Haram (; Old South Arabian ð© ð©§ð©£ hrm-m, with mimation Haramum) (known today as Kharibat HamdÃÂn and Kharibat þl ÿAlë) is an ancient city in the north of al-Jawf in modern-day Yemen, at about 1100 metres above sea level. It is bordered by the Yemen Highlands to the north, in the west by the ancient Kaminahu (present day Kamna), in the east by the ancient QarnÃÂwu (modern Ma'ën), and in the south by the Ghayl, otherwise known as the village of al-Ḥazm.
In early times Haram was an independent political entity, which by the early 7th century BC was a vassal of the Kingdom of Saba' to the south and of its ruler Karab El Watar. During the war of Saba' against AwsÃÂn and the city states of Nashan and Nashaq, the Haramite king Yadhmurmalik supported Saba' with an army under the leadership of one General Hanba from the clan of Naÿman. It is from this time that the temple of BanÃÂt 'ÃÂd dates, it is situated in front of the gates of Haram, and contains many dedicatory inscriptions, including some to the Haramite god Mutibbnatyan. At the time of the founding of the Kingdom of Ma'ën at the latest, the capital of which, QarnÃÂwu, was only 6 kilometers away, Haram lost its importance. After the end of the Minaean Kingdom, it regained its importance for a while under Sabaean rule. It is not clear just when Haram was abandoned.
A stela of Yatha' Amar Watar dated to about 715 BC, tells that he invaded the area and took the town. It reads
The order of succession is mostly unknown.
Haram was in WÃÂdë MadhÃÂb, to the north-east of Ma'rib. It was a town in ancient South Arabia. Haram and its neighbours, Nashan, Kaminahu and Inabba' were all civil temple settlements and city states, and inscriptions in all four towns are in the Minaean language.