• The Arabian Camel—Africa’s All-Purpose Vehicle
    Awake!—1992 | June 8

    • A Useful Creature Then . . .

      Already in Abraham’s time, the dromedary, or Arabian camel (one hump), seems to have been used extensively. Abraham himself acquired a number of them during his stay in Egypt. (Genesis 12:16) In fact, he may even have made his famous trek from Ur of the Chaldeans to the land of Canaan astride a camel.

      Job was a camel owner. His herd was some 3,000 strong and contributed to his being one of the richest men in his part of the world. (Job 1:3) So camels have been appreciated by man in Egypt and elsewhere for at least 4,000 years.

      They were introduced to the rest of North Africa by the second century C.E. This enabled their owners to develop a nomadic way of life in the Sahara Desert, which would have been impossible without the camel.

      Eventually, these nomads developed routes across the desert and started a slave trade. They acquired slaves in sub-​Saharan Africa and put them to work in isolated oases from which they could never escape on foot.

      Long camel trains carried salt across the desert to places where this commodity was rare and therefore in great demand. Although its role in the slave trade has stopped, and its role in the salt trade has greatly diminished, the Arabian camel is still far from obsolete.

      . . . and Now

      Camel trains are still common in the Sahel-​Sahara region of Africa​—a mode of transportation unchanged since Abraham’s time. The nomadic tribes depend greatly on their camels, still every bit as vital to their life-​style as during the previous millenniums.

      Being nomads, their first necessity is transportation​—of themselves, of water, of foodstuffs, and of whatever household items are needed. They also milk the camel and carefully save its hair in order to make cloth, blankets, and tents. The hide is used for leather, and its flesh for meat.

      Caravans average about 25 miles [40 km] a day. But in an emergency some camels can cover 100 miles [160 km] in one day. This is an important consideration when water sources can be many miles [many kilometers] apart.

      Their use is not limited to the far-​flung areas of the desert either. The camel is still a common sight, and its groaning, moaning, and gurgling are still common sounds in many markets here in the Sahel. Camels are used to carry people and merchandise from the countryside to the market, often transporting loads of 400 pounds [200 kg] or more.