One of the alleged tombs of the Old Testmanet Prophet, Job,(“Ayub” in Arabic as translitered into English on the sign above) is just outside of Salalah, Oman. There is another “Job’s Tomb” located in Lebanon and a Turkish town (Urfa) claims to be the birthplace of Job as well as the location of Job’s trials! Well of course they can’t all be right, but they can certainly all be wrong! (“Andy the Tomb Raider Rater!” 🙂 ) It would be more important to glean wisdom from Job’s life and experience then to place an ungodly fixation on the location of his tomb. Nevertheless, I wanted to check out this tourist trap site for myself!
The main gate to the tomb complex
The mosque at Job’s tomb which I mistakenly first thought was the tomb! (In case you’re wondering why it’s given so much attention in the only video I took of Job’s Tomb, ha!ha!)
After all his wife had been through, it is no wonder that she was ready to give up all hope. But Job recognized that both good and evil come from God’s hand, though one (good) by His active will and the other (evil) by His permissive will. God can permit evil things to happen for good ends such as in Genesis 50:19,20 and the ultimate example was at the cross.
The mosque was empty when I ventured inside. Someone must have forgotten their shoes?
Job’s friends started so well. But then the “blame game” slowly started and they end up turning into his accusers! If we were honest with ourselves we would ask, “How many times have I acted as Job’s friends in hurling accusations at a hurting soul rather than sit with them in love, sympathy and even in silence?”
The inside of the mosque about 100 meters across from the tomb
In verse 33 here, “Daysman” is a mediator. Job cries out for an advocate or impartial judge who could arbitrate the case between himself and God. His prayer was answered! (Timothy 2:5)
This not so friendly sign is on the outside of the mosque. I wondered if there would a church anywhere with a sign reading, “Non-Christians, do not touch the Holy Bible!” The answer is a definite “NO!” We long for non-believers to not only touch but pore over every word in the Holy Bible (and we even gladly give them away!) in the hopes that people would come to the light!
Job’s Tomb, in the mist of Salalah’s “Khareef“, is beautifully located on Jebel (Mountain) Qara. The ride out takes the tourist/pilgram through gorgeous scenes of Salalah’s famous frankincense trees.
I LOVE verse 2 of Chapter 12. Job takes the opportunity, now that all 3 friends have spoken, to give his opinion of their counsel. The statement “No doubt…wisdom shall die with you” is dripping with sarcasm, but is an appropriate answer to these 3 who thought that they had all the answers to his dilemna. I know quite a few people like that! 🙂
Job’s body is supposed to be located in this simple grave in this small tomb
“Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” expresses the unquenchable faith of one who lives by faith, not by sight. Even when it appears that God Himself has turned against Job, he will still trust in God.
Abu Baker (That’s his family name, I believe, but that was his answer to “What’s your name, sir?”) was the friendly Omani greeting tourists and providing lots of helpful information on my visit.
The Book of Job is filled with references to the brevity of man’s life. Job longs for death as a release from the trials of earth. His question-If a man die; shall he live again?-is answered in Job 19:25-26. There are several questions raised in this book. They all express man’s desire to know who he is, why he was born, and where he is going.
This photo captures the moment of realization that there was probably NO historical validation to this being Job’s tomb whatsoever…when AbuBaker showed me this “footprint of Job” in the cement just in front of the tomb.) If you think THAT is bizarre, check out Tourist Destination #10 on this map of Salalah!:
“Footprints of a prophet’s camel”?!?!?!?!?!?! That is defnitely not on my top 10 list of things to see in Salalah, ha!ha! 🙂
Job’s anguish is felt throughout the book.
Gracious words for those attacking him! “The comfort of my lips would relieve your grief.”
“My witness is in heaven” implies an advance in Job’s faith over 9:33, where he pleaded for an impartial arbiter. He seems certain that there is a heavenly witness who will testify on his behalf.”
