The oldest mention of the oais city appears as "Tiamat" in Assyrian ins c r i p tions dating as far back as the 8th century BCE. The oasis developed into a prosperous city, rich in water wells and handsome buildings. Tiglath-pileser III received tribute from Tayma, and Sennacherib named one of Nineveh's gates as the Desert Gate, recording that "the gifts of the Sumu'anite and the Teymeite enter through it." It was rich and proud enough in the 7th century BCE for Jeremiah to prophesy against it (Jeremiah 25:23). It was ruled then by a local Arab dynasty. The names of two 8th-century BCE queens, Shamsi and Zabibei, are recorded. In 539 BCE, Nabonidus retired to Tayma for worship and looking for prophecies, entrusting the kingship of Babylon to his son. From this we can recognize Tayma as being an important place. Cuneiform ins c r i p tions possibly dating from the 6th century BCE have been recovered from Tayma. It is mentioned several times in the Old Testament. The biblical eponym is apparently Tema, one of the sons of Ishmael. Archeological investigation of the site, under the auspices of the German Archaeological institute, is ongoing. Stele with dedicatory Aramaic ins c r i p tion to the god Salm. Sandstone, 5th century BC. Found in Tayma by Charles Huber in 1884. Now in the Louvre.The Tayma stele discovered by Charles Hubert in 1883, now at the Louvre, lists the gods of Tayma in the 6th century BCE: ?alm of Ma?ram and Shingala and Ashira. This Ashira may be Athirat/Asherah. [edit] Jews of Tayma 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. The town fell to the Muslims in the 630s and the inhabitants were subjected to a dhimma pact, and later expelled.[citation needed] [edit] Middle Ages Tayma and neighboring Khaybar were visited by Benjamin of Tudela some time around 1170. Benjamin was a Jew from Tudela in Spain. He travelled to Persia and Arabia in the 12th century. In the summer of 1181 Raynald of Châtillon attacked a muslim caravan near Tayma, in spite of a truce between Sultan Saladin and king Baldwin IV of Jerusalem.