Bedul

Musa, an orphan boy of the Bedul tribe, 1961

The Bedul (Arabic: البدول, also transcribed Bdul, Badul, Bedoul, B'doul or Budul) are a small Bedouin tribe residing in the vicinity of Petra, Jordan.

The origins of the name suggest a possible conversion to Islam at a later period, with scholars proposing Jewish or Nabatean ancestry based on oral traditions. Early 20th-century accounts depict their nomadic lifestyle, traditions, and conflicts with the dominant Liyathnah tribe based nearby in Wadi Musa.

In the 1980s, the Jordanian government forcibly relocated the Bedul from Petra, establishing the nearby Umm Sayhoun as a permanent settlement for them. While this relocation improved access to education and healthcare, it also impeded on traditional agriculture. This led to a greater reliance on tourism for income, although Goat farming and cereal farming are still practiced. The tribe runs Petra's tourist shops and donkey tours, offers travel guide services and desert camping, and engages in archaeological work.

The Bedul are part of the Bedu tribes in Petra and Wadi Rum whose cultural heritage and traditions were recognized by UNESCO, listed on the Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2005, officially inscribed in 2008.

Origins

Umm al-Biyarah

The name "Badul" means "the changing ones", "changer", or "those who converted", which may indicate their conversion to Islam. It is possible that they are of Jewish or Nabatean ancestry.

Frederick Gerard Peake argued that the name "Badul", which he translates to "the changing ones", suggests their conversion to Islam. He wrote that local Arabs still point to Umm al-Biyarah, a place situated south of Qasr al-Bint, in close proximity to Petra, as the site of conversion.

Tawfiq Canaan recounts the following origin tale about the Bedul as narrated by the Liyathnah, the predominant tribe in the Petra region:

"When Moses and the children of Israel surrounded Petra, Moses declared war on the inhabitants because they refused to accept his religion. All were killed in battle except for twelve who hid themselves in a cave on the top of the mountain, now called Umm al-Biyarah. Moses ordered them to come down. They answered in Arabic: "Inna abdalna, ya Nabi Allah!" ("We have changed, O Prophet of God!"). "What have you changed?" asked Moses. "Our religion, for we accept yours", was the answer. Since that time, they are known as al-Badul — the people who became changed, or altered.

Canaan interpreted this as evidence of Nabatean ancestry.

Peake posited that the Jews from Maqna, El-Adhruh and Jarba, who made peace with Muhammad in Tabuk in AH 9, migrated to the Sela region where they eventually converted to Islam, becoming known as the "Badul", i.e. "the changing ones". Ben Zvi supports this theory as more plausible, noting that El-Adhruh and Jarba now lie in ruins between Shoubak and Ma'in. Ben Zvi asserts that Umm al-Biyara is not the site of their conversion to Judaism, but rather to Islam.

Ben Zvi mentions a visit by Eliahu Eilat during Passover in 1935, noting that the majority of the tribe was absent from Petra during this time and only returned later. They reportedly numbered seventy individuals at that time. While they lack clear recollections of their Jewish ancestry, they maintain the purity of their lineage and abstain from intermarriage with Arab tribes.

A. Musil credits the Badul or Al-Badan to the Howeitat bin-Gad, also known as the Alawin, who reside in Al-Hamsi.

Ben Zvi proposes that both the Liyathnah and Bedul tribes are descendants of Edomites who converted to Judaism during the Hasmonean period, and later fought in the First Jewish–Roman War alongside the Jews. Later, refugees from Jewish communities in Arabia, destroyed by Muhammad, arrived in the Petra area and assimilated with these people. However, their fundamental origins trace back to pre-Arab populations in the region, including Jews, Judaized Edomites, and Nabateans.

Claude Scudamore Jarvis noted in 1942 that while their origins remain uncertain, the Bedul are believed to be descendants of Jewish communities that inhabited the region before the Arab conquest. Although the tribe later converted to Islam, he questions their actual adherence to the religion.

According to Bedul tradition cited by Ohannessian-Charpin, their ancestral tale recounts the flight of five (or seven) forebears from pursuing Muslims, seeking refuge in Petra. Eventually, compelled by circumstances, they surrendered and adopted Islam, hence earning their name from the Arabic phrase "baddalu dinuhum" ("they exchanged their religion"). Ohannessian-Charpin suggests that the Bedul assert Nabatean ancestry creators to resist expulsion and establish themselves as the rightful inheritors of the land.

