Adelphos- An Arabian Christianity

HueyLong

Banned
Speculating madly ahead of things, an obvious question is whether/when/how Arabian Christianity might trigger Arab dynamism as Islam did in OTL. You could get a really different TL if Arab Christians take on Rome before Rome itself is christianized. :eek: :D

-- Rick

Although Arabs will be a bit more dynamic earlier on and will be anti-Rome, they will simply be more influential in the post-Roman Middle East- they will not be the Germans pouring over the borders and all across the old Empire. There aren't enough of them at this time, for one thing.

But as said, Adelphic Christianity will be an example of a strong church developing outside of Rome, which did not happen in OTL without being subsumed by Roman groups or being marginalized by Islam.

I was refering to the sixth and seventh century.

My point was that it is a moot point here, as this is the first century AD. You did suggest a POD to end the rise of Islam, where there won't be an islam with a POD in the 1st century.

So is this basically Arabia's version of the Nasrani of India?

No, because unlike the Nasreni, they are going to be influential and will subsume earlier religions. They have no caste system to compete with, only a clan system that is pretty malleable. They have a weak pagan system that can, again, be easily absorbed. The Adelphics will be the power on the peninsula, unlike the marginal Nasreni.

This looks very interesting. Pretty wide open too.

Thanks, it is quite wide open. Mess with Christianity and mess with most of world history thereafter.
 

HueyLong

Banned
The Arabian Exodus

[TTL's First Jewish-Roman War goes much the same as OTL, with some minor participation in the south by the Banu Qurayza and associated Arab tribes. The Banu Qurayza and the Arabian tribes are less bloodthirsty than the Sicarii or Zealots and end up leading what will be called the Arabian Exodus....]

The Arabian Exodus was a massive movement of Jews into the coast and interior of Arabia, following the Jewish-Roman War of 66. Estimates place their numbers at nearly 60,000*, many of them newly converted Adelphic Christians. Many prominent Jewish clans left to avoid the Roman sword, most notably members of the House of David.

The Jews of the Arabian Exodus dispersed themselves throughout the lands that would take them. The Hedjaz was particularly hospitable, under the Clan Quraish and Judah-al-Makka. In Yathrib, many were absorbed into the Banu Qurayza, to replenish the losses of the war. Aden's Jews rioted in the year of Our Lord 71 to close the city to newcomers, and the King of Homer and Saba banned the Jews from his realm, much to the consternation of the Desposynii and bishops. In Adulis**, the King Zoscales welcomed the Jews with open arms, and appointed one named Moise (Moses) as the first bishop of the city.

The Arabian Exodus brought a cultural and mercantile boom to the entire Red Sea basin. Makka took on great cultural growth, Yathrib became the martial center of the new Christians and the city of Adulis slowly became known in the steppes of Aethiopia. The great influx of Jewish and Christian migrants would lead to the Arabian Revolts, the Council of Makka, and the Wars of Aksum in the 2nd century. Some of the migrants, especially former Sanhedrin or Clan David members, took on Desposynii status to gain power in the Arabian lands.

*OTL, the Diaspora from that one war is estimated as about half a million. Not too big a percentage going this way, I think.
** Part of OTL Aksum
 
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HueyLong

Banned
The Conversion of Makka

Judah al-Makka ben-Jude al-David ala-Desposynos succeeded his father as Patriarch of Makka and Keeper of the Negrus Baetylus, with the Clan Quraish confirming him shortly after his father's death in 76 AD. Judah al-Makka took this position with a shaved head in mourning.

He was a more forceful Patriarch than his father before him. He had been raised a Desposyni, and was generally given his way in the household and city itself. He came to dislike the lingering pagan presence in Makka, and with his influence in the Clan Quraish, undertook to remove them.

The first action against the pagans was the Mezuzot Law of 77 which required a scripture verse* to be displayed upon the front door of every residence in the city. Refusal to put up a Mezuzah would result in a fine and, most commonly, an attack on the house and its residents. The Clan Quraish used this act (and the large number of new Christian residents) to force rival clans out, whether Christian, pagan, or Jewish.

The Mezuzot Law (which would become a lasting influence on Adelphic architecture) was followed by a banning of all sacrifices within the city limits. Although most pagan ceremonies had been removed from the Mikrab and Negrus Baetylus following the Mission of James, some ceremonies did still occur. The Clan Quraish also banned all butchering of animals from the city limits, limiting it to their country lands around Makka, to further control the city's trade.

The hanging of 12 Badoo tradesmen for a sacrifice of doves in 80 AD is considered by many to be one of the inciting incidents of the Arabian Revolts. The men who would return as rebels were guest-hosts to a number of Badoo tribes, and were the traditional rivals of Clan Quraish.

*At this time, either of the Talmud or one of the many Christian testaments circulating. Also, it should be noted, this is different than the standard Jewish practice of mezuzah, which included a prayer for Israel and was seasonal, not permanent.

