An Arabian Tribe
The brand new Midianites was basically a great Proto-Arabian tribe; their home base was a student in Arabia and generally are about Ishmaelites. The publication out-of Evaluator claims this clearly about story out of Gideon, just who helps make the pursuing the consult of one’s Israelites after beating the fresh Midianites:
We come across evidence of the relationship fitness singles hledat between Midianites and you may Ishmaelites just like the better in terms of labels. For-instance, Moses father-in-laws Jethro or Jether (Exod 4:17) provides the exact same name while the Davids aunt-in-law (partner away from Davids aunt Abigail), Jether the new Ishmaelite (step 1 Chron 2:17).
The brand new Spice Trade
Inside the Iron Many years and you can after, brand new Midianites, as an Arabian tribe, had been a portion of the spice trade. They would travelling out-of Arabia and you will go through Israel on the answer to the new Mediterranean shore and/or Egypt. This might be mirrored in the biblical tale from Joseph, which makes reference to Midianite and you may Ishmaelite traders heading to Egypt with herbs and you may slaves:
Inside tale, the brand new dealers got first lead northern, maybe to exchange to the Arameans, and had been moving southern from Jezreel valley into the Via Maris, which would take them to the Egypt. Whilst story is determined from the next century B.C.Elizabeth., anachronistic have including camels reveal that it was printed in the initial century B.C.Age.
New solid union ranging from this type of eastern Arabian tribes plus the liven channel is mirrored regarding name the brand new Bible (Gen 25:1-2) gets their eponymous mom, Qeturah (?????), a name connected with new Hebrew word to own incense, qetoret (?????).
In a nutshell, this new Midianites was in fact an Arabian group doing work in metallurgy and the liven trading, whoever base was a student in brand new northeast of one’s Arabian Peninsula, however, whoever arrived at from payment is actually far wide, with pouches residing in the southwest Sinai Peninsula, the fresh new southern Transjordan, and Aravah (the fresh new desert an element of the southeastern Negev), most likely because of the copper blood vessels indeed there.
The Shaswe-House YHWA
C.Age., we understand that the Midianites just weren’t the actual only real cultural organizations way of life it such section. On geographic list into the Amunhotep IIIs Soleb Nubian temple, individuals of Aravah plus the southern Transjordan have been called Shaswe (otherwise Shasu), an universal label meaning something like “nomadic tribes.”
The expression shaswe, s?sw ( ) is written following the Egyptian determinative to possess “land” t? ( ), demonstrating that Egyptian text was outlining more geographic elements inhabited by various shaswe. An area detailed is named Nomad-land Seir, which is identical towards the Mount Seir area in the Edom. The second label on list, which means that close or contiguous with Seir, try Nomad-house Yehwa, yhw?(w) ( ). The newest pronunciation on the name’s not sure, just like the including Hebrew, hieroglyphics don’t is vowels, however the term appears to be connected with the name from the newest Israelite deity, YHWH, whoever accurate ancient pronunciation is even unknown.
An excellent Deity and you can a secure
Throughout the listing, Yehwa ‘s the name out of a land. As a possible nomadic category stayed in an area titled Seir, various other lived in a secure entitled Yehwa. In antiquity, a reputation could really be both a great toponym and a good theonym. The name Assyria (Assur) illustrates so it clearly: it’s the title away from Assyrias master goddess as well as their ancient money city. Eventually, moreover it turned the name of the empire. Other analogy will be the Greek goddess away from facts, Athena, which began since the patron goddess off Athens.
YHWH Is inspired by the newest Edomite South
Biblical proof signifies that YHWH is inspired by the the southern area of, both on the slopes of Edom if not subsequent southern when you look at the Midian or past. This might be like obvious when you look at the about three extremely ancient biblical poems: