George Sale, The Koran, commonly called the Alcoran of Mohammed, translated into English immediately from the original Arabic; with Explanatory Notes, taken from the most approved Commentators. To which is prefixed A Preliminary Discource (1734)

to the king of Hamyar whom they called the great king, but of these history has recorded nothing remarkable or that may be depended upon ¹.

The inundation of Aram.
The first great calamity that befell the tribes settled in Yaman was the inundation of Aram, which happened soon after the time of Alexander the great, and is famous in the Arabian history. No less than eight tribes were forced to abandon their dwellings upon this occasion, some of which gave rise to the two kingdoms of Ghassan and Hira. And this was probably the time of the migration of those tribes or colonies which were led into Mesopotamia by three chiefs, Becr, Modar, and Rabîa, from whom the three provinces of that country are still named Diyar Becr, Diyar Modar, and Diyar Rabîa ². Abdshems, surnamed Saba, having built the city from him called Saba, and afterwards Mareb, made a vast mound or dam ³ to serve as a bason or reservoir to receive the water which came down from the mountains, not only for the use of the inhabitants, and watering their lands, but also to keep the country they had subjected in greater awe by being masters of the water. This building stood like a mountain above their city, and was by them esteemed so strong, that they were in no apprehension of its ever failing. The water rose to the height of almost 20 fathom, and was kept in on every side by a work so solid, that many of the inhabitants had their houses built upon it. Every family had a certain portion of this water distributed by aqueducts. But at length God being highly displeased at their great pride and insolence, and resolving to humble and disperse them, sent a mighty food which broke down the mound by night while the inhabitants were asleep, and carried away the whole city with the neighbouring towns and people ⁴.

The tribes which remained in Yaman after this terrible devastation, still continued under the obedience of the former princes, till about 70 years before Mohammed, when the king of Ethiopia sent over forces to assist the Christians of Yaman against the cruel persecution of their king Dhu Nowâs, a bigotted Jew, whom they drove to that extremity, that he forced his horse into the sea, and so lost his life and crown ⁵; after which the country was governed by four Ethiopian princes successively, till Seif the son of Dhu Yazan of the tribe of Hamyar obtaining succours from Khosrû Anushirwân king of Persia, which had been denied him by the emperor Heraclius, recovered