Wonderful Ethiopians of the Ancient Cushite Empire: Chapter IX. The Marvelous Arabian Civilization
Arabia was one of the earliest colonies of the ancient Cushite Empire of Ethiopians. Baldwin claims that it was the original land of Cush. He says, "In the oldest recorded traditions, Arabia is the land of Cush, the celebrated Ethiopia of very remote times." He continues, "In ages older than Egypt or Chaldea, Arabia was the seat of an enlightened and enterprising civilization that went far into neighboring countries. At that time Arabia was the exalted and wonderful Ethiopia of olden tradition, the center and life of what in western Asia was known as the civilized world. Traditions of the ancient world rightly interpreted can have no other meaning. In the early traditions and records of Greece, Arabia was described as Ethiopia." Arabia was only separated from old Ethiopia by the Red Sea. We would decide that the "Old Race" of the Upper Nile early sent colonies across the sea, which built up the cities and communities along the opposite Arabian coast. This happening before the founding of Memphis or the colonizing of Chaldea. The Scriptures unite Arabia with the most intimate dealings of God with men. Here says the Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature, were transacted visible glory to his people. Here today in the desert of Sin, manna still forms a tiny cereal upon the rocks. It was out of this region that God selected the race through which in two religions, one supreme God should be revealed to the world, the Hebrews and Mohammedans spring from the same race. These primitive Semites were a north Arabian race. Southern Arabia was occupied by the older and more civilized Ethiopian race. Gibbon speaks of Sabaeans in north Arabia, if they were it was families that had passed northward after the Flood of Arem, which dispersed the families of old Yemen over northern Arabia. These people were advanced in civilization. The fact that the father-in-law of Moses could show him defects in his administration of government, proves that he was in possession of an older and more seasoned form of law. The Scriptures tell us that Moses harkened to the voice of his father-in-law From Baldwin's researches we learn that Strabo, Pliny, Ptolemy, as well as the Hebrew writers speak of the great cities of Arabia, that no longer exist. So fax back does this ancient civilization extend that from the great length of time its literature has disappeared. The monuments of these Himyarites were inscribed with an obsolete and mysterious alphabet. The present Cufic letters Ancient History of the East, Lenormant, Vol. III, Arabians, p. 296 ) Alexander the Great said that Arabia was inferior to no country of the earth. He referred to the once famous town of Oman, which had been a harbor of the ancient commerce. It was in the day of Alexander a wilderness. His estimate of these Cushites was, "Taking them all in all, they are the richest nation of the world." Alexander lived in the declining days of Ethiopian power. Himyar was the son of Seba, the son of Cush. These were the people of Yemen and the Sabaeans of the Greeks. Lenormant called them related to the Accadians of Shinar and the Ghez of Abyssinia. Himyar became the head of the dynasty of Himyarites. These Cushite Arabians were a fine race of remarkable stature, and dark complexion. The Semitic Arabians are brown, thin, small, well formed and of opposite traits from the Cushite Arabian. The Omanee kingdom attained a latter great splendor at the beginning of the Nineteenth Century. The conquering Mohammedan tribes of the north in idol-destroying mood have effaced all the pagan temples that once covered Arabia. Several enormous stone circles like those of some parts of Europe, built as a form of primitive religion, still remain. At Hagerein, Gen. E. T. Haig saw the ruins
Myers tells us in his Ancient History, that just as the "Odyssey" of Homer mirrored the trade voyages of the prehistoric Greeks, so the marvelous tales of Sinbad the Sailor pictured the adventures of the Cushite Arabian sailors upon the seas. The ships of these Ethiopians in the early ages of their dominion covered the ancient world. It was from this branch of the race, that the early race of India gained the knowledge that appears in Sanskrit books, that contain maps upon which we can trace the outlines of Western Europe and the British Isles. These books portray knowledge of ages prior to 2000 B. C. The Phoenicians in later times only followed courses that their Cushite cousins had pursued in earlier ages. They learned geography from their wide conquests and extended trade relations. The Portuguese found maps and charts in their possession when they first came in contact with them on the coasts of East Africa, which were original and authentic. Some showed routes extending to the new world long before the age of Columbus. One early Portuguese map, gained from these Arabians marks South America, Western Africa and Southern Europe, as three ancient centers of civilization. The remains of primitive American nations give forth relics, proving ancient Cushite communication. Before the arrival of the Portuguese, Arabian navigators had kept this knowledge secret. With declining Ethiopian power the The primitive nature of the Semitic Arabian is to be seen in the religion of Mohammed, in the presentation of his gospel, at the point of the sword; as Gibbon says, if they professed the creed of Islam they were admitted to all spiritual and material benefits. His apostles united the professions of merchant and robber. The distribution of the spoil was regulated according to Mohammed by divine law. From all sides the roving Arabs were allured to his standard by this combination of religion and plunder. In one incidence seven hundred Jews were dragged in chains to the market place of the city and descended alive into the grave prepared for their execution and burial; and the Apostle beheld with an inflexible eye the slaughter of his helpless enemies. In 628, the town of Khaibar surrendered, the chief of the tribe was tortured in the presence of Mohammed, to force confession of his hidden treasure. Gibbon looks on the other side of Mohammed's character. He seemed endowed, whether he was adultery made a capital offense. During the twenty-four years of his marriage to his first wife, he abstained from polygamy. At her death he placed her in the rank of the four perfect women. The triumphant banners of Mohammed after his death waved over the cities of the Euphrates. Persia was reduced. Turning to Syria, his followers invested Damascus, which fell; then Jerusalem, until all Syria, bowed under the scepter of the caliphs. Greek rule had become odious in Egypt and it was gladly exchanged for the rule of the Saracens. The Greeks retreated from Upper Egypt and made their last stand at Alexandria. After a siege of fourteen months the Saracens prevailed. Mohammed's standard was set up on the walls of the capital of Egypt. Let us examine the passage of the Semitic Arabians across Africa. Was his influence for the making of civilization? They burned the priceless collection of books that made up the Alexandrian library, in which were locked up the secrets of the lost arts and the knowledge of the origin of civilization. So great was the number of books that six months were needed for the consumption of this precious fuel. Every scholar with pious indignation has deplored this irreparable shipwreck of the learning and genius of antiquity. Many A glance taken over the vast empire of the Semitic Arabians finds them extended from the confines of Tartary and India to the shores of the Atlantic. The laws of the Koran were studied with equal zeal at Samaracand and Seville. Hindu and Moor embraced as brothers on the pilgrimage to Mecca. Yet this does not seem strange for the Moor and Hindu in race were brothers. Forty-six years after the flight of Mohammed from Mecca, Arabian arms appeared under the walls of Constantinople in siege of the city. The solid and lofty walls were guarded by numbers and discipline. For six summers they made an attack with a retreat. This revived me reputation of the Roman arms and cast a momentary shade over the glory of the Saracens. Persia and Syria revolted. 717 A. D. the attack was made on Constantinople by 120,000 Arabs and Persians. A huge armada approached from Egypt and Syria. Entering the harbor they were assailed with Greek Be and the Arabian arms and vessels were involved in flames. In a later attempt the Egyptian ships deserted to the Christian emperor. The arms of Arabia retired after almost incredible disasters. The deliverance of Constantinople sprang from the terror and efficacy of Greek fire. The skill of a chemist defeated fleets and armies, a distant forerunner of the gases of the world war of our day. Its composition was guarded by the Greeks with zealous care. It was the invention of a Cushite In this school of adversity the caliphs wentTHE MARVELOUS ARABIAN CIVILIZATION.
