Arab conquest of Syria was unprecedented only in tribal unity, not in contact

Evidence

The Muslim invasions were not an irruption of a new and foreign people into the fertile crescent. Arabs had long been confederate members of the Roman (or Byzantine) military forces; they had founded and settled many of the cities of Syria: Petra, Hims, Harrân, Edessa. Trade between Roman Syria and the Bedouins of the Arabian peninsula had been constant, punctuated by sporadic military clashes. What was unprecedented in 634 was that the tribes of the peninsula were no longer feuding rivals but united allies. — John V. Tolan, Saracens, 238 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: The Muslim conquests were not a foreign invasion but a unification of long-familiar peoples — John V. Tolan, Saracens, 238

Broader Connections

• The Muslim conquests were not a foreign invasion but a unification of long-familiar peoples #expands (0.95) — John V. Tolan, Saracens, 238