TEMA
TEMA a tribe and district in Arabia, which took their name from Tema, one of the twelve sons of Ishmael. (
Gen. 25.15;
Is. 21.14;
Jer. 25.23;
Job. 6.19.) Ptolemy mentions in Arabia Deserta a town Themma (
Θέμμη, 5.19.6). Tema is distinguished in the Old Testament from Tema, a tribe and district in the land of the Edomites (Idumaea), which derived their name from Teman, a grandson of Esau. (
Gen. 36.11, 15, 42;
Jer. 49.7, 20;
Ezek. 25.13;
Amos, 1.12;
Hab. 3.3;
Obad. 9.) The Temanites, like the other Edomites, are celebrated in the Old Testament for their wisdom (
Jerem. 49.7;
Obad. 8;
Baruch, 3.22, seq.); and hence we find that Eliphaz, in the book of Job, is a Temanite. (
Job, 2.11, 4.1.) Jerome (
Onomast. s. v.) represents Tema as distant 5 miles (Eusebius says 15 miles) from Petra, and possessing a Roman garrison.
