Ghassanids : The Christian Arabs

[StonyArabia]

The Ghassanids are originally a Yemenite tribe who migrate to the Levant and Arabizing most of the locals long before the rise of Islam. They also converted to Christianity and today many Christians in the Levant do trace their lineage to this tribe.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksqCC8RgjZc

[1stLightHorse]

The Ghassanids are originally a Yemenite tribe who migrate to the Levant and Arabizing most of the locals long before the rise of Islam. They also converted to Christianity and today many Christians in the Levant do trace their lineage to this tribe.



The Ghassanids were from al 'Azd, the mega-tribe which also includes the Nahyan Dynasty of the UAE, al Maktoum Dynasty of UAE, Nasrid dynasty Islamic Spain, Banu Khazraj, and also Abu Dawud the famous muhaddith. Some say also Roman emperor Philip the Arab was from this lineage too.

So it's interesting how many share lineage with vast majority of Muslims today.

[MarkyMark]

Historically accurate video. Whats the name of that first song? It sounds like its from the early 1900's.. It reminded me so much of Syria, lol.
If the video went on longer it would describe how when the Muslim arabs overthrew the kingdom of ghassan that some ghassanids were forced to convert to islam. They gained the majority eventually because muslims practice polygamy and the christian ghassanids and christian arameans didn't.

[MarkyMark]

I see you watching this thread alberta! Just respond already.

[Maleficent]

The Ghassanids were from al 'Azd, the mega-tribe which also includes the Nahyan Dynasty of the UAE, al Maktoum Dynasty of UAE, Nasrid dynasty Islamic Spain, Banu Khazraj, and also Abu Dawud the famous muhaddith. Some say also Roman emperor Philip the Arab was from this lineage too.

So it's interesting how many share lineage with vast majority of Muslims today.
Interesting. Didn't know the tribe was that large.

Anyway, in my personal opinion, the Christian Levant should have stayed Roman/Byzantine and not accepted Ghassanid culture.

[MarkyMark]

At least their music is nice....

[StonyArabia]

Historically accurate video. Whats the name of that first song? It sounds like its from the early 1900's.. It reminded me so much of Syria, lol.

I have no clue about the music, but sound distinctly Levantine.


If the video went on longer it would describe how when the Muslim arabs overthrew the kingdom of ghassan that some ghassanids were forced to convert to islam.

The Ghassanid actually fought against the Arab forces and did not ally with them unlike the Lakhmids in Iraq who did. However the Ghassanid subjects the pagan Safaitic and Nabatean tribes who lived in Southern Syria/Jordan resented Ghassanid rule and most importantly the Byzantines, and this why they in fact ally with the Arab Muslims and helping them defeat the Ghassanids. Some Ghassanid converted to Islam well many stayed Christian and mixing with other Christian groups.
id

They gained the majority eventually because muslims practice polygamy and the christian ghassanids and christian arameans didn't.

Yes that's what is claimed, however some areas of Syria were changed due to the Mongol invasions.

[ariel]

lol

the gazanids dosent arabized anyone. the levant was aramaic speacking until the arab islamic occupation of the middle east.

[Maleficent]

lol

the gazanids dosent arabized anyone. the levant was aramaic speacking until the arab islamic occupation of the middle east.

No. It is true and historically accurate that the Ghassanid Christian Arabs arabized the Levant before Islam was ever even invented.

[ariel]

no. It is true and historically accurate that the ghassanid christian arabs arabized the levant before islam was ever even invented.

aramaic was the main language in the midle east in generaly. Only in egypt they spoken coptic language.....the ghazanids adopted the aramaic language and mixed with the local christian population.

[Maleficent]

aramaic was the main language in the midle east in generaly. Only in egypt they spoken coptic language.....the ghazanids adopted the aramaic language and mixed with the local christian population.

I think you're right.
http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_Christians#Background_and_early_histor y
It seems the Levantine Christians were linguistically Aramaic, then Greek, then Arabic, and only Arabic after Islam came.

