TEMA

(Teʹma) [south country].

1. A son of Ishmael, and the place where the tribe of Tema’s descendants settled.—Gen. 25:13-15; 1 Chron. 1:29, 30.

2. Probably the same as modern Taima, an oasis located about 250 miles (402 kilometers) SE of Ezion-geber, where two major caravan routes crossed. (Job 6:19) Tema, along with nearby Dedan, is mentioned in the prophecies of Isaiah (21:13, 14) and Jeremiah (25:15-23). In this latter prophecy Tema was specifically named as among the places whose inhabitants would be compelled to drink of Jehovah’s “cup of the wine of rage.” Babylonian King Nabonidus apparently established a second capital in Tema, leaving Belshazzar at Babylon in charge during his absence.