Liyathnah

Liyathnah (Arabic: اللياثنة) is a tribe settled in the town of Wadi Musa, Jordan,^[1] close to the ruins of Petra.

Scholars have noted the tribe's possible Jewish origins and customs.^[2][3] They are not Bedouin.^[4] By the mid-20th century, their population in Petra and Wadi Musa was around three thousand, and they were known for their independent nature.^[2] The tribe is known for its conflicts with the Bedul, a small Bedouin tribe who have historically inhabited the caves and tombs of Petra.^[1][5][6]

Today, the Liyathnah tribe makes up the majority of Wadi Musa's population. Its members have been active in both government and private sectors, particularly dominating the local tourism industry following Petra's development as a major tourist destination, including operating hotels and managing the local horse industry.^[4][5]

In his 1871 book "The Desert of the Exodus," E. H. Palmer describes the Liyathnah as fellahin of Jewish origin who continue to observe certain Jewish customs.^[2] He writes:

"The immediate neighbourhood of Wady Musa is in the hands of Fellahin called the Liyatheneh; they are of so decided a Jewish type as to have led Dr Wilson and others to imagine them to be descendants of those Simeonites who settled in Edom. This view is erroneous, as it is clear that their immigration into the country dates after the Mohammedan conquests. They are the sons of Leith, a lineal descendant of Kaab, and a branch of the Kheibari Jews, who resided near Mecca and played so important a part in the early history of Islam. ... The Liyatheneh retain not only the distinctive physiognomy, but many of the customs, of the Jews, such as wearing the Pharisaic love-locks."^[2]

M. E. Rogers, in the 1881 volume of Picturesque Palestine, Sinai, and Egypt (Vol. III), makes similar observations:^[3]

"Petra and its immediate neighbourhood is in the hands of a turbulent but interesting tribe called the Liyatheneh. They are more fellahin than Bedawin in character, and have a singularly Jewish type of countenance. Indeed, they are in all probability the descendants of one of the Jewish tribes who emigrated from Arabia after the conquests of Islam. Besides their Hebrew physiognomy they retain many distinctive Jewish customs to the present day."^[3]

In his 1942 book Arab Command: The Biography of Lieutenant-Colonel F. W. Peake Pasha, Claude Scudamore Jarvis describes the Liyathnah as a tribe of about three thousand people living in Petra and Wadi Musa. He notes that while they have Nabatean ancestry, it is widely believed they descend from the Jewish population that lived in the region during the time of Muhammad. The tribe's name, derived from the Arabic word for lion, means "sons of lions," a reference to the Lion of Judah. For generations, they have been known as a wild people who followed no law. During the Turkish era, they were considered troublemakers, but as long as they did not disrupt the more civilized settlements in Ma'an and Shoubak, the authorities left them alone and did not collect taxes from them.^[7]

Ben Zvi proposes that both the Liyathnah and Bedul tribes are descendants of Edomites who converted to Judaism during the Hasmonean period, and later fought in the First Jewish–Roman War alongside the Jews. Later, refugees from Jewish communities in Arabia, destroyed by Muhammad, arrived in the Petra area and assimilated with these people. However, their fundamental origins trace back to pre-Arab populations in the region, including Jews, Judaized Edomites, and Nabateans.^[8]

The Liyathnah tribe constitutes most of the population of Wadi Musa, a town in the Ma'an Governorate of Jordan, close to the ancient city of Petra. The tribe is composed of several branches, including the al-Tweisi, al-Nawafleh, al-Masha'leh, and Hlalat.^[4]

In the 1950s, when the Jordanian government set up a rest house between the ruins of Petra and Wadi Musa, members of the Liyathnah tribe found work there, mainly offering horse transportation services to tourists visiting Petra. They also began selling postcards, tour books, and souvenirs, benefiting from the increasing tourism in the area.^[9]

Petra was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.^[9] Since then, the nearby town of Wadi Musa has experienced significant development, with many hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, and souvenir shops opening up. This growth has particularly favored the Liyathnah tribe, allowing them to profit from the rising number of tourists visiting Petra.^[1] Members of the Liyathnah are the primary operators of the hotels and the horse industry from Wadi Mousa to the entrance of the siq (gorge) leading into Petra.^[10]

The Liyathnah's involvement in tourism has led to conflicts, notably with the Bedul tribe, who resided within Petra. These tensions stem from unequal access to education and economic resources between the two tribes. The Liyathnah, leveraging their advantageous location and resources, have dominated various tourist-related businesses, such as horse rentals and souvenir sales. In contrast, the Bedul tribe's role in tourism has been more traditional, primarily limited to selling refreshments and offering guide services.^[1][9] In 1985, the Bedul tribe was forcibly relocated by the Jordanian government from the ruins of Petra to a new settlement to the north, named Umm Sayhoun.^[5][6] While this relocation brought some benefits, such as improved access to education and healthcare, it also limited the Bedul's access to their traditional lands and the tourism industry.^[1][5][6] Meanwhile, the Liyathnah tribe continued to thrive in Wadi Musa, further establishing their economic and social influence in the region.^[1]

• Bedul, a Bedouin tribe based nearby in Petra, known for its conflicts with the Liyathnah and possible Jewish origins