Zafar, Watershed of Late Pre-Islamic Culture

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Abstract

Research since 1998 sheds light on the formative role which Zafar as capital of the Himyarite confederacy played in the history of Old South Arabia. Since most of the excavation reports on Zafar are still in press, new excavation results from the site are not commonly known. Highlights of the excavation from 2000 to 2006 include the discovery of the Stone Building. The main topics of our paper include the nature of the defences, the appearance of Zafar’s cityscape, and its post-Himyarite history. The final section discusses briefly and from an archaeological point of view select aspects of late pre-Islamic Judaism in the highlands.