Art. I.—The Ishmaelites, and the Arabic Tribes who conquered their Country

Extract

The commentators of Genesis are unanimous in considering the Ishmaelites as the fathers of the northern Arabians. It i s my intention to show that this view is not correct. But before entering into the subject, I may be permitted to ventilate the arguments which may be adduced in support of it. The indigenous genealogists, it may be said, divide the Arabs into two races: the Ma'addites and the Qaḥṭânians; and derive the former from Ishmael. In the Talmud the Arabs are called the children of Kedar, the son of Ishmael, and the Arabic language Kedar's tongue, And, finally, the whole country once in possession of the Ishmaelites is now, and has been for more than a thousand years, occupied by Arabian tribes.