The Marib Dam Stays a Thing

I was watching an episode of 'Secrets of the Dead' in which they covered the first millenium A.D. explosion of Krakatoa. In the "nuclear winter" which followed in the next two centuries, environmental phenomena such as droughts followed by floods, blood rain, summer frosts etc are documented.
The Marib Dam's final destruction/wont of repair dates from this time. This was accompanied by a population shift from the Yemen to the centres of Mecca and Medina, and the boom in the spread of Islam. But what if the dam were repaired or isn't destroyed? Would the environmental fallout from Krakatoa mean that the OTL occurences were a foregone conclusion? How might the survival of the dam (and the lack of population migration if it does) impact the world? What would a surviving Yemeni state look like at this time?
 
As for Marib, it means Himyar can't dominate the sabaeans at will. No clue what this means in naval terms.
Without the migrations, South Arabia remains the civilized place it's been for ages, while the desert remains a quiet bedouins' place like always, and none of the interesting factors that contributed to the emergence of Islam come together.
 
As for Marib, it means Himyar can't dominate the sabaeans at will. No clue what this means in naval terms.
Without the migrations, South Arabia remains the civilized place it's been for ages, while the desert remains a quiet bedouins' place like always, and none of the interesting factors that contributed to the emergence of Islam come together.

Cool. Might Islam form along slightly different lines (less apocalyptic, maybe?) in this case? And might we see a sort of war between south Arabia and Mecca/Medina? If so, who's likely to win? And if south Arabia curbstomps Mecca/Medina does that limit Islam's growth to the peninsula? And does (win or lose) Islam permeate the Sabaean realm (maybe like a bottom-up movement?)
 
Cool. Might Islam form along slightly different lines (less apocalyptic, maybe?) in this case? And might we see a sort of war between south Arabia and Mecca/Medina? If so, who's likely to win? And if south Arabia curbstomps Mecca/Medina does that limit Islam's growth to the peninsula? And does (win or lose) Islam permeate the Sabaean realm (maybe like a bottom-up movement?)
Neither, I think. Mecca and Yathrib would be unlikely candidates to start a new religious movement without all the influx, tensions, social problems. I think no islam at all and no new religion in Arabia, but if there's one Spot where it might be less unlikely, then it would be in the North where Byzantines and Sassanids battle each others and the wars disrupt society. Hira maybe.
South Arabia may see ongoing christianisation, with Jews and zoroastrians thrown in, and of course a much longer survival of local traditions.
 
Neither, I think. Mecca and Yathrib would be unlikely candidates to start a new religious movement without all the influx, tensions, social problems. I think no islam at all and no new religion in Arabia, but if there's one Spot where it might be less unlikely, then it would be in the North where Byzantines and Sassanids battle each others and the wars disrupt society. Hira maybe.
South Arabia may see ongoing christianisation, with Jews and zoroastrians thrown in, and of course a much longer survival of local traditions.

If South Arabia stays Christian, Islam is limited/stillborn, and the Byzzies are warring with the Sassanids, how might this influence things?

I heard that due to the failure of the dam, Mohammed's merchant family were able to exploit the famine-stricken refugees pouring in from Saba'. So if the dam doesn't fail these refugees would likely stay in place in Saba'. Might the Byzantines ally with Saba' against the Persians? And how long might the dam be able to be kept in a decent state of repair?
 
If South Arabia stays Christian, Islam is limited/stillborn, and the Byzzies are warring with the Sassanids, how might this influence things?

I heard that due to the failure of the dam, Mohammed's merchant family were able to exploit the famine-stricken refugees pouring in from Saba'. So if the dam doesn't fail these refugees would likely stay in place in Saba'. Might the Byzantines ally with Saba' against the Persians? And how long might the dam be able to be kept in a decent state of repair?
No idea on the possible longevity of the dam. Ultimately a question of effort, not impossibility.

South Arabia was never solidly or even officially Christian, but there were Christian minorities. At some point in time, Aksum interfered heavily from beyond the Red Sea, and that was a Christian kingdom.
So, one of the Southern Arabian kingdoms turning officially Christian would draw them more openly into the Byzantine-Sassanid war, causing them the same devastations that Northern Arabia suffered, where Lakhmids and Ghassanids were pitted against each other.
 
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