Job 19:20 is the origin of today’s expression “by the skin of ones teeth” to explain just barely escaping some situation. Job’s cry that his words would be written in a book were answered! 🙂
I got lost a few times while driving around Salalah. As one of the free tourist maps reads, “Please note – Place names, on road signs in some areas outside the main towns in Dhofar, may be in Arabic only. Therefore, English speaking visitors will find it useful to refer to the Arabic text on the maps. The names are the approved spellings by the National Survey Authority, Sultanate of Oman.” This photo records such an occurence. A fork in the road suddenly appears with directional arrows and Arabic names only to guide the confused English speaking tourist! (If you read Arabic, you’d know that I took a lucky guess when I ventured left! 🙂 )
One GREAT thing about this trip to “Job’s Tomb” was that it got me into THE BOOK OF JOB.
Job knows confidently that he has a Redeemer (Hebrew: goel), One who will champion his cause and vindicate him. The Redeemer is more than an arbiter or a witness but a Kinsman-Redeemer who will avenge him. Clearly, Job viewed God Himself as the Redeemer, and the Hebrew word is in fact used often of God (Psalm 19:14, Isaiah 41:14…) “In my flesh” speaks of a resurrected body. Here then is clear evidence of the Old Testament belief in the resurrection.
What is one of the themes of the Book of Job? It was generally believed by the Jews that sin is punished in this life. Every affliction was regarded as the penalty of some wrongdoing, either of the sufferer himself or of his parents. It is true that all suffering results from the transgression of God’s law, but this truth had become perverted. The evil of looking upon disease and death as proceeding from God,–as punishment arbitrarily inflicted on account of sin, led for the Jews to reject Jesus. He who “hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows” was looked upon by the Jews as “stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted;” and they hid their faces from Him. Isa. 53:4, 3. God had given a lesson designed to prevent this. The history of Job had shown that suffering is inflicted by Satan, and is overruled by God for purposes of mercy. But Israel did not understand the lesson. The same error for which God had reproved the friends of Job was repeated by the Jews in their rejection of Christ.” (Stolen from this website)
“I know that my Redeemer lives” in Job 19:25 has inspired many Christian writers to write beautiful songs such as “Redeemer“, (even better version here with lyrics!), “There is a Redeemer” and “My Redeemer Lives” (as well as this one I heard for the first time today) just to give you a few quick examples.
Although I’m quite sure that the mortal remains of Job were not at the site I visited in Salalah, I did appreciate yet another opportunity to meditate deeply upon the life of this great man of God as recorded in God’s Holy Scripture! 🙂
Andy in Oman 
See, the don’t touch the Qu’ran sign? Muslims give away Qu’rans all the time. They try to give you ones in English ect… though because the Qu’ran in Arabic is considered to be the literal word of God. You are not supposed to tough such a sacred thing unless you are physically clean. ie if you have had a full immearsed bath and you rinse your nose and mouth and ears and hair, you ARE clean enough to touch the Qu’ran in that Masjid (Mosque). After sex, or bleeding, or using the bathroom, or (even passing gas), Muslims are not considered clean enough. So it has nothing to do with not wanting people to learn about Islam, it is about respect for the Word of God. I like to memorize it myself rather than hold it. I feel unworthy to hold a gift ect, like that lol. Most Muslims will respect the Bible the same way, and try to wash before touching it.
BTW, I love Job, he is one of my absolute favourite Prophets. If you want to tell a Muslim about him, call him Ayub. The Qu’ran tells about him, but infers we already know the Christian/Jewish story, which alot of Muslims don’t that well.
Yes
Yes
I understand the human thinking behind this “do not handle” idea, but it comes across as overly religious. If one were truly aware of their own sins, unrighteousness and filthiness before a holy God, no one would ever dare touch a Bible as no human being can ever make themselves “clean” in the eyes of God. That’s where the blood of Christ comes into effect. Therefore the dirty, unacceptable and filthy sinner can now come directly into the presence of God and yes, may even handle the Word of God. Better a well-worn, marked up, scribbled on and meditated over Bible than a clean museum-worthy clean copy that has never been touched! I guess that’s the point I was trying to make. 🙂
Job is indeed a man of God whose life was an example for us all. Yes, I have come to realize that there are only 3 very short sentences in the quran dealing with Job and I wondered that could be. One would NEED to go to the Old Testament book of Job (quite a lengthy 42 chapters!) in order to know the complete story. Yet, they say that God apparently “lost” (?!) the “old gospels” so they don’t recognize it or see it as “corrupted”. That doesn’t seem to make any sense to me at all. No offense intended to anyone with different beliefs but my God doesn’t lose things like a student loses their homework! What he says is eternal and will come to pass. I highly recommend anyone who hasn’t already done so, to read the entire book of Job. It is AMAZING! 🙂
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Point taken, we often thought of as OCD, lol when it comes to washing.
