Historian: Ancient Arabs Migrated from Central Arabia to Establish Kingdoms in Iraq, Levant, Egypt

Saudi writer and historian Dr. Suleiman Al-Theeb, a guest at the cultural program of the Riyadh International Book Fair, took part in the panel discussion "Ancient Arabic Writings", which discussed the deep-rooted cultural heritage of the Kingdom and the Arabian Peninsula, reflecting on the rich history of its places, times, and people. The fair was organized by the Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission between September 26 and October 5. At the discussion, Al-Theeb talked about the meanings of ancient Arab inscriptions, writings in the Arabic script, and the region's heritage and antiquities. He presented part of the history of the Arabian Peninsula, and its cultural and civilizational role, highlighted the region's language and identity, and shed light on social, religious, and economic aspects, inscriptions, rock and wall art, and artifacts. He stressed that these writings and inscriptions testify to the Arabic Peninsula's deep historical roots and its rich cultural heritage. Al-Theeb also stressed that only Arabs inhabited the Arabian Peninsula, both in ancient and modern times, noting that other ethnicities that lived there did so temporarily. He pointed out that the term "Arab" was first used to describe a group of tribes during the Assyrian era, in the 8th and 9th centuries BCE. He said that migrations from the Arabian Peninsula began from the central region, moving northward to Mesopotamia, Greater Syria, and Egypt, where immigrants settled and established kingdoms. He also referred to the oldest known Arab inscription, found in a region of Palestine, specifically the city of Lachish, which is a Thamudic inscription dating back to 1300 BCE. Initially, it was believed to be Phoenician and dated to 1509 BCE, but it was later confirmed to combine South Arabian script and Thamudic letters. Al-Theeb is considered one of the leading historians in the Kingdom; he wrote extensively about civilizations dating back thousands of years in the Arabian Peninsula, exploring various social dimensions. He is a writer, historian, researcher, professor of ancient Arabic inscriptions at King Saud University, and an expert in archaeology and ancient languages of the Arabian Peninsula. He undertook numerous archaeological expeditions and authored dozens of books, studies, and papers, published in Arabic, on heritage, historical research, and civilization. He is also a prominent figure in the study of ancient Saudi history. Source: Saudi Press Agency