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( Tayma)
Coordinates 27°37'N, 38°32'E Tayma (Arabic ??????; 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 2523). 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.
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