The Cities of Wadi al-Jawf in Ancient Yemen between the Kingdoms of Sabaa and Ma'in in the First Millennium BC

مدن وادي الجوف في اليمن القديم: بين مملكتي سبأ ومعين في الألف الأول قبل الميلاد

The Cities of Wādī al-Jawf in Ancient Yemen between the Kingdoms of Saba‌ʾ and Maʿīn in the First Millennium BC

Several significant developments marked the rise of these kingdoms: the spread of the Musnad script consisting of 29 letters, the domestication of the camel, and the growth of the incense trade between southern Arabia and the Near East. During this time, multiple small political entities, including city-states and tribes, emerged in southern Arabia, forming the region’s earliest kingdoms around the 9th to 8th centuries BC. Notable settlements in Wādī al-Jawf included Nashshān, Kamna, Haram, Qarnā/Maʿin, and Inbba‌ʾ, with the latter being the primary focus of this article.

In addition to a shared linguistic heritage, the city-states also displayed a typical architectural style known as the Banāt ʿÂd (“Daughters of ʿÂd”) temples. These temples were adorned with illustrations and embellishments depicting unique religious rituals native to the Arabian Peninsula, influenced by Mesopotamian traditions. Each city-state had its own royal foundation, distinct pantheon, and unique social structure. However, the military conquests of the Sabaean Kingdom in the early 7th century BC led to the gradual decline and eventual disappearance of these city-states, which were then incorporated into larger kingdoms. By the 6th century BC, the Sabaean and Ma’in city-states in al-Jawf had become part of the larger kingdoms of Qatabān and Ḥaḍramawt, respectively. A similar process occurred with the southern highland city-states. Recent epigraphic and archaeological discoveries in al-Jawf have prompted a re-evaluation of the chronology of events and rulers during this period of ancient Yemeni history, resulting in an updated list of kings from the city-states between the 8th and 6th centuries BC.

Source:

Brill

عربش, منيرArbachMounir. "مدن وادي الجوف في اليمن القديم: بين مملكتي سبأ ومعين في الألف الأول قبل الميلاد [The Cities of Wādī al-Jawf in Ancient Yemen between the Kingdoms of Saba‌ʾ and Maʿīn in the First Millennium BC]", Athīrat: Journal of Ancient Arabia 1, 1-2 (2025): 12-39, doi: https://doi.org/10.1163/30504880-12340003

Open Access