Tema
Tema [1]
tē´ma ( תּימא , tēmā' , "south country"; Θαιμάν , Thaimán ): The name of a son of Ishmael ( Genesis 25:15; 1 Chronicles 1:30 ), of the tribe descended from him ( Jeremiah 25:23 ), and of the place where they dwelt ( Job 6:19; Isaiah 21:14 ). This last was a locality in Arabia which probably corresponds to the modern Teimā' (or Taymā' (see Doughty, Arabia Deserta , I, 285)), an oasis which lies about 200 miles North of el - Medina , and some 40 miles South of Dūmat el - Jandal (Dumah), now known as el - Jauf . It is on the ancient caravan road connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Aḳaba ; and doubtless the people took a share in the carrying trade ( Job 6:19 ). The wells of the oasis still attract the wanderers from the parched wastes ( Isaiah 21:14 ). Doughty (loc. cit.) describes the ruins of the old city wall, some 3 miles in circuit. An Aramaic stele recently discovered, belonging to the 6th century BC, shows the influence of Assyrian article The place is mentioned in the cuneiform inscriptions (Schrader, KAT2 , 149).
