chains to the market-place of the city; they descended
alive into the grave prepared for their execution and burial; and the
apostle beheld with an inflexible eye the slaughter of his helpless
enemies. Their sheep and camels were inherited by the Mussulmans: three
hundred cuirasses, five hundred piles, a thousand lances, composed the
most useful portion of the spoil. Six days' journey to the north-east
of Medina, the ancient and wealthy town of Chaibar was the seat of the
Jewish power in Arabia: the territory, a fertile spot in the desert,
was covered with plantations and cattle, and protected by eight castles,
some of which were esteemed of impregnable strength. The forces of
Mahomet consisted of two hundred horse and fourteen hundred foot: in
the succession of eight regular and painful sieges they were exposed to
danger, and fatigue, and hunger; and the most undaunted chiefs despaired
of the event. The apostle revived their faith and courage by the example
of Ali, on whom he bestowed the surname of the Lion of God: perhaps we
may believe that a Hebrew champion of gigantic stature was cloven to the
chest by his irresistible cimeter; but we cannot praise the modesty of
romance, which represents him as tearing from its hinges the gate of
a fortress and wielding the ponderous buckler in his left hand. [136]
After the reduction of the castles, the town of Chaibar submitted to the
yoke. The chief of the tribe was tortured, in the presence of Mahomet,
to force a confession of his hidden treasure: the industry of the
shepherds and husbandmen was rewarded with a precarious toleration: they
were permitted, so long as it should please the conqueror, to improve
their patrimony, in equal shares, for his emolument and their own. Under
the reign of Omar, the Jews of Chaibar were transported to Syria; and
the caliph alleged the injunction of his dying master; that one and the
true religion should be professed in his native land of Arabia. [137]

[Footnote 135: The wars of Mahomet against the Jewish tribes of Kainoka,
the Nadhirites, Koraidha, and Chaibar, are related by Abulfeda (p. 61,
71, 77, 87, &c.) and Gagnier, (tom. ii. p. 61-65, 107-112, 139-148,
268-294.)]

[Footnote 136: Abu Rafe, the servant of Mahomet, is said to affirm that
he himself, and seven other men, afterwards tried, without success, to
move the same gate from the ground, (Abulfeda, p. 90.) Abu Rafe was an
eye-witness, but who will be witness for Abu Rafe?]

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