Next Update: Customs of the Arabian Christians
 

HueyLong

Banned
Customs of the Arabian Christians

Religious Life
-Churches are known as "mikrab"
-Shoes cannot be worn within the mikrab (Exodus 3:5, when Moses is commanded to remove his shoes to stand on holy ground)
-Services begin with an affirmation of the Desposyni present to the congregation
-Services are sex-segregated, with women being required to wear a veil.
-Services are given in Arabic and Hebrew
-Prayers are often given in the direction of Jerusalem or Makka, although local holy sites may take precedence
-Shaving of the beard or head is prohibited, except in times of mourning. Men offer their hair to the dead, and must remain shaven for thirty days [the Sheleohim]
-Ascetic traditions are tied to the Nazarites and Ebionites, as well as earlier pagan practices. A common practice for an ascetic is to climb the spire of a church and wail in mourning at the loss of Christ. Most ascetics are shaven for the entire time of their devotion, offering their hair to Christ [Although others will do the opposite, and offer their hair at the end of their devotion]

Everyday Life
-Pork and other "unclean meats" are prohibited, but the mixing of dairy and meat is not
-The eating of certain locust is deemed kosher [As passed down by Yemeni Jews]
-Ritual slaughtering is required [dhabihah ITTL, and does include the invocation of God during the slaughter]
-Taboos against menstruation ban sex for seven days afterwards, require immersion and ritual baths, and ban women from church services
-Tzedakah [alms-giving] is required, with gleaning laws for farmers and monetary tithes for city dwellers
-Circumcision is encouraged at birth, although many communities practice adult circumcision at the mitzvah
-A kiss on the cheek is a common greeting, except between members of the opposite sex

Architecture
-Mikrab are often built in a circular shape, around a central spire
-Churches include a surrounding courtyard, often with more spires
-Frescoes and mosaics are common, especially with later iconoclasm
-Mezuzot are inscribed on almost all residence's front doors, and in richer households, on all the doors
-Although not public baths per se, most cities do have immersion baths for ritual cleanings
 
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Well, the references to the evyonim (aka Ebionites) certainly have hooked me in, because I've been doing some research on my own on them. So far, they sound like an interesting bunch.

Must subscribe to this thread, because it sounds great so far. Keep it up!
 
IIRC Mohammad started out trying to reform the christians, It was only after he was banned from Mecca, and began wandering with the Bedioun, that he came up with a new religion.

If this is the first century, then Mecca is a small oasis village,struggleing to suvive on trade with the nomadic Bedioun.
Yemen with the great dam, and thousand & thousands of acres, of green Irrigated fields, is the Powerhouse.
It was only after the Dam collaspes in the mid 6th century that the Oasis towns like Mecca, or Medina begin to grow and the Clan Quraish, begins to raise in importance.

This is going to have a effect on Axum. Which [OTL] went Christian at the same 4th century as Rome, as well as the Sudan Kingdoms.
 

HueyLong

Banned
IIRC Mohammad started out trying to reform the christians, It was only after he was banned from Mecca, and began wandering with the Bedioun, that he came up with a new religion.

If this is the first century, then Mecca is a small oasis village,struggleing to suvive on trade with the nomadic Bedioun.
Yemen with the great dam, and thousand & thousands of acres, of green Irrigated fields, is the Powerhouse.
It was only after the Dam collaspes in the mid 6th century that the Oasis towns like Mecca, or Medina begin to grow and the Clan Quraish, begins to raise in importance.

This is going to have a effect on Axum. Which [OTL] went Christian at the same 4th century as Rome, as well as the Sudan Kingdoms.

Mecca at the time was IIRC a good-sized port on the Red Sea. Mecca had been a cultural and trade center for a while. Which is not to say that the Hedjaz is necessarily more prosperous than the Yemen area (Its not, not yet ITTL) Its just fast becoming the most Christianized.

And yes, it is going to have an effect on Axum (or more properly, Ethiopia)
 
1) IIRC Mohammad started out trying to reform the christians, 2) It was only after he was banned from Mecca, and 3) began wandering with the Bedioun, that 4) he came up with a new religion.

Are you possibly talking about OTL ? What is IIRC ? If I may ask...:eek:

Anyway, if you mean this as an OTL story, then I believe that I regretfully have to point that as a mistake. Muhammad had never tried to reform Christianity, ever. He had been preaching Islam as a brand new, different faith since the very beginning. Second, he wasn't banned from Mecca. Instead, he was being imposed a boycott by the Meccan authority, then he migrated out from Mecca to Medina to avoid it and the assassination attempt towards him, and also to fulfill the invitation for him to come from Medina, so he wasn't wandering around as his journey through the dessert had one certain destination. And the last, he wasn't with any Bedouin man during his travel, as his only companion at that time was Abu Bakar, a fellow Meccan ;).
 
Mecca at the time was IIRC a good-sized port on the Red Sea.

Excuse me but Mecca isn't hasn't ever been located on the coast.

Seriously, what is IIRC ? :confused:

EDIT : I want to add that I have no means to hijack the thread. I only wanted to correct a statement about OTL that doesn't match with the historical truth. And also because I got curious about a new acronym inside the very same sentence in which I've yet to encounter until now.... :)
 
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Excuse me but Mecca isn't hasn't ever been located on the coast.

Isn't Jiddah the closest major port to Mecca?

Seriously, what is IIRC ? :confused:

EDIT : I want to add that I have no means to hijack the thread. I only wanted to correct a statement about OTL that doesn't match with the historical truth. And also because I got curious about a new acronym inside the very same sentence in which I've yet to encounter until now.... :)

IIRC - If I ReCall... I think
 
Just saying... :(

:eek: Sorry AE, I think I was to harsh on you... :eek:

Jeddah is indeed the closest port city to Mecca. But doesn't mean that it has now been swallowed by expanding Mecca or vice versa. It's close, but not so close so one are able to travel between both cities by an hour walking...;)
 

HueyLong

Banned
Ugh... this is why I should not type when tired....

I realize that Mecca is not a port. It was, however, at the time, the hub of travel between the Red Sea trade and the inner Arabian trade. It was a way-station, a meeting of two trade currents. It did not rival Southern Arabia, but it was the greatest city in the Hedjaz.
 
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