Ancient Libya

[Lezer]

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 were the ancestors of the modern Berbers[1].

In the Greek period the Berbers were known as "Libyans"[2] 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.

The name: Libya
The history of the name
The name Libya is found in the Ancient Egyptian-, Phoenician-, Greek-, Hebrew-, Latin- , Arabic and the modern European languages[3].

The oldest reference to this name goes back to Merenptah the Egyptian ruler of the 19th dynasty. He ruled in the second half of the 13th century BCE. The name was firstly mentioned as an ethnic name on the Merneptah Stele which is also known as the Israel's Stele:

    [..]The vile chief of the Libu[4] who fled under cover of night alone without a feather on his head, his feet unshod, his wives seized before his very eyes, the meal for his food taken away, and without water in the water-skin to keep him alive; the faces of his brothers are savage to kill him, his captains fighting one against the other, their camps burnt and made into ashes ..[5]. 

After then, the name appeared repeatedly in the pharaonic records. It is therefore supposed that the origin of the name would be this Egyptian name for the ancient tribe Libu. According to this theory, this name would be taken over by the Greeks of Cyrenaica who may have co-existed with them[6]. Later, the name appeared in the Hebrew language written in the Bible as Lehabim and Lubim indicating the ethnic population and the geographic territory as well.

In the neo-Punic inscriptins it was written as Lby for the masculine noun and Lbt for the feminine noun of Libyan. The name was supposedly used as an ethnic name in those inscriptions.

The first reference to "Libya" in the Greek language is found in Homer's Odyssey (IX.95; XXIII.311). The name was used by Homer in a geographic sense, while he called its inhabitants Lotophagi meaning the "Lotus-eaters". After Homer, the name was used by Aeschylus, Pindar and other Ancient Greek writers. Herodotus used Libuwa indicating Libya while he called the Libyans Libyes in the Greek language. From his point of view, Libya was the name of the African continent, while "the Libyans" were the light-sikinned North Africans, whereas the southern Africans were known as "the Ethiopians" to him[7].

In Latin, the name would be taken over from the Greek- and the Punic language. The Romans would have know them befor their colonization for Northwest Africa, because of the Libyan role in the Punic wars against the Romans. The Romans used the name Libyes, but it referred only to Barca and the Western desert of Egypt. The other Libyan territories became known as Africa.

In the Arabic literature it was called Lubya indictating a speculative territory in west of Egypt. But today, this name is used as Libya in the modern languages.

The etymologic origin[/i]
When it comes to the chronical identification, it would be obvious that the Egyptian sources are the first known reference to the name, as libyan tribe inhabiting the west. But although, this is a significant data for the origin of the name, it would be hard to attribute its origin to any language.

Generally, there are many theories attributing the name to Berber- , Egyptian- , Phoenician-, Hebrew-, punic-, Greek-, Latin- and Arabic origins. However, the Berber and Egyptian sources are the most acceptable.

It has been questioned whether the name Libu was an Egyptian name for an ancient Berber tribe or it was the own name of the Berber tribe to refer to them selves whereafter the Ancient Egyptians have adopted it from them. An example of the first probability is the name Berber which is used to refer to the indeginous people of Northwest Africa, whereas they call themselves "Imazighen".

In fact, it would be a problematic essay to give a deciding answer because the Berbers didn't leave any considerable written sources. However, some prominent historians tried to trace the name to a Berber origin. The supporters of the Berber origin believe that the name was related to an ancient Berber tribe. The name Libu would have know many evolution from "Lebu" to "Libya" to "Lebata" to "Levata" to "Lvata" to "Lwatae".

Lwatae (the tribe of Ibn Battuta[8]) as it was called by the Arabs was a Berber tribe that was mainly situated in Cyrenaica, but this tribe seemed to have stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to modern Libya. This tribe was referred by Corippius as Laguatan and it was associated by him with the Maures. Ibn Khaldun tells on this tribe in the thirth chapter of The History of Ibn Khaldun that Luwa was their ancestor, and the Berber do add an "A" and "T" to the name. Subsquently, it became Lwat, but the Arabs adopted it in a singular form adding a "H" for the plural form in Arabic. Ibn Khaldun goes furthermore denying the claim of Ibn Hazam who maybe singifically claimed on the basis of the Berber sources that Lwatah in addition to Sadrata and Mzata were from the Qibts (Egyptians). According to Ibn Khaldun his claim is incorrect because ibn Hazm didn't read the books of the Berber scholars concerning this subject[9].

Oric Bates is one of those Historians who believe that the name Libu or LBW would be derived from the name Luwatah. He wrote in the page 57 as a note in his informative book The Eastern Libyans that the name Liwata is a derivation of the name Libu. Other historians like the Libyan historian Mohammed Moustapha Bazam tend to confirm this theory.

