tour 2 of 20
The kingdoms of ancient South Arabia
Bronze incense burner with ibex figure
The kingdoms of South Arabia were located
around the edge of a desert called the Ramlat as-Sab'atayn.
They were sustained through elaborate irrigation systems that
managed the annual floods running from the highlands. The most
famous of these was the dam at the Sabaean capital, Marib, which
enabled the cultivation of up to 10,000 hectares. The dam had huge
stone sluices positioned on either side of the Wadi Dhana, which
were originally linked by a 14-metre high, 680-metre long
dam.
According to Arab
historians, the Marib dam was built by the Queen of Sheba and its
final destruction (which occurred around AD 580) came about as
divine punishment of her people. Having converted the Sabaeans to
Islam after her return from Solomon's court, they soon
turned against God. Red rats with iron teeth and claws were sent in
retribution; the creatures burst the dam by gnawing through its
foundations. The trees were ruined and the land was
devastated.
This cast
bronze incense burner was probably given as a dedication in the
Awwam or Bar'an temple at Marib; these temples were located
in the southern garden that was irrigated with water controlled by
the dam. The front of the burner is decorated with the figure of an
ibex, which presumably served as a handle. The ibex was sacred and
was widely depicted in South Arabian art; it has been associated
with rain and fertility. Almaquh, the national god of the Sabaeans,
was 'the master of the ibex' and Sabaean rulers
participated in sacred ibex hunts.