Midian (Hebrew: מִדְיָן‎), Madyan (Arabic: مدين‎), or Madiam (Greek: Μαδιάμ, Μαδιανίτης for a Midianite) is a geographical place and a people mentioned in the Bible and in the Qur'an. William G. Dever suggests it was located in the "northwest Arabian Peninsula, on the east shore of the Gulf of Aqaba on the Red Sea (the "Hejaz") "^[1] Some scholars believe it to be somewhere in or around Sudan^[2] as the Bible does not make direct mention of its location.^[3][4]

Some scholars say it was not a geographical area but a league of tribes.^[5] We are also told that Midian was a son of Abraham.^[6]

The modern Hebrew pronunciation, "Midyan", is the result of a normal vowel shift changing an "a" sound to an "i" sound (compare Miryam in Hebrew versus Mariam in Greek or Maryam in Arabic).

Religion[link]

The Midianites were the descendants of Midian, who was a son of Abraham through his wife Keturah. This can be seen in the following Biblical passages. Genesis 25:1-2 1Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah. 2And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. (King James Version)^[7]

The Midianites through their apparent religio-political connection with the Moabites^[8] are thought to have worshipped a multitude of gods,^[9] including Baal-peor and the Queen of Heaven, Ashteroth. An Egyptian temple of Hathor at Timna continued to be used during the Midianite occupation of the site. However, whether Hathor or some other deity was the object of devotion during this period is impossible to ascertain.

Some historians suggest that the worship of Yahweh originated in pre-Israelite peoples of the Levant region, specifically in Midian.^[10] The Hebrew Bible mentions that Moses first encountered God at a burning bush in Midian. An Egyptian inscription also relates the Shasu, who are described as living above egypt, with the name YHW.^[11][12]

Biblical references[link]

1. Joseph is sold by his brothers to Midianites^[13]
2. Midian was where Moses spent the forty years in voluntary exile after murdering the Egyptian^[14]
3. Moses married Zipporah the daughter of Jethro, the priest of Midian^[15]
4. God instructs Moses to collect an army and destroy Midian^[16]
5. Israel is oppressed by Midian during the time of the Judges. Gideon is called by God to deliver Israel from Midian's armies.^[17]

In the Qur'an[link]

The people of Midian are also mentioned extensively in the Qur'an, where the name appears in Arabic as Madyan. Sura 9, verse 70 says "Has not the story reached them of those before them? - The people of Nuh (Noah), 'Ad, and Thamud, the people of Ibrahim (Abraham), the dwellers [literally, comrades] of Madyan (Midian) and the cities overthrown [i.e. the people to whom Lūt (Lot) preached], to them came their Messengers with clear proofs. So it was not Allah who wronged them, but they used to wrong themselves."

In Sura 7 (Al-A`rāf) Madyan is mentioned as one of several peoples who were warned by prophets to repent lest judgment fall on them. The story of Madyan is the last, coming after that of Lot preaching to his people (referring to the destruction of the Cities of the Plain. Madyan was warned by Shu`ayb to repent of using false weights and measures and lying in wait along the road. But they rejected Shu`ayb, and consequently were destroyed by a tremor (rajfa, v. 91). Abdullah Yusuf Ali in his commentary (1934) writes, "The fate of the Madyan people is described in the same terms as that of the Thamūd in verse 78 above. An earthquake seized them by night, and they were buried in their own homes, no longer to vex Allah's earth. But a supplementary detail is mentioned in [Qur'an] 26:189, 'the punishment of a day of overshadowing gloom,' which may be understood to mean a shower of ashes and cinders accompanying a volcanic eruption. Thus a day of terror drove them into their homes, and the earthquake finished them." (The volcano Hala-'l Badr is in Madyan.)

See also[link]

• Yahweh
• Balak
• Eglon
• Ishmaelites
• Kedar
• History of ancient Israel and Judah
• The Bible and history

References[link]