And feel free to remove this comment, :), I don’t buy all my sins being washed away by someone else’s sacrifice. But I DO believe in God loving us like a parent and wanting to forgive us and being more compassionate than I can comprehend.
To be honest, my concept of justice and the forgiveness and God don’t work out when I studied Christianity (personally). I don’t see it can be just to forgive a total sinner without punishment (I guess, if you are Catholic I suppose they believe in purgatory but otherwise) I believe for justice to exist you still must get the proscribed punishment for something unless you can do a good thing to undo that wicked thing you did. So I believe in striving to do so every day of my life. And what i don’t make up for I believe will be punished in the grave in the prescribed punishments (if I am lucky, my deeds will be good to make this little). But I believe after this period most people if they still believed in God and the Prophets and Angels and the Creation of the World and of Judgement ect, will go to heaven. They may have to crawl to get there, but God is merciful and wants us there. But I don’t like any unfair concept of the evil things I did before I became Muslim ect, being wiped away 100% now that I am Muslim ect… or Christian, or Jewish vice versa.
I just wouldn’t feel right about that. I have forgiven myself but believe in trying to do good that outweighs that now.
I totally agree BTW that the story of Job is a perfect example to any man or woman of faith. Most Muslims lack the background of their predecessors.
Lost through translation I agree. Not God lost per se but man lost. Or parts were changed for political purposes (I am history student who studied Christian political history:) though I regret and wish I had studied the texts instead). For example, in alot of the Greek and Hebrew texts the cover for a woman during her prayer is a veil, not her hair ect, in a Corinthian’s verse, but that has been altered by modern translations as the original greek or hebrew, like Arabic ect…. a word might not have the same English meaning.
For example, my english Quran, there is a verse that says you can beat a wife! It is really the only english word I guess, but the Arabic meaning is more “brush of”. the word in Arabic for “hit” is very different. Same for alot of Biblical language.
I also wanted to ask something. I have a friend coming from Canada, my adopted sis, and she’s Christian (not Catholic) and I said I’d find her a Church to attend and hours. A lovely sweet girl. I have honestly never looked but you sound like a similiar type of Christianity to the kind practiced by her family. Maybe you could tip me as to where and directions lol, so I can take her? She likes to go every Sunday.
I guess that’s one of the big differences between us. You wrote, “I don’t buy all my sins being washed away by someone else’s sacrifice.” I am betting my life/soul/eternity on it! 🙂 I certainly wouldn’t want to stand in front of God based on my own merits (or lack thereof!). Without a perfect Savior taking my place of judgment I would be perfectly guilty and 100% worthy of hell! God DOES want to forgive us but we have this major obstacle which separates us from God known as “sin”. In all my years of research/study/experience, Christianity is the ONLY worldview that accounts for the dilemna of sin. Period.
About your Christian friend coming from Canada (I SO appreciate how you distinguished that from Catholic!!!!!!!), I think she’d enjoy services at the PCO (Protestant Church of Oman). There’s a link with timings and such on the main page of my blog. If she needs any assistance getting there, feel free to email me at andydbrown@hotmail.com. When’s she coming and how long will she be staying? You must be excited!
