Ancient Libya

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Ancient Map from Herodotus

Ancient Libya was the region west of the Nile valley, the home of ancient Egyptian civilization. It corresponds to what is now generally called Northwest Africa. Its people spoke Berber languages.

In the Greek period the Berbers were mainly known as "Libyans" and their lands as "Libya" that extended from modern Morocco to the western borders of ancient Egypt. (Modern Egypt contains the Siwa Oasis, historically part of Libya, where the Berber Siwi language is still spoken.)

1 Ancient Libyans
2 Numidians
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Ancient Libyans

A Libyan drawn by ancient Egyptians

Both names, "Amazigh" and "Berber", are relatively recent names in historical sources, since the name "Berber" appeared first in Arab-Islamic sources, and the name "Amazigh" was never used in ancient sources. It is no less important to keep in mind that the Berbers were known by various names in different periods.

The first reference to ancient Berbers goes back to the Predynastic Period of Egypt, where they are mentioned on on the so-called " Libyan Palette" which is still preserved in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. This ceremonial palette is considered to be the oldest source wherein Berbers have been mentioned.

The second source is known as Narmer Palette. This palette is more recent than the first source, and it depicted the Tjehenu Libyans as captives.

The second oldest name is Tjemehu. This name was mentioned for the first time in the period of the first king of the Sixth dynasty of Egypt and was referred to in other sources after that period. According to Oric Bates, those people were white-skinned, blondish, and with blue eyes.

Another important tribe was the Libu. This tribe was associated with the so-called Sea People between the sixth and the fourth century BC. Nevertheless, the Libou were not considered as "Sea People" but as indigenous people, and the emigrating people allied with them. The name "Libu" would later be used, by the Greeks to refer to all Berbers, and not only what is now the modern North African country of Libya.

The Sea People and the Libyan tribes attacked Egypt but were defeated by the Egyptians. Some Libyan/Berber tribes continued to emigrate into the Nile Delta where they served in the Egyptian army until a Libyan leader from the Meshwesh tribe, Shoshenq I, became pharaoh and founded the Twenty-second dynasty of Egypt, although his uncle, Osorkon the Elder had ruled Egypt earlier during Dynasty 21. Other Libyan dynasties include Dynasty 23, Dynasty 24, and Dynasty 26.

[edit] Numidians

During the Roman period, the Berbers would become known as Numidians, Maures and Getulians, according to their tribes or kingdoms.

The Numidians founded complicated and organized tribes, and thereafter they began to build a stronger kingdom. Most scholars believe that "Alyamas" was the first king of the Numidian kingdom [Mohammed Chafik/ Highlights of thirty-three centuries of the history of Imazighen]. Massinissa was the most famous Numidian king, who made Numidia a strong and civilized kingdom.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

Libya: This name in the roots of the history, by Mohammed Moustpha Bazma.
Highlights of thirty-three centuries of the history of Imazighen, Mohammed Chafik.