By Adamm Ingals


Origin of Arab and Jewish people

The most widely accepted theory about the origin of Arab people is that they descend from the ancient Semites, who migrated from the Arabian Peninsula to the surrounding regions around 3,000 BCE. The Semites were a group of people who spoke a common language and shared a similar culture. They were divided into several different tribes, including the Arabs, the Hebrews, and the Assyrians.

The Arab tribes eventually settled in the Arabian Peninsula and Mesopotamia, where they developed a distinct culture and identity. They also adopted the Islamic faith, which spread rapidly throughout the Arab world in the 7th century CE.

The origin of the Jewish people is more complex and there is no single, universally accepted theory. However, most scholars agree that the Jews are descended from the ancient Israelites, who lived in the Land of Israel (now modern-day Israel and Palestine) around 3,000 BCE. The Israelites were a polytheistic people who worshipped a god named Yahweh.

The Israelites eventually converted to monotheism and became known as Jews. They were exiled from the Land of Israel in the 6th century BCE by the Babylonians, but returned in the 5th century BCE. The Jews established a second temple in Jerusalem, which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE.

After the destruction of the Second Temple, the Jews were dispersed throughout the world. They established communities in many different countries, including Europe, North America, and Africa. The Jews have maintained their distinct culture and identity throughout the centuries, and in 1948, they re-established the State of Israel.

It is important to note that both Arabs and Jews are diverse groups of people with a wide range of beliefs and practices. There is no single “Arab” or “Jewish” identity, and there is a great deal of variation within each group.


Abraham the father of the Arab and Jewish nations

Abraham is considered the father of the Arab and Jewish nations because he is the ancestor of both groups of people. According to the Bible and the Quran, Abraham had two sons: Ishmael and Isaac. Ishmael is the ancestor of the Arabs, while Isaac is the ancestor of the Jews.

The story of Abraham is a foundational story for all three Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In all three religions, Abraham is praised for his faith in God and his willingness to obey God’s commands.

In Judaism, Abraham is known as the father of the covenant. God made a covenant with Abraham, promising to bless him and his descendants. This covenant is the foundation of the special relationship between God and the Jewish people.

In Christianity, Abraham is known as the father of faith. Christians believe that Abraham is a model of faith for all believers. Abraham believed God, even when it was difficult. He trusted that God would fulfill his promises, even when it seemed impossible.

In Islam, Abraham is known as a prophet and a messenger of God. Muslims believe that Abraham was one of the first people to worship the one true God. Abraham is also praised for his willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael as an act of obedience to God.

The story of Abraham is a powerful story about faith, obedience, and covenant. It is a story that has been cherished by people of the Abrahamic religions for centuries.

It is important to note that the story of Abraham is also a source of tension between Arabs and Jews. Both groups claim Abraham as their ancestor, and this has been used to justify territorial claims and other political disputes. However, it is also important to remember that Abraham is a figure of faith and hope for all three Abrahamic religions. His story is a reminder that we are all children of God, and that we are called to live in peace and harmony with one another.

Abraham’s Ishmael and scripture behind his origin

Genesis 16:3-New International Version

3So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years,Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife.

Ishmael was the firstborn son of Abraham, the common patriarch of the Abrahamic religions through his wife Sara’s handmaiden Hagar (Genesis 16:3). According to the Genesis account, he died at the age of 137 (Genesis 25:17).

The story of Ishmael’s origin is told in Genesis 16. At that time, Abraham and his wife Sarai were childless, and Sarai was past the age of childbearing. Sarai suggested that Abraham have a child with her Egyptian servant Hagar. Abraham agreed, and Hagar gave birth to a son named Ishmael.

Thirteen years later, Sarai miraculously gave birth to a son of her own, named Isaac. God then appeared to Abraham and told him that he would establish his covenant with Isaac and his descendants. Abraham was heartbroken, because he loved Ishmael very much. But God promised that he would also make a great nation of Ishmael.

The next day, Abraham sent Hagar and Ishmael away into the wilderness. Hagar and Ishmael ran out of water, and Hagar began to cry. But God appeared to Hagar and promised to provide for her and Ishmael. He showed her a spring of water, and Hagar and Ishmael were saved.

Ishmael grew up in the wilderness and became a skilled archer. He married an Egyptian woman and had twelve sons. The twelve sons of Ishmael became the founders of twelve Arab tribes.

Ishmael is a minor figure in the Hebrew Bible, but he is a revered patriarch in Islam. Muslims believe that Ishmael was the firstborn son of Abraham and the ancestor of the Arabs. They also believe that Ishmael was a prophet and that he helped his father Abraham to build the Kaaba in Mecca.

The story of Ishmael is a complex and fascinating one. It is a story about faith, obedience, and the promise of God. It is also a story about the relationship between fathers and sons, and between different cultures and religions.

Genesis 16–

Hagar and Ishmael

16 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar;2 so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.”

Abram agreed to what Sarai said. 3 So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. 4 He slept with Hagar, and she conceived.

When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me.”

6 “Your slave is in your hands,” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her.

7 The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. 8 And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?”

“I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered.

9 Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” 10 The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.”

11 The angel of the Lord also said to her:

“You are now pregnant
and you will give birth to a son.
You shall name him Ishmael,
for the Lord has heard of your misery.
12 He will be a wild donkey of a man;
his hand will be against everyone
and everyone’s hand against him,
and he will live in hostility
toward[b] all his brothers.”

13 She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” 14 That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered.

15 So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.