Old South Arabian

Old South Arabian is a dead language that was used in ancient South Arabia. It is closely related to other ancient languages like Sabaean, Minaean, and Qatabanian. Old South Arabian was written in the South Arabian alphabet, which is closely related to the ancient Hebrew alphabet. The language was used in the kingdoms of Saba, Ma'in, Qataban, and Hadhramaut. Old South Arabian is known from about 2,000 inscriptions that have been found in Yemen and Oman. The inscriptions are mostly on stone or metal, and they date from the 8th century BCE to the 5th century CE. The language was also used in religious texts, such as the Zabur, which is the holy book of the kingdom of Saba. Old South Arabian is a Semitic language, and it is thought to be related to the ancient languages of the Levant, such as Hebrew, Aramaic, and Phoenician.