthefirsttimeinthehis-
toryoftheArabsinArabiaFelixthereemergedanumberofstrongpoliticalor-
ganisms,includingMacin,Saba’
,Hadramawt,atabśnandHimyar
4.TeSabaean
state,withitscapitalinSirvahu(40kmwestofMa’rib)andtheninMa’rib,ex-
istedfrom950BCto115CE(somehistorianstraceitshistorybacktothethir-
teenthcenturyBC)
5.UntilthefifhcenturyBC,itwasruledbypriestkingscalled
mukarrib.Forthisreasonthisepochisreferredtoastheperiodofthemukarribs.
3M.M.Dziekan,ArabiaSaudyjska,[in:]Encyklopediahistorycznaświata,vol.X,ed.
idem,Kraków2002,pp.23-24;J.Zdanowski,HistoriaArabiiWschodniej,Wrocław2004,
pp.15-18.
4F.R.Scheck,Szlakmirryikadzidła,transl.J.Danecki,Warsaw1988;R.D.Bur-
rowes,HistoricalDictionaryofYemen,London1995;B.Doe,PołudniowaArabia,transl.
M.Gawlikowski,Warszawa1979;M.B.Piotrovskij,JužnajaAravijavranneesredneve-
kov’e.Stanovleniesrednevekovogoobščestva,Moskva1985.
5S.A.A.As-Salim,Tarikhal-Arabfasral-Dżahilijja,Bajrutn.d.,p.119.