Nomads in the Near East

Pastoral nomadic societies are generally defined as those human groups engaged in herd animal husbandry as a primary economic activity and by the consequent need to migrate seasonally to support those herds. Nomadic herders have been a ubiquitous feature of Near Eastern landscapes since prior to the beginnings of recorded history. The mythologies and stereotypes surrounding these groups, originating in the earliest times and continuing through the modern era, are present in histories, literature, film, and nowadays, on the internet. They are primarily those of the noble savage, the primitive, proud, and independent nomad, living off his (and the gender is part of the myth) herds, raiding, and posing a constant threat to the well-being of civilized urban and sedentary society.