In January! (probably) or next summer. I know, a ways a way, but she won’t come if she can’t pray and go to Church ect. I understand, I am the same way. Yes, she is protestant (I think they do less innovations in general to Christian texts than Catholicism) and her family is truly my fave. They helped me alot and never pushed me away even when I became Muslim (unlike my own, non-religious family) so I believe I have a lot to learn about remembering the actions of Jesus (Isa alahi wa salaam). Yet again, Muslims don’t know alot of the things Jesus/Isa taught. Mercy and going back to the fundamentals of Judaism and not puting up with a corrupt Preisthood pleasing political and commercial whims and making laws God Himself Most High did not??? Alot to learn there, especially compassion and humbleness. Besides the Prophet Mohamed, and Job (I also love Esther because her book is the most story-book like to read) Jesus is my favourite Prophet. Moses aka Musa is a well known Prophet to Muslims but I find it harder to relate to him the Jesus or Job or Abraham. I will stop rambling sorry. 🙂
Thank you for offering to help me with my friend. Your email will be easy to remember;)
Hi Andy, very interesting blog.
Andy you wrote:
“Yet, they say that God apparently “lost” (?!) the “old gospels” so they don’t recognize it or see it as “corrupted”. That doesn’t seem to make any sense to me at all. No offense intended to anyone with different beliefs but my God doesn’t lose things like a student loses their homework! What he says is eternal and will come to pass. I highly recommend anyone who hasn’t already done so, to read the entire book of Job. It is AMAZING!”
Indeed, The Book of Job is a masterpiece of Arabian literature, and I agree that God doesn’t lose things.
But sometimes He hides something so we can show some effort in searching for the truth. However, quite often we are too lazy to search for the whole true and look for missing parts of the Bible.
Fortunately I’ve found something what leads us to the knowledge who in fact Job / Nabi Ayoub(PBUH) was.
It can also lead us to find out if what you have seen in Salalah was a ” tourist trap” original tomb of Job.
Have a look at this:
The most reliable information about Nabi Ayyub (PBUH)/ Job
came from Septuagint LXX.
The Septuagint, LXX is the most ancient translation of the Old Testament
in to Greek and consequently is invaluable to critics for understanding
and correcting Judaic tradition, the Hebrew text (Massorah).
The Septuagint was translated into Konya Greek for the newly
established library of Alexandria during the reign of king Ptolemy
Philadelphus (285-247 B.C.). Its oldest existing manuscript
(Codex Vaticanus) was written in fourth century AD.
In the Septuagint translation of the Book of Job, there is a long
subscription; similar subscription is found in Arabic version of
the Old Testament.
This oldest and most reliable translation of the Bible gives us very
interesting information about Nabi Ayyub (PBUH) / Job, and it says:
Septuagint, LXX (Job CH 42:17)
“17 And Job died, an old man and full of days: and it is written that
he will rise again with those whom the Lord raises up.
This man is described in the Syriac book as living in the land of Ausis,
on the borders of Idumea and Arabia: and his name before was Jobab;
and having taken an Arabian wife, he begot a son whose name was Ennon.
And he himself was the son of his father Zare, one of the sons of Esau,
and of his mother Bosorrha, so that he was the fifth from Abraam.
And these were the kings who reigned in Edom, which country he also
ruled over: first, Balac, the son of Beor, and the name of his city
was Dennaba: but after Balac, Jobab, who is called Job, and after him
Asom, who was governor out of the country of Thaeman:
and after him Adad, the son of Barad, who destroyed Madiam
in the plain of Moab; and the name of his city was Gethaim.
And his friends who came to him were Eliphaz, of the children of Esau, king
of the Thaemanites, Baldad sovereign the Sauchaeans,
Sophar king of the Minaeans.”
Are you interested in searching for the TRUTH?
“and the Truth shall set you Free”
Sagittarius,
Glad you enjoy the blog!
All the info you provided is part of the stuff I looked up on the net while preparing my write-up on Job’s tomb. Yes, some scholars believe that the Jobab of Genesis 36:34 is the same Job of the book of Job. Others believe him to be the Jobab of Genesis 10:26-29which is a more likely possibility, I believe. Job is known as one of (if not THE) oldest books of the Bible. I would be careful about calling it “a masterpiece of Arabian literature”, however, as this is a book that is inspired by God’s Holy Sprit so we can’t just classify it as “Arabian literature”.
