Timnaʿ

ancient Arabian city

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July 14, 2026

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Timna is an ancient site in southern Israel, renowned for its historical copper mining operations. Archaeological evidence, including furnaces and slag heaps, indicates that mining occurred during the Egyptian pharaonic and Solomonic periods. These ancient mines were known as "King Solomon's Mines".1

In contrast, Timna, the capital of the ancient Qatabān kingdom in Yemen, was a significant center for trade. This Timna flourished with inscriptions dating back to at least the 4th century BCE and was destroyed by fire, possibly in the 1st century CE. The Qatabān people controlled territory stretching to both the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.2

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history of Arabia
Qatabānians
…Wadi Bayḥān, with the capital, Timnaʿ, at its northern end, and Wadi Ḥarīb, immediately west of Bayḥān. As in the case of Maʿīn, the earliest references are in Sabaean inscriptions; native Qatabānian inscriptions do not seem to antedate the 4th century bce. Timnaʿ was destroyed by fire at a date…
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…Wadi Bayḥān, with the capital, Timnaʿ, at its northern end, and Wadi Ḥarīb, immediately west of Bayḥān. As in the case of Maʿīn, the earliest references are in Sabaean inscriptions; native Qatabānian inscriptions do not seem to antedate the 4th century bce. Timnaʿ was destroyed by fire at a date…
Read More