Ancient Egypt: the Yemenites

Ancient Egypt Timeline

Ancient Egypt lasted for three main periods in history: the old Kingdom, which lasted from 2,700-2,200 B.C., the Middle Kingdom, from 2,050-1,800 B.C., and the New Kingdom, which reigned until about 343 B.C.

Unit: Ancient Egypt

Theme: The Yemenites

Introduction

Yemenite Jews or Yemeni Jews or Teimanim are those Jews who live, or once lived, in Yemen, and their descendants maintaining their customs. Between June 1949 and September 1950, the overwhelming majority of Yemen's Jewish population immigrated to Israel in Operation Magic Carpet. However, their dances were kept throughout history.

Learning Objectives

Understand the causes of the Jewish exodus
Explain the consequences of the emergence of monotheism
Gain an awareness of the the importance of singing, dance and music in the preservation of paraliturgical poetry
Experience the Ancient Yemenite dance

III

Main Lesson

Founding Myth

When looking at the influences surrounding ancient Israelite history at various times, these begin with Egypt. Although some researchers argue that the involvement of the Israelite with Ancient Egypt has not been proved, the memory of the exodus of the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt still constitutes the founding myth of the nation. (Deuteronomy 26:5-10 and elsewhere).

One theory takes literally the statement in I Kings 6:1 that the Exodus from Egypt occurred 480 years before Solomon began building the Temple in Jerusalem. This occurred in the fourth year of his reign, about 960 bce; therefore, the Exodus would date about 1440 bce, which coincides with early part of Ancient Egypt's New Kingdom period.

According to 1 kings 3:1-3, Solomon made a successful alliance with Egypt by marrying the pharaoh's daughter, probably Pharaoh Horemheb, who ruled for at least 14 years, between 1319 BC and 1292 BC., during the New Kingdom period.

(min 20:00)

Question 1

Using your previous knowledge, what caused the exodus of the Jewish people?

Ancient Canaan

Jewish Virtual Dance: Dance

https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/dance

Geographical background

The Near East and the Eastern Mediterranean, including the regions that are now the location of the following states: Greece, Turkey, Iran (earlier called Persia), Iraq (the ancient Mesopotamia), Lebanon (the ancient Ugarit north of Canaan), Jordan (east of Canaan, across the Jordan river), Syria (related to ancient Assyria), Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Israel (the ancient Canaan, then Israel/Judah, then Judæa, then Palestine).

Historical background

Historians call the location of the stories told in the Bible the Ancient Near East ANE). The ANE was the location of the first urban high cultures and of major empires viewing for control over the "Fertile Crescent," the agricultural heart-land of Mesopotamia and Canaan.

The Epic of Gilgamesh is an epic poem from ancient Mesopotamia, regarded as the earliest surviving notable literature and the second oldest religious text, after the Pyramid Texts. The literary history of Gilgamesh begins with five Sumerian poems about Gilgamesh, king of Uruk, dating from the Third Dynasty of Ur (2100–1200 BC).

The Code of Hammurabi is a Babylonian legal text composed c. 1755–1750 BC (During the Egyptian New Kingdom period). It is the longest, best-organized, and best-preserved legal text from the ancient Near East.

Cultural background

Israel's culture, including its cultic institutions and its literature, draws on sources common to its environment. Out of her specific cultural heritage and political-historical experience, however, Israelite prophets, wisdom teachers, and priests developed a monotheistic system.

(Zoroastrianism, an ancient Persian religion that may have originated as early as 4,000 years ago, is arguably the world’s first monotheistic faith, it’s one of the oldest religions still in existence).

Israelite prophets, wisdom teachers, and priests also developed a unique form of religious, legal, and political thought which was to become the fundamental creed of several subsequent cultures, including Byzantine and Western Christendom and Islam. The Bible still retains traces of the development of monotheism which was not instituted without a struggle against more traditional forms of religion.

Question 2

What would you say changed with the emergence of monotheism?

Exodus &

Jewish Paraliturgical Poetry

Studies show that Yemenis merged as a community after the first Temple was built by Solomon. Thus, the Teimanim communities (Yemenis Jewish people) settled in the Yemen area after that period. The ancient nation of Yemen lies at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. In ancient times Yemen was known as Arabia Felix, Latin for "happy" or "fortunate." The Teimanim brought and preserved many ancient songs which are found in the Yemeni Diwan or separate song collections

Yemenite Jewish poetry, often referred to as "paraliturgical poetry" because of its religious nature, has been an integral part of Yemenite Jewish culture since time immemorial. Jewish people from Yemen have preserved a well-defined singing arrangement which not only includes the very poetic creation itself, but also involves a vocal and dance performance.

The performance is accompanied in certain villages outside Sana'a, (currently the largest city in Yemen and the centre of Sanaa Governorate), by drumming on an empty tin-can (tanakeh) or a copper tray.

The Jewish people of Yemen, maintaining strict adherence to Talmudic and Maimonidean halakha, observed the gezeirah which prohibited playing musical instruments. Thus, instead of developing the playing of musical instruments, they perfected the singing and rhythm aspects of the dance. This arrangement was integrated into the their daily life.

Hebraic Song and Dance from Yemen: The Jewish Communities (Teimanim) that resided in Yemen.

Bellow see a simple translation of the Yemeni Dialect. Some words are translated based on the way the performers pronounce them.

Note: the words in parentheses are added for clarification:

Down (the hill or mountain)

I went To the stream

To water my horse--

My foot slipped

And I fell into the water.

