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King Kaleb's Forgotten War: Axum's Crusade in Yemen
Description
The conversation revisits Ethiopia's ancient past, focusing on the 6th-century Axumite expedition across the Red Sea under King Kaleb. Lucas explains how the Jewish Himyarite king Dhu Nuwas persecuted Christians in Yemen, prompting Kaleb to launch a massive naval campaign around 525 AD. The episode covers the battle of Zafar, the siege of Najran, the legendary story of Dhu Nuwas riding his horse into the sea, and the Axumite occupation of Yemen that followed. It discusses the fragile nature of Kaleb's victory, the division of the kingdom with his son, and the eventual collapse of Axumite control under Abraha, who built the famous cathedral at Sana'a and later led an elephant attack on Mecca—mentioned in the Qur'an. The hosts also touch on the broader context of Red Sea trade, Christian-Jewish rivalries, and the enduring Ethiopian legacy of Kaleb as a saint. The donation segment appears naturally after discussing the difficulty of maintaining distant conquests.