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Condemned are the makers of the ditch, the fire ˹pit˺, filled with fuel, when they sat around it, watching what they had ˹ordered to be˺ done to the believers, who they resented for no reason other than belief in Allah—the
Almighty, the Praiseworthy–˹the One˺ to Whom belongs the kingdom of the
305:
ordered the execution of a
Christian priest named Azqir, who had erected a chapel or church in the ancient town. Two governors, Dhu Tha'laban and Dhu Qaifan, were also sent to destroy this religious structure. These actions done by King Sharhabil were likely not religiously motivated and were
265:
During ancient times, Al-Okhdood was a large centre for trading and other commercial activities. The entire town generally dates back to at least 500 BCE. The largest of these structures is a fort, which dates back to the 1st century BCE and is built out of bricks made from stone and mud.
290:, had entered Najran and begun to spread his religion, something which the people accepted. Other sources report his apprentice Abdullah ibn Thamir as being the one to actually solidify the Christian religion in Najran. Either way, the town was home to the
395:
collaborated with the Saudi government to conduct more excavations and research, with fruitful discoveries. In 2023, a new initiative was announced to make the site more tourist-friendly and informative about the site's history.
390:
Since 1979, the
Ministry of Culture has been conducting archaeological excavations at the site. Excavations in 1997 also revealed several ancient tombs, as well as graves which dated to the Islamic period. In 2016, the
224:, which means trench, ditch or pit in the Arabic language. This name was given in reference to how the inhabitants of Najran were massacred in the 520s by being thrown alive into burning trenches.
322:
report that it was because Dhu Nuwas, who had a hatred for
Christianity, had found out that the inhabitants of Najran were now Christians. All of the people of Najran whom had refused to accept
765:
Lee, Ralph (2011). "The
Conversion of King Caleb and the Religious and Political Dynamics of Sixth-Century Ethiopia and Southern Arabia". In Peter Sarris; Matthew Dal Santo; Phil Booth (eds.).
196:. Currently in ruins, the town dates back to at least 500 BCE and was formerly a hub for trading and commercial purposes. It is also famous for being the location where the
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influence from spreading, as
Christianity was most likely seen as something affiliated with Byzantium. Almost a century later, in the 520s, the last Himyarite king
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843:"Najran's Visitors Center: A multi-season trip to introduce the historical and cultural heritage of the region"
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370:. In the 620s, the people of Najran migrated to another location, which is now the present city of
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or leave
Christianity were brutally massacred, and their churches and chapels burnt to the ground.
366:
During the early
Islamic period, a mosque was built at Najran; it is the oldest mosque throughout
622:
510:"Unearthing History: A Journey Through Al-Okhdood Archaeological Site in Southern Saudi Arabia"
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after the city had refused to pledge allegiance to him, although other sources including the
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485:"Unveiling The Past: The Rich History Of Al-Okhdood Archaeological Site In Najran"
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and venerated a large tree which they had deified. It was during this time that a
829:"Najran, the land of "Al Ukhdud" –A mine of antiquities of ancient civilizations"
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726:
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An Age of Saints? Power, Conflict and
Dissent in Early Medieval Christianity
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massacred the majority of the population of the city which had converted to
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heavens and earth. And Allah is a
Witness over all things. (Translated by
684:"The Himyarite Kingdom's Bloody Conversion to Judaism: Passion or Ploy?"
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626:
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592:
The Formation of Islam: Religion and Society in the Near East, 600-1800,
811:"Saudi 'Al-Okhdood' a historical treasure dating more than 2,000 years"
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459:. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Saudi Heritage Authority. Archived from
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The History of Al-Tabari: The Sasanids, the Lakhmids, and Yemen
688:
Ancient Origins Reconstructing the story of humanity's past
785:""الأخدود" تعود إلى ألفي عام.. وتحكي قصتها سورة "البروج""
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periods have also been discovered in the ancient town.
329:
The incident of the persecutions was alluded to in the
752:
The Throne of Adulis: Red Sea Wars on the Eve of Islam
641:"Historical Timelines | الجداول الزمنية | سيرة نجران"
358:, and Christianity returned to flourish in Najran.
