Ishmael, after whom the region of Tema is named. Jewish community: classical period and 12th century According to Arab tradition, Tayma was inhabited by a Jewish community during the late classical period, though whether these were exiled Judeans or the Arab descendants of converts is unclear. During the 1st century AD, Tayma is believed to have been principally a Jewish settlement. The Jewish diaspora at the time of the Temple's destruction, according to Josephus, was in Parthia (Persia), Babylonia (Iraq), Arabia, as well as some Jews beyond the Euphrates and in Adiabene . In Josephus' own words, he had informed "the remotest Arabians" about the destruction. So, too, in pre-Islamic Arabic poetry, Tayma is often referred to as a fortified city belonging to the Jews, just as the anonymous Arab poet has described: As late as the 6th century AD, Tayma was the home of the wealthy Jew, Samau’al ibn ‘Ādiyā. Tayma and neighboring Khaybar were visited by Benjamin of Tudela some time around 1170 who claims that the city was governed by a Jewish prince. Benjamin was a Jew from Tudela in Spain. He travelled to Persia and Arabia in the 12th century. Crusader threat In the summer of 1181, Raynald of Châtillon, Crusader Lord of Oultrejordain, attacked a Muslim caravan near Tayma, despite a truce between Sultan Saladin and King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem, during a raid of the Red Sea area. Climate In Tayma, there is a desert climate. Most rain falls in the winter. The Köppen-Geiger climate classification is BWh. The average annual temperature in Tayma is . About of precipitation falls annually. Archaeology The site was first investigated and mapped by Charles M. Doughty in 1877. The Tayma stele discovered by Charles Huber in 1883, now at the Louvre, lists the gods of Tayma in the 6th century BC: Ṣalm of Maḥram and Shingala and Ashira. This Ashira may be Athirat/Asherah. Archeological investigation of the site, under the auspices of the German Archaeological Institute, is ongoing. Clay tablets and stone inscriptions using Taymanitic script and language were found in ruins and around the oasis. Nearby Tayma was a Sabaean trading station, where Sabaean language inscriptions were found. Economy Historically, Tayma is known for growing dates. The oasis also has produced rock salt, which was distributed throughout Arabia. Tayma also mined alum, which was processed and used for the care of camels. Points of interest Qasr