CHRISTIAN MISSIONS
PRE-ISLAMIC
SOUTH ARABIA *
ATHANASSIOS
PAPATHANASSIOU
Dr
(Missiol.) Laws
The entrance and implanting of Christianity
pre-islamic South
Arabia has been the subject of intensive study since the second half of
the last centuryI. Though ample light has ever since been shed over
are
numerous historical aspects, still many problems and
waiting for scrutinization and answers.
The Arabian peninsula has been divided into two parts: the
North and the South. The relations of the northern Arabs with Byzantium and Christianity have been studied satisfactorily enough so far;
specialized
but sometimes
one can find information about it
general histories of Byzantium as well (Vasiliev, Karayannopoulos,
Bury, etc.). The south Arabian peninsula has been less known to the
this article we shall deal mainly with the
non-specialist scholar.
«mysterious» South, after making a short reference to the Arabian
• This paper was presented at the «InternationaI Orthodox Missions Consultation»
Moscow, November ] -6, ]993.
See, for example,
D 1I m a n n, Zur Geschichte des Abyssinischen
Zeitschrift des Deutschen Morgenliindischen Gesellschaft 7 (1853), 338-364, W. F e 11 ,
Die Christenverfo1gung
und die himjarisch iithiopischen
nach
Zeitschrift des Deutschen Morgenliindischen Gesellschaft
abessinischer
35 (188]), ]-74,
Glaser, Abessinier
Arabien und Africa, auf Grund neuent]895.
deckter Inschriften,
2. S. r m n g h a m,
among the Arabs Pre-Is1amic
London
]979, J. e a u c a m - C h . R b n, Le Christianisme dans 1a Peninsu1e arabique d'
n an apres 1" epigraphie et 1" arcMo1ogie: Travaux et Memoirs 8 (]98]), 45-61,
W h t t n g h a m, The Early
of the Gu1f Arabs, Essex 1986.
3. Besides the basic bibliography shall give below, refer the reader to my doctoral dissertation, which has already gone to press and wilJ be published - God
-
134
Athanassios
Papathanassiou
The north Arabian
had frequent contacts with the Byzanto
tine Empire. They used to live the areas at the south of Syria
Iraq. The «Lives» of the famous saints, Symeon the Stylite, Euthymios
the Great, and Symeon the Young, provide us with much inforrnation
et, a
about the conversion, baptism and catechesis of these
particularly important case are the tribes of the Ghassanids and the
Lakhmids, who abandoned the nomadic life, accepted Christianity and
forrned vassal kingdoms. The Ghassanids settled at the south of Palestine (ca 490-7th c.), adopted Monophysitism, became allies of Byzantium and functioned as its military shield against the other tribes". The
Lakhmids settled
Iraq (ca 300-600), embraced Nestorianism (since
they lived near Persia, where the Nestorian communities were especially influential) and seIVed Zoroastrian Iran as its military sattelite".
The south Arabian peninsula ·is supposed to .have been the king10: 1-13, 2 Chron. 8:
dom of the famous Queen of Sheba (1
1-12). The Graeco - Roman world called it «Arabia Felix» because of
its high prosperity and power 7• The structures of its civilization were
not nomadic but urban with complicated organization and economy
trade and agriculture. Around the first century B.C. the
based
leadership of the area passed to the tribe of the Himyarites H• The
Himyarite kingdom almost coincides geographically with today's state
of Yemen. That means that it was not next to the Byzantine borders.
fact, it was surrounded by the Arabian desert, the Red Sea and the
soon:
«Nomoi ton Omiriton»,
prosegisi kai istoriki-nomiki
Greek) [ = «The 'Laws of the
Missiological Approach and Historical Forschungen
byzantinischen Rechtsgeschichte, Athener Reihe,
Legal
Sakkoulas publ.
4.
L i e t m a n n, Das Leben des
Symeon
Leipzig 1908,
S c h w a r t , KyriJlos von
Leipzig 1939,
Va n d e
V e n, La vie
ancienne de S. Symeon le Jeune (521-592), Bruxelles 1962.
5.
S h a h d, Ghassan: the Encyclopaedia of Islam (n.e.) 2 (1965), 1020-1021.
S h a h d, Lakhmids: The EncycJopaedia of Islam (n.e.) 5 (1986), 632-635.
6.
7. C s m a s n d c
e s t e s , Topographie Chretienne, Sources Chretiennes
141, 330-331.
Wissmann, Himyar, Ancient History: Le Museon 77 (1964),
8.
429-497,
S h a h d, Preislamic Arabia: The Cambridge History of Islam. la, Camwere Semites, but
Arabs ; nevertheless
bridge, etc, 1970, 3-29. The South
the inhabitants of the south Arabian city Najran were Arabs.
