Draft:Naber Family

AL Al-Naber (also known as: Al-Naber, Naber or En Nboor. Arabic: ال النبر, عشيرة النبور ) is a prominent Christian Jordanian family (also classified as clan or tribe) who have resided in modern day Jordan since the 1500's or earlier. Descending from the historical Adnanite (Adnan) tribal confederation of Northern Arabia—a lineage shared with the Hashemites of Jordan—the Al-Naber name is also recognized among the tribes descending from or associated with the Ghassanid dynasty. They settled in Al-Salt, which later became the administrative capital, where they became large land owners and merchants. <1>

Abu Jaber Mansion which later became Historic Old Salt Museum

Murad Dabagh, in his book on Levantine families (لاخبار الشهية عن العيال المرجعونية والتميمية), states: "The Naber clans- Jawabrah, Hatatra, Nboor - enjoy a high social status in eastern Jordan, especially their leader Saeed Pasha Abu Jaber, who lives in their own town of Yadouda. Their homes in Salt are famous (the chosen place of King Abdullah I to reside when visiting), and most of them migrated to Amman, where they enjoy everyone's respect." <1>

History

Jordan contains one of the oldest Christian communities in the world, their presence dating back to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ early in the 1st century AD

According to the writings of Major-General Frederick Peake, who served under Lawrence of Arabia, the Naber clan resided in Rabba, Kerak for some time before migrating northward in the mid-1500's. Their journey took them through Fheis and Hsban, then to Hauran, before being divided into five main sections. Beit Nayifeh went to Marj 'Ayun, Dakhallah went to Nazareth, En Nboor went to Es Salt. Additionally, the Freihat and the Naber of Izra are descendants of the same clan. In Es Salt, the tribe comprises three major subsections: El Jawabra (Abu Jaber family), El Hatatra (Hattar Family), and En Nboor (Al-Naber Family), each further divided into smaller branches or subsections. According to Peake, all families adhere to the Latin faith, except for El Jawabra, who follow the Greek Orthodox faith. In his early 20th-century publications about Jordan's tribes, Peake recorded the tribe as having 400 members, making it the largest Christian tribe and the third largest among both Muslim and Christian tribes in Es Salt. <2>

The Al Naber tribe lived in the city of Salt for a considerable period of time, and from there they moved to many locations inside and outside Jordan. Within Salt, the Naber tribe was a part of the Al-Awamlah (Al-Hara) tribal alliance. Notably, the first church for the Latin faith in Jordan, built in 1876 in Salt, was constructed on land owned by the Naber clan, as detailed in "Kitab al-Salt and its Neighbors" by George Tarif. <3>

En Nboor (Naber) Tribe

• En Nboor in Es Salt
  • El Jawabra (Abu Jaber family)
  • El Hatatra (Hattar Family)
  • En Nboor (Al-Naber Family)
• Nayifeh Family
• Freihat Family
• Nboor (Naber Family) of Izra
• Dakhlallah Family

Raouf Sa'd Abujaber corroborates these accounts in his book "Pioneers over Jordan". He describes how cultivators, among them his own ancestors, moved eastwards into tribal lands across the Jordan and changed the use of land from pastoralism to settled agriculture. Abujaber's narratives, informed by his grandmother's stories, recount the ancestral journey through tribal lands before finally settling in Al-Salt. The family forged alliances with other clans in Al-Salt and neighboring Bedouin tribes for protection and communal strength. <4>

Raouf's grandfather, Saeed Pasha Abu Jaber, the head of the tribe was arrested prior to the Arab revolt by Ottoman forces and transported by train. The Bani Sakher tribe headed by Sheikh Mashoor Al Fayez, neighboring tribal allies, assembled their forces and intercepted the train in the desert before arriving at its final destination, freeing Saeed Pasha.<4>

The tribe also led the defense of towns, including Yadoudeh, in the Balqa area against invasions by the Saudi Ikhwan, alongside their neighbors, the Bani Sakher tribe. They also provided refuge to evacuees fleeing bloodshed from nearby towns, thanks to their town's impentrable defensive structures and high walls. The tribe was involved in several battles, defending the towns of Salt and Fuheis against Bedouin raids and in tribal disputes. Their proficiency in horseback fighting, a skill taught from early boyhood, earned them the nickname "Sobian AlHisan." This name is still used to refer to them today, along with four other Christian tribes.<4>