I went to propose (engagement)

But they rejected me,

(and) my "qat" (a stimulant)

And the "mada3ah" (water-pipe)

Although I'm the son of a Chief

The son of a Jew.

I went to propose

Carrying my qat and the mada3ah

But the bad guys

Made a fool of me.

Sweet heart and the apple of my eye

Tell those who made you

Think bad of me:

Who of you would entertain me?

From the early dawn

She got angry with me

And went cry--

Got angry--

oh darkness (of the night)

Out of sight is my beloved.

For a year and two months,

Never returned.

Alas people She left And deserted me.

To whom shall I complain,

And would understand me?

Before whom shall I cry,

And would pity me?

And who of you

Would entertain me.

Question 3

What was the importance of singing, dance and music in the preservation of paraliturgical poetry?

Diwans

The texts used in the arrangement were put down in writing and later included in separate song collections (dīwāns). The social strictures and norms in Yemenite Jewish culture provide for separate settings for men and for women, where the sexes are never mixed. Men’s songs usually expressed the national aspirations of the Jewish people, and it was far removed from the singing associated with the Muslim environment. The folk songs of Jewish women were sung by rote memory (unwritten poetry) and expressed the happiness and sorrows inherent in their daily life and was, as a rule, closer to that of Muslim women.

Question 4

Why were the diwans important within the context of Yemenite Jewish history?

My Beloved Heart

The dance shown in the video conjures up images of Judaism in the Ancient Near East (ANE). The women sing in Arabic while the males sing in Hebrew. The dance proves 3000 years of cultural retention in the Jewish diaspora. The Hebrew verse they sing at the end is the last verse of the song, "Eshal Elohai" ("I Will Ask My God,") by Shalom Shabazi (16th Cen. CE) which translates as:

"We will go up to our land, with song and praise and with splendor and majesty."

It is believed that King Solomon brought Jewish people with him to the land. It is believed that at least this part of Ancient Hebrew culture survived in Yemen. The music and dance are an example of Yemen's Jewish people performing a traditional dance and song in two languages Arabic and Hebrew.

Studies show that Yemenis merged as a community after the first Temple was built by Solomon. According to the Biblical narrative, Solomon's Temple, was a temple in Jerusalem built under King Solomon's reign and completed in 957 BCE. Ball State University and Teachers College (1961), state that the Jewish people fled their homeland 2500 years ago to Yemen in Arabia. This community brought and preserved many ancient songs which are found in the Yemeni Diwan!

Blady (2000) explains the the Yemenites are considered one on the most ancient of Jewish tribes. Spread out across Northern Yemen in more than one thousand towns and villages.

Question 5

Why were the Yemenis' dance, music and poetry important for the study of Ancient History?

IV

A Note to Remember

The Yemenites represent the survival of a displaced people who left Ancient Egypt in search for freedom.

V

Case Study

"Habib Galbi"

My Beloved Heart.

Yemeni Jews singing and dancing: A performance of the Yemenite Troupe.

Question 6

What do you think about this Yemenite Jewish dance?

VI

Activity

Students dissect the dance and come up with steps, which later become a phrase, to illustrates the restoration process of an ancient dance.

Choreographic and Music Aspects:

Call and response nature of the song
Turns clockwise
Arm movement
Single file to ensemble formation
Steps change with the percussion: cross step, facing different sides, step forward and backwards, side step
Pairs formation: Exchanging places, holding hand
Notice springing motion coming from the dancers' feet.

VII

Journaling

VIII

Glossary

Gezeirah: A rabbinical enactment issued as a guard or preventive measure; also a prohibition or restriction generally; from the root "gazar" (to cut; to decide).

Maimonidean: From Maimonides (1138—1204); Maimonides was a medieval Jewish philosopher with considerable influence on Jewish thought, and on philosophy in general. Maimonides also was an important codifier of Jewish law. His views and writings hold a prominent place in Jewish intellectual history.

IX

Sources

The Danforth Lectures, 1957 - 1960. Ball State University. Ball State College, 1961

Blady, Michael. Jewish Communities in Exotic Places. Jason Aronson

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X

STUDENTS' WORK

Harmon Gambill

Ancient Egypt

1. Drawing from my previous understanding, the Exodus of the Jewish people was caused by their enslavement under the Egyptian Pharaoh. There were several plagues that led the Pharoah to release them from their enslavement and the Jewish people subsequently left Egypt.

2. I would say that the emergence of monotheism changed ancient society by helping form political, legal, and religious systems that were focused around the recognition and worship of one true God. Before the rise of monotheism, many cultures like the ancient Greeks worshiped several Gods, but monotheism changed the focus to only one.

3. With respect to the preservation of paraliturgical poetry, singing and dance were some of the primary ways that these traditions were passed down and maintained throughout generations. The dances adhered to the Talmudic law which helped preserve their religious roots, and the dances also involved entire villages which made communities invested into the tradition.

4. The Diwans were important because they helped preserve Yemenite Jewish traditions for future generations. They made important distinctions between men's and women's songs which allow us to understand better how ancient Yemenite Jews lived their every day life.

5. The Yemeni's dance, music, and poetry allow us to better understand history because they are some of the few existing examples of activities and traditions of one of the most ancient Jewish tribes. Studying these traditions helps us to understand better the roots of the Jewish faith and the history of the Middle East as whole.

6. I think that the video of the Yemenite Jewish dance is a powerful expression of their faith as well as an example of how these dances truly involve the Yemenite community. I also noticed that the men and women are wearing distinctly different outfits as previously discussed, which highlights how this dance is a living preservation of the ancient Yemenite Jewish culture.