Ancient South Arabian inscription

Ancient South Arabian inscription

The ancient South Arabian language, which like modern Arabic belongs to the Semitic language group, was written in its own alphabet. The preserved inscriptions, such as irrigation regulations, contracts, legal texts, dedicatory and grave inscriptions, are today important sources for the study of the language and culture of ancient Yemen. In the first half of the 7th century Yemen adopts Islam and, with it, the Arabic alphabet. Northern Arabic supersedes the ancient South Arabian language.