I don’t believe in putting religious sounding “PBUH” kind of comments after mentioning a holy man of God’s name. If someone is indeed a prophet of God, adding “PBUH” will add nothing to his name. If, on the other hand, he is far from a prophet of God, adding “PBUH” will do nothing to add to his claim of prophet, even if billions of people have “PBUH” upon their tongues. That’s another point.
The other tidbits of information you quoted, such as Job’s association with “Edom” and “Esau”, again give power to the claims of Job most likely being from the areas around Israel such as Jordan much more than the far-away location of Salalah, Oman, which was my point.
So, what is your point exactly? I’m not quite sure.
And YES, I am/was interested in looking for the TRUTH and have found it/him. His name is Jesus Christ who claimed (with full demonstration of His right to claim such) that HE is “the Way, the TRUTH and the LIFE” (John 14:6) That is the greatest Truth that one can find in this life, not the identity of the prophet Job who is one of many prophets who spoke the Words of God to lead us to Christ!
As the Apostle Paul explained to the men of Athens in Acts 17: The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. 26From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28’For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ 29″Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man’s design and skill. 30In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.”
Andy,
I very glad that you care about the TRUTH.
You see, my point is that I believe that the location of Job’s / Nabi Ayoub(PBUH) tomb in Salalah is the TRUTH one. (BTW (PBUH) beside the name of the prophet is equivalent of St. in the front of the name of the saint, like St. Augustine).
I agree with you that the Book of Job is the oldest book in existence, and I think that we both agree that it is a masterpiece of world literature.
I called it Arabian literature, because as Talmud written by Jews is called Jewish literature so books written by Arabs are called Arabian literature.
We can discus if Job was an Arab because it will give us some clue about the location of his tomb in Salalah, are you interested in searching for this TRUTH?
I am very glad to hear that you have found your TRUTH. I am more historian than theologian so can you please tell me what year was the TRUTH born as a son of man?
Sagitarrius,
The location of Job’s tomb is “a truth”. There is a world of difference between “THE” Truth (Jesus Christ) and “a” truth. The location of Job’s tomb is simply one truth (or fact) that can (or cannot!) be verified. Perhaps when this life is over, God will (or will not) reveal to us many of these verifiable truths. That’s one thing.
Again, I’m going to have to disagree with your attempt to make “PBUH” synonymous with the Christian use of “Saint”. That is what the term “prophet” is for! FYI, the use of “saint” in the Bible is used for any Christian who puts their trust in Christ (not some silly Roman Catholic type of term for “super christians”-nonesense!). Just wanted to make that crystal clear.
I still would argue against labelling Job as an “Arab book”. I would accept the fact that it is a “Middle Eastern book”. But if you want to call it Arab literature, be my guest! 🙂
By the way, THE TRUTH is not “my truth” but a universal truth for mankind. Truth is not some subjective thing that can be argued. There are such things as absolute truths and Christ crucified is one of them!
Just so you know, to answer your question, No, I am not really very interested in any “further truth” into the location of Job’s tomb as it really is irrevelent and a moot point. The same about asking the exact year that Jesus Christ was born. One can waste hour upon hour answering questions which are off-topic and in which the person asking does not ask for the sake of getting info, but of challenging. I have wasted my time in the past with people who have seemed to want discussion but in the end were simply trying to push their worldview or philosophies on me. (I think they call that a “troll”, no?) So, we’re reaching the point of “thank you but no thank you” on this topic.
The date of Christ’s exact birth is not as important as the fact that He did indeed come (as prophesied by HUNDREDS of prophecies hundreds of years before!), lived a sinless life, was crucified, died, was buried and 3 days later rose from the dead and 40 days later, ascended to heaven. That is historic truth of universal significance!
Praying that you someday find THE truth for yourself. And just so you know, here is the FULL QUOTE of the statement you quoted from Jesus: (read carefully!)
25″Who are you?” they asked. “Just what I have been claiming all along,” Jesus replied. 26″I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is reliable, and what I have heard from him I tell the world.”
