■　Purpose　■ Introduction Here is a map of the Middle East. The history of the Middle East, especially its early part, developed in the North Mesopotamian mountainous region, namely the “fertile crescent.” When we closely look at its history, a massive influx of nomadic tribes are found there; Akkadian and Amorite in Mesopotamia and Aramaean in Syro-Palestine, for example. These tribes were not mere nomads, but builders of cities in the settled area and of even larger scale states such as Babylonia and Assyria. A major homeland of these nomadic tribes is said to have been in the Bishri Mountains. 　 Our project aims at clarifying the process of formation of tribal communities in the region. A significance of this research is to understand the history and the society of the Middle East, focusing on the concept of neither ancient Civilization nor Islam, but “tribalism,” which actually influenced both of them. Tribalism　is still the underlining force in modern Middle Eastern cities. In this point, we consider that our project can provide useful academic information for modern issues. It is often emphasized that the Middle Eastern cities are still characterized by principles and systems of the tribal communities. Giving some specific examples, we will illustrate what tribalism means. 　   Copyright (C) 2005-2007 Kokushikan University