Berber, Ghadames in Libya

Introduction / History

Ghadames is an oasis town that was probably settled as early as 400 years BC. The oasis meant water, essential for settlers. It also attracted conquerors such as the Romans. The first written mention of it came from the Romans in the first century. The Roman military set up a garrison there in the 200s but abandoned it after a couple of years. In the 500s there was a Christian presence in Ghadames, but it was conquered by Muslim Arab armies 100 years later, and it has been Muslim ever since.

The people of Ghadames are Berbers. The name "Berber" is derived from the Latin word barbari, meaning "barbarians." This term was used by the Romans in the third century A.D. to describe the "people of the Maghrib." (The Maghrib refers to the regions of North Africa that were conquered by Muslims between 670 and 700 A.D. It included Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and the western portion of Libya). The Berbers define themselves as the Imazighen, which means "man of noble origin." Their various languages belong to the Hamito-Semitic language family which includes five major groupings as well as a large number of dialects. Although the Berber languages differ greatly from one another in sound, they only vary slightly in grammar and vocabulary. Berbers are scattered across the vast regions of North Africa. Their tribes stretch from the Siwa Oasis in Egypt to the Atlantic Ocean. Most likely they once inhabited the entirety of North African, forcing the black population to move further southward through the desert.

The exact origins of the Berbers and how they arrived in North Africa still remain a mystery. Although the Maghrib has been, for the most part, "Arabized" by language and Islamic culture over the centuries, there are still groups of Berbers who have retained much of their original Berber traditions and characteristics.

As you might expect the Ghadames Berbers are named after their oasis town, Ghadames. It is in northwestern Libya’s Nalut District, near the border with Tunisia. Their town has a long history of trade, but unfortunately, that included the slave trade until it was ended in the 1800s.

Ghadames has been seeing hard times since the 1980s when Libyan dictator, Muammar Gaddafi established a nearby town, because the water source was drying up.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Ghadames people have the potential for being more prosperous than most others in Libya. Their oasis town nicknamed “the pearl of the desert” was a center for caravan trade for hundreds of years. European tourists once flocked to this oasis town in war-torn Libya. Hopefully their tourist industry will revive when the war is over. With war halting most of the Libyan economy, Ghadames is not doing well in the 2020s.

What Are Their Beliefs?

Unlike orthodox Muslims, Ghadames Berbers believe the spirits of their ancestors are gods. They consult these ancestral spirits, and then sleep in their tombs to await responses in dreams. Ghadames Berbers are nominally Muslim; observance of Islamic law is generally lax. The concept of baraka, or holiness, is highly developed in North Africa. The Ghadames Berbers believe that many people are endowed with baraka, of which the holiest are the shurifa, or the direct descendants of Mohammed. Another class of holy people is known as the marabouts. Among some Ghadames Berbers, marabouts are considered to be different from ordinary men. They are believed to possess, even after death, the powers of protection and healing.

What Are Their Needs?

The tourist industry has been gutted by the constant fighting in Libya, so unemployment is high in Ghadames. These Berbers need protection from armed insurgents.

Prayer Points

Pray for the Lord’s protection for the town of Ghadames, Libya.
Pray for a church planting movement among every Berber people in Libya. Pray that the Ghadames Berbers will have a hunger for spiritual truth and allow Jesus Christ to satisfy it. Pray for the Ghadames Berbers to have many chances to hear and respond to the gospel.

Text Source:   Joshua Project