The Forgotten Jewish King of Yemen: Yosef Dhu Nuwas' Fight and Disappearance

For centuries, the Jewish Kingdom of Himyar thrived on the land of Yemen. Its last and most famous ruler was Yosef Dhu Nuwas, whose name means 'He of the Curled Locks.' The kings preceding him were largely submissive to the Axum Empire, which ruled the region south of Egypt, where modern-day Ethiopia is located.

The founder of the Axumite Kingdom was Axumawi, son of Ethiopis. Over time, Axum became a powerful entity, trading in elephant ivory from the African jungles, sold at high prices to neighboring kingdoms where elephants were not found. Ivory tusks were considered very precious—King Ahab, for instance, built an Ivory Palace. Such ivory remains highly valuable even today. Additionally, the Axumites controlled routes leading to the ocean, receiving ships from India laden with costly spices. Another trade involved tortoise shells, which, while hard to imagine now, presumably adorned the halls of princes and kings.

With their wealth, the Axumites fortified their kingdom, declaring themselves an empire, minting their own coins, and eventually absorbing the ancient Kushite Kingdom. Their desire for wealth and power grew, leading them to cross the Red Sea eastward and declare dominion over Himyar. They involved themselves in king appointments and, of course, in tax revenues.

At one point, the Kingdom of Axum embraced Christianity and began to spread this faith. During the reign of Yosef Dhu Nuwas in Himyar, a fierce warrior, King Kaleb ascended to the Axumite empire's throne. He was a great conqueror and attempted to spread Christianity in the Jewish kingdom of Himyar. Yosef Dhu Nuwas defied Kaleb's rule by annihilating the Axumite troops in Yemen and burning all the churches. Following this, he dug a colossal trench, filled it with oil, set it alight, and drove the uncompromising Christians into it. Over a thousand Axumites perished in the onslaught.

Yosef planned to complete his revolt against the Axumites by allying with other kingdoms. One historian writes: "Yosef is revealed as possessing unparalleled courage, wisdom, and extraordinary passion... Did he envision an Arab Jewish state supported by Judaism... or possibly an attack on Syria amidst an upcoming Persian-Byzantine war?"

The entire Axumite army crossed the sea to avenge Yosef. Yosef, in turn, forged a broad tribal alliance, but some tribes, fearing the famed Emperor Kaleb's revenge, betrayed Yosef and deserted him at the critical moment. Discovering he was left alone, Yosef galloped wildly on his horse until he vanished from sight. Some claimed he rode into the sea and met his end there, while others said he reached beyond Axum, where he lived among the community of Beta Israel (Ethiopian Jews of today) until a ripe old age.