MADABA

The name Madaba was taken from the act of juicing fruit and water,  as fruits were plentiful in its early days and fruit juice was a daily form of nourishment.  1200 B. C. is the date during which  Madaba, in the land of Moab,  ruled by king of the Amorites King Sayhun appeared for the first time in the Torah.  Moses, on his way to the "promised land" from Egypt, fought and defeated the Amorites and took over control of Madaba and the areas surrounding it.  The most famous is Mount Nebo.  Later Meeshaa,  King of the Moabites, regained control of Madaba from the Hebrews and recorded the battle on a a large basalt stone.  The stone was taken by the French and housed in the Louvres in Paris France.  About the seventh century B.C.  the Babylonians  attacked and destroyed Madaba.    Madaba was rebuilt by King Bani Yamri during the rein of the Nabateans around the year 160 B.C.  Later in the year 63 B.C. the Romans under Pompei negotiated a truce for the take over of the Nabatean lands including Madaba.  The Romans set up their rule in Busra, Horan and changed the name of the area on 22 January 106 A D to " Roman arabia".  Madaba became a very important trading center.  The Romans built a wall around Madaba with four gates as well as stone roads, castles and water sheds . The most notable are the Castles in Kastal and Zezya.  About the fourth century AD,  Byzentian Christianity became the religion of the region during the rein of king Hareth the fourth. Between 106 AD and 700 AD Madaba became a center of Byzentian culture and trade as the inhabitants of the areas mostly Bani Ghassan tribes took on the christian faith.  Roman gold coins were struck in Madaba.  Churches were built in large numbers.  The art of  using colorful mozaic stones as decorations was at its peak use in the churches and homes.  The most notable is the Mozaic map of ancient Jerusalem  found on the floor of the Christian Orthodox Church. an important show piece in Madaba today.(source Phillip Hiti: History of Syria).   At the begining of the seventh century AD, Madaba and Roman Arabia became under the control of the Khalifah Omar Ibn Alkhatab after the Byzentian Romans lost the Battle of Yarmook to the Advancing Islamic Armies.  Madaba became the center of  Islamic advancement in the region during the rein of Moaweah Ibn abu Sufian.  Madaba maintained its Christian culture and continued its progress under Moaweeah's rule.  In the year 717 AD Omar Ibn Abed Al Aziz took charge and became the Khalifah.  Under his rule things changed drastically for Madaba.  Many of the Mozaics were destroyed and the Christians took refuge in safer areas. An Earth Quake of great magnitute hit the area at 4 pm on the  18 January 746 AD.  The death toll and destruction was enormous.   Madaba remained deserted until 1880  when the three christian families (Azeizat, Karadsheh, and Maayah) left Karak and settled in The ruins of Madaba.  (source: History of modern Madaba by Sami Salameh Alnahas).  

The families divided Madaba into three Hais (neighborhood) and the lands that laid in front of the Hai was allocated to each family for planting.  The Northwest gate became the Karadsheh Hai and all lands that laid in the northwest was allocated to the Karadsheh family for agricultural use.  The Karadsheh Hai had several large caves that were assigned to the different karadsheh families.  These families over time built their homes around these caves.  What is unique about these Hais is that they were large enough to accomodate the whole family and all of their belongings as well as their cattle, sheep, goats, horses, camels, donkeys, chickens, rabbits and other animals that supported life.  The Hais had wells that accumulated underground water as well as rain waters.  The families lived in one large Dar ( large room).  The Dar was divided in sections where individuals slept, ate, worked and socialized in each of the designated sections.  The churches were within walking distance where families worshiped.  There were 2 main churches.  A Catholic Church for the Azeizat families and the Greek Orthodox Church where the Karadsheh and Maayah families worshiped.   In early times about 1880-1920 AD,  Madaba was not accepted by its neighbors.  The neighbors were mainly Badoo (Bedouin) tribes.  They referred to Madaba inhabitants as  Nazereens (followers of Jesus from Nazareth).  The main objections of the Badoo was mainly a fight over land rights and peasantry.  The Madabians were viewed as peasants who had no ownership rights.  While the Madabians viewed themselves as land lords and owners of the lands they farmed.  Although, the government (Ottoman rule) recognized the Madabians rights to the lands, the Badoo did not recognize governments sovreignty over them.  Constant agitation and battles continued on a daily basis between the Madabians and the neighboring Badoo.  The Government had to interfere on occasions to bring the fighting to a halt. The Madabians proved themselves worthy of Badoo respect both because of their skills as fighters on horse back (Alsaif and Barudeh) and as generous hosts (Al Mansuf).  Their skills and ability to grow animals(cattle, sheep, goats, horses, camels etc),  produce grains (wheat for bread), shair (barley) for animal feed and there skills in churning butter into soft and hard cheese (Samneh and Jameed), leather, hair and wool products,  iron and copper casting, made the Madabians a needed quality among some of their neighbors who extended protection and trade with them.  Others found work and earned wages among the Madabians.  Trade florished with the other areas such as Jerusalem and Damascus.  As the Madabians grew in wealth and stature, more Badoo accepted them.  Some, however, grew jealous of their wealth and started to attack ( ghazoo) their animals as they graze in the fields.  Later the attacks grew in intensity and were directed at the Madabians in their homes.  The Madabians had to retaliate by going out into the Badoo tribes and attacking their safe havens.  The retaliation was very effective and a state of calm followed.  In the early 1920's the Ottoman   government started  registration of property ownership in Madaba and other areas under its rule.  Madabians became officialy landlords of their farmed lands.    The lands were registered in the name of each member of the family.  Some families shared ownership in one Deed ( Koushan) as multiple owners( Mashaa).  In the mid 1920 the Ottomans were defeated by the Arab and British forces and a new government was established in the area.  Madaba became an important city and part of the newly formed Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.  The Madabians became an important part and parcel of the new government.  This was mainly due to their skills in the English language, and abilities in reading and writing.  Most young Madabians were sent to schools in Jerusalem where English was being taught.  They became officials and leaders in  the new government as welll as soldiers and leaders in the newly formed armed forces of the Hashemite Kingdom of  Jordan.  

Madaba Food........Mansaf is the main course at any Madabian house entertaining guests.  Simply put its flat bread called ( Shrak) laid flat on a flat plate ( Sidr),  add a mound of freshly cooked white rice over the shrak bread,  add chunks of baby lamb meat cooked to tenderness in melted rock cheeze ( Jameed) and placed on top of the rice mound,  add plenty of browned sprinkles of pine nuts over the pile and serve with steaming hot jameed to guests as they partake from this delicious meal.  Hot black unsweetened coffee served at end of meal.