Axum's King Kaleb and the Himyarite War of 525

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the dramatic war between the Kingdom of Axum and the Jewish Himyarite ruler Dhu Nuwas in the early 6th century. Lucas walks Luna through the massacre at Najran sparked by Dhu Nuwas's persecution of Christians, the desperate plea for help that reached the Byzantine emperor, and Axum's King Kaleb's decision to launch a massive invasion across the Red Sea. They discuss the naval logistics, the role of Byzantine backing, and Kaleb's eventual victory that installed a Christian client king in Himyar. But the story doesn't end there: a later rebellion led by the Axumite general Abraha would fracture Axum's power, and the Persian conquest of Himyar in the 570s would sever Axum's Red Sea dominance, marking the beginning of the empire's long decline. Luna asks sharp questions about Kaleb's motives, the religious dimensions of the conflict, and how this war reshaped the region for centuries. #Axum #Himyar #Kaleb #DhuNuwas #Najran #RedSea #EthiopianHistory #ByzantineEmpire #Sassanids #Christianity #Judaism #Abraha #Marib #Zafar #LateAntiquity #History #FexingoHistory #Warfare #KingdomOfAxum #AksumiteEmpire Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo