The Hidden Jewish Kingdom Beneath Yemen
While Yemen's Houthis accuse Israel of being an artificial entity on ancient Arab land, they may not realize they reside on land that was once the powerful Jewish kingdom of Himyar 1,500 years ago.
- יהוסף יעבץ
- פורסם כ"ד ניסן התשפ"ד

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Yemen's Houthis accuse Israel of being an artificial entity on ancient Arab lands, leading them to disrupt global shipping lanes headed for the Gulf of Aqaba. Ironically, they may be uninformed that they dwell on ground where, 1,500 years ago, stood the great Jewish kingdom known as Himyar.
Himyar was an ancient kingdom located in part of what is now Yemen, situated along the ancient incense route..
Founded in 115 BCE, Himyar was a dominant kingdom in southern Arabia until 525 CE. The kings of Himyar, often called by the royal title "Tubba" (similar to how the ruler of Egypt is referred to as "Pharaoh"), were so impressed by the Jewish inhabitants that they eventually converted, transforming the kingdom into a Jewish one.
Muslim legends narrate that the first Tubba to convert was Abu-Kariba As'ad, who ruled from 385-420 CE. The story goes that upon discovering his son's murder by the inhabitants of the city Yathrib (the former name of Medina in the Arabian Peninsula), he waged war and placed the city under siege. During this, two Jewish sages from the city convinced him to lift the siege and convert to Judaism. Abu-Kariba brought the sages back to Himyar, aiming to instill Judaism there. Initially, he faced resistance from his pagan subjects. After a trial by fire, during which the Jewish sages emerged unscathed, the people recognized Judaism as the true faith and converted following their king.
Himyar's economy was rooted in agriculture and trading incense along the incense route with frankincense and myrrh. Ships from its territories regularly sailed the Red Sea and Indian Ocean. The Greek text "The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea" (a navigation guide), describes the Himyar kingdom and the Tubba Charibael (Charibael) as friendly to the Romans: "After nine days or more is Safar, the metropolis where Charibael reigns over the two tribes - the Himyar and neighboring Sabeans; through envoys and gifts, he was a friend of the emperors."
The capital of the Himyar kingdom was the city of Zafar (Zafar; Zafar), located about 130 km southeast of today's Sana'a. Archaeological research conducted at the city site between 1998–2010 revealed its size to be 120 acres and found it housed, by modern estimates, 25,000 residents. In Zafar, impressive findings of Himyar's material culture emerged: 400 walled compounds, graves, fountains, and buildings. Researchers discovered around 200 inscriptions and 900 reliefs in the city's remains.
During this period, a dynasty of Jewish kings ruled the Himyar Jewish kingdom, with names that are known to us, the most famous being the last, Yousef Du Nuwas (appearing in Himyar inscriptions as "Yosef As'ar"). During his reign, he corresponded with the scholars of the Tiberias academy, then an important Jewish center. He reigned in Yemen from 517-525 CE until he was killed in war against invading Christian rebels from Habash, and his kingdom was conquered and fell..
Jewish Himyarites would send their deceased to be buried in the Land of Israel, with such graves, bearing Himyarite inscriptions, found in Beit She'arim in the Galilee.