Himyarite Kingdom

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Himyar redirects here. For other uses, see Himyar (disambiguation).
Himyarite Kingdom
????? ???????
110 BCE525 CE

?imyarite Kingdom (red) in the 3rd century CE.

Capital Zafar
Sana'a (from the beginning of the 4th century)[1]
Languages ?imyarite
Religion Paganism
Judaism after 390 CE
Government Monarchy
King
275-300 CE Shammar Yahri'sh
390420 CE Abu Karab As'ad
510s-525 CE Yusuf Ash'ar Dhu Nuwas
Historical era Antiquity
Established 110 BCE
Disestablished 525 CE
Succeeded by
Aksumite Empire
The ?imyarite Kingdom or ?imyar (Arabic ????? ?????????, Mamlakat ?imyar,
Musnad ??????????, Hebrew ????? ?????????) (fl. 110 BCE520s CE), historically
referred to as the Homerite Kingdom by the Greeks and the Romans, was a kingdom in
ancient Yemen. Established in 110 BCE, it took as its capital the ancient city of
Zafar, to be followed at the beginning of the 4th century by what is the modern-day
city of Sana'a.[1] The kingdom conquered neighbouring Saba' (Sheba) in c. 25 BCE
(for the first time), Qataban in c. 200 CE, and Ha?ramaut c. 300 CE. Its political
fortunes relative to Saba' changed frequently until it finally conquered the
Sabaean Kingdom around 280.[2] Himyar then endured until it finally fell to
invaders from the Kingdom of Aksum in 525.

Contents [hide]
1 History
1.1 Early period (115 BC until 300 AD)
1.2 Jewish monarchy
1.3 Religious culture
2 Ancestral divisions of Himyar
3 Language
4 See also
5 References
6 Bibliography
7 External links
History[edit]

Relief depicting Himyarite warriors

The ?imyarite Kingdom was the dominant polity in Arabia until 525. Its economy was
based on agriculture, and foreign trade centered on the export of frankincense and
myrrh. For many years, the kingdom was also the major intermediary linking East
Africa and the Mediterranean world. This trade largely consisted of exporting ivory
from Africa to be sold in the Roman Empire. Ships from ?imyar regularly travelled
the East African coast, and the state also exerted a large amount of Influence both
cultural, religious and political over the trading cities of East Africa whilst the
cities of East Africa remained independent. The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea
describes the trading empire of Himyar and its ruler Charibael (Karab El Watar
Yuhan'em II), who is said to have been on friendly terms with Rome
23. And after nine days more there is Saphar, the metropolis, in which lives
Charibael, lawful king of two tribes, the Homerites and those living next to them,
called the Sabaites; through continual embassies and gifts, he is a friend of the
Emperors.

?Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, Paragraph 23.[3]

Early period (115 BC until 300 AD)[edit]

The Homerite Kingdom is described in the southern tip of the Arabian peninsula in
the 1st century Periplus of the Erythraean Sea.
During this period, the Kingdom of ?imyar conquered the kingdoms of Saba' and
Qataban and took RaydanZafar for its capital instead of Ma'rib; therefore, they
have been called Dhu Raydan (Ar ?? ?????). In the early 2nd century AD Saba' and
Qataban split from the Kingdom of ?imyar; yet in a few decades Qataban was
conquered by Hadhramaut (conquered in its turn by ?imyar in the 4th century),
whereas Saba' was finally conquered by ?imyar in the late 3rd century.[4]

Zafar's ruins still lie on Mudawwar Mountain near the town of Yarim. During this
period, they began to decline and fall. Their trade failed to a very great extent,
firstly, because of the Nabetaean domain over the north of ?ijaz; secondly, because
of the Roman superiority over the naval trade routes after the Roman conquest of
Egypt, Syria and the north of Hijaz; and thirdly, because of intertribal warfare.
Thanks to the three above-mentioned factors, families of Qa??an were disunited and
scattered about all over Arabia.

