Himyar Himyar Eric Peterson Category="Former monarchies"Category="History of Yemen"Category="Jewish History"Himyar was a state in ancient South Arabia dating from 110 BCE. Conquered neighbouring Saba in 25 BCE, Qataban in 50 CE and Hadramaut 100 CE. Its political fortunes relative to Saba changed frequently until it achieved power around 280 CE. It was the dominant state in Arabia until 525 CE. The economy was based on agriculture. Foreign trade was based on the export of Frankincense and Myrrh. The last sovereign Tubba Himyarite king, Arabic: Dhu Nuwas, Sabaean: Yusuf Asar Yathar is often considered to have converted to Judaism if he was not simply Judaising. His war against the Abyssinian Christians in his kingdom, resulted in a famous massacre in Najran. Other Abyssinian andf Himyarite Christians at Zafar were massacred. Abyssinian domination by Kaleb and later by Abraha continued until 570 CE. A coalition of Yemeni and Persian replaced Abyssinian invaders with Persion ones. In 632 CE Himyar was absorbed into the Muslim empire.

Himyarite kings included:

Yusuf Asar Yathar
Dhu Nuwas
Shammar Yuharish

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