The Messiah Isa son of Maryam (Part 3)
In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
We are still with the complete truth about Isa (Jesus), the son of Mary, as it came in the Holy Qur’an through Dr. Ali Al-Sallabi’s book, specifically in the first chapter, which deals with the historical roots of the country in which Jesus, peace be upon him, was born.
Let's start together with the first chapter of the book.
Chapter One
Historical roots of Prophet Isa’s homeland Prophet Isa (pbuh) was born in the land of Galilee, Palestine or the “Galilee of Nations” as Israelis later named it, as it was an open territory for all Eastern and Western nations, i.e. in Bethlehem, which is about 100 km south of Jerusalem.
It is therefore important to introduce the geography of this area and the events that took place there prior to the calling of Isa (pbuh). Galilee in Hebrew means “the circle”, which they mean as the circumference because it has absorbed many of those who are unable to stay in other areas of Palestine, especially the south where Judaism reigns. 1
Galilee is located in the northern part of Palestine between the Mediterranean Sea and Lake Tiberias, south of what is known as Lebanon. Tiberias was the political capital of this region, and its villages that are acclaimed in the Bible are Kafr Nahum, Nazareth – where Jesus was raised – Nayn and Majdal. 2
First: The history of Palestine
The history of Palestine is rich; in the third millennium BC, groups of Arab tribes migrated to this region, which was later called Palestine. These included the Phoenicians, a Semite people whose origin is still not precisely known. They were the first group to migrate to this area and found a good place to settle at the Mediterranean Sea’s shores in the northwest of Palestine where they established their most important cities of Sidon and Tyre.
To the south of the Phoenicians, Arab tribes descended and settled on the west bank of the Mediterranean Sea in the central region of Palestine, and the area became known as “the land of Canaan.” The area encompassed several cities, most notably Samaria, which around 880 BC became the capital of the Kingdom of Israel. 3
In 1200 BC, groups from Crete Island, known as “Filisteen” tribes, descended to the coast overlooking the Mediterranean between Jaffa and Gaza and Canaanites mingled with them and later called them “Palestinians”. The whole area then became known as Palestine. 4
Palestine is within the region which people of the book state that Ibrahim al-Khalil (pbuh) migrated to, although not having mentioned that he did so because the harm he had received from his people and their attempts to kill him when he called upon them to worship God. While in Palestine, his children Ismail and Isaac were born, and his son Isaac had Yacoub to who the Israelites are attributed. 5
The Israelites, sons of Jacob bin Ishak (pbut), remained roaming the land of Palestine like shepherds and lived the life of Bedouins, as The Almighty Said of Yusuf (pbuh): {He was indeed good to me when He took me out of prison and brought you (all here) out of the desert} (Surat Yusuf: 100).
They continued as such until they moved to Egypt in which they settled during the life of Yusuf and which they then exited a long after that with Mousa (pbuh) after God sent the Revelation: {By inspiration we told Moses: “Travel by night with my servants; for surely ye shall be pursued”} (Surat al-Shu’araa’: 52) Afterwards, God decreed they wander the lands as punishment for having refused to combat the people of the Holy Land. 6 Mousa reached the land of Moab east of Jordan, went up to the top of a mountain across from Jericho, gazed upon the land which he told the Israelites to enter, yet he died on the land of Moab and did not enter the Holy Land. 7
Mousa was succeeded by Yasoo’a – as dubbed by people of the Book – “Joshua son of Nun” whom Mousa had chosen before his death to lead the Israelites. It was Joshua who took the Israelites to the land of Canaan - Palestine – as their wandering ended around the thirteenth century BC, marking the first settlement of the Israelites, and the colonization of Palestine.
Second: Israelites’
Eras Israelites’ existence in Palestine underwent three distinct periods:
1. Era of Judges: In this period, Jewish rulers were judges from among their rabbis, and no Israelites were kings in those days. History has marked this period in the gospel of Judges.
2. Era of Kings: This is when ruling became a monarchy, and God has provided us with information on their first king: {Hast thou not Turned thy vision to the Chiefs of the Children of Israel after (the time of) Moses? they said to a prophet (That was) among them: “Appoint for us a king, that we May fight in the cause of Allah”} (Surat al-Baqarah: 246). So, God appointed Talout as king – in their books named Saul – who was succeeded by Dawoud (pbuh). Jerusalem became the capital of the monarchy and Suleiman (pbuh) ascended the throne after his father, and their eras were the most flourishing in the history of the Israelites.
3. Era of Division “Demise of Israelites’ Kingship”:
This was the era after that of Suleiman (pbuh) where his kingdom was divided into two, i.e. Judah in the south with Jerusalem as its capital, and Israel in the north with its capital Nablus in the Galilee. The two entities were at war with one another, but fought together when both their borders were threatened by their neighbours. Their rulers and people also worshipped figurines in many periods throughout their history. 8
They were then overcome by their enemies and their rule demised at the hands of the Assyrians who seized and destroyed the State of Israel in 722 BC. Judah then fell to the Pharaohs around 603 BC. Then the ruler of Babel, Chaldean Bakhtanasr, regained al-Sham and Palestine regions and expelled the Pharaohs therefrom. He then marched again against the state of Judah which had rebelled against him, and destroyed it and the Temple of Yerushalayim and marched its people on foot to Babylon. This is what is known in history as the Babylonian Captivity which occurred at the demise of the state of Judah around the year 586 BC.
Then the State of Babel fell into the hands of the Persians during the reign of their king Cyrus in 538 BC, who allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem and build their temple, and appointed a ruler on them from among them.
The Persians continued to rule from 538-332 BC until Greek Alexander the Macedonian overran the Levant and Palestine, extracted the Persians and ruled over Jewish areas from late 400 BC to mid-100 BC. Then in 63 BC, Roman leader Pompey marched hither and unseeded the Greeks, rendering the Jews under Roman control. It was during that time that Prophet Isa (pbuh) was born. 9
1 Basma Ahmad Jastinyeh, “Altering the Messiah’s Message throughout History: Reasons and Consequences”, al-Qalam House, Damascus, 1st Ed., 2000, p.21.
2 Ibid. See also: Henry S. Abboudi, “Dictionary of Semitic Civilisations”, Lebanon, Grus Press, 1st Ed., 1990, p. 320-835.
3 Ibid, p.454.
4 “Altering the Messiah’s Message throughout History: Reasons and Consequences”, Ibid, p.22.
5 Israel: Compound noun: Isr & Ael: Strength & the god (God). Also means God’s Might. Islamically: God’s purest or God’s servant. The Holy Qur’an attributes both as names of Yacoub (pbuh). Also name of Palestine’s Northern kingdom. See: Abdel Shakour Mohammad Aman, “The Israelites and their stance of God and the prophets”, PhD dissertation, Um al-Qura Univ., Saudi, 1402h, p129. See also: Al-Shawkaani, “Fath al-Qadeer”, Ibn Katheer House/Al-Kalim al-Tayyib House, Damascus, Beirut, 1st Ed., 1414h, 1/73- 84. And: “Dictionary of Semitic Civilisations”, p.78.
6 Saud bin Abdul-Aziz al-Khalaf, “Studies on Judaism and Nasraaniism”, Adwaa’ al-Salaf Library, Riyadh, Saudi, 1st Ed., 1997, p.32-33.
7 Al-Maqreezi, “History of the Copts”, Ver. By Abdul-Majeed Diyab, al-Fadeelah House, copy of al-Tawfeeq Press, Egypt, 1898, p.43.
8 “Altering the Messiah’s Message throughout History: Reasons and Consequences”, Ibid, p.24
9 Ahmad Shalabi, “Judaism”, al-Nahda al-Masriyah Library, Cairo, 8th Ed., 1988, p.69- 70. See also: Mohammad Abdul-Haleem Mustafa Abu al-Sa’ad, “Analytical Study of Mark’s Gospel: Historically and Objectively”, al-Jablaawi Press, Egypt, 1st Ed., 1404, p.49.