[1stLightHorse]

Interesting. Didn't know the tribe was that large.

Anyway, in my personal opinion, the Christian Levant should have stayed Roman/Byzantine and not accepted Ghassanid culture.

Yes, it's one of the largest pure tribes in all of Arabia, originating in the Yemen. They're descendants of Qahtan, according to Arabian lore. Many of the Arab rulers come from this, except the most powerful house of Saud, who i think are Adnani's maybe, Alberta1 might know. Here's something interesting though, about the Pre-Islamic religious rituals of the Sabaeans (from whom the Ghassanids came).


"The Arabs during the pre-Islamic period used to practice certain things that were included in the Islamic Sharia. They, for example, did not marry both a mother and her daughter. They considered marrying two sisters simultaneously to be a most heinous crime. They also censured anyone who married his stepmother, and called him dhaizan. They made the major [hajj] and the minor [umra] pilgrimage to the Ka'ba, performed the circumambulation around the Ka'ba [tawaf], ran seven times between Mounts Safa and Marwa [sa'y], threw rocks and washed themselves after intercourse. They also gargled, sniffed water up into their noses, clipped their fingernails, plucked their hair from their armpits, shaved their pubic hair and performed the rite of circumcision. Likewise, they cut off the right hand of a thief.

— Muhammad Shukri al-Alusi, Bulugh al-'Arab fi Ahwal al-'Arab, Vol. 2, p. 122

[oblivion]

Fascinating subject. What families in the Levant today do we know are of ghassanid origin? I know there are lists out there but maybe some Levantines here might have a better idea. I know the Maalouf family and Barakat family are ghassanids.

[gokupwned5]

Fascinating subject. What families in the Levant today do we know are of ghassanid origin? I know there are lists out there but maybe some Levantines here might have a better idea. I know the Maalouf family and Barakat family are ghassanids.

My grandfather is from the Levant, and he says the Ghassan, Shahadi, Hanna, and Saidy families are also descended from the Ghassanids.

[Sikeliot]

Greek Orthodox Lebanese are Ghassanid descendants.

[gokupwned5]

Greek Orthodox Lebanese are Ghassanid descendants.

This is true. My grandfather always tells me about our descent from the Ghassanids. We are also descended from Ibrahim Maalouf.

[Sikeliot]

This is true. My grandfather always tells me about our descent from the Ghassanids. We are also descended from Ibrahim Maalouf.

The interesting thing is, Greek Orthodox Lebanese have, at least from what I can see, no Greek ancestry. They are actually the most Arabian, in all likelihood (especially when you consider French/Norman/West European in the Muslims makes up a small percent of the DNA).

[gokupwned5]

The interesting thing is, Greek Orthodox Lebanese have, at least from what I can see, no Greek ancestry. They are actually the most Arabian, in all likelihood (especially when you consider French/Norman/West European in the Muslims makes up a small percent of the DNA).

Yeah. According to AncestryDNA, my grandfather is 93% Middle Eastern.

[Sikeliot]

Yeah. According to AncestryDNA, my grandfather is 93% Middle Eastern.


What does the rest come up as? North African or Italian maybe?

[gokupwned5]

What does the rest come up as? North African or Italian maybe?

The rest is 7% Turkey and the Caucasus. His Y-DNA is J-M67, and his mt-DNA is T2. I do know that T2 is present in Italy, however.

[Sikeliot]

The rest is 7% Turkey and the Caucasus. His Y-DNA is J-M67, and his mt-DNA is T2. I do know that T2 is present in Italy, however.

That could be due to Levantine ancestry in southern Italy, like Phoenician and Jewish, not the reverse.

[gokupwned5]

That could be due to Levantine ancestry in southern Italy, like Phoenician and Jewish, not the reverse.

That would make sense. On different tests, it shows that he is 2% to 4% Ashkenazi Jewish.

[Papastratosels26]

Cool

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