As for the unconfirmed history, the historian Awad Jumah Al-Jawabri Al-Zubaidi reported, and he confirms it with a tree he called the Golden Bullion, based on the lineage of the Al-Jawabari tribe descending from Jabir bin Omar bin Bakr Al-Zubaidi, it is mentioned that the grandfather of the Al-Naber clan, Abdullah, was related to or descended from Amr ibn Ma'adi Al-Zubaidi. This was confirmed by a German doctor, a researcher in the history of the clans in the Levant who gave a lecture at Yarmouk University in 1982 and confirmed by name that the Nabers are originally Adnanite Arabs from the north of the Arabian Peninsula, as per the family's now-inactive website. <4>

The earliest recorded image of the Jordanian red shemagh dates back to 1900 in the town of Salt, worn by a priest's son from the Naber tribe.<4>

Society

The Naber Co-Operative Society in Amman, Jordan is one of the oldest—if not the oldest—in Jordan, dating back to the 1940s. As of December 31, 2022, the paid-up capital of the subscribed shares amounts to 1,477,398 Jordanian Dinars, while number of members is 750. The actual value of the society's assets is estimated at 15 million Jordanian Dinars.

The society provides interest-free study loans during the study period and grants financial advances to its members when needed. It also offers social assistance (donations) to family members in need. In cases of death and during the three-day mourning period, the society assists family members with necessary services. Furthermore, the society serves the local community by providing its facilities to those in need and supporting non-family students through donations. <7>

Following the Christchurch terrorist attack, in a show of solidarity and forgiveness in the face of hatred, international news reported the azza, or mourning hall, for Atta Elayann was the first to be held for the four Jordanians killed by a white supremacist gunman at two mosques in Christchurch during Friday prayers. The three-day mourning period was opened and held by Al Naber Co-operation Society, a charitable organisation founded by the one of the oldest and largest Christian tribes in Jordan, the Al Naber family. <8>

Daughter of Sheikh Ghattas Naber, Es-Salt. Stored in the Library of Congress in Washington DC

Notable Members

After the establishment of modern day Jordan under the Hashemites, members of the Naber family held several positions in the military and politics, and are nowadays influential in the business sector of the kingdom. The Naber family has contributed significantly to the Christian community in the country. Jordan's Arab Christians are exceptionally well integrated in the Jordanian society and enjoy a high level of freedom.

• Omar Al-Naber, Member of Parliament, Head of Economics and Investment Committee & Finance Committee
• Samer Naber, Ambassador of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to the Republic of Singapore. Formerly Minister Plenipotentiary representing Jordan at the UN Security Council in New York. Recipient of Jordan's Istiklal (Independence) medal of the First Order from H.M. King Abdullah II Ibn Al-Hussein. <5>
• Lieutenant Ibrahim Ayed Ghattas Al Naber, Royal Jordanian Air Force martyr
• Yousef Al-Naber, football player
• Stephanie Al-Naber, football player
• Omar Naber, Eurovision contestant
• Salim Naber, founder of one of the leading transport companies in the Middle East, and founder of Al Baraka Farms, one of the largest plantations in the Middle East
• Alfred Naifeh, US Purple Heart recipient, Navy and Marine Corps Medal recipient. USS Naifeh named after him.

Other families within the larger tribal association have also made significant societal contributions in Jordan and internationally. The Abu Jaber family is an affluent and influential family in Jordan's political and business sectors and the Nayifeh family became a Forbes 400 family based in California.

References

1. Dabagh, Murad. *La Akhbar Al-Shamiya 'An Al-'Ayel Al-Marja'ooniya wa Al-Tamimiya*. Self-published, 1972.

2. Peake, Frederick G. *A History of Trans-Jordan and Its Tribes*. Amman, Jordan, 1934.

3. Tarif, George. *Kitab al-Salt and Its Neighbors*. [د. ن.]،, 1994.

4. Abujaber, Raouf Sa'd. *Pioneers over Jordan*. I.B.Tauris, 1989.

5. "The Ambassador." Embassy of Jordan in Singapore,(https://joembassy.sg/the-embassy/the-ambassador/).

6. "Our Story." Al Baraka Farms,(https://albarakafarms.com/our-story).

7. "Our History." Al-Naber Cooperative Society,(https://www.al-naber.org/our-history).

8. "Jordanians Unite in Mourning for Atta Elayyan after Christchurch Attacks." The National, https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/mena/jordanians-unite-in-mourning-for-atta-elayyan-after-christchurch-attacks-1.838700.