1. ^ Dever, William G. Who were the Early Israelites and Where Did They Come From? William B Eerdmans Publishing Co (24 May 2006) ISBN 978-0-8028-4416-3 p.34
2. ^ Tyndale Bible Dictionary. By Walter A. Elwell, Philip Wesley Comfort. pg. 341
3. ^ Jewish Encyclopedia
4. ^ The Imperial Bible-dictionary. By Patrick Fairbairn pg. 382
5. ^ Bromiley Geoffrey W . The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1996 ISBN 978-0-8028-3783-7 p.350
6. ^ Genesis 25:2
7. ^ http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2025:1-2&version=KJV
8. ^ Genesis 36:35; Numbers 22:4,7; Numbers 25:1,6
9. ^ Qur'an, Al-Araf, 7:85
10. ^ Schmidt, Werner (1999). The faith of the Old Testament: a history. Westminster?John Knox Press. p. 64. ISBN 978-0-664-24456-9. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=yORH1dOK6qgC&pg=PA64&dq=worship+of+The+One+God++Midian.#v=onepage&q=worship%20of%20Yahweh%20%20Midian.&f=false. 
11. ^ . 
12. ^ Miller, Patrick D. (2000). The religion of ancient Israel. Westminster/John Knox Press. p. 1. ISBN 978-0-664-22145-4. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=JBhY9BQ7hIQC&pg=PA1&dq=worship+of+Yahweh++Midian.#v=onepage&q=worship%20of%20Yahweh%20%20Midian.&f=false. 
13. ^ Genesis 37:28
14. ^ Exodus 2:11-15
15. ^ Exodus 2:21
16. ^ Numbers 31:1
17. ^ Judges 6

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain:  Jewish Encyclopedia. 1901–1906. 

Further reading[link]

• Clines, David and John Sawyer, eds. "Midian, Moab and Edom: The History and Archaeology of Late Bronze and Iron Age Jordan and North-West Arabia". Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, Supplement Series, No. 24. Sheffield Academic Press, 1983.

External links[link]

• Singer, Isidore and M. Seligsohn. "Midian and Midianites". Jewish Encyclopedia. Funk and Wagnalls, 1901–1906, which cites to:
• Archaeology of Timna
• Another Timna archaeology site
• Richard Burton's account of his travels in "The Land of Midian"
• Spring of Harod - Ma'ayan Harod

Love Is All is a five-piece indie pop band from Gothenburg, Sweden. It releases songs in English. Paste Magazine has stated that it makes "infectiously lo-fi punk rock laced with saxophone and melodic vocals".^[1]

Biography[link]

Swedish band Love Is All are composed of Josephine Olausson (vocals, keyboard), Johan Lindwall (bass), Markus Görsch (drums), James Ausfahrt (saxophone), and Nicholaus Sparding (guitar/vocals). Olausson, Sparding, and Görsch had previously been members of Girlfriendo. The trio promptly regrouped after that band's demise and added Lindwall, who had recorded in a side project with Olausson and Sparding called Cat Skills. They finally added the missing piece with saxophone player Fredrik Eriksson. While earning many rave reviews from the blogging community for their blend of art punk and indie rock, the band released several singles, one of which made single of the week in NME. The singles were collected on the debut LP Nine Times That Same Song, released by New York-based What's Your Rupture? in late 2005. After much touring through 2006 and 2007, Eriksson left the band and Love Is All continued on as a quartet. A Hundred Things Keep Me Up at Night and the remix album Love Is All Mixed Up arrived in 2008, along with Eriksson's replacement Åke Strömer (saxophone, keyboards). They are currently signed to Polyvinyl Record Co..

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• Nine Times That Same Song (What's Your Rupture?) (2005)
• A Hundred Things Keep Me Up at Night (What's Your Rupture?) (2008)
• Two Thousand and Ten Injuries (Polyvinyl Record Co.) (2010)

Remix Albums[link]

• Love Is All...Mixed Up (What's Your Rupture?) (2008)

Singles and EPs[link]

• "Spinning And Scratching / Make Out, Fall Out, Make Up / Ageing Hard / Never Been His Friend" 7" EP (2003)
• "Lost Thrills" (Dolores Recordings)
• "Felt Tip" (Smashing Time)
• "Make Out, Fall Out, Make Up" (2006) (What's Your Rupture?) #133 UK
• "Busy Doing Nothing" (2006) (What's Your Rupture?) #103 UK
• "Used Goods" (What's Your Rupture?)
• "Ageing Had Never Been His Friend / Nothing To Be Done" (2007) (What's Your Rupture?)
• "Love is All Play 5 Covers" (2008) (self-released)
• "Wishing Well & Covers" (2008) (Emusic)
• "Last Choice" (EP) (2009) (What's Your Rupture?)

References[link]

1. ^ http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2007/02/band-of-the-week-love-is-all.html

External links[link]

• Love is All on MySpace
• Punkcast#886 video of first USA show - Rockies, Brooklyn - Nov 15, 2005 (RealPlayer) (mp4)
• Subculture Magazine review of Nine Times That Same Song
• Subculture Magazine Interview / August 2006
• Adequacy.net's review of Two Thousand And Ten Injuries
• Pitchforkmedia.com's review of Nine Times That Same Song
• Pitchfork interview
• Official Website
• Live Photos from London gig
• Live Audio Melbourne, Australia February 2007
• Revista O Grito! Interview
• Love Is All at The Indie Music Database
• Love is All at exclaim
• Love is All interview
• Love is All at Polyvinyl Record Co.