معبودات الاتحادات القبلية في اليمن القديم : (تألب ريام)‎ أنموذجا

Abstract EN

A thorough study and investigation leads to the fact that what is meant by Ta’lub Ryaam is the Moon, simply because it has replaced the Idol Sam’ which also means the Moon.

Its name has been changed because of the high status Sam’i Tribal Unions enjoyed, who sanctified it, hence, worshiping it.

In fact, this was like a tribal and political convention.

In that every political or social faction intended to be somehow different in excellence and show its local independence from others, giving a distinguished name to its Idol, which is also completely distinct from those of other factions, though having the same nature.

In fact, the existence of such Idols as Ta’lub Ryaam was not confined to a particular period of time of religious evolution in Ancient Yemen.

But rather, it took a considerable period starting from the 2nd Century B.C.

to the 4th Century A.D.

Further, it was also possible that more than one Idol existed at the same time, each of which belonged to some other different Tribal Union(s), as in the case of Ta’lub Ryaam and Thi Samawaai.

In addition to that, two political and economic factors are considered the influential factors in the prominence of these Idols, and the high status they enjoyed.

This is actually represented by the role of the tribal or political Union, in line with the civilized development of Ancient Yemen.

However, the religious factor was not so influential compared to the other factors.

Its influence was limited to promoting the rise of the official Idols of the ancient Yemeni kingdoms such as El Magh, Wod, Seen and Aam, whose worship was imposed on some Tribal Unions that enjoyed less statuses, either political or economic.

There is also time disparity between the worship of Idols of tribal Unions, either in terms of the beginning of sanctification or the end of worship.

Given this, it seems that Ta’lub Ryaam was one of the Ancient Idols of the late Tribal Unions, that appeared centuries prior to A.D.

compared to Thi Samawaai whose sanctification started before Ta’lub Ryaam.

This is actually ascribed to the difference of the nature of the status of the two factions that worship both of them.

In fact, the similarity of rituals and religious rites that were held for Ta’lub Ryaam- in particular and other Idols of other Tribal Unions in general- with those held for official Idols- that were sanctified by the Big Kingdoms- confirms the global nature of these Idols, and that the difference of names of these tribal and political Unions is just an attempt for prompting the political and local independence of these factions.