The Aksumite Empire: Christianity at the Crossroads of Africa and Arabia

Before the rise of Islam, the Aksumite Empire in the Horn of Africa was one of the great powers of late antiquity, a Christian kingdom that minted its own gold coins, controlled the Red Sea trade, and even intervened in Arabian politics. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the conversion of Aksum under King Ezana in the mid-4th century, the role of the Syrian missionary Frumentius, and how Aksum became a bulwark of Christianity in a region surrounded by polytheists and Zoroastrians. They also discuss the legendary conflict between Aksum and the Jewish Himyarite kingdom of Dhu Nuwas in the 6th century, and the controversial Ethiopian tradition of the Ark of the Covenant. Drawing on the 'History of the Patriarchs of Alexandria', the 'Book of the Himyarites', and archaeological evidence from the stelae of Aksum, the episode reveals how a African kingdom shaped the religious landscape of the ancient world. The conversation also touches on Aksum's decline after the rise of Islam and its enduring legacy in Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity. #Aksum #Ezana #Frumentius #EthiopianOrthodox #Himyar #DhuNuwas #RedSea #ArkOfTheCovenant #LateAntiquity #AfricanHistory #Christianity #AncientEmpire #KebraNegast #Ethiopia #TradeRoutes #Mint #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo