ABSTRACT
What is in a pedigree besides a long list of names? For its bearer, itcan be a source of pride. For the historian it may be an index of cultural transformation. Ibn I:Ianbal's lineage is an amalgamation of pre-Islamic form and Islamic meaning. The very idea that a list of individual and tribal names reveals something about the individual goes back to pre-Islamic conventions. What is more, most of the names that appear in the list are those of familiar figures and tribes from the preIslamic era. However, this list of names also includes figures drawn from the monotheistic tradition: IbrahIm and Isma'Il. These new elements indicate that Ibn I:Ianbal's pedigree is a fusion of pagan ideals and monotheistic mytholog)T.
