Tayma Totally Explained

Everything about Tayma totally explained

Tayma (; also transliterated Tema) is a large oasis with a long history of settlement, located in northeastern Saudi Arabia at the point where the trade route between Yathrib (Medina) and Dumah begins to cross the Nefud desert. Tayma is located 264 km southeast of the city of Tabouk, and about 400 km north of Medina.
   In ancient times the oasis was noted as a prosperous Jewish colony, rich in water wells and handsome buildings. Tiglath-pileser III received tribute from Teyma, and Sennacherib named one of Nineveh's gates as 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 7th century BCE for Jeremiah to prophesy against it (Jeremiah 25:23). Tayma is mentioned in Assyrian sources. It was ruled then by a local Arab dynasty. The names of two 8th-century BCE queens, Shamsi and Zabibei, are recorded.
   In 539 BCE, Nabonidus retired to Tayma for worship and looking for prophecies, entrusting the kingship of Babylon to his son. From this we can recognize Tayma as being an important place.
   Cuneiform inscriptions possibly dating from the 6th century BCE have been recovered from Tayma. It is mentioned several times in the Old Testament. The biblical eponym is apparently Tema, one of the sons of Ishmael. Archeological investigation of the site, under the auspices of the German Archaeological institute, is ongoing.
   The Teyma stele discovered by Charles Hubert in 1883, now at the Louvre, lists the gods of Teyma, in the 6th century BCE: Ṣalm of Maḥram and Shingala and Ashira as the gods of Tema. This Ashira might be Athirat/Asherah.

Jews of Tayma

According to Arab tradition, Tayma was ruled by a Jewish dynasty during the late classical period, though whether these were exiled Judeans or the Arab descendants of converts is unclear. The town fell to the Muslims in the 630s and the inhabitants were subjected to a dhimma pact, and later expelled.

The journey of Benjamin of Tudela

A historical journey to visit far-flung Jewish communities was undertaken by Rabbi Benjamin of Tudela from 1165 to 1173 that crossed and tracked some of the areas that are today in the geographic area of Saudi Arabia. One map of his travels in the areas of present-day Saudi Arabia shows that he stopped at Jewish communities living in Tayma and Khaybar. His trek began as a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. He may have hoped to settle there, but there's controversy about the reasons for his travels. It has been suggested he may have had a commercial motive as well as a religious one. On the other hand, he may have intended to catalogue the Jewish communities on the route to the Holy Land so as to provide a guide to where hospitality may have been found for Jews travelling to the Holy Land. He took the "long road" stopping frequently, meeting people, visiting places, describing occupations and giving a demographic count of Jews in every town and country.

Points of interest

Qasr Al-Ablaq castle is located on the southwest side of the city. It was built by Jewish poet and warrior Samuel ibn 'Adiya and his grandfather 'Adiya in the 6th century CE.
The Qasr Al-Hamra palace was built in the 7th century BCE.
Tayma has an archaeologically significant perimeter wall built around 3 sides of the old city in the 6th century BCE.
Qasr Al-Radhm
Haddaj Well
Cemeteries
Many Aramaic, Lihyanite, Thamudic, Nabataean language inscriptions, around Tayma
Qasr Al-Bejaidi
Al-Hadiqah Mound
Many museums

Further Information

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