When did the brotherhood start?

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As long as man has had breath the Brotherhood has existed. For from the beginning - when man's struggle was with nature, not knowing where he might sleep, how he would eat, or whether he would survive to see the light of dawn - there have always been those who would lord over others. People who believe that they, by some unseen right, are granted power over others, and would push others down so they might climb, are the greatest threat to mankind's existence. For many years has one man or one race prospered on the sweat and work of others.Such injustices are not just a sin against mankind, but also a sin against God. The Brotherhood had its beginnings with the first downtrodden who looked for a better way. These oppressed sought a path that would allow them to gather fruits of life and achieve enough resources and wealth that they and their families could survive and advance with the rest of mankind.

We have been around since before 1800 BC, although it is commonly believed to be an exaggeration. However, there are several pieces of evidence, among them an ancient burial site featuring Nod symbolism, that substantiate this theory. Nod is headed by Kane, known as Jacob Caine by Interpol in the Western world, and as Amir al-Quayym by MI6 in the Middle East.

Nod's chief asset is its near monopoly on the Tiberium harvesting industry. Due partially to chance, the alien organism arrived via meteor impact near the 
Tiber riverin Italy and thus the genesis of the name Tiberium. Kane, the leader of the Brotherhood, claims that it was the Brotherhood who found it first and that he named it after Tiberius Caesar Augustus. Tiberium spreads quickly and thrives in temperate to warm conditions. Many of the poorer countries straddling the equatorial regions were hit hardest by the rapidly-spreading substance. The Brotherhood, being anti-Western, tapped into these suddenly-rich nations for substantial control of the Tiberium market. At the time of the First Tiberium War, Nod controlled almost half the world's Tiberium supply at 49%. Compare this with the lackluster 27% controlled by the G8 nations (sponsors of GDI), and the remaining 24% in the hands of unaffiliated nations.

The Brotherhood also always maintained a strong support from the population, through propaganda and other means. Members of Nod were encouraged to convince people to join the ranks (i.e. via www.brotherhoodrecruitment.nod) as well as propagate their ideals.

Nod looks at Tiberium very differently than its main enemy, GDI. Whereas GDI treats Tiberium as a dangerous but economically valuable product as well as a scientific anomaly, the Brotherhood sees it as the dawn of a new age entirely. Moreover, Tiberium is considered by Nod to be the greatest catalyst for 
human evolution, and thus a highly sacred substance. As such, they are much more willing to directly use Tiberium in potentially unsafe ways.