Nadene Goldfoot
Saudi Arabia has a special section they call the Hejaz. It's a coastal province in NW Arabia.
Jews lived there between the 1st and 4th centuries CE. They are spoken of in poetry of the region, depicted chiefly as traders and wine merchants. This period is one of uproar in Israel with the Roman Occupation and takeover with Jerusalem falling to them in 70 CE, with the result of barring all Jews returning. The Jewish General, Bar Kokhba, fought for Jerusalem again from 132 to 135 when he and his army took back their capital, with him dying in battle in 135, ending the fight with thousands of deaths.
The most important Jewish community in the Hejaz was the town of Medina. Several Jewish colonies were also found North of Medina including Khaibar, Fadak, Wadi'l-Qura, and Taima.
The Jewish population increased through the conversion of Arabs to Judaism. There were about 3,000 Jews in Arabia, including Yemen in the 1st century. in the south where even some rulers, such as Dhu NuWas embraced Judaism. In the 6th and early 7th centuries there was a considerable Jewish population in Hejaz, especially in Medina. Judaism spread from Medina to the South. Smaller Jewish communities also existed in Bahrein, at Makna on the gulf of Akaba, at Adhruh between Maan and Petra, and further north at Jarba.
There were three main Jewish tribes in Medina before the rise of Islam in Arabia: the Banu Nadir, the Banu Qainuqa, and the Banu Qurayza.The Jews had a very rich and flourishing settlement at Yathrib and built strongholds in the city and vicinity. The principal families were the Banu Ḳainuḳa', the Banu Ḳuraiẓa, and the Banu al-Naḍir. The latter two were known as the "Al-Kahinan 'Cohen'," because they traced their descent from Aaron.
In the 4th century Arab tribes from Yemen began to encroach upon the Jews in Medina. They were divided into two clans, the Banu Aus and the Banu Khazraj. By calling in outside assistance and treacherously massacring at a banquet the principal Jews, these Arab clans finally gained the upper hand at Medina toward the end of the fifth century (for date see "J. Q. R." vii. 175, note).
The Jewish tribes of Banu Nadir, the Banu Qainuqa, and the Banu Qurayza lived in northern Arabia, at the oasis of Yathrib until the 7th century, when the men were executed and the women and children were enslaved after they betrayed the pact they made with the Muslims following the Invasion of Banu Qurayza by Muslim armies led by Muhammad.
From then on Jews were 2nd class people, Dhimmis. Most Jews had gone to Yemen, Hadramaut, and Aden. the former Jews of northern Arabia in particular, though living in isolated communities had become strongly assimilated to their Arab neighbors not only in languiage and culture but also in manners and customs, social organization, and mentality. the Arabic verses composed by their poets hardly differed in any respect from other Arabic poetry, and they expressed the contemporary notions, views, and feelings of Arabic society.
Some Jews also lived in Mecca, at least temporarily, before the rise of Islam. It is the most important city in Arabia along the trade route, about 50 miles east of the Red Sea. The shrine called the Ka'ba is what makes Mecca a holy city. The reason is because probably more than 1,000 years before Christ, the Arabs of the area saw a meteor fall from the heavens and, because of this, regarded it as holy. Their tradition is that Abraham had built the Ka'ba in the first place. Mecca became the economic and cultural center of central and north Arabia.. the political control of the city was in the hands of the Quraysh tribe of Arabs. At the time of Mohammad, the Quraysh tribe had passed the zenith of its power and was losing in prestige and control. They continued to send well-protected caravans north to Syria, Egypt, and Iran to sell their goods and replenish their stock for the business of the next season.
As there were Jewish and Christian tribes and settlements in Arabia, the pagan Arabs no doubt knew something about their beliefs. Among the gods, the Arabs knew the name of Allah the same as El-loh and Elohim of the Old Testament; and in Mecca a small group of people, known by the name of Hanif, seem to have had monotheistic beliefs.
Muhammad, of the Quraysh tribe, was born in Mecca in 570. His parents, Abdullah and Amina , died when Muhammad was 6 years old. His granduncle and then his uncle took care of him. He became the prophet of his people and created Islam. The Koran was made up of his dictated thoughts. Jews were said to be "People of the Book" and now he could say, "Now you have a book in Arabic."
After the rise of Islam, these Jews and those of Yemen were allowed to survive on the payment of special taxes having been classified as Dhimmis or 2nd class people. Mohammed married a Jewish girl, Safia, one of his 4 wives. Shortly after the arrival of Mohammed (570-632) , almost all the Jews of Medina were expelled or massacred.
The Mosque of Omar is standing over the Jewish 2nd Temple on the Temple Mount. The area was taken over after 70 CE when Romans held the siege of Jerusalem and it served as a center of military activity. A Roman temple was then built on the site, taken over by Omar. After the 67 WAR, Moshe Dayan gave the policing rights to Jordan's religious rights, and since then Jews are again even worse shape than being Dhimmis. They are not allowed to pray on the Temple Mount. There are now several mosques standing. The Jews can only pray below at the Kotel (Wall-wailing wall).
Mohammed subdued the Jewish colonies North of the city but permitted the inhabitants to stay. Under the reign of OMAR, the Jews were expelled from Khaibar and Fadak and possibly from Wadi 'l-Qura. In the latter place, however, they reappeared in the 10th century. There are no subsequent traces of Jews in Hejaz.
In the past centuries, Jews have not been allowed in Saudi Arabia. They have been able to keep 100% of the population as Muslims only. It's even classified as an Islamic state whose main sect are Sunnis of the Hanbali main fiqh. The country counted a population of 27,601,038 in 2011.
A fairly recent death of the Yeminite singer, Ofra Haza of Israel was very sad. She was a favorite, certainly my favorite singer. Bat-Sheva Ofra Haza (Hebrew: בת-שבע עפרה חזה; 19 November 1957 – 23 February 2000) was an Israeli singer, songwriter and actress, commonly known in the Western world as "the Madonna of the East", or "the Israeli Madonna". Her voice has been described as a "tender" mezzo-soprano. In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Haza at number 186 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time. Bat-Sheva or Ofra Haza was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, to Mizrahi Jewish parents from Yemen who had immigrated to Israel in 1949 with eight children. She was the youngest of nine children. She represented Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 1983, with the song Chai-"Hi", meaning "Life" finishing second with 136 points. I was there watching my TV when she sang this and won. I cherish her CDs. She sang Yemenite and modern Israeli music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-McgjMi5W4 Chai-to Life.
Her Yerushalaim Shel Zahav tears at my heart. "Jerusalem of Gold" It has that far eastern minor key, reminding us of Yemen's songs.
Only a couple of thousand Jews are now left in the entire peninsula of Arabia with nearly all in Yemen. the overwhelming majority have emigrated to Israel. Is it not strange that with the loss of Jews, as of 2020, Yemen ranked highest on the Fragile State Index and second-worst on the Global Hunger Index, surpassed only by the Central African Republic. Additionally, it has the lowest Human Development Index out of all non-African countries. They've had nothing but political unrest and killings, all without Jews.
None live nor are allowed to enter Saudi Arabia.
Resource:
The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia,1992
Textbook: Middle East Past & Present, Yahya Armajani, Thomas M. Ricks
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ofra_Haza
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