History

The ethnohistoric study confirms the Bedul's presence in the Petra Valley since at least the early 19th century. While oral history and archaeological evidence suggest continuity prior to that, lack of direct testimony makes specific claims for earlier periods difficult.

Abdullah I of Jordan met with sheikhs of the Bedul in 1923, led by Hweimel Salem 'Eid. They opted for government trusteeship of Petra's territory in exchange for maintaining traditional rights, thereby avoiding taxation.

In his 1942, Claude Scudamore Jarvis described the Bedul practice of wearing minimal clothing, often just a small strap made of animal skins, and their reputation for being wary and agile. Over time, he notes, they became more accustomed to interacting with others, entertaining tourists with dances.

In the mid-20th century, Ben Zvi described the Bedul as the most impoverished among all Bedouin tribes in Transjordan, sustaining themselves by guiding tourists through the remnants of Petra.

According to Tawfiq Canaan, writing in 1930, the Bedul seldom ventured beyond their territory. During the winter months, they dwell in the caves of Petra for up to three months. As spring arrives, they move their encampment near the wadis, while in the summer, they ascend to the lofty rock peaks or nearby hills.

In 1985, the Jordanian government forcibly relocated the Bedul to Umm Sayhoun (Arabic: أم صيحون), a new town north of Petra. While this move provided better access to education and healthcare, it also limited traditional livelihoods. The dense settlement strained resources and led many to rely more on tourism for income. In 2004, the town had a population of 1,352, most of them members of the Bedul.

In 1996, their population was reported to be 1000 people, belonging to five distinct lineages.

The Bedul belong to one of the Bedouin tribes whose cultural heritage and traditional skills were proclaimed by UNESCO on the Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2005 and inscribed in 2008.

The Bedul tribe has been engaged

in a longstanding conflict with the Liyathnah tribe of Wadi Musa. The Liyathnah have benefited from the touristic and industrial development of the area, while the Bedul have had limited involvement due to historical tensions. Their engagement in tourism, primarily through souvenir sales and guide services, remains minimal compared to the Liyathnah's dominance. As of 2019, the Bedul tribe operates a combination of licensed and unlicensed shops within Petra, where they dominate the market for tourist shops and donkey tours. Additionally, they have established travel guide services, desert camps for tourists, and participate in local archaeological excavations.

Lifestyle and customs

A Nabatean tomb in Petra. Similar tombs have been traditionally used by Bedul Bedouins for habitation

Herding, farming and food production

Despite increasing international interest and tourism in Petra, the Bedul persisted in traditional activities like goat herding and cereal farming. In the late 1980s, their farming methods remained traditional, relying on manual labor without mechanization. Dairy production, especially the processing of goat milk into yogurt (laban) and subsequently into a dried form, plays a significant role.

Dwellings

Traditional Bedul dwellings included black goat hair tents, masonry structures in rock shelters, and occupation of Nabataean tombs, with recent focus on the latter due to tourist visibility. However, their habitation patterns, including dwelling in Petra's tombs, have likely been diverse and extensive for centuries.

The 1980s relocation of the Bedul to Umm Sayhoun improved access to education and healthcare while constraining their traditional livelihoods, leading to a shift towards reliance on tourism for income due to limited participation in traditional agricultural and pastoral activities. However, in years with abundant rainfall, Bedoul from Umm Sayhoun are increasingly reverting to tent living in spring.

Religion

In 1930, Canaan observed that the Bdoul were not devout in their religious practices. They struggled with reciting the opening verse of the Quran and did not pray regularly, unlike the Liyathnah in Wadi Musa who demonstrated more religious observance. Ben-Zvi mentioned that the Bedul make an annual pilgrimage to the Tomb of Aaron. Over time, there may have been changes in religious practices among the Bedul, but there still remains a social perception among surrounding tribes that the Bedul's adherence to Islam is not as strong, which can lead to condescension towards them for their religious practices.

Gallery

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  Mother and baby of the Bedul tribe before their cave home in ed-Der Valley
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  Bedouin and wife of the tribe
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  Bedul Bedouins performing an incantation over a sick man