Relations Between Sabaʾ and Kamna in the Second Half of the Eighth Century bc in the Light of Two Sabaic Inscriptions

Abstract

This research seeks to study and analyse two Sabaic inscriptions from the archaeological site of Kamna (Kmnhw) in Wādī al-Jawf in northern Yemen. These two votive inscriptions, dedicated to the Sabaean god ʾAlmaqah, date back to the second half of the eighth century bc, to the time of the reigns of the Sabaean mukarribs Yadaʿʾīl, Yathaʿʾamar (Bayyin) and Dhamarʿalī (Dharīḥ), and of the reigns of the contemporary kings of Kamna named ʿAmmkarib, Biʿathtar and Nabaṭʿalī. The importance of the two inscriptions lies in the fact that they shed light on the history of the town of Kamna and its relationship with the kingdom of Sabaʾ during that period, confirming the existence of coalitions and friendly relations between the two political entities and contributing towards establishing a clearer chronology of their rulers. They illustrate the Sabaean partial control over the town of Kamna, with deputies representing the mukarribs and bearing the title of kabīr of Sabaʾ.