Dating Systems and Calendars in Ancient Arabia

by Aymen Aiblu  | Feb 26, 2025 | Doha - Qatar

Orchestrating Time: Reflections on the First Athirat Symposium on Dating Systems and Calendars in Ancient Arabia

On February 25 and 26, 2025, the Hassan Bin Mohammed Center hosted a groundbreaking event: the "Symposium: Dating Systems and Calendars in Ancient Arabia". Held at the Sofitel Rabat Jardin des Roses in Morocco, this event marked the inaugural symposium for Athirat: Journal of Ancient Arabia.

As the General Coordinator of Athirat and a member of the Organizing Committee, I had the honor of bringing this academic endeavor to life from the ground up. 

The Scientific Significance of Ancient Chronologies

The study of ancient dating systems is not merely an exercise in counting days; it is an exploration into how timekeeping shaped the cultural, religious, and social frameworks of Ancient Arabia and its surrounding regions. This symposium was the first of its kind globally, gathering leading specialists to interrogate the transition of timekeeping from the earliest historical eras through to the advent of Islam. 

The academic importance of this symposium cannot be overstated. By examining ancient inscriptions and written evidence, we are piecing together a vital segment of the region's heritage. During the event, scholars presented deep scientific contributions covering several core themes:

• Epigraphic Evidence: Analyzing calendar systems used by ancient Yemeni kingdoms (such as Saba, Main, Qataban, Hadramawt, and Himyar), as well as central and northern Arabian kingdoms like Dadan, Lihyan, and the Nabataean Kingdom.  

• Astronomical Influences: Exploring the critical role of phenomena like the rising of the star Suhail (Canopus) and lunar stations (Anwā) in the development of ancient agricultural calendars.  

• Evolution to the Islamic Era: Tracing the origins of the Arab calendar and investigating the motivating factors behind the eventual shift to the Islamic Hijri calendar.  

• Regional Comparative Studies: Contextualizing Arabian systems alongside Babylonian, Aramaic, Hebrew, and ancient Egyptian calendars to understand broader chronological interactions in the ancient Near East.

Behind the Scenes: Organizing from A to Z

Translating this scholarly vision into a tangible event required months of rigorous planning. My role involved organizing the symposium from A to Z, from conceptualizing the event's structure to drafting the formal invitation letters for our international roster of speakers. I was also responsible for designing the visual identity of the event, as well as the digital outreach materials.

A Lesson in Global Academic Mobility

Despite pouring my energy into the logistical and aesthetic preparations, I encountered firsthand the unpredictable hurdles of global academic collaboration. Regrettably, I was unable to attend the in-person sessions in Rabat because the Moroccan embassy denied my entry visa.

It was an undeniably disheartening moment to watch an event I had built from the ground up unfold from afar. The situation took on a layer of irony when, shortly after the fact, a Libyan friend informed me of a critical travel loophole: holding a valid USA visa actually qualified me for a Moroccan online e-visa. It was a brilliant piece of advice, but unfortunately, it arrived too late for me to make the journey.

Nevertheless, my physical absence did not diminish my operational presence. By managing the live broadcasting across platforms like Zoom, YouTube, and Facebook, I ensured our symposium reached an engaged and global audience. The proceedings of this remarkable event will soon be published in collaboration with Brill Publishers, cementing its legacy in the academic world. The success of this first Athirat symposium lays a foundation for our future academic initiatives, proving that rigorous scholarship transcends geographic borders.