Israel Tribes and Clans

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Resources

Online Resources

• Al-Maktabah al-Shamilah (The Comprehensive Library) - Genealogy Category (Arabic) - catalogue of Arabic books on genealogy with detailed descriptions; books not accessible directly on website
• Arab Genealogy Books Online at FamilySearch Library; open access collection of Arabic genealogy books that have been digitized and can be browsed by country/region. They contain valuable information about tribal histories and family lineages.
• The Arab Tribes: Their Historical Origins and Roots (in Arabic), by Jamal Mashari al-Rafdi. Online at: Archive.org.
  • القبائل العربية: أصولها جذورها التاريخية، جمال بن مشاري الرفدي.
• The Collection of Genealogies. Abu al-Mundhir Hisham bin Muhammad bin al-Sa’ib al-Kalbi. Beirut, Lebanon: Alam al-Kutub, 2004. Online at: Archive.org
  • جمهرة النسب. أبو المنذر هشام بن محمد بن السائب الكلبي. بيروت، لبنان: عالم الكتب, ٢٠٠٤
• A Dictionary of Ancient and Modern Arab Tribes, by Umar Reda Kahala. Damascus, Syria: Resalah Publishers, 2011. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; The first book in a 3 volume set containing studies of famous Arab tribes, from before Islam to the present, in Arab and Islamic countries.
  • 2011 ,v.1 معجم قبائل العرب القديمة والحديثة
• Genealogical Science Library (Arabic - مكتبة علوم النسب) - digital catalogue of Arabic books on family and tribal genealogies; open source books are linked and accessible
  • Email: olomanasb@gmail.com
• The History of Beersheba and its Tribes, by Aref al-Aref. Cairo: Religious Culture Library, 2007. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
  • 2007, تاريخ بير السبع وقبائلها
• Levant clans by Zakaria, Ahmed Wasfi. Damascus, Syria:Dar Al-Fikr, 2020. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
  • عشائر الشام / زكريا، أحمد وصفي
• al- Badw wa-al-ʻashāʼir fī al-bilād al-ʻArabīyah by Ṭāhir, ʻAbd al-Jalīl. Cairo:Jāmiʻat al-Duwal al-ʻArabīyah, Maʻhad al-Dirāsāt al-ʻArabīyah al-ʻĀlīyah, 1955. Online at: New York University; Overview of Arab Bedouin and clans
  • .البدو والعشائر في البلاد العربية .عبد الجليل طاهر [القاهرة]:جامعة الدول العربية، معهد الدراسات العربية العالية، 1955

Background

Tribes in Israel and the Negev

Map showing the Bedouin tribes around 1908.

The geographic region of the Levant today known as Israel but historically referred to as Palestine, Eretz Israel, and Canaan has seen the migration of many different tribes. According to the Biblical account and the Torah, Israel was inhabited by the Israelite tribes who descended from the patriarch Jacob before the influence of Islam. Many Arab tribes have also lived and migrated to this region throughout history, including but not limited to Bedouin Tribes, the Banu Ghassan, Banu Hilal, Banu Tayy, Lakhmids, and Kindites.

The Bedouin tribes in Israel, particularly those in the Negev region, are traditionally pastoral nomadic Arab tribes. These tribes include the Al-Azazme, Al-Tarabeen, and Al-Sane'. Historically, the Negev Bedouin wandered between the Hijaz and the Sinai Peninsula until the late 19th century. Today, most of them live in the Negev region, with a significant number residing in government-built townships such as Rahat, Hura, and Tel as-Sabi. Despite their sedentary lifestyle, the Bedouin community maintains the traditional and conservative practices of Islam and preserves their cultural heritage.

General Information about Tribes

Tribes have traditionally played a critical role in the structure of Arab society and continue to be important in many parts of the Arab world, including Israel. In Israel, the term "tribe" (قبيلة) typically refers to Bedouin, nomadic or semi-nomadic Arab groups that are found throughout the Middle East. Today, many Bedouin in this region have moved towards a sedentary lifestyle by choice or necessity, so the term today does not strictly refer to nomadic peoples. Bedouin tribes today are more commonly found in the West Bank, concentrated primarily in the hill country east of Hebron, with scatterings east of Jerusalem and on the west banks of the Jordan River.

In the Middle East and North Africa, the term "tribe" refers to large collection of inter-related families that can trace their lineage back to a common ancestor; although, as is discussed in greater detail below, a shared ancestry is not always necessary for a family to join a tribe. It is typically used as a translation for the Arabic word "قَبيلة" (qabīlah), although in the Research Wiki "tribe" is also used for other Arabic terms. Tribes in the region can number in the hundreds to tens of thousands; some are relatively localized, while others are stretched or scattered over vast areas. Tribes are often divided into increasingly smaller kinship groups, including "بَطْن" (baṭn), "فَخْذ" (fakhth), and "عَشيرة" (ʿashīrah). The latter is translated in the Wiki as "clan".

Tradition holds that all Arab tribes trace their lineage to two primary ancestors: Qahtan (قحطان), progenitor of the "pure" Arabs originating from modern Yemen, and Adnan (عدنان), ancestor of the "Arabicized" Arabs and a descendent of Abraham's son Ishmael.

Throughout Arabian history, free, arms-bearing tribesmen, whether nomadic or settled, dominated society. Sultans, emirs, and sheikhs were often drawn from these tribes and sought their support. The descendants of the Prophet Muhammad, who hold the titles of sayyids and sharifs, traditionally enjoyed a higher social status and sometimes exercised theocratic rule as spiritual leaders.

It is important to note that affiliation with a particular tribe does not necessarily entail direct kinship to that tribe. In some cases, new tribes formed as the result of alliances between pre-existing tribal groups. Individual families may have occasionally become clients of a different tribe and eventually adopted as members. On an even smaller scale, individuals were sometimes adopted into a tribe. This was particularly true during the first centuries of Islam, when non-Arab converts to Islam were required to become clients, or "mawali" (Arabic مَوالٍ), of an Arab tribe. Therefore, association with a tribe does not automatically imply descent or kinship relationship within a given lineage.

Types of Records

• Books - There are numerous books written on Arab tribes in the Levant region. Both categories of books can be valuable to researchers, as many tribes found in Israel are also found elsewhere in the Middle East and North Africa.

Information Recorded in the Records

Tribal histories and genealogies can contain a variety of data useful for family history researchers. Depending on the type and detail of tribal genealogy, typically include the names of fathers and sons but may exclude wives or daughters. Additionally, these genealogies may not include exact birth or death dates, although background information can often allow the researcher to estimate these data for individuals in the records.

Even without detailed lineages, tribal histories can still be useful for researchers. These records often contain details on tribal origins, migrations and movement, and traditional beliefs and culture.

Strategy

As with all genealogical research, start with what you know. If you know your ancestor's tribal affiliation already, search books on that tribe. If not, search for resources on their country or region of origin, which can often identify the major tribes located there. Become familiar with the various branches within the tribe to better understand where your ancestors fit within the larger tribal structure. Within tribal lineages, search for the names of familiar individuals or places as clues to identify your exact family line.

To access available information, first log into FamilySearch.

Publications not available online.