Early Christianity in Arabia

218 Pages·2008·11.05 MB·English

by  Wright, Thomas, 1810-1877

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Seminary
T h eological
PRINCETON, N.
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BR 1090 .W74 1855 c.2
Case Wright, Thomas, 1810-1877.
Early Christianity in Arabia
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EARLY CHRISTIANITY
in-
ARABIA
;
A HISTORICAL ESSAY.
BY
THOMAS WRIGHT,
Esq., M.A., F.S.A.,
HON. M.R.S.L., &C.
CORRESPONDING MEMBER OF THE IMPERIAL INSTITUTE OF FRANCE
(ACADEMIC DES INSCRIPTIONS ET BELLES-LETTRES.)
LONDON:
BEBNARD QUARITCLT, 16, CASTLE STREET,
LEICESTER SQUARE.
MDCCCLV.

PREFACE.
When
the following* pages were written, the
author, who was then very young, pursued with at
least considerable zeal the study of the Oriental
languages and literature, a study which, upon his
entering the university, he laid aside, not again to
beresumed. The historicalessay now published was
written in the beliefthat the events which it relates
had received but little attention in this country, and
had never been presented in a popular form to Eng-
lish readers; and atthesame time he thought, as heis
still inclined to think, that they form an interesting
episode in the history of mankind, and thatthey are
a necessary introduction to our knowledge of the
origin ofthat religion which has exercised so mighty
an influence on the whole world during the middle
ages. He had preserved the manuscript without
any determinate idea of publishing it,until the gene-
ral interest in the affairs of the East which has
been raised by the great events that are now taking-
place has led him to believe that his sketch of the
IV
histor}r of Christianity in Arabia before it was sub-
verted by the arms of Muhammed and his followers
might find a sufficient number of readers to justify
itspublication.
It seemed necessary to make this statement both
as an explanation and as an apology and it is but
;
right to add that the whole is here printed as it was
written • for, as the author's studies have for some
A^ears run in an entirely different direction; he has
not ventured upon a revision of this slight memorial
of former labours. He has not attempted to ap-
proach in any way the question of the orthography
of Oriental names, which is one on which even
Oriental scholars are not at all agreed, and in which
many changes have taken place since these pages
were written but he believes that his originaldesire
;
was to adopt such forms as, without being vulgarly
corrupt, would sound least harsh to those who were
not acquainted with the languages to which they
belons*.
14, Sydney Street, Brompton,
January, 1855.
——
CONTENTS.
........
—
Sec. I. Sketch ofthe People and physical Geography of
Arabia Eelix 1
—
Sec. II. History of Hamyar, and of the expeditions of
the T—obbaas till the introduction ofChristianity . 13
Sec. III. Intro—ductionofChri—stianityinto Arabia—Felix,
or Hamyar Eruinentius Theophilus Indus The
.20
later—Tobbaas . . . . ' . . .
Sec. IV. The ancient state of Eth—iopia, or Abyssinia
Its connection with Hamyar Martyrdom of the
—
Chr—istians of Nadjran Conquest of Yama—n . . 40
Sec. V. Early history of Hirah and Ghassan The Mu-
—
louk-al-Towaeif Subjection of the northern Arabs
t—o Eome—Intro—duction of Ch—ristianity amongs—t them
Persian wars Euthymius Simeon Stylites Saba 68
— —
Sec. VI. Embassy—from Justinian to Ethiopia Eevolu-
tion in—Taman Accession ofAbrahah . . .80
Sec. VII. Eei—gn ofAbrahah—Con—dition of Christianity
in Yaman St. Gregentius Expedition against
Mecca 92
—
Sec.DVeIaItIh. ofHosKtoibleado—ccAucpcaetsisoinonofofHiNroauhshbiyrwHaanr—etWhar
—
betwee—nHirahand Gha—ssan a—nd betweenPersia and
Eome Arabian Poets Lebid Amru'1-Kais 101
. .
— —
Sec IX. Origin of the Monophysite heresy Council
— — —
of Constantin—ople of Ephesus of Chalcedon its
consequences —Progresso—ftheEutychiansinthereign
of Anastasius Severus The persecution by Jus-
tinian 109
—
Sec X.—ProgressoftheMon—ophysite doctrinesinArabia,
&—c. Jacobus Barada?us Their progress inA—byssinia
in Mesopotamia and the—north of Arabia Turbu-
lence of the A—rabian chiefs Stat—e of Christianity in
Arabia Eelix The Phant.asias.ts .Divis.ions.bet.ween
—
the Arabs and Romans History of Mondar, king of
—
Ghassan and his son 125
CONTENTS.
vi
TAGE
Sec. XI.—Domestic dissensions amongst the Arabs—
Their Battles—Poets—Hareth—Amru ben Kelthum
—Ascha—Christianityin Hirah—Conversion of No-
^'
man abu Kabus
Sec. XII.—Last Abyssinian kings of Yaruan—History
ofSeifDzi Jezen—Invasion and conquest of Hamyar
by the Persians—Death of Seif—Hamyar reduced to
**5
a province ofPersia
Sec. XIII.—Birth of Muhammed—History of Muham-
med to the fall of Mecca—Poets—Caa—b, Lebid, &c.
—Views of Muhammed—his Beligion Character-
Literature of Arabia—Muhammed's attempts on the
Idolaters—on the Christians—and on the Jews . 152
Sec. XIV.—Wars between the Persians, Koinans, and
northern Arabs under Maurice and Heraclius—Pro-
gress of Muhammed against the—Christians of Arabia
Messageto the king of Persia Death ofKhosroes
parviz—Conversion of Badhan—Dissensions among
theChristians-Copts—ChristiansofNadjran—Chris-
tians of Arabia seek protection from Muhammed—
Gabala, last king of Ghassan—Embassy ofHeraclius
—BattleofMuta—ConquestofHira.h—D.eath.oAf.Mcu--
hammed—State of the Christians in Arabia,
Conquest ofSyria -Conclusion 17o
Appendix.
(A) History ofthe tribes ofTasm and Hodais . . 190
(B) History ofDzu Nowass 192