Mythologies of the Beja Tribes
The Beja tribe ( Arabic : البجا , Beja : Oobja , Tigre : በጃ ) are a Cushitic ethnic group native to the Eastern Desert , inhabiting a coastal area from southeastern Egypt through eastern Sudan and into northwestern Eritrea . They are descended from peoples who have inhabited the area since 4000 BC or earlier, although they were Arabized by Arabs who settled in the region. They are nomadic and live primarily in the Eastern Desert. The Beja number around 1,900,000 to 2,759,000. Some of the Beja speak a Cushitic language called Beja and some speak Tigre , an Ethiopian Semitic language ; most speak Arabic . In Eritrea and southeastern Sudan, many members of the Beni-Amer grouping speak Tigre. Originally, the Beja did not speak Arabic, but the migration of the numerous Arab tribes of Juhaynah , Mudar , Rabi'a , and many more to the Beja areas contributed to the Arabization and Islamization of them. The Arabs did not