Haram (Yemen)


Haram is an ancient city in the north of al-Jawf in modern-day Yemen, at about 1100 metres above sea level. It is bordered by the Yemen Highlands to the north, in the west by the ancient Kaminahu, in the east by the ancient Qarnāwu and in the south by the Ghayl, otherwise known as the village of al-Ḥazm.

History

In early times Ḥaram was an independent political entity, which by the early 7th century BCE was a vassal of the Kingdom of Saba' to the south and of its ruler Karab El Watar. During the war of Saba' against Awsān and the city states of Nashan and Nashaq, the Ḥaramite king Yadhmurmalik supported Saba' with an army under the leadership of one General Hanba from the clan of Naʿman. It is from this time that the temple of Banāt 'Ād dates, it is situated in front of the gates of Ḥaram, and contains many dedicatory inscriptions, including some to the Ḥaramite god Mutibbnatyan. At the time of the founding of the Kingdom of Ma'īn at the latest, the capital of which, Qarnāwu, was only 6 kilometers away, Ḥaram lost its importance. After the end of the Minaean Kingdom, it regained its importance for a while under Sabaean rule. It is not clear just when Ḥaram was abandoned.
A stela of Yatha' Amar Watar dated to about 715BC, tells that he invaded the area and took the town. It reads
Yatha amar Watar son of Yakrubmalik mukarrib of Saba dedicated to Aranyada' the patron when Aranyada came back from the territories of Aranyada' and of Nashshan and avenged Nashshan at the expense of Kaminahu because Nashahn had maintained the alliance of Almaqah and of Aranyada', of Yatha amar and of Malikwaqah, of Saba of nashshan, because of... of god and parton of pact and alliance.

Kings of Haram

The order of succession is mostly unknown.
Haram was in Wādī Madhāb, to the north-east of Ma'rib. It was a town in ancient South Arabia. Haram and its neighbours, Nashan, Kaminahu and Inabba' were all civil temple settlements and city states, and inscriptions in all four towns are in the Minaean language.