Sabaeans: Map & History
Sheba, or Saba, was an ancient South Arabian kingdom that existed in Yemen before 275 CE.
Wikipedia Encyclopedic Compendium
Historiographical synthesis & structured realm registry
Sheba, or Saba, was an ancient South Arabian kingdom that existed in Yemen before 275 CE. It likely began its existence between c. 1000 BCE and c. 800 BCE. Its inhabitants were the Sabaeans, who, as a people, were indissociable from the kingdom itself for much of the 1st millennium BCE. Modern historians agree that the heartland of the Sabaean civilization was located in the region around Marib and Sirwah. In some periods, they expanded to much of modern Yemen and even parts of the Horn of Africa, particularly Eritrea and Ethiopia. The kingdom's native language was Sabaic, which was a variety of Old South Arabian.
Modern Countries Once Part of Sabaeans
At its mapped extent, Sabaeans covered territory in 1 present-day country. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Sabaeans's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Sabaeans in Depth
History
The formative phase of the Sabaeans, or the period prior to the emergence of urban cultures in South Arabia, can be placed the latter part of the 2nd millennium BCE, and was completed by the 10th century BCE, where a fully developed script appears in combination with the technological prowess to construct complex architectural complexes and cities. There is some debate as to the degree to which the movement out of the formative phase was channeled by endogenous processes, or the transfer or technologies from other centers, perhaps via trade and immigration.
Originally, the Sabaeans were part of "communities" (called shaʿbs) on the edge of the Sayhad desert.
Economy
The Sabaeans had a long history of seafaring and commerce. A Sabaean presence in Africa was noted in antiquity with the founding of the kingdom of Dʿmt in Ethiopia in the 8th century BCE. The 1st-century CE historian Periplus of the Erythraean Sea described how the Arabs controlled the coast of "Ezana" (the East African coast north of Somalia). The Quran mentions trade with Sheba: "And We placed between them and the cities which We had blessed [many] visible cities. And We determined between them the [distances of] journey, [saying], "Travel between them by night or day in safety." The Old Testament Book of Ezekiel reads, "Dedan traded in saddle blankets with you. Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your customers; they did business with you in lambs, rams and goats.
Culture
Sabaic was the spoken language of the Kingdom of Saba. Geographically, Sabaic was spoken in Saba, just as Qatabanic was spoken in Qataban and Hadraumitic was spoken in Hadhramaut. The only exception to this is Minaic, which is attested well-beyond the geographical territory of its corresponding kingdom, Ma'in. These four languages share and are distinguished by a number of linguistic features. The documentation for Sabaic is the best of any language of Ancient South Arabian, attested in all phases of the history of Saba.
The South Arabian kingdoms had writing schools with a common cultural background, although each school also had distinct practices.
Legacy
Saba appears in the Hebrew Bible, also the first place that the Sabaeans are mentioned by an external source. Most famously, Saba is presented as, through its female monarch the Queen of Sheba, engaging in trade with Solomon in goods of aromatics and gold. Historians have subjected this story to questions concerning its historicity. The Hebrew Bible links the Sabaean caravan trading network with other cities including Dedan, Tayma, and Ra'mah.
The story of the visit of the Queen of Sheba to Solomon is discussed in Quran 27:15–44.
The name of Saba' is mentioned in the Qur'an in Surah 5:69, Surah 27:15-44 and Surah 34:15-17. Surah 34 is named Sabaʾ.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Sheba (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Sabaeans: Key Facts
| Founded | 1200 BCE |
|---|---|
| Dissolved | 275 CE |
Facts from Wikidata Q940785 (CC0).
Sabaeans Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Sabaeans appears, with the other states of the time.
Sabaeans Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 63,948 km² in 417 BCE.
Sabaeans: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Sabaeans exist?
Sabaeans is dated to 800 BCE – 282 CE, in the Bronze & Iron Age Civilizations era.
What was the capital of Sabaeans?
The capital of Sabaeans was Marib, Sanaa.
How large was Sabaeans at its peak?
At its peak in 417 BC Sabaeans covered about 63,948 km².
How did the map of Sabaeans change over time?
Sabaeans appears on 6 dated world maps in the atlas, from 750 BCE to 200 CE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.
Other Sovereign Realms
Classical Antiquity • Capital: Chang'an
Classical Antiquity • Capital: Persepolis, Pasargadae, Susa, Babylon
Bronze Age Civilizations • Capital: Memphis
Classical Antiquity • Capital: Pataliputra