Whether legend or history this is an interesting read.
strangeside.com
Yemen – Jewish Kings
December 15, 2012 by David
Most of Yemen is parched desert. But its congenial west coast and mountains were ideal for growing frankincense and myrrh that were as valuable as gold in the world of two thousand years ago. Yemen was a good place for Jews to live. Old time geographers called the area Arabia Felix (Happy Arabia), and happy it may have been were it not for the violent tribal squabbles. Each tribe warred for the other’s land and rule went to the ruthless.
During the early centuries of the Common Era, the Himyarite tribe became dominant in Yemen after defeating the Sabea, Raidan, Hadramut, and Yammat tribes. The Himyarites ruled over most of modern day Yemen and spread over most of the Arabian Peninsula at the zenith of their power. This empire would little concern us except that it was ruled by Jewish kings for many years, and, according to some historians, its population was comprised of converted Jews.
No one knows when Jews first arrived in Yemen. Legends date the first arrivals in a bewildering variety of times. An old Arab legend relates that Jews first arrived in the Arabian peninsula in the days of Moshe Rabbeinu after he sent them to attack Amalekites living in the city of Medina. Like King Shaul in later centuries, the emissaries failed to kill every Amalekite, and as punishment, they were barred entry to Eretz Yisroel and settled in Arabia.
It goes without saying that this legend is mentioned in no Torah source and smacks of fiction from Arabian Nights.
A local Jewish tradition dates the settlement of Jews to the time of King Shlomo who sent Jewish ships to Yemen in search of gold and silver for the Bais Hamikdosh, while other legends claim that Queen Sheba imported the first Jews. Jews of Sana’a in north Yemen had a legend that forty-two years before the Churban, 75,000 Jews, including Kohanim and Levi’im moved to Yemen.
Years later, it was said, Ezra visited the vicinity, bringing the joyous news that the Bais Hamikdosh was being rebuilt and urging them to trek back to Yerushalayim. But they refused to heed his call.
This, according to legend, is why the name Ezra is never used among Yemenite Jews. Yemenite Jews of Habban in the south of the country claimed to be descendants of Jews who moved there before the second Churban. Historians suspect they may be descendants of a brigade of soldiers Herod sent to help Roman legions in the area. The brigade never made it back to Eretz Yisroel and perhaps settled in the area.
Continued
Yemen – Jewish Kings | The Strange Side of Jewish History
strangeside.com
Yemen – Jewish Kings
December 15, 2012 by David
Most of Yemen is parched desert. But its congenial west coast and mountains were ideal for growing frankincense and myrrh that were as valuable as gold in the world of two thousand years ago. Yemen was a good place for Jews to live. Old time geographers called the area Arabia Felix (Happy Arabia), and happy it may have been were it not for the violent tribal squabbles. Each tribe warred for the other’s land and rule went to the ruthless.
During the early centuries of the Common Era, the Himyarite tribe became dominant in Yemen after defeating the Sabea, Raidan, Hadramut, and Yammat tribes. The Himyarites ruled over most of modern day Yemen and spread over most of the Arabian Peninsula at the zenith of their power. This empire would little concern us except that it was ruled by Jewish kings for many years, and, according to some historians, its population was comprised of converted Jews.
No one knows when Jews first arrived in Yemen. Legends date the first arrivals in a bewildering variety of times. An old Arab legend relates that Jews first arrived in the Arabian peninsula in the days of Moshe Rabbeinu after he sent them to attack Amalekites living in the city of Medina. Like King Shaul in later centuries, the emissaries failed to kill every Amalekite, and as punishment, they were barred entry to Eretz Yisroel and settled in Arabia.
It goes without saying that this legend is mentioned in no Torah source and smacks of fiction from Arabian Nights.
A local Jewish tradition dates the settlement of Jews to the time of King Shlomo who sent Jewish ships to Yemen in search of gold and silver for the Bais Hamikdosh, while other legends claim that Queen Sheba imported the first Jews. Jews of Sana’a in north Yemen had a legend that forty-two years before the Churban, 75,000 Jews, including Kohanim and Levi’im moved to Yemen.
Years later, it was said, Ezra visited the vicinity, bringing the joyous news that the Bais Hamikdosh was being rebuilt and urging them to trek back to Yerushalayim. But they refused to heed his call.
This, according to legend, is why the name Ezra is never used among Yemenite Jews. Yemenite Jews of Habban in the south of the country claimed to be descendants of Jews who moved there before the second Churban. Historians suspect they may be descendants of a brigade of soldiers Herod sent to help Roman legions in the area. The brigade never made it back to Eretz Yisroel and perhaps settled in the area.
Continued
