Who are the…
Sabeans
Hebrew: סְבָאִי —meaning: inhabitants of Seba (Gen. 10:7)
also known as: Sabaeans and Sebaim
Language of these people: Sabaean (an old south Arabic language)
These are descendants of Sheba, a son of Joktan. They were “men of stature,” and engaged in trading merchandise (Isa. 45:14). There’s was the ancient Sabaean Kingdom. Sabaeans are mentioned in the books of Genesis, 1 Kings, Isaiah, Joel, Ezekiel and Job.
Seba’s ancient capital was Marib (Ma'rib) (not mentioned by name in the Bible). The ruins of this city are located in what is now Yemen.
Inspired by Satan, the Sabeans stole from Job and killed his people.
a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, and the Sabeans fell upon them and took them. They also struck down the young men with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” —Job 1:14-15
The Sabeans are also mentioned in the books of Joel and Isaiah.
…I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the sons of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, to a distant nation… —Joel 3:8 excerpt
Thus says Yahweh,
“The fruit of the labor of Egypt and the profit of Ethiopia
And the Sabeans, men of stature, Will come over to you and will be yours;
They will walk behind you; they will come over in chains
And will bow down to you;
They will make supplication to you:
‘Surely, God is with you, and there is none else,
No other God.’” —Isaiah 45:14 LSB excerpt
Their conversion to the Lord is predicted (Psalm 72:10-11).
The Sabaeans were active traders over great distances. They particularly excelled in the lucrative aromatic spice trade, especially frankincense and myrrh. They traded as far away as India and Africa.
Colonization of Africa
In their trading, the Sabeans interacted with cultures in Africa, including Ethiopia. Eventually they establish colonies in the area.
The Sabeans conquered parts of Ethiopia (Eritrea and the Tigray region) that created the Eri-Ethio-Sabaean Kingdom of Di'amat. The capital of the new kingdom was Yeha (today in Ethiopia). Sabaeans migrated from South Arabia to the new political system, and provide a stable link to their mother country. They managed trade between the two areas, including especially ivory exports.
At Yeha they built a great idolatrous temple to their national god Almaqah.
Sabaic language
also known as: Sabaean and Himyaritic
This is an Old South Arabian language that was spoken between about 1000 BC and the 6th century AD by the Sabaeans. It was written down in their Sabaic script, as early as the 11th-12th century BC. It was used as a written language by some other peoples of the ancient civilization of South Arabia, including the Ḥimyarites, Ḥashidites, Ṣirwāḥites, Humlanites, Ghaymānites, and Radmānites.
Sabaic was written in the South Arabian alphabet, and like Hebrew and Arabic marked only consonants.
The Book of Ezekiel
In some Bible translations, the name “Sabeans” appears in Ezekiel 23:42 (KJV) (and NKJV), however this translation is uncertain.
Hebrew: סָבָא —transliteration: caba'
“The sound of a carefree multitude was with her, and Sabeans were brought from the wilderness with men of the common sort, who put bracelets on their wrists and beautiful crowns on their heads.” —NKJV
“The sound of a carefree multitude was with her; and drunkards were brought from the wilderness with men of the common sort. And they put bracelets on the hands of the women and beautiful crowns on their heads.” —NASB (“drunkards” is also used in RSV, ESV, NIV, etc.)