mukarrib

Sabaean ruling title

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 1, 2026

Quick Summary

The term mukarrib was a ruling title used by the Sabaeans, an ancient South Arabian people who founded the kingdom of Saba (biblical Sheba). This title is generally understood to mean "unifier," referring to the expansion of Sabaean influence over neighboring communities. Rulers used this title in their own texts, while others referred to them as "king of Ma'rib". The Sabaeans are known from inscriptions dating back to the late 8th and early 7th centuries BCE. They were responsible for significant cultic and irrigation constructions, including the great dam at Ma'rib. Later, the title mukarrib disappeared, and rulers were known as "king of Saba".12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

4 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

history of Arabia
Sabaeans
…the rulers adopted the title mukarrib, now generally thought to mean “unifier” (with allusion to the process of expansion of Sabaean influence over neighbouring communities). Persons other than the rulers never used this title in their texts but referred to the rulers by their regnal styles or occasionally as “king…
Read More
…the rulers adopted the title mukarrib, now generally thought to mean “unifier” (with allusion to the process of expansion of Sabaean influence over neighbouring communities). Persons other than the rulers never used this title in their texts but referred to the rulers by their regnal styles or occasionally as “king…
Read More