Many original historical chronicles accurately
describe the existence of Jews in Yathrib, in pre-Islamic times.
They agree that they were not native to, or originally from these
lands and that they arrived from a place outside of the Arabian
Peninsula in several migrations. The first of these occurred in the
year 589 B.C., when Bukhtnasser Al-Baabali (Nebuchadnezzar of
Baabel) penetrated Jerusalem and they fled as a group, proceeding to
the land of Hijaaz, where they stopped, (in Yathrib). The second
migration took place between the years 66 and 70 A.D., when the
leader of the Romans, Taytoos, attacked Palestine and again
Jerusalem was devastated. The escaping Jews went to Hijaaz, to
Yathrib, where they joined the previous migrants. The third
migration happened in 132 A.D., when the Roman Emperor Haaridiyaan
sent his armies to Palestine. The Jews were ejected and forbidden
from returning. Those who finally saved themselves escaped to the
Hijaaz. These fleers who became scattered, were a sizable group.
They joined the Arab tribes, some of whom were the remnants of
Al-'Amaaleeq and some who were both near and far from the borders of
Yathrib. The first of the Jews to reach the borders of Yathrib were
of three tribes: Banu Quraitha, Banu Nadeer and Banu Qaynaqa'a. Then
followed the other tribes who settled with the Bani Nadeer at Wadi
Bat'han, with the Banu Quraitha at Wadi Mahzoor and with Banu
Qaynaqa'a in the area between the first two. Then they spread out
over the rest of the fertile district. At first, they kept peace
with the original residents of the area, the Arab tribes. They were
proficient at dealing with them and occupied themselves with their
agriculture and their craftsmanship. They paid the leaders of the
adjoining tribes, in return for non-aggression pacts.
They banded together in their fortifications and
fortresses and assembled great wealth. There are of traces of what
characterised their religious affairs and government, and of the
dealings between them and their adversaries. They were concerned
with cultivation of date palms and their farms, and spread in
easterly and southerly directions from Yathrib. They were not
concerned with propagating their faith to the Arab tribes, who were
idolators. They were content to remain segregated with the tribal
divisions of those who sided with them and 'Judaising' them
gradually, (to their ways, not to their religion). In this way, they
soon controlled economic activity, spreading the practice of making
loans and charging exorbitant interest. When the Al-Aous and Al-
Khazraj tribes arrived at Yathrib from Yemen, the Jews were
influential and tolerated them. They settled in areas contiguous to
the Jews agricultural lands. The Jews wanted money to be
paid-in-hand for the use of their farms, so their wealth increased.
They tolerated them settling in the less desirable areas of Yathrib
and took advantage of them with regards to agricultural endeavours.
This was the beginning of a new era in the history of Yathrib. The
era of Al-Aous and
Al-Khazraj.
