The Kingdom of Himyar

EMPIRES OF FAITH HIST 1301 | History The Kingdom of Himyar From the first century BCE until the sixth century CE, the Kingdom of Himyar existed in southern Arabia on the coast of what is now Yemen. The Sabaeans, a Semitic race that had ruled southern Arabia from at least 1000 BCE, were the ancestors of the Himyarites. Nonetheless, the discovery of a lucrative trading route along the coast of the Red Sea allowed the Himyarites to establish their own empire. The Sabean and Qataban kingdoms, along with a few nearby tribes, were assimilated by the Himyarites between the first and second centuries BCE. They established their own city at Zafar. For the first time, a single administration oversaw the entirety of southern Arabia as a result of this consolidation of authority. After gaining its independence, Himyar concentrated on trading products with its neighbours in an effort to keep ties cordial. The Himyarites turned their attention to sea trade, in contrast to the Sabaeans who had previously controlled trade in the area through overland channels. They sold luxury products like ivory and spices, serving as a hub between the Roman Empire, East Africa, and India. They had access to a port on their southern coast that was situated along a vital sea route from Egypt to Asia. The Himyarites had previously followed a polytheistic faith, but in Late Antiquity, during the early years of King Abu Karib As'ad's reign, about 390 CE, the kingdom underwent a religious conversion. Following the conversion of the populace, Judaism initially became popular among the upper class Himyarites, possibly as a ploy to curry favour with the monarch. However, given that it seems that there was a sizable Jewish population in Arabia already, several academics have hypothesised that Himyar's interest on Judaism was politically driven. Because the Byzantines were Christian, the monarch could have felt pressured to build a Jewish kingdom when one was no longer feasible in Palestine. The Himyar kings openly demonstrated their religious commitment, just as the Byzantine emperors, who were also religious reformers. This historical period has several inscriptions that are devoted to "the one God of Heaven and Earth." Kings built synagogues as well for the growing Jewish population. Within its bounds, Himyar saw an increase in the presence of Christian missionaries, and in the fourth and fifth century, numerous churches were constructed in Himyarite cities. Theophilus, a diplomat dispatched as an envoy by Roman Emperor Constantius II in 354 AD, is the oldest documented Christian missionary. The Byzantines tried to influence the local populace by converting them to Christianity, just like they had done in Aksum, because Himyar had access to profitable trade routes. In response to this foreign meddling in their realm, the Himyarites severely dealt with the Christians. Seized and prosecuted were Christian missionaries, Byzantine merchants, and those deemed foreigners. Many Christians were executed as a result of the trials, which were overseen by the monarch and other ecclesiastical authorities in the late fifth century. Most of this violence was motivated by political rather than religious reasons, but in the time that followed, this justification shifted, and the level of violence against Christians increased. King Dhu Nuwas launched a military campaign in 522 against any Ethiopians or anyone who supported Christianity inside the country. Churches were destroyed or demolished and turned into synagogues, and priests were executed. Dhu Nuwas established a roadblock in Najran, a city with a sizable Christian population, in an attempt to incite the locals against the Christians living there. In the end, he put hundreds of Christians to death both there and in Zafar. Dhu Nuwas also looked to make alliances with the Sasanians and the Jewish population in Palestine, with the aim of forming a greater Jewish state. As was previously said, Aksum, the kingdom's main adversary, became interested in Himyar's violence and political scheming due to its close proximity across the Red Sea. Following the Aksumite invasion in the 520s, the Ethiopian leader of the Aksumite army, Abraha, ruled over the region. Abraha was a devout Christian who worked to destroy idolatry and any last traces of paganism in the Himyar region, along with Judaism and other faiths. Two of his most significant construction endeavours were the restoration of the Marib Dam and an opulent cathedral. But Abraha's reign was short-lived, since Himyar was ruled by supporters of the Sasanian empire until the advent of Islam in the seventh century.