[Lezer]

Ancient Libya
The sources
Compared with the History of Egypt, there is a little known on the History of Libya. Because the Ancient Libyans didn't leave written sources. The libyco-Berber script (also known as Tifinagh) that was used in Libya was mostly used as funerary script. Moreover, the experts are confronted with many diffeculties to decipher it. The script has it variations, like the modern Berberlanguage variations which would be different from its ancient forms.

Generally, there are two main sources on the history of Ancient Libya: The archeologic- and historic sources written by their eastern Egyptian neighbours and the Northern people who were the Ancient Greeks, Romans and Byzantines in the addition to the Arabs from the Medieval times.

The territory

(Map of Herodotus)

From an ethincal point of view, Libya would be the geographic territory inhabited by the Libyans. Nevertheless, there is no certitude about the boundaries of Ancient Libya. It was to the west of Ancient Egypt, and it was known as "IMNT" to the Ancient Egyptians like it was referred to with a feather which the Libyans used as an ornament. However, Libya it was mostly unknown to the Egyptians. Oric Bates tells here about that Libya was an unknown territory to the Egyptians, it was the lands of the spirits.

To the Ancient Greeks, Libya was one of the three known continents besides, Asia and Europe. In this sense, Libya was the whole African continent to the west of the Nile Valley. But Herodotus distinguished the authochone inhabitants into two people: The libyans in North Africa and the Etheopians in the south. According to Herodtus, Libya begins from where the western borders of Ancient Egypt, and ends in Cape Spartel in the south of Tangier on the Atlantic coast. This region was inhabited by the ancestors of the modern Berbers.

Ancient Libyans

(Ancient Libyan from the pharohonic remains)

The ancietn Libyans were the inhabitant of North Africa to the west of Ancient Egypt. Those inhabitants had various tribal names. They were mentioned by the Ancient Egyptian-, Ancient Greek, Roman and Arab sources.

Egyptian sources
The Ancient Egyptians mentioned many Libyan tribes. The most known tribes on the basis of the Egyptian Archeologic sources are respectively: The Tjehenu, the Tamahu, the Libu (or Ribu), Meshwesh. Those tribes were the most important Libyan tribes in the Egyptian sources. However, other less important tribes (or minor groups) were mentioned in the Egyptian sources.

Later sources
After the Egyptians, the Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines mentioned other various tribes. The late tribal names are different from the Egyptian ones. But it is supposed that some tribes were named in the Egyptian sources and the later ones as well. The Meshwesh-tribe is an example for this assumption. The scholars believe it would be the same tribe called Mazyes by Hektaios and Maxyes by Herodotus, while it was called as "Mazaces" and "Mazax" in the Latin sources. All those names are somehow similar to the name used by the Berbers themselves Imazighen[10].

The sources of the late period gave more detailed descriptions for Libya and its inhabitants. Herodotus is the most notable ancient historian who tried to cover Libya and the Libyans in his fourth book, which is known as "The Libyan Book". In addition to him, Pliny the Elder, Diodorus Siculus and Procopius are considered the basic sources on Ancient Libya and the Libyans. But Ibn Khaldun, who dedicated the main part of his book Kitab el'ibar, which is known as "The history of the Berbers", didn't use the names: "Libya" and "Libyans" in his works. He used instead Arabic names: "The Old Maghreb" (El-Maghrib el-Qadim) and "The Berbers" (El-Barbar or El-Barabera(h)).

Unlike Ibn Khaldun who distinguished the Berbers into the Batr and the Baranis[11], Herodotus divided them into Eastern Libyans and Western Libyans. The Easten Libyans where the nomadic Libyans to the east of the Lake Tritonis. They lived as nomadic shepherds, while the Western Libyans who lived to the west of the Lake Tritonis where farmers who led sedentary life[12]. Both of Ibn Khaldun and Herodotus didn't distinguish the Libyans on the basis of their ethnic background, but according to their lifestyles. The distinction of Herodotus was also followed by the modern Historians, like Oric Bates in his book "The Eastern Libyans". Some other historians used the modern name of the Berbers in their works like the Frensh historian Gabriel Camps[13].

The Libyan tribes mentioned in those sources were: "Adyrmachidae", "Giligamae", "Asbystae", "Marmaridae", "Auschisae", "Nasamones", "Macae", "Lotus-eaters (or Lotophagi)", "Garamantes", "Gaetulians", "Maures(Berbers)", "Luwatae" and still many other tribes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Libya

[Camaron'N'IstIgliwa]

Very interesting topic as usual.
I have just eyed the content quickly; later I will have a closer look and also provide you with a link about Nasamon.


Tanmirt nk.

[Lezer]

The term Libya would be the basic introduction to the history of the Berbers for the beginners.

What i found the most interesting is this:
"The name Libu would have know many evolution from "Lebu" to "Libya" to "Lebata" to "Levata" to "Lvata" to "Lwatae"."

This is very speculative, but it does help me something. I believed one time that "Irifiyyen" (Riffians) would have ericted their name from this name "Libyans" and preserved it because of the isolation.