27They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father. 28So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. 29The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” 30Even as he spoke, many put their faith in him.
31To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Shalom/Salam/Peace!
Hi Andy, something went wrong with my last comment, maybe there was to much truth or TRUTH in it, but…(Most of the message has been edited, as in deleted!)
(from Andy-No, I told you that I am not about to get into a religious argument on my blog as has happened in the past. It’s as simple as that, so no, you did not “hurt my feelings”. I just don’t want to hear it and I’ve told you before that I’m not interested in hearing any more on the subject.)
Peace!
hi 🙂 nice blog you got going there. just to point something out, the sign outside the mosque asking non-muslims not to touch the quran… the reason for that is that to touch the quran, even muslims themselvses have to be in a physically clean state, e.g. when we go to the toilet we have to “wash” (not just “wipe”), and after havin sex or whatever we have to take a shower, and we have to perform ablution before touching the quran. this is simply because of the respect and holiness that the book deserves, not to keep the book out of reach of people, regardless of their religious beliefs.
🙂
Hello Andy, ^_^
I just don’t want to get into this more but I only want to give you that how we, Muslims, respect all the prophets:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prophets_of_Islam
Not that only, if we don’t believe in any prophet’s prophecy that has been mentioned in Quran, or even “underestimate” or make jokes about them, then we’re simply not Muslims at all! Add that Quran only mentioned 25 prophets and messengers out of 124 thousand prophets (315 messengers between them) (Peace be upon them) that messenger and prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) told us about as a number, and he doesn’t know them all himself as he’s human, and they only obey for one God, with no offense.
Saying PBUH is only for respect, like saying “His Majesty, His Highness, etc”.
Just to clear some points as we believe so you understand, but not to push you to believe them as it’s your own choice and right to believe what you choose.
Best wishes,
Muhammad
Kxa,
Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Muhammad,
I understand that you “respect all the prophets” but of course if Jesus is much more than a prophet (which we Christians know in fact that He claimed to be and proved Himself to be God) then “respecting Him as prophet” is one of the greatest disgraces ever and is the farthest thing from “respect”. Think about it. Best wishes to you as well.
\
Much more than intellectual arguments which can be won by either party, at times in pyrrhic victory, it’s the encounter and quest for that encounter that defeats all arguments. It’s the state of humility of wanting to lay aside human logic and get into the realm of faith – f0r that’s what constitute the reality of God and the understanding of what can not be achieved in human terms and understanding. That’s the part that the Evil has always sought to obliterate in the hearts of men – reducing them into believing that it’s only through human terms and understanding that God acts his ways to men. When we free ourselves from that we are most likely to open up to the divine working of God that baffles human wisdom. It’s only in our willingness to have Jesus make his abode within, without having to convince ourselves, but with the acceptance that it’s Him who when entering human heart makes real the reality of God.
Berrington,
I’m not sure what your whole point is but I can definitely agree with your last sentence! 🙂
Hello Andy, I just found your blog and have found it very interesting. I’m preparing for a sermon this Sunday and am planning on speaking on Job.
Thanks
Lee
May the Lord Bless thee and keep thee whereever you go!! Vijay – Malaysia
Lee,
I pray that your sermon on Job is a great one and that God uses you in a mighty way to open His Word to His people and cause deaf ears to hear, blind eyes to see and the dead to rise. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Vijay,
Thanks! God bless you as well!
To All,
Let me tell u all, it’s better to stay clean of course, but i suppose u can touch Quran as and when u like with an intent of learning. Allah sent to us quran to learn from the teachings and commandments to seek success in the world and also the world hereafter.
If u put up signs like this, then u cannot keep a person standing there all the time explaining it to people that the intent behind the sign was what non-omani princess mentioned above.
However let me highlight that most of the muslims misunderstand all this. They themselves dont know what Islam teaches us.
You may want to listen to the speeches of Dr. Zakir Naik who is a qualified speaker and a student of comparative religions.
@hhh,
No matter how many people try to explain that sign (or how many people are standing there explaining it to those passing…), it simply comes across as unfriendly and uninviting.
