Tayma


Tayma , also spelled Tema, is a city and governorate, in Tabuk Province, and major oasis with a long history of habitation. It is located in northwestern Saudi Arabia at the point where the trade route between Medina and Dumah begins to cross the Nafud desert. Tayma lies about southeast of Tabuk and approximately north of Medina. The oasis is situated in the western portion of the Nafud desert.

History

The historical significance of Tayma is based on the existence there of an oasis, which helped it become a stopping point on commercial desert routes. An important event was the presence there of Nabonidus, the last Neo-Babylonian emperor, who took residence there in the mid-6th century BC.

Bronze Age: Egyptian inscription

Recent archaeological discoveries show that Tayma has been inhabited since at least the Bronze Age. In 2010, the Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia announced the discovery of the Pharaonic Tayma inscription by Ramesses III about 60 kilometers northwest of Tayma. It read "'The King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Lord of the Two Lands, User-Maat-Ra, beloved of Amun' -- 'The Son of Ra, Lord of Crowns, Ramesses, ruler of Heliopolis' -- 'Beloved of the "Great Ruler of All Lands'". This was the first confirmed find of a hieroglyphic inscription on Saudi soil. Based on this discovery, researchers have hypothesized that Tayma was part of an important land route between the Red Sea coast of the Arabian Peninsula and the Nile.

Assyrian, Babylonian, and biblical sources

The oldest mention of the oasis city appears as "Tiamat" in Neo-Babylonian inscriptions dating as far back as the 8th century BC. The oasis developed into a prosperous city rich in wells and handsome buildings. Tiglath-Pileser III received tribute from Tayma and Sennacherib named one of Nineveh's gates the Desert Gate, recording that "the gifts of the Sumu'anite and the Teymeite enter through it". It was rich and proud enough in the seventh century BC for Jeremiah to prophesy against it in : "Dedan, Tema, and Buz, and all those who have their hair clipped". It was ruled then by a local Arab dynasty known as the Qedarites. The names of two 8th century BC queens, Šamši and Zabibe, are recorded.
Emperor Nabonidus conquered Tayma, and for ten years of his reign retired there to worship and search for prophecies, entrusting the kingship of Babylon to his son, Belshazzar. Taymanitic inscriptions also mention that the people of Tayma fought wars with Dadān.
Cuneiform inscriptions possibly dating from the 6th century BC have been recovered from Tayma. They are known as the Tayma stones.
Tayma is mentioned several times in the Hebrew Bible. The biblical eponym is Tema, one of the sons of Ishmael, after whom the Land of Tema is named. it was mentioned in Book of Habakkuk under the name תֵּימָן ''Tēmān.''

Jewish community: classical period and 12th century

According to Arab tradition, Tayma was inhabited by a Jewish community during the late classical period, but whether they were exiled Judeans or the Arab descendants of converts is unclear. The Jewish diaspora at the time of the Temple's destruction, according to Josephus, was in Parthia, Babylonia, Arabia, as well as some Jews beyond the Euphrates and in Adiabene. In Josephus' own words, he had informed "the remotest Arabians" about the destruction. So, too, in Pre-Islamic Arabic poetry, Tayma is often referred to as a fortified city belonging to the Jews, as an anonymous Arab poet wrote, "Unto God will I make my complaint heard, but not unto man; because I am a sojourner in Taymā, Taymā of the Jews!"
As late as the 6th century AD, Tayma was the home of a wealthy Jew, Samaw'al ibn 'Adiya.
Tayma and neighboring Khaybar were visited by Benjamin of Tudela sometime around 1170. He claimed that the city was governed by a Jewish prince. Benjamin was a Jew from al-Andalus who travelled to Persia and Arabia in the 12th century.

Crusader threat

In the summer of 1181, Raynald of Châtillon, Prince of Antioch and Lord of Oultrejordain, attacked a Muslim caravan near Tayma during a raid of the Red Sea area despite a truce between Saladin and Baldwin IV of Jerusalem.

Climate

Tayma has a hot desert climate, with most of its rainfall occurring during the winter months. The average annual temperature is, and the city receives approximately of precipitation per year.

Archaeology

The site was first investigated and mapped by Charles M. Doughty in 1877.
The Tayma stele discovered by Charles Huber in 1883, now at the Louvre, lists the gods of Tayma in the 6th century BC: Ṣalm of Maḥram and Shingala-and-Ashira. This Ashira may be "incorrect" for the name Ashima, according to Miller, who also renders Śengallā.
Archeological investigation of the site, under the auspices of the German Archaeological Institute, is ongoing.
Clay tablets and stone inscriptions using Taymanitic script and language were found in ruins and around the oasis. Nearby Tayma was a Sabaean trading station, where Sabaean language inscriptions were found.

Economy

Historically, Tayma is known for growing dates. The oasis also produced rock salt, which was distributed throughout Arabia. Tayma also mined alum, which was processed and used for the care of camels.

Points of interest

  • Qasr Al-Ablaq is a qasr located on the southwest side of the city. It was built by the Arab Jewish poet and warrior Samaw'al ibn 'Adiya and his grandfather 'Adiya in the 6th century.
  • Qasr Al-Hamra, a palace was built in the 7th century BC.
  • Tayma has an archaeologically significant perimeter wall built around three sides of the old city in the 6th century BC.
  • Qasr Al-Radhm
  • Haddaj Well
  • Cemeteries
  • Many Aramaic, Lihyanite, Thamudic, and Nabataean inscriptions
  • Qasr Al-Bejaidi
  • Al-Hadiqah Mound
  • Al-Naslaa rock formation
  • Many museums. Although Tayma has museums of its own such as the "Tayma Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography", many artifacts from its history have been spread to other museums. Early finds such as the "Tayma Stele" are at the Louvre in Paris among others while large museums of national importance in Saudi Arabia, such as the National Museum of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh and the Jeddah Regional Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography also have significant collections of items from or related to ancient Tayma.

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