My theory (Which is occasionally shared by other non experts :) ) was that the word "Irifiyyan" would be nothing others than the Tarifitization of the name Libyans which would be "Ilibiyyen" in the Berber language, i supposed.

In the Tarifit language, the L becoms in most times an "R", like  "awal" (speech) that becomes "awar"  (hence amazigh.nl/awar) and the unvolcalized "B" becomes "F" like "Ta3rabt" (Arabic) which becomes "Ta3raft" in Tarifit.

Taking those notes in consideration, we would suppose  that the word "Libyan" would become "Rifyan". This is similar to the English word "Riffian".

But Libyan is an English word, that we literally translate as "Ilibyyen" (Ilibiyyen is the berberization of the arabic equivalent: Libiyyoun).
Thus like as we already did with "Libyans", Ilibyyen becomes then "Iriffyen".

Did the Riffians call themselves "Libyans/Ilibyen/Ilibiyyen"?
Given that the riffian regins were larger than they are today, and knowing that it includes Tangier. We can proove that those inhabitants of Tangier (Who are at least geografically Riffians) were once known as "Libyans" Like Plutarch called him.

Is Libyan a Libyan/Berber name?! This is real question.
Nobody can proove it. Nevetheless, it is supposed by some that it was. Liwata would be the remain of that name.
This tribe (Liwat) inhabited the eastern region from north africa in Cyrenaica. But they were spread on larger geographical territories.
We have again a person from the Liwata tribe and also from the Rif mountains (From Tangier) it was Ibn Battuta.

[Camaron'N'IstIgliwa]

Afra,

Great compilation of links about Ancient Egypt:

http://www.leidenuniv.nl/nino/aeb94/aeb94_1.html

Reach notably the anchor numbered 94.0140:

GALAND, Lionel, Pline et le nom des Nasamons, in: Hommages Leclant. 4, 73-80.

[Botermes]

Libya, zo noemden de grieken Afrika. Rif is genoemd door arabieren en betekent iets in het arabisch. Lybians heeft niks met het woord irifyen te maken.

[Izwan]

Libya, zo noemden de grieken Afrika. Rif is genoemd door arabieren en betekent iets in het arabisch. Lybians heeft niks met het woord irifyen te maken.

Waar baseert jij het op?

[Lezer]

Afra,

Great compilation of links about Ancient Egypt:

http://www.leidenuniv.nl/nino/aeb94/aeb94_1.html

Reach notably the anchor numbered 94.0140:

GALAND, Lionel, Pline et le nom des Nasamons, in: Hommages Leclant. 4, 73-80.

I read both the names: Garamantes and Nasamones were related to the God Amon.
Gara = land + amante = Amon or Ament.
Nas = Oracle + Amone = Amon.

[Hadou]

http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eratosthenes

was deze Eratosthenes een Amazigh?
Hij was geboren in Libya.

Hij was een vriend van Archimedes.

[Camaron'N'IstIgliwa]

Afra,

Great compilation of links about Ancient Egypt:

http://www.leidenuniv.nl/nino/aeb94/aeb94_1.html

Reach notably the anchor numbered 94.0140:

GALAND, Lionel, Pline et le nom des Nasamons, in: Hommages Leclant. 4, 73-80.

I read both the names: Garamantes and Nasamones were related to the God Amon.
Gara = land + amante = Amon or Ament.
Nas = Oracle + Amone = Amon.

Afra,


I haven't yet related the information I have about Garamantes, though my presumption leads to the name of a territory.

About Nasamon, what is the primitive signification you give to {Nas}? If you had not read about the oracle communication (Alexandre Le Gd), would you give that meaning?
To me {Nas} means {Folks}. Thus, I'd credit that Nasamon means "Amon's Folks" or "The people related with Amon".  Gathering historical evidences and extrapolating could then give a sharper conclusion. But we shall not underestimate the difficulty of that work to be reliable.

[Lezer]

Nas means "people" in Arabic, but not in Berber.
I have read that the word "nas" might refer to "oracle", it was written by Moustapha Ouachi (That of Menhir, you remember?!)..

[Camaron'N'IstIgliwa]

Nas means "people" in Arabic, but not in Berber.
I have read that the word "nas" might refer to "oracle", it was written by Moustapha Ouachi (That of Menhir, you remember?!)..

Ouachi again? :)
Nas is aramaic my friend. So you're making an anachronism if you want to highlight on that period using the state-of-the-(language)-art as of today's standards.

[Lezer]

Which anchronism?

Nas is an arabic word used also in the moroccan dialect. It is semitic, so no wonder that it would be aramic.

[MBTiza]

Which anchronism?

Nas is an arabic word used also in the moroccan dialect. It is semitic, so no wonder that it would be aramic.

The arabic language derives from Aramic ;D

[Camaron'N'IstIgliwa]

What is the intermediate content leading Ouachi to that assumption? "Innas Amon" (Amon said to him)?