I am no more interested in listening to Dr. Zakir Naik’s speeches than you would be in listening to a Christian apologist’s sermons. There is GOOD reason that Mr. Naik was denied entry to Canada, the US and the UK. He is a hate-monger, anti-Christian and anti-West. That classifies him as an unqualified speaker in my book. The fact that you recommend his speeches tells me all I need to know.
As the New year steps in, I pray that the Grace & Peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you wherever you go. may God above reveal Himself to you in a much deeper way By His Enlightening Spirit!! God bless you. Vijay from Malaysia.
Hi
I dont know about you but i have one work with you if you can i am very thankful to you actuealy i am Davinder singh belong to India working in Bahrain as a light driver I am doing meditation from long time back now my age 48 years everybody told me salalh is the best place for this i want a job in salah as a driver can you help me this mater
Thanks
Davinder,
Sorry but I’m not a job recruiter. I wish you all the best!
Hi Andy,
it is so interesting; have you noticed that in the fragment of the Book of Job, from the Greek Bible which Sagittarius provided, the second wife of Job is called ARABIAN WOMAN.
“and having taken an Arabian wife, he begot a son whose name was Ennon.
And he himself was the son of his father Zare, one of the sons of Esau,
and of his mother Bosorrha, so that he was the fifth from Abraam.”
Andy, this is the first event when the word Arab is mentioned in the Bible.
Because the Book of Job, as you said, is the oldest book of the Bible, composed c. 1500 BCE., it is a proof that Arabs, or at least one Arabian woman existed in the year 1500 BCE, or 3500 years ago.
But this is not all. From the previous verses of the Book of Job, Chapter 42, we know that with this ARABIAN wife Job had seven sons and three daughters.
Job 42:14 reads:
“14 And he called the first Day, and the second Casia, and the third Amalthaea’s horn.
15 And there were not found in comparison with the daughters of Job, fairer [women] than they in all the world: and their father gave them an inheritance among their brethren”.
And this is not all yet. From the Septuagint, the Greek Bible Jesus was using, we know that Job was the King:
“And these were the kings who reigned in Edom,
which country he (Job) also ruled over:
first, Balac, the son of Beor, and the name of his city was Dennaba:
but after Balac, Jobab, who is called Job, “.
In this case, those children born to Job and his ARABIAN wife, were the first Arabian Princes and Princesses; as the Bible says, the fairer princesses in the entire world.
Andy, isn’t this a fascinating history for emerge of Arabian Nation? 3500 years ago, in the Middle Bronze Era!!!
BTW, visiting Salalah last year I’ve met Dr. Juris Zarins, American anthropologist who is excavating Al Balid, the ancient city of Salalah, where also Job’s tomb is located.
Dr. Zarins told me that his wife, also anthropologist, is working on several tombs in Dhofar region, tombs from the Middle Bronze Era, 1500 BCE., era of Job, according to the Bible, the king of Edom and ancestor of famous ancient Arabs 🙂
George,
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights. 🙂
Grace & peace to you. may God above watch over your household always–vijay. Malaysia
Vijay,
Thanks for the comment and prayers! God bless you and your household as well! 🙂
i really appreciate your research about Nabi Ayoub’s life, it enlightens my views regarding job’s faith when he was advise by his 3 friends not to believe in God because of his plight.but still he remains faithful to God.. my family and I just visited Nabi Ayoub’s tomb last dec 24,2012, it was a great experience for us….can you post a statement regarding nabi umraan? our friend says it’s the tomb of elizabeth mary’s cousin? thanks and may God almighty bless you and the household..
gemma -philippines
Hi Gemma,
First of all, it goes without saying that the location of Job’s tomb (or anyone else’s for that matter) matters less than the message of his life which was his undying faith in the one true God. When I consider other tombs in Salalah such as the supposed tomb of “Nabi Ayoub” and another tomb with the “footprint of Saleh’s camel” tomb (?!), I realize that there probably isn’t much historical backing to such sites as there is a desire to have religious spots to visit. In my experience, there tend to be a lot of legends and superstitions related to such “sites of pilgrimage”. The tomb of Nabi Ayoub is supposed to be the father of the mother of Jesus, Mary (Maryam actually), even though it is ridiculous to think that Mary’s father would buried as far away as Salalah from his ancenstral land of Israel! People who are “sure” about the location of his site are as equally sure of the location of Job’s tomb. That says it all to me.
