Presence of monotheism in the Middle East since prehistory.
The Middle East is the geographic region that is among Europe, Africa and Asia. Bordered on the north Asia Minor, Armenia and the Caucasus on the east by Iran (Persia) and Persian Gulf on the south by the Indian Ocean and west to the Red Sea, Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea.
The Middle East has four main regions:
1. Sham, which includes the current Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine.
2. Iraq: that includes the current Iraq.
3. The Arabian Desert, which includes part of modern Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf emirates.
4. Yemen: Yemen includes the current
Sham and Iraq to the north and formed the famous “fertile crescent” around the Arabian desert to the north. Yemen is southwest and shares the Arabian Peninsula to the desert of the same name. Between Palestine and Egypt is a desert peninsula also called Sinai.
This area has been inhabited by man for thousands of years and is known here the first domesticated animals were first practiced agriculture and built the first cities. It is also known that monotheism (worship God alone) was present from the beginning of time in this region.
The Bible is a historical document which we describe in this region since ancient times, although at various points suspected manipulation of text. Along with the Bible are the archaeological investigations and many cuneiform texts on clay tablets found in both Sham and Iraq.
The truth is that when Abraham appears in the history already recorded monotheistic people on both sides of the Fertile Crescent: Iraq Abraham and Melchizedek in Sham. We’re talking about 20 centuries before Christ. The biblical story contained in Genesis Abraham shows us how God loves only from his time in Iraq and to reach Palestine (then Canaan) meets Melchizedek, king of Jerusalem, which is described as a priest of God Most High (Gen . 14:17-20).
Middle East area was inhabited mostly by Arab-Semitic race which descended large nations such as the Akkadians, Chaldeans, Assyrians and Babylonians in Iraq, the Syrians, Phoenicians, Arameans and Canaanites in Sham, the Nabataeans, the Amorites other Bedouin tribes in the desert and in Yemen Qahtani. Though there were white people who were not Arabs and populated the peninsula as the ancient Sumerians in Iraq, the Palestinian coastal Philistines and Hittites in northern Syria.
It is believed that Abraham was an Arab-Semitic Amorites probable origin who was born in Ur, in Iraq, then Syria and finally migrated to Canaan, where the Canaanites was given the name “Hebrew.” Since this time there is a strong presence in the region monotheistic. Even in Egypt there is the monotheistic Pharaoh Akhenaten government in these times.
Monotheistic heritage of Abraham was in the collective memory of their descendants in Palestine (Isaac) and the Hijaz (Ishmael). In both regions, Abraham is a Muslim concerning historic and built two separate temples or houses of God, Beth-El in Palestine and Bait-ul-Allah in Mecca (Hejaz).
The Arabs of the desert place its origin in the tribes of Qajtán and Adnan in prehistoric Yemen is one of the cradles of civilization that has not been studied until now.
The Old Testament records the history of the descendants of Abraham in Palestine, which later became known as Israel, in reference to Jacob, Israel, grandson of Abraham.
The Israelis were blessed with many miracles of God and many prophets taught them divine guidance, but in general were stubborn and unwilling to submit to God. The coming of Jesus son of Mary, marked the end of the blessing and God’s preference for them, so their situation worsened rejecting Jesus and plotting to kill him.
