Topic summary
Himyarite Kingdom
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Himyar.
History
The Himyarite Kingdom was a confederation of tribes; several inscriptions and monumental buildings from this period survive and show evidence of a wealthy, sophisticated, relatively literate society with a rich variety of local gods and religions. Trade was already well established by the 3rd century AD, with Yemen supplying the Roman Empire with frankincense and myrrh. Furthermore, the late 1st century AD writer Pliny the Elder mentioned that the kingdom was one of "the richest nations in the world". It was a hub of international trade, linking the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and India.