Khor Rori
Encyclopedia
Khor Rori is an Early South Arabian archaeological site near Salalah
in the Dhofar
region of modern Oman
. The small fortified town was founded as an outpost for the kingdom of Hadramawt in modern Yemen
around the turn of our era, but the site shows signs of Hadrami settlement back to the third century CE. The settlement was probably abandoned in the seventh century. One of the Queen of Sheba's palaces
was located here.
Inscriptions at Khor Rori reports that the town, called "Sumhuram", was founded on royal initiative and settled by Hadrami emigrants. Dhofar was the main source of frankincense
in the ancient period, and it seems likely that the foundation of the settlement was in part motivated by a Hadrami wish to control the production of this valuable commodity. Most scholars identify Khor Rori with the frankincense exporting port of Moscha Limen mentioned in this region in the 1st century CE merchants guide Periplus Maris Erythraei.
Khor Rori / Sumhuram was first discovered by James Theodore Bent
during his travels in the region in the late 19th century. The site has been excavated by the American Foundation for the Study of Man (AFSM) in the early 1950s and by the Italian Mission to Oman (IMTO) since 1994. The excavations have uncovered the ground plan of the settlement and has attested maritime contacts with the Hadrami homeland, India and the Mediterranean.
Some LDS scholars believe that this is the "land Bountiful" where Nephi
from the Book of Mormon stayed during his travels from Jerusalem (I Nephi 17).
Salalah
Salalah , is the capital and seat of the governor or Wali of the southern Omani province of Dhofar. The population of Salalah was 197,169 in 2009....
in the Dhofar
Dhofar
The Dhofar region lies in Southern Oman, on the eastern border with Yemen. Its mountainous area covers and has a population of 215,960 as of the 2003 census. The largest town in the region is Salalah. Historically, it was the chief source of frankincense in the world. However, its frankincense...
region of modern Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
. The small fortified town was founded as an outpost for the kingdom of Hadramawt in modern Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
around the turn of our era, but the site shows signs of Hadrami settlement back to the third century CE. The settlement was probably abandoned in the seventh century. One of the Queen of Sheba's palaces
Queen of Sheba's Palace (Sumharam)
Queen of Sheba's Palace is a ruined palace at the archaeological site of Khor Rori , near Salalah, Oman. It was first excavated in 1952 by American archaeologist Wendell Phillips....
was located here.
Inscriptions at Khor Rori reports that the town, called "Sumhuram", was founded on royal initiative and settled by Hadrami emigrants. Dhofar was the main source of frankincense
Frankincense
Frankincense, also called olibanum , is an aromatic resin obtained from trees of the genus Boswellia, particularly Boswellia sacra, B. carteri, B. thurifera, B. frereana, and B. bhaw-dajiana...
in the ancient period, and it seems likely that the foundation of the settlement was in part motivated by a Hadrami wish to control the production of this valuable commodity. Most scholars identify Khor Rori with the frankincense exporting port of Moscha Limen mentioned in this region in the 1st century CE merchants guide Periplus Maris Erythraei.
Khor Rori / Sumhuram was first discovered by James Theodore Bent
James Theodore Bent
James Theodore Bent was an English explorer, archaeologist and author.-Biography:James Theodore Bent was the son of James Bent of Baildon House, near Bradford, Yorkshire, where he was born. He was educated at Repton School and Wadham College, Oxford, where he graduated in 1875. In 1877 he married...
during his travels in the region in the late 19th century. The site has been excavated by the American Foundation for the Study of Man (AFSM) in the early 1950s and by the Italian Mission to Oman (IMTO) since 1994. The excavations have uncovered the ground plan of the settlement and has attested maritime contacts with the Hadrami homeland, India and the Mediterranean.
Some LDS scholars believe that this is the "land Bountiful" where Nephi
Nephi
According to the Book of Mormon, Nephi was the son of Lehi, a prophet, founder of the Nephite people, and author of the first two books of the Book of Mormon, First and Second Nephi.- Early life :Nephi was the fourth of six sons of Lehi and Sariah...
from the Book of Mormon stayed during his travels from Jerusalem (I Nephi 17).