The 5th Century saw the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the Eastern part continued on and is known as the Byzantine Empire today. With it’s capital Constantinople named after it’s founder and perpetrator of filicide, Constantine I (Lensing History 2).
During the 5th Century the Byzantine Empire survived on diplomacy and fortune. The Western Roman Empire was beset upon by barbarians and thieves. The Ostrogoths conquered what is now Italy. The Byzantine Empire produced the Codex Theodosianus.
Justinian I was a Byzantine Emperor in the 6th Century. He was able to (ruthlessly) consolidate control and launched campaigns to retake territories of the Western Roman Empire. His forces reconquered North Africa from the Vandals. His generals took Italy from the Ostrogoths and were able to establish a colony in the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula in spite of the Visigoth kingdoms.
This led to Sassanid invasions. Justinians focus on reconquering the old Roman Empire led to his military focus in the West. The Sassanids took advantage and in 540 sacked Antioch. The war lasted over 20 years until a peace agreement was signed in 562. 10 years later the Sassanids again launched an attack on the Byzantines that ended in another stalemate.
Meanwhile, the tides were turning in the Middle East. Mohammed began his teachings of Islam. He developed a following a successful army and rapidly gained converts. Mohammed died in 632 AD. One of his companions, Umar ibn al-Khattab, took charge of the movement in 634. He was the first to pray at the Kaaba Stone and developed the method of prayer of Islam. He was also the founder of Fiqh or Islamic Jurisprudence.
Umar ibn al-Khattab (c. 582/583 – 644), also spelled Omar, was the second Rashidun caliph, ruling from August 634, when he succeeded Abu Bakr (r. 632–634) as the second caliph, until his assassination in 644. Umar was a senior companion and father-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Wikipedia
Umar Ibn al-Kattab had his son lashed to death for consuming alcohol. The story is laid out in such a way, quite conveniently, that his son “asked” to be punished.
Umar expanded the Rashidun Caliphate, and Islam, more than any other leader. His forces conquered the Levant, North Africa, Anatolia (Turkiye) and most of the Sassanid Empire.
This was very beneficial to the Byzantine Empire and I’m sure was cheered on by it’s rulers. However, Muslims then began invading Byzantine territories. Centuries of Crusades and wars ensued. The Byzantine Empire had a constant foe to fight wars against. Constantinople fell in 1453 to Sultan Mehmed II of the Ottoman Empire after almost 800 years of rivalry.
Two Empires at constant odds allows the leaders to direct public focus on an external threat. This provides the two leaders with fanatical public support born from fear of their enemy. It allows them to send people off to fight who they might prefer not be home causing domestic strife. It’s a type of fear based stability.
The laws of Islam are laid out in the Quran and Hadiths with the importance being in this order. Similarities to the laws of Yhwh are numerous. The punishment for adultery, for example, is execution by stoning. This punishment comes from Hadith and Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence), the Quran proscribes lashes. This punishment can be traced to Umar ibn al-Khattab.
Narrated Ibn ‘Abbas: ‘Umar said, “I am afraid that after a long time has passed, people may say, “We do not find the Verses of the Rajm (stoning to death) in the Holy Book,” and consequently they may go astray by leaving an obligation that Allah has revealed. Lo! I confirm that the penalty of Rajam be inflicted on him who commits illegal sexual intercourse, if he is already married and the crime is proved by witnesses or pregnancy or confession.” Sufyan added, “I have memorized this narration in this way.” ‘Umar added, “Surely Allah’s Apostle carried out the penalty of Rajam, and so did we after him.” Wikipedia
In Judaism the following verses related to Moses by Yhwh describe stoning to death as the punishment of those guilty of adultery.
Deuteronomy 22:22 If a man is found lying with a married woman, even both of them shall die the man lying with the woman and the woman. So shall you clear away the evil from Israel. 23 If there is a virgin girl betrothed to a man, and [another] man finds her in the city, and lies with her, 24 you shall take them both out to the gate of that city, and you shall pelt them with stones, and they shall die: the girl, because she did not cry out [even though she was] in the city, and the man, because he violated his neighbor’s wife. So shall you clear away the evil from among you
Umar ibn al-Khattab was stabbed to death by a slave, Abu Lu’lu’a Firuz, in 644 AD
Related:
- The Common Thread
- The Suspiciously Rapid Fall of France
- Lensing History 1
- Lensing History 2
- Lensing History 3