the beginning of which forms the šeʻîb of aẓ-Ẓaʻame, near which is the oasis of Bada’.[1]
Between the chain of granite mountains described above as steeply enclosing the coast region and the uplands to the east, there are numerous high hills, mountains, and elevations which give the region a distinctive charm. Thus, from the ar-Râwa range on the northern side of the Šarma valley there stretch westward the mountains of Ḳîr, aš-Šâṭi, al-Abjaẓ, ad-Dubba, Ummu Rǧûm, and Umm as-Sarâbîṭ.
The watershed between aš-Šarma and Terîm is formed by Mount Râẓi and the elevations of al-Ḥamûm, Ḳôs al-Ḥnâne, an-Nuḫbâr, and Burḳa Ḳrajḳre. Between al-Kaḥala and aṣ-Ṣadr the huge black cone of Ḥarb rises to a height of 2134 meters. Mount Debbâṛ, southeast of Ḥarb, is higher, rising to an elevation of 2347 meters, and, with its spurs Ḫejšûmi, Ṭôr (or Ṭowr) al-Wušem, Šrejf al-Ḥaṭab, al-Ǧimm, al-Ḳalb, Ammu Ǧdejl, Zunnâra, Ṛarṛûr, and Wabri, forms the border between the valleys of Terîm and aṣ-Ṣurr. To the southeast of Ḫejšûmi stretch the elevations of as-Saḥḥâra and Ḳalḫa.
Between the upper part of Wâdi aṣ-Ṣurr and Wâdi al-Ṛâl extends the narrow but lofty ridge of aš-Šâr, which in its northwestern spur, Râs al-Ḳṣejb, attains a height of 2000 meters. Between the eastern part of this spur and Mount Umm al-Frûṭ cuts the defile Naḳb abu Šaʻar. To the southwest, from the ridge of aš-Šâr, projects the elevation of al-Ḳwâjem with the springs of al-Mâlḥa, al-Bdejje, Umm Časr, al-Leḥjâne, Abu Râka, and al-Ḥwêṭ; to the west are the hills of al-Ḳumma, al-Mejšeri, al-Mawḳre, and Leḥjâne. The southwestern extremity of the aš-Šâr ridge—known as Abu Šenâḏer—is connected with the mountains of Ṛâl and Ab-al-Bâred, between which the pass Naḳb Hwejd leads to the head of the šeʻîb of Salûwa which separates the mountain of al-Maʻîn from aš-Šâḥṭa.
From Mount al-Ṛâl to the southeast extend the hills of al-Hawâni, al-Meʻtedân, Rajdân, Ziḳlâb, Ṛurâb, and Ṯalba, from which the ridge of Nazʻân proceeds in a southwesterly direction. The branches of the Tmarr šeʻîb run eastward from Ab-al-Bâred, between the ridges of as-Slejsel,- ↑ Ptolemy, Geography, VI, 7: 30, was acquainted with Badais to the south of Soaka, (Šwâḳ), which is certainly our Bada’.Stephen of Byzantium, Ethnica (Meineke), Vol. 1, p. 155, mentions the town of Badcos situated in Arabia Felix near the shore of the Red Sea.Al-Muḳaddasi, Aḥsan (De Goeje), p. 84, records that at his time Bada’ Jaʻḳûb was inhabited and its environs were cultivated.Al-Bekri, Muʻǧam (Wüstenfeld), p. 143, locates Bada’ between the road from Egypt and that from Syria to al-Medîna. He quotes passages from the poet Kuṯejjer, who mentions Bada’ together with Šaṛab, and also from the poet Ǧumejl, who connects the valley of Bada’ with the region of Ḥesma’ and the oasis of Šaṛab.—All these particulars are accurate. Bada’ is situated to the east of the Egyptian, and to the west of the Syrian Pilgrim Route. From Bada’ a road leads in a northwesterly direction to the oasis of Šaṛab and then in a northerly direction to the region of Ḥesma’.Jâḳût. Muʻǧam (Wüstenfeld), Vol. 3, pp. 463—464, says that Ḍabba is a settlement near the coast in the Tihâma still belonging to Syria. Opposite, seventy miles from it, is situated another settlement known as Bada’, through which a stream flowed and which belonged to the Patriarch Jacob. From this settlement Jacob proceeded on a journey to Egypt to his son Joseph.—Ḍabba is the modern Ẓbe’ on the coast. At a distance of 130 kilometers, or over seventy miles, to the southwest of it is situated our Bada’, watered by a stream which swells into a wild torrent after abundant rains.Elsewhere (ibid., Vol. 1, p. 523) Jâḳût states that Bada’ is a valley on the coast near the town of Ajla, or an oasis in one of the valleys of the Beni ʻUḏra territory, or that it is located in Wâdi al-Ḳura’.—The two last details are inaccurate. Both the territory of the Beni ʻUḏra and al-Ḳura’ lie to the east and southeast of Bada’.Al-Ḳazwîni (died 1283 A.D.), Âṯâr (Wüstenfeld), Vol. 2. p. 104, likewise recalls the oasis of Bada’.
