In Saudi Arabia, ancient secrets are being unearthed as archaeologists dig deep

It belonged to a statesman in the modern Hittite Kingdom. Dating back to the mid-8th century BC, the sheet mentions the statesman's proficiency in reading various scripts, including Assyrian, Tyrian, and Al-Tayma'i, which several researchers have concluded refers to the Tayma script.

A unique script

During the 2011 excavation season, the Saudi-German expedition uncovered the inscription of "Jizya Bint Raga'il", which stands out as one of the most captivating finds.

Its intriguing nature lies in the fact that it is a tombstone –  used three different times, each in a different time period –  without any damage to previous inscriptions.

The earliest inscription, positioned on the prominent top line, was etched in the Murabba' Tayma script. It belonged to a woman named "Jizya Bint Raga'il" and can be traced back to the sixth or fifth century BC.

The middle inscription, on the second line, was inscribed in the early Nabataean script, representing a transitional phase between the Murabba' Tayma and middle Nabataean scripts. It dates back to the third and second centuries BC and belonged to a woman named "Jazeela Bint Waela."

The third and final inscription, on the third, fourth, and fifth lines, is written in the middle Nabataean script, which prevailed during the first centuries BC and AD. It dates back to the era of Nabataean King Aretas IV, specifically to 4 BC. It is a dedication to a woman named "Fasayel Bint Ubaidu, who passed away in September during the 24th year of the reign of Aretas IV Philopatris."

The enigma of Al-Samaw'al

According to the Arab Akhbaris, Al-Samaw'al was a Jewish Arab poet from the pre-Islamic era.

He was known to possess a castle in Tayma and lived in the late fifth century and the first half of the sixth century AD. Some sources suggest that he resided in Khaybar and frequently moved between Khaybar and his castle in Tayma, which he called Al-Ablaq.

There is significant disagreement on the lineage of Al-Samaw'al, due to conflicting information found in the verses attributed to him. Some believe he belonged to the tribe of Judah or the tribe of Levi, while others assert that he is a Ghassanid from the Al-Azd tribe.

Another suggestion is that he is an Arab Jew from Banu Aldayan, who belonged to the tribe of Harith bin Ka'b, because he bragged about this clan in one of his poems.

Supporters of this viewpoint claim that his clan converted to Judaism before they migrated from Yemen to Najran and eventually to the northern regions of the Arabian Peninsula, then settled in the impenetrable Al-Ablaq castle in Tayma, which is said to have been built by his grandfather.

Darim bin Aqal

The story of Al-Samaw'al's loyalty originates from Darim bin Aqal, an Arab Akhbari from the early Abbasid era.

According to Darim, a man from Banu Fazara advised the poet Imru' al-Qais, as he prepared his weapons to avenge his father's death, to seek help from Al-Samaw'al. However, he passed away before reclaiming his inheritance.

The King of Kindah ordered Al-Samaw'al to surrender the suits of chainmail that Imru' al-Qais deposited with him, but Al-Samaw'al adamantly refused, stating that he would only return them to their rightful owner or his heirs.

Despite the King's persistent appeals, Al-Samaw'al remained resolute, affirming his commitment to his duty, trust, and obligation.

In response to the unwavering stance of Al-Samaw'al, the King mobilized his army, which laid siege to the castle and captured the son of Al-Samaw'al for leverage in the negotiations.

Nonetheless, Al-Samaw'al did not waver, even with his son held hostage and facing the King's threats. He declared, "I will not betray my covenant or forsake my loyalty. Do as you wish."

The King at once beheaded the boy but could not reclaim the suits of Imru' al-Qais, and thus Al-Samaw'al became a lasting example of loyalty with the Arabic saying "more loyal than Al-Samaw'al."

Skepticism of Al-Isfahani and Yaqut

Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani unravelled the myth of the legendary tale,realising  that its characters could never have converged in a single timeframe.

He states: "Abdullah bin Abi Saad relayed on the authority of Darim bin Aqal, who hailed from the lineage of Al-Samaw'al, that Aadiyya is the son of Rifa'ah bin Tha'labah bin Ka'b bin Amr Maziqiya bin Amer Ma' al-Sama'. However, this seems implausible to me because al-A'sha knew Shuraih bin al-Samaw'al and embraced Islam, and Amr is an ancient Maziqi. It is inconceivable that there could be only three or even ten generations between him and Al-Samaw'al."

Abu al-Faraj also took issue with the authenticity of a poem attributed to Imru' al-Qais about Al-Samaw'al.

In his book Kitab al-Aghani (The Book of Songs), Abu al-Faraj states: "This lengthy poem bears little resemblance to the words of Imru' al-Qais, and its composition appears to belong to a different era. None of the reliable sources have documented it in their collections."

"I attribute its origin either to Darim bin Aqal, who hailed from the lineage of Al-Samaw'al, or someone who narrated it on his behalf, so it is not included here," meaning in Kitab al-Aghani, due to its questionable authenticity.

Yaqut al-Hamawi also cast doubt on the veracity of the  story, due to the fragility of the structure and the dilapidated remains he observed. He believed that the ruins "do not align with the grandeur and invincibility attributed to the castle".

Yaqut instead attributed the alleged siege of the fort to a Ghassanid king named al-Harith ibn Zalim, also known as al-Harith ibn Abi Shamir Al-Ghassani.

An archaeological revelation

Following the doubts raised by ancient scholars, numerous studies and essays emerged which also cast doubt on the narrative of Al-Samaw'al.

One particularly relevant essay came from the Palestinian poet Izz al-Din Manasirah, who, unlike Taha Hussein and others, did not entirely deny the authenticity of the Imru' al-Qais story, but specifically refuted the account of the suits of chainmail that the poet entrusted to Al-Samaw'al.

In his essay, he cited various reasons for this scepticism, with the most significant being Abu al-Faraj's stance of rejecting the poem's authenticity and attributing it to Darim bin Aqal, who claimed to be the descendant of Al-Samaw'al.

Yaqut al-Hamawi's observation about the Al-Ablaq castle also seems plausible. Archaeological investigations have revealed that this type of construction predates the Jahiliyyah era, which precedes the rise of Islam by approximately a century.

Physical evidence suggests that structures of this kind can be traced back to the Nabataean period, and possibly even the early Byzantine era.

Adding to the mystery surrounding the figure of Al-Samaw'al, a Nabataean inscription was discovered in the city of Hegra (present-day Madain Salih), dating back to 357 AD.

This inscription mentions Amr bin Adnan bin Al-Samaw'al, the grandson of the chief of Tayma, whose daughter Mona married her cousin Adnan bin Hubi bin Al-Samaw'al, the chief of Hegra.

If we assume that Al-Samaw'al the grandfather lived less than a century before his descendants, then this would place him in the third century AD, a considerable 300 years prior to the events depicted in the fictional story of Al-Samaw'al with Imru' al-Qais.

Consequently,the real Al-Samaw'al would have ruled Tayma and Hegra during the period when the region was under Roman influence.

However, his specific religious beliefs remain uncertain, although the evidence from tombstone engravings belonging to his granddaughter and grandson suggests a leaning toward the faith of pre-Islamic Arabs.

Nevertheless, none of this information can be definitively confirmed, awaiting future archaeological findings that either deny or substantiate these intriguing assumptions.