Tayma تيماء
Old Town of Tayma
Tayma Show map of Saudi Arabia Tayma Show map of Near East
Coordinates:27°37′47″N38°32′38″E / 27.62972°N 38.54389°E /27.62972; 38.54389
Country	Saudi Arabia
Province	Tabuk province
Time zone	UTC+3 (AST)

Tayma/ˈteɪmə/ (Taymanitic: 𐪉𐪃𐪒,TMʾ,vocalized as:Taymāʾ;^[1]Arabic:تيماء,romanized: Taymāʾ) orTema (Hebrew:תֵּימָןTēmān (Habakkuk 3:3)) is a largeoasis with a long history of settlement, located in northwesternSaudi Arabia at the point where the trade route betweenMedina andDumah (Sakakah) begins to cross theNafud desert. Tayma is located 264 km (164 mi) southeast of the city ofTabuk, and about 400 km (250 mi) north ofMedina.^[2][3] It is located in the western part of the Nafud desert.

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.^[4] An important event was the presence there ofNabonidus, the lastNeo-Babylonian emperor, who took residence there in the mid-6th century BC.^[4]

Recent archaeological discoveries show that Tayma has been inhabited since at least theBronze Age. In2010, theMinistry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia announced the discovery of thePharaonic Tayma inscription byRamesses 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'".^[5] This was the first confirmed find of ahieroglyphic inscription on Saudi soil. Based on this discovery, researchers have hypothesized that Tayma was part of an important land route between theRed Sea coast of theArabian Peninsula and theNile.^{[citation needed]}

The oldest mention of the oasis city appears as "Tiamat" in Neo-Babylonian inscriptions dating as far back as the8th century BC. The oasis developed into a prosperous city rich inwells and handsome buildings.Tiglath-pileser III received tribute from Tayma^[6] andSennacherib (r. 705–681 BC) named one ofNineveh'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 forJeremiah to prophesy against it inJeremiah 25:23: "Dedan, Tema, and Buz, and all those who have their hair clipped". It was ruled then by a local Arab dynasty known as theQedarites. The names of two8th century BC queens,Šamši andZabibe, are recorded.^{[citation needed]}

Emperor Nabonidus (ruled c. 556–539 BC) 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.^[6] Taymanitic inscriptions also mention that the people of Tayma fought wars with Dadān (Lihyan).^{[7][clarification needed]}

Cuneiform inscriptions possibly dating from the6th century BC have been recovered from Tayma.^[8] They are known as theTayma stones.

Tayma is mentioned several times in theHebrew Bible. The biblicaleponym isTema, one of the sons ofIshmael, after whom theLand of Tema is named.^{[citation needed]}

According to Arab tradition, Tayma was inhabited by aJewish community during the lateclassical period, but whether they were exiledJudeans or the Arab descendants of converts is unclear. TheJewish diaspora at the time of theTemple's destruction, according toJosephus, was inParthia, Babylonia, Arabia, as well as some Jews beyond theEuphrates and inAdiabene. In Josephus' own words, he had informed "the remotest Arabians" about the destruction.^[9] So, too, inpre-Islamic 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!"^[10]

As late as the6th century AD, Tayma was the home of a wealthy Jew,Samaw'al ibn 'Adiya.^[11][12]

Tayma and neighboringKhaybar were visited byBenjamin of Tudela sometime around 1170. He claimed that the city was governed by a Jewish prince. Benjamin was a Jew fromal-Andalus who travelled to Persia and Arabia in the 12th century.

In the summer of 1181,Raynald of Châtillon,Prince of Antioch and Lord ofOultrejordain, attacked a Muslim caravan near Tayma during a raid of theRed Sea area despite a truce betweenSaladin andBaldwin IV of Jerusalem.^[13]

In Tayma, there is a desert climate. Most rain falls in the winter. The Köppen-Geiger climate classification is BWh. The average annual temperature in Tayma is 21.8 °C (71.2 °F). About 65 mm (2.56 in) of precipitation falls annually.

The site was first investigated and mapped by Charles M. Doughty in 1877.^[14] 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,^[15] who also renders Śengallā.^[16][17]

Archeological investigation of the site, under the auspices of theGerman Archaeological Institute, is ongoing.^[18][19]

Clay tablets and stone inscriptions usingTaymanitic script and language were found in ruins and around the oasis. Nearby Tayma was aSabaean trading station, whereSabaean language inscriptions were found.

Historically, Tayma is known for growingdates.^[20] The oasis also producedrock salt, which was distributed throughoutArabia.^[21] Tayma also minedalum, which was processed and used for the care ofcamels.^[22]

• Qasr Al-Ablaq (قصر الأبلق) is aqasr located on the southwest side of the city. It was built by the Arab Jewish poet and warriorSamaw'al ibn 'Adiya and his grandfather 'Adiya in the 6th century.
• Qasr Al-Hamra (قصر الحمراء), a palace was built in the 7th century BC.
• Tayma has an archaeologically significantperimeter wall built around three sides of the old city in the 6th century BC.
• Qasr Al-Radhm (قصر الرضم)
• Haddaj Well (بئر هداج)
• Cemeteries
• ManyAramaic,Lihyanite,Thamudic, andNabataeaninscriptions
• Qasr Al-Bejaidi (قصر البجيدي)
• 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 theNational Museum of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh and theJeddah Regional Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography also have significant collections of items from or related to ancient Tayma.

• Cities of the ancient Near East
• Ibn Taymiyyah

Media related toTayma at Wikimedia Commons

• Deutsches Archäologisches Institut: Tayma
• Nabatea: The 12 Tribes of Ishmael: Tema
• about Jouf district
• Verse account of Nabonidus, translation at Livius.org
• Chronicle of NabonidusArchived 2016-12-08 at theWayback Machine, translation at Livius.org
• Travel through the province of Tabuk, Splendid Arabia: A travel site with photos and routes

27°37′47″N38°32′38″E / 27.62972°N 38.54389°E /27.62972; 38.54389

• Populated places in Tabuk Province
• Archaeological sites in Saudi Arabia
• Oases of Saudi Arabia
• Historic Jewish communities
• Arabian Peninsula

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