Bronze statue of Dhamar Ali Yahbur. King of Saba, dhu raydan, Hadrmawt and Yamant
(Himyarite Kingdom) late 3rd-early 4th century AD.
Jewish monarchy[edit]
The Himyarite kings appear to have abandoned polytheism and converted to Judaism
around the year 380, several decades after the conversion of the Ethiopian Kingdom
of Aksum to Christianity (340), though no changes occurred in its script, calendar,
or language (unlike Aksum).[5] This date marks the end of an era in which numerous
inscriptions record the names and deeds of kings, and dedicate buildings to local
(e.g. Wagal and Simyada) and major (e.g. Almaqah) gods. From the 380s, temples were
abandoned and dedications to the old gods ceased, replaced by references to
Rahmanan, the Lord of Heaven or Lord of Heaven and Earth.[6] The political context
for this conversion may have been Arabia's interest in maintaining neutrality and
good trade relations with the competing empires of Byzantium, which first adopted
Christianity under Constantine the Great and the Sasanian Empire, which alternated
between Zurvanism and Manichaeism.[7]

One of the first Jewish kings, Tub'a Abu Kariba As'ad (r. 390-420), is believed to
have converted following a military expedition into northern Arabia in an effort to
eliminate Byzantine influence. The Byzantine emperors had long eyed the Arabian
Peninsula and sought to control the lucrative spice trade and route to India. The
Byzantines hoped to establish a protectorate by converting the inhabitants to
Christianity. Some progress had been made in northern Arabia but with little
success in ?imyar.[7]

Abu-Kariba's forces reached Yathrib and, meeting no resistance, they passed through
the city, leaving the king's son behind as governor. Abu-Kariba soon received news
that the people of Yathrib had killed his son. He turned back in order to wreak
vengeance on the city. After cutting down the palm trees from which the inhabitants
derived their main income, he laid siege to the city. The Jews of Yathrib fought
side by side with their pagan neighbors.

During the siege Abu-Kariba fell severely ill. Two Jewish scholars in Yathrib,
Ka'ab and Asad by name, called on the king in his camp and used their knowledge of
medicine to restore him to health. While attending the king, they pleaded with him
to lift the siege and make peace. The sages' appeal is said to have persuaded Abu-
Kariba; he called off his attack and also embraced Judaism along with his entire
army. At his insistence, the two Jewish scholars accompanied the ?imyarite king
back to his capital, where he demanded that all his people convert to Judaism.
Initially, there was great resistance, but after an ordeal had justified the king's
demand and confirmed the truth of the Jewish faith, many Himyarites supported
Judaism. Some historians argue that the supported were not due to political
motivations, but that Judaism, by its philosophical, simplistic and austere nature,
was attractive to the nature of the Semitic people.[8]

Abu-Kariba continued to engage in military campaigns and met his death under
unclear circumstances. Some scholars believe that his own soldiers killed him. He
left three sons, ?asan, 'Amru, and Zorah, all of whom were minors at the time.
After Abu-Kariba's demise, a pagan named Dhu-Shanatir seized the throne.[7] In the
reign of Subahbi'il Yakkaf, the son of Abu Karib Assad, a certain Azqir, a
Christian missionary from Najran was put to death after he had erected a chapel
with a cross. Christian sources interpret the event as a martyrdom at Jewish hands
-the site for his execution, Najran, being said to have been chosen on the advice
of a rabbi,[9] but indigenous sources do not mention persecutions on the grounds of
faith, and it may have been merely to deter the extension of Byzantine influence.
[10]

The first Aksumite invasion took place sometime in the 5th century and was
triggered by the persecution of Christians . Two Christian sources, including the
Zuqnin Chronicle once attributed to Dionysius I Telmaharoyo, which was written over
three centuries later, the Himyarite king motivated the killings by stating, This
is because in the countries of the Romans the Christians wickedly harass the Jews
who live in their countries and kill many of them. Therefore I am putting these men
to death.[11] In retaliation the Aksumites invaded the land and thereafter
established a bishopric and built Christian churches in Zafar.