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Dhu Nuwas

King of Himyar in south ArabiaAlso: Yusuf As’ar Yath’ar, Masruq, Dunaas

The Jewish king of Himyar who made war on the Christians of south Arabia and on the Abyssinians in his country. An officer’s inscription calls him Yusuf As’ar Yath’ar, a Syriac work Masruq, Arabic tradition Dhu Nuwas. Procopius says that the Aksumites killed the Himyarite king.

The name by which this king is usually known comes from Arabic tradition (Ja 1028 commentary of N. Nebes on line 1). The inscription of one of his commanders calls him Yusuf As’ar Yath’ar, king of all the tribes, and says that he burned the church and killed the Abyssinians at Zafar, made war on Najran and guarded the coast against an Abyssinian landing; it ends by invoking the Lord of the Jews (Ja 1028 lines 1–12). The Syriac Book of the Himyarites calls him Masruq, and the Greek Martyrdom of Arethas Dunaas (Book of the Himyarites index of chapters 8–27 (Moberg, pp. cii–ciii)) (Book of the Himyarites introduction, pp. xli–xlii).

In the letter of Simeon of Beth Arsham the king himself, writing to a Saracen ruler, is made to say that he seized the throne when the king set up by the Ethiopians died, and that he resolved to kill all Christians who would not become Jews (Zachariah, Chronicle 8.3 (letter of Simeon of Beth Arsham)). That is a Christian bishop’s report of a letter he heard read. Procopius says that the king of the Ethiopians defeated the Himyarites and killed their king (Procopius, Wars 1.20.1), and a Himyarite inscription speaks of the Abyssinians killing the king of Himyar without naming him (CIH 621 lines 8–10). See the Martyrs of Najran.

In the timeline

  1. AD 523 (or 518), estimated date
    The Martyrs of Najran

    Yusuf, the Jewish king of Himyar in south Arabia, makes war on the Christian town of Najran. Syriac writers report that he put its leading men, with their chief Harith (Arethas), and many women to death. Kaleb, king of Aksum, then crosses the sea and overthrows him.

Primary sources

Inscription of Sharah’il Yaqbal at Bir Hima (Ja 1028)

Set up by Sharah’il Yaqbal dhu-Yaz’an, an officer of King Yusuf As’ar Yath’ar · Dated dhu-Madhra'an 633 of the Himyarite era: July AD 523, or 518 on another reckoning · Sabaic · Rock face near the well of Bir Hima, Saudi Arabia (in situ)

The Book of the Himyarites

Soon after AD 525, by its editor's judgment; manuscript dated AD 932 · Syriac

The Syriac Chronicle Known as That of Zachariah of Mitylene

Zachariah the Rhetor, in an anonymous Syriac compilation · Greek original between AD 491 and 518; Syriac compilation completed AD 569 · Syriac, from a lost Greek original

History of the Wars

Procopius of Caesarea · Mid sixth century, c. AD 550–554 · Greek

Inscription of Sumyafa’ Ashwa’ at Husn al-Ghurab (CIH 621)

Set up by Sumyafa’ Ashwa’ and his sons · Dated dhu-Hillatan 640 of the Himyarite era: February AD 530 on the usual reckoning · Sabaic · Rock of Husn al-Ghurab, the ancient fortress of Mawiyat, at Bir Ali in southern Hadramawt, Yemen (in situ)

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