442 BaV amy's translation of the History of Tabary, [Oct. 



dites. 'Ad and Thamud were not two kings but two tribes descended from 

 Shem the son of Noah. The father of our tribe was 'Ad the son of 

 Uz b. Arem b. Shem b. Noah. The father of the other tribes was 

 Thamiid b. Gether b. Arem b. Shem b. Noah. 'Ad had many children 

 who were collectively called 'Ad ('Adites). Thamud had also many 

 children and they were called Thamud (Thamudites). In the Koran 

 the people of 'Ad are called 'Ad and Iram (Aremites). It is said in 

 the Koran (86, 3). "Dost thou not see how thy Lord acted with 'Ad 

 and Iram." Sometimes they are called by this name and sometimes 

 by the other. Tabary observes in this book that the commentator of 

 the Koran and the learned said : the reason why it runs in the Koran 

 "their brother and not his brother" is that under the name of Thamud 

 the tribe of Thamud is to be understood " To Thamud we sent their 

 brother Calih" and not " his brother." 



The 'Adites and Thamudites lived in the steppes of the Hijaz between 

 the territory of Makkah and Syria. The country of the 'Adites was 

 near to the country of Makkah, but the country of the Thamudites was 

 farther from Makkah (this is precisely the position which Ptolemy 

 assigns to his Tamuditse and Oaditse. The 'Adites seem to have been 

 still existing in the second century after Christ. All Mohammadan 

 authors besides Tabary and Ghazzaly say that the 'Adites lived in 

 the uninhabitable desert of Ahqaf, the latter inhabited a district called 

 Hijr, which is on the frontier of Syria on the extremity of the steppes 

 of the Hijaz. " The inhabitants of Hijr have accused the prophets of 

 falsehood." The inhabitants of Hijr in this passage are the Thamu- 

 dites. The 'Adites and Thamudites were the descendants of cousins 

 and descended from Iram, but the 'Adites flourished earlier and the 

 Thamudites by two hundred years later. The 'Adites are also called 

 the first 'Adites and the Thamudites are called the second 'Adites. In 

 the Koran whenever one of the two is mentioned the other is mentioned 

 as well, and the name of the 'Adites stands first, and that of the Tha- 

 mudites last: as (26, 123.) "The 'Adites accused the prophets of 

 falsehood," and subsequently (v. 141), the Thamudites are mentioned 

 again (41, 14). "As to the 'Adites they were overbearing on earth," 

 and after that (verse 16) " and as to the Thamudites, &c." In another 

 passage it is said the 'Adites and the Thamudites. The same is the 

 case wherever they are mentioned. 



