Banu Lakhm

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Banu Lakhm is a large Arab tribe tracing their lineage back to Qahtan (Biblical Joktan?), who among many achievements, created an Arab kingdom in Al-Hira, near modern Kufa, Iraq. This kingdom acted as a buffer zone between Arabia and the Persian Empire, preventing Bedouin Arab tribes from infiltrating Persian lands.

[edit] Lineage

The Banu Lakhm, or Lakhmids, are descendents from Malik (Malichus) bin Uday bin Al-Harith (Aretas) bin murr bin add bin zayed bin Yashjub bin oreb bin zayed bin Kahlan bin Saba' (Sheba) bin Qahtan (Joktan), a Qahtanite Arab tribe.

[edit] Lakhmid Settlements

The Banu Lakhm had diverse settlements. It is said that they were the first Arab tribe (aside from the Hyksos) to settle in Egypt ^{[citation needed]}. They also settled in the Golan Heights in Syria. In Palestine they settled in Rafah, and, according to legend, Bethlehem was named in honor of them (Bethlehem: the House of Lehem (Lakhm)).^{[citation needed]}

Their kingdom in Hira was ruled by the Banu Nasr (The House of Nasr).

[edit] Famous Lakhmid families, emirates and persons

Besides the lakhmid Kingdom Of Hira and its kings, there are other notable Lakhmids:

• Musa Bin Nusair, the Ummayad general and administrator of Andalus
• Imam Abdul-Rahman bin Amr bin Abdullah bin Safwan Al-nasri (Abu Zar'a al dimashqi)
• Banu Ubad, the lords of Ishbelia and Bani Bahr.
• The Naa'mna family in Jordan, Palestine And Egypt
• The Abbadid family in Al-Andalus
• Gamal Abdel Nasser was from Bani Mur, from Bnu Lakhm.

Many families in Egypt, Syria, and Lebanon trace their lineage To Lakhm.^{[citation needed]} Most Druze in Jabal al-duruz in Lebanon claim descent from Lakhm. Perhaps the most famous among them is the Lebanese historian and writer Emir Shakib Arslan. Lakhmids also exist in great numbers in Iraq, Yemen, and Oman.

See also Lakhmids.