Southern Arabia. The Jewish king Yusuf As’ar Yath’ar (also known as Nuwas and Masruq), having ascended to the throne the year before, unleashed a wave of persecution against the Christians of the city of Najran. Thousands died. The Christian ruler of Ethiopia, Ella Atsheba, responded immediately: he crossed the Red Sea and invaded the Jewish kingdom of Himyar, deposing Yusuf in 525. Thus ended the 150-year history of the Jewish kingdom of Himyar. Once he departed, Ella Atsheba left behind his faithful governor Sumuyafa Ashwa, who was overthrown by Abraham, who founded his own Christian kingdom, which survived until 570, the year of the Persian invasion of Arabia.
