Marthad'ilan Yanuf (

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

: مرثد ألن ينوف), also romanized as Murthid 'Alan Yanuf, was a

Himyarite Himyar was a polity in the southern highlands of Yemen, as well as the name of the region which it claimed. Until 110 BCE, it was integrated into the Qataban, Qatabanian kingdom, afterwards being recognized as an independent kingdom. According ...

king who reigned in the early 6th century CE. A devout

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

, Marthad'ilan Yanuf engaged in diplomatic relations with the

Aksumite Empire The Kingdom of Aksum, or the Aksumite Empire, was a kingdom in East Africa and South Arabia from classical antiquity to the Middle Ages, based in what is now northern Ethiopia and Eritrea, and spanning present-day Djibouti and Sudan. Emerging ...

as well as renovated churches in his territory. He is the first Christian ruler to have official rule over Himyar.

Name

The name Marthad'ilan Yanuf appears in a few inscriptions dating to the early 6th century CE. In the books of Arab histories, his full name is given as Marthad ibn 'Abd-Kulal al-Himyari, which confirms that he is the son of the regent 'Abd-Kulal who is also a Christian, albeit a follower of

Nontrinitarianism Nontrinitarianism is a form of Christianity that rejects the orthodox Christian theology of the Trinity—the belief that God is three distinct hypostases or persons who are coeternal, coequal, and indivisibly united in one being, or essence ( ...

. He has a similar name to his predecessor, Marthad'ilan Yu'nim, although he is certainly not from the dynasty of Sharhabil Yakkuf.

Reign

Marthad'ilan Yanuf was a diplomatic ruler with many construction projects. He welcomed three ambassadors from the

into Yemen and supported a project to build a residence for them at

Dhofar The Dhofar Governorate () is the largest of the 11 governorates in the Sultanate of Oman in terms of area. It lies in southern Oman, on the eastern border with Yemen's Al Mahrah Governorate and the southern border with Saudi Arabia's Easter ...

. He also financed the construction of a dam to help with the agriculture and farming. Marthad'ilan Yanuf reigned for fifteen years, afterwards he was succeeded by

Ma'dikarib Ya'fur Ma'dikarib Ya'fur () also romanized as Mu'di Karab Ya'fir, was a Himyarite king who ruled in the 6th century CE. Ma'dikarib Ya'fur was an adherent to Christianity, and served as a vassal ruler over Yemen under the Aksumite Empire. His rule is only ...

. Marthad'ilan Yanuf was also known to have had interactions with soothsayers, especially with a priestess named Afina.

Family

Marthad'ilan Yanuf's family is not attested to in the archaeological inscriptions preserved. The Arab historians identify him as being the son of 'Abd-Kulal. They also state that he had a son named Wali'ah who was a wise man who served in the government.

Ibn Hisham Abu Muhammad Abd al-Malik ibn Hisham ibn Ayyub al-Himyari (; died 7 May 833), known simply as Ibn Hisham, was a 9th-century Abbasid historian and scholar. He grew up in Basra, in modern-day Iraq and later moved to Egypt. Life Ibn Hisham has ...

The Book of Crowns on the Kings of Himyar Kitāb al-Tījāni (Arabic: كتاب التيجان) also known more commonly as The Book of Crowns on the Kings of Himyar, is a historical and biographical work by the Yemeni historian Wahb ibn Munabbih, an 8th AD century Israʼiliyyat author. Th ...

narrates that Marthad'ilan Yanuf had another son named Rabi'ah who took power although this is mostly a legendary tale as are most of the other stories in that book are based on legends in Arabian folklore.

References

{{reflist Ancient history of Yemen 6th-century Arab people Arab Christians Yemeni Christians Kings of Himyar

Name

Reign

Family

See also

References