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The kingdoms of ancient South Arabia
The kingdoms of ancient South Arabia
While there is no archaeological evidence for the existence of
the 'Queen of Sheba', there is considerable information about Saba,
the powerful incense trading kingdom where she is supposed to have
resided. Saba, with its capital at Maryab (later known as Marib),
was the oldest and most important of the South Arabian kingdoms,
which also included Qataban, Ma'in, Hadramawt and Himyar. The Awwam
temple, popularly known as the Mahram Bilqis (Temple of Sheba) and
fronted by eight monolithic pillars, is the most famous of all the
pre-Islamic temples of Southern Arabia. It is currently being
excavated by the American Foundation for the Study of
Man. Under its most famous ruler Karib'il Watar, who reigned
about 700-680 BC, the Sabaean kingdom stretched over most of
south-west Arabia.
Saba is first recorded in monumental inscriptions that date from
the eighth century BC, although recent evidence suggests that the
kingdom may have had its beginnings as early as the tenth century
BC, a date which is often given for the reign of King Solomon.
Although some suggest this lends credence to the Biblical story, it
is not certain whether overland or marine trade links between Saba
and Judah could have been established this early. Solomon's temple
and royal palace in Jerusalem have not been discovered and some
scholars suggest that frankincense and myrrh were not used by the
Israelites before the seventh century BC.
It has been suggested that the seemingly anachronistic elements
of the Biblical story may be explained by the fact that the passage
was written down hundreds of years after the tenth century. The
later writers may have wanted to associate the figure of Solomon
with a female counterpart who embodied the riches of Saba, the most
powerful incense trading kingdom known at the time in which they
were writing.