I wish you and your family a blessed and prosperous 2013! 🙂
Dear Andy,
Just browsed through your blog and found this interesting article which was quite a perfect timing for me. Got interested only in your blog when I found out that your wife was filipina:) sorry for being too nationalistic. But just to share with you, I am sarado catolico (catholic) however just got very interested in Job recently when I thought everything in my life just got hayward. Dont want to go through the details, but a little devil whispering in my ears that the easiest way is suicide. For whatever reason, the book of Job from the bible came to my mind and just started reading verses. and when all is lost, something good comes out. Right now I am expecting a very beautiful gift from God (baby boy, 4 months on the way) and things just got better by the day. trials are still there but I believe these are just God’s little reminders because somethings in the midst of chaos we tend to put him in the corner.
Please continue to do what you do best.
Anon,
Good to know you read this article in “the perfect timing” for you. The Bible declares that “A word spoken at the right time (or written!) is like gold apples on a silver tray.” (Proverbs 25:11) I’ve heard from a few Filipinos who’ve told me the same thing-that they were only interested in my blog once they found out my wife is a Filipina. My wife and I both came out of Catholism once we found the truth of God’s word, so I would encourage you to read your Bible. (Something the Catholic church does not exactly encourage.) The devil or his minions often seduce people with whispers of how suicide might be the best option and unfortunately so many are actually persuaded to take such hopeless actions, to the detriment of their souls. Death is the enemy’s option. Life is the creator’s. “The thief (speaking of Satan) comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I (that’s Jesus!) have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10) The book of Job has comforted millions of people going through unspeaking pain and torment over the years. Congratulations on your soon expecting baby boy. I pray God’s truth, love, protection , guidance AND JOY over your lives. Thanks for taking the time to share here. Blessings to you always.
Good theology.
(I mean the Job commentary…)
Glad you enjoyed it, Jonathan. You can never go wrong if you stick with the revealed Word of God as found in the Holy Bible. 🙂
I like to read comments than the topics as its always funny.
As long as you’re entertained! 😉
Hello Andy
With all due respect, I really loved your article. I just moved to Muscat from the UK and recently had an opportunity to visit some places around salalah. I’ve gone restless ever since I came across the alleged tomb of Job and that of St.Anne ( mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary ) in salalah. Whilst anxiously doing my bit of research on these two places your post came to my notice. By any chance Andy, have you got any details about the tomb of St.Anne in salalah?
Regards
J
J,
I have no details about the supposed tomb of Mary’s mother in Salalah but it’s ridiculous to suppose that Mary’s mother would be brought all the way down from Israel to be buried in Salalah!!! The same with her father.
Peace Andy,
Very good article. In fact, Prophet Job was from the descendants of Prophet Solomon. The Kingdom of Solomon was very near to Saba (Sheba) and as such, Prophet Job was in Salalah, South Arabia. This was the place where the Bani Israel was sojourned after their enslavement in Babylon.
Peace
The Persian
Thanks for your comment but your “in fact” is no fact at all. After 70 years in Babylon, a good number (but not all) of Israel returned to Jerusalem. I’m sure it comes as no shock that I’m going to go with the Word of God (The Holy Bible) rather than an anonymous writing who goes by “The Persian”! 😉
It’s really interesting reading all the above….Please don’t get me wrong, let me ask a question to my muslim brothers/sisters why in the world today only muslim believers killing innocent life?? if you read the news everyday, 99% are muslims….is it written in the Quran to kill innocent people whenever you want to??? Should you love your enemy and forgive them??….so if they cannot answer this questions than they have to think again…..
Mr. George, here’s the answer for you
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20131203192231AAzSqTa
Hope it can quench your thirst for wisdom!