Arabia Felix From The Time Of The Queen Of Sheba: Eighth Century B.C. to First Century A.D.

by Jean-Francois Breton

Overview

Sheba, or Saba, is a region of high mountains and vast deserts situated in the southwest of the Arabian peninsula, in what is known today as Yemen. The mysteries and riches of Sheba and its people enticed the likes of Alexander the Great, the Emperor Augustus, and the kings of Ethiopia and Byzantium. From the 8th century to the 1st century BC, the kingdom of Sheba dominated other realms in Southern Arabia, imposing its language, institutions and artistic forms throughout the region. This book provides a detailed synthesis of this remote civilization, the uniqueness of the region's geography and climate, and the major events that shaped its history. It offers valuable insights into the Sabeans' daily life, their customs and religion, their relations with neighbouring civilizations, and their modes of commerce.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780268020040
Publisher:	University of Notre Dame Press
Publication date:	02/15/2000
Pages:	228
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.52(d)

About the Author

Jean-François Breton is a researcher at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and has led many important archeological expeditions in Yemen.

Table of Contents

	Introduction	1
	The Queen of Sheba: Myths and Legends
	The Myth of Arabia Felix
	In Pursuit of Myths?
1.	The Gardens of Saba	9
	The Roof of Arabia
	A Land of Monsoons
	Down the Wadi Dhana
	Mastering the Floods
	A "Hydraulic" Society?
	The Two Gardens
	Crops and Forests
	The City of Ma'rib
	The Temples outside the City Walls
	Words Carved in Stone
2.	The Caravan Kingdoms	29
	The Sources
	What Is Saba?
	The First Mukarribs
	The Reign of Mukarrib Karib'il Watar
	The Sabaean Peace
	Reasons for the Success of the Sabaeans
	Saba: Kingdom without a Queen?
	The Decline of the Sabaean Empire
	The Rise of Qataban
	Ma'in and the Minaeans
	Hadramawt
	More Than One Arabia Felix?
3.	Fragrances of Arabia	53
	Theophrastus's Natural History
	Myrrh
	Frankincense
	Two Harvests a Year
	Other Spices
	Unknown Quantities
	Frankincense Routes through South Arabia
	From Arabia to the Mediterranean
	Some Prices
	Organization of the Caravans
	Maritime Routes
4.	Cities and Villages	75
	A Sparsely Populated Land
	Fortified Cities
	A Distinctive Urbanism
	A Visit to Shabwa
	Wooden Houses
	Tower-Houses
	A Wealthy Man's Home
	Austere Dwellings
	Functions of the House
	The Villages
	Farmhouses
5.	Economy and Society	93
	A Unique Society
	Tribal Organization
	A Hierarchical Society
	The Place of Women
	The Peasants
	Animal Husbandry
	The Rural Economy
	The Urban Economy
	The Fragility of the Urban Economies
	The Builders
	Scribes and Clerks
	The Steppes and the Deserts
6.	The Gods and Their Temples	117
	Fragmentary Sources
	The God 'Athtar
	The God Almaqah
	Hawbas
	Principal South Arabian Divinities
	Other Divinities
	Gods without Human Forms?
	The Economy of Temples
	Peculiar Rites
	Some Ceremonial Costumes
	Sanctuaries of the Archaic Period
	Temples of Jawf and Hadramawt
7.	The World of the Dead	143
	The Heritage of the Past
	Cavern-Tombs
	Mausoleums
	Images of the Dead
	A Final Dwelling Place
	Burial of the Dead in the Silt
	The Tombs of Camels
	Later Burial Practices
8.	Toward New Horizons	159
	The Rise of Himyar
	The Royal Tribe of Saba
	The Arrival of the Nomads
	The Roman Army in South Arabia
	New Horizons beyond the Sea
	The Periplus of the Red Sea
	A Hybrid Art
	Conclusion	177
	Glossary	181
	Notes	185
	References	197
	Index	207

Editorial Reviews

[A] much needed contribution to the ancient Near East for the English-speaking world. What Jean-François Breton has produced is an impressive introductory account of our current state of knowledge of Yemen's history in the first millennium B.C. that is complementary to studies of the ancient Orient, and that will provide a more complete picture. . . . [H]is account is fresh, lively, and lucid. Breton is readable and reliable, and as fine an introduction to South Arabia as is now available in English.” —The Historian

From the Publisher