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709:"Yosef Dhu Nuwas: A Sadducean King with Sidelocks"
537:The Sealed Nectar: Biography of the Noble Prophet
354:After 530 CE, Dhu Nuwas had been defeated by the
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611:Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies
393:French National Centre for Scientific Research
188:, is an ancient and historic town located in
8:
16:Archaeological site in Najran, Saudi Arabia
18:
240:, and is about 1300 kilometres south of
431:"Arabian Rock Art Heritage - Bi'r Hima"
422:
278:, the inhabitants of Najran adhered to
727:"Najran Christians – The Pen Magazine"
595:Cambridge University Press, 2003 p.46.
778:
776:
220:The name Al-Okhdood is also spelt as
7:
867:Archaeological sites in Saudi Arabia
713:Studies in History and Jurisprudence
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535:Mubarakpuri, Saifur Rahman (2008).
453:Heritage sites in the Najran region
58:
14:
882:Ancient cities of the Middle East
809:Al-Jaber, Maryam (21 June 2018).
783:عياد, إعداد-مونيكا (2019-02-13).
57:
50:
34:
682:Mitchell, Robbie (2022-08-26).
411:Cities of the ancient Near East
161:
333:, which states in the chapter
186:Al-Okhdood Archaeological Site
1:
671:(in German). Eduard Pfeiffer.
560:Tabari; ?abar? (1999-11-04).
539:. Dar-us-Salam Publications.
406:Ancient towns in Saudi Arabia
306:probably just to prevent the
292:Christian community of Najran
166:
668:Altorientalische Forschungen
246:AlUkhdud Archaeological Site
91:AlUkhdud Archaeological Site
903:
754:. Oxford University Press.
274:During the time period of
232:Al-Okhdood is located in
147:17.4773446°N 44.1793054°E
83:Free access to the public
66:Shown within Saudi Arabia
45:
33:
27:
26:
769:. Brill. pp. 77–88.
607:"The Martyrdom of Azqir"
605:Beeston, A.F.L. (2005).
280:South Arabian polytheism
210:South Arabian polytheism
99:1002 66293, Saudi Arabia
872:History of South Arabia
665:Winckler, Hugo (1893).
244:. The site is known as
587:Jonathan Porter Berkey
352:
152:17.4773446; 44.1793054
374:. Artifacts from the
236:, near the region of
294:in Late Antiquitiy.
339:People of the Ditch
143: /
75:General information
847:Saudi Press Agency
748:Bowersock, Glen W.
645:shuhada-najran.com
516:. 2 September 2023
514:Saudi Press Agency
40:Al-Okhdood in 2014
877:Ancient Near East
707:Abrahamson, Ben.
297:In the 470s, the
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276:Late Antiquitiy
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184:: الأخدود) or
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206:Christianity
194:Saudi Arabia
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791:(in Arabic)
613:: 113–118.
250:Google Maps
150: /
125:Coordinates
861:Categories
795:2024-06-17
733:2024-06-17
693:2024-01-08
651:2024-06-17
417:References
286:preacher,
178:Al-Okhdood
138:44°10′45″E
135:17°28′38″N
22:Al-Okhdood
815:Alarabiya
619:0308-8421
489:OneArabia
335:al-Burooj
312:Dhu Nuwas
308:Byzantine
299:Himyarite
284:Christian
222:al-Ukhdud
216:Etymology
202:Dhu Nuwas
198:Himyarite
163:Completed
750:(2013).
627:41223858
520:12 March
400:See also
314:invaded
238:Bir Hima
228:Location
88:Location
436:5 March
380:Abbasid
376:Umayyad
324:Judaism
288:Phemion
256:History
114:Country
96:Address
28:الأخدود
789:alyaum
625:
617:
570:
543:
372:Najran
331:Qur'an
316:Najran
242:Riyadh
182:Arabic
80:Status
623:JSTOR
464:(PDF)
457:(PDF)
301:king
208:from
200:king
615:ISSN
568:ISBN
541:ISBN
522:2024
438:2017
378:and
248:on
192:in
863::
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813:.
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775:^
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167:c.
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180:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