Missions
Pre-Islamic S. Arabia
135
Arabian Sea. Beyond these natural borders, three
The Christian Byzantine, the Zoroastric Persian and - more
(geographicaIIy and ethnoIogicaIIy) to SouthArabia - Christian (monophysite)
The south Arabians were pagans; their
had a profound
IIJ
century AD (if not
Juastral character • At about the
daism entered the country. Between the 4th and 6th c. it was adopted
by the Himyarite sovereigns, but not by the whole of the
The f'rst encounter of South Arabia with Christianity is
obscurity. There are several traditions bearing both evidences of historical authenticity and Iegendary additions. Each of them, if studied
properly, can furnish data of considerable interest for the history and
the methods of Mission. These traditions are as foIlows:
1. The Byzantine historian Eusebius
haIf of the 4th
mentions a tradition according to which the A1exandrian phiIosopher Pantaenus (2nd c.) undertook a mission to the area, where he found a
copy of the GospeI according to St Matthew, which was said to have
been Ieft by the Apostle BarthoIomew who had preached
2. The Byzantine historiographer
(by the end of the
the Indus to the Himya4th c). refers to the mission of
possibIy an Arian, sent by the Emperor Constantius
rites.
converting the Himyarite
was confronted
(337-361), succeeded
with officers of the Jews and erected three churches l:!.
3. The monophysite chronographer John, bishop of
claims
that Christianity was preached to the Himyarites by Theognosta, a
who had been kidnapped by bandits and was presented as a gift to
9.
U J e r. d r ff, Thc Ethiopians.
Introduction to Country and Pcop/c,
Oxford 19733. See, a1so, D. L e t s s, Dic Acthiopisch - Himyaritischcn Kricgc dcs 6.
lahrhundcrts und dic Christianisicrung Acthiopicns: Jahrbuch der Oesterreichischen
Byzantinistik 41 (1991) , 25-41.
F. L .
eest
Thc Rcligions of Prc-is/amic Ycmcn: L' Arabie du Sud
10.
(ed. J. Chelhod), (1984) , 259-269.
siec/c,
11. J , R c k m a s , La pcrsecution dcs Chreticns Himyaritcs au
Istanbu1 1965, 12, S. S m t h, Evcnts in Arabia in thc 6th ccntury AD: Bulletin of the
Schoo1 of Orienta1 and African Studies 16 (1954) , 462, Beeston, supra, 276·277.
12. Euseb ius,
(Werke
1, ed .
Schwartz), Leipzig 1903,
450-452.
(ed . J. Bidez - F. Winke1mann), Berlin
13. Philostorgius ,
19722, 32-35.
136
Athanassios
Papathanassiou
the Himyarite king, who became, probably, the first convert of the
zealous
4. According to another tradition, the Himyarites became
early 6th c., when Emperor of Constantinople was the
Christians
monophysite Anastasius (491- 518), from whom they asked and
ceived a bishopl".
5.
local tradition, which, paradoxically, was saved from oblivion
through the works of the Arabian Muslim historiographers, attributes
the evangelization of South Arabia to Phemion, a holy man from Syria,
ca. the 5th
6. tradition of Ethiopian origin speaks about Azkir, a holy man
South Arabia by
who preached, worked miracles and was martyred
the end of the 5th C 17•
7. Of Nestorian
seems to be the last tradition, which ascribes the South Arabian mission to Hannan, a merchant, ca. the first
half of the 5th
We are justified
supposing that each tradition echoes a certain
missionary attempt. Probably many of them, and especially the earlier
ephemeral results. Anyway, the fact is that local
ones, had
churches-communities already existed by the end of the 5th c. and
the beginning of the 6th c., when South Arabian Christianity reached
its martyrical colophon, as we shall see below.
The above mentioned missionary narrations have embodied a
riety of missionary practice. Preaching, diplomacy, personal
turgical
dialogue et a1. were used occasionally. Of
to discuss each tradition separately;
course, it would take us much
it is enough for the purpose of the present
to
that
the relevant philological
[according to the study am working out
sources] each tradition can be understood within its own historical and
14. R.
C h a r e s (transl.), The Chronicle of John, Bishop of
Oxford
1916, 69-70.
n agn s te s,
(ed. G. Ch. Hansen), Berlin
15. h e d r s
1971, 152 and 157.
16.
J e ff e ry, Christianity
South Arabia: The Moslem World 36 (1946),
199-200.
supra, 200-204.
17. J e ff e r
18. J. W .
r s c h b e r g, Nestorian Sources of North-Arabian Traditions
the
and Persecution of Christianity
Yemen: Rocznik
15
(1939-1949) , 332-333.
Christian Missions
Pre-Islamic S. Arabia
137
cultural context and with its own coherent logic.
if we do not
the past
agree with certain methodologies, we must look careful1y
experiences, take under serious consideration the data of time and
the true and essential.
place, and try to
Before procceeding, we shal1 make here a parenthesis. There is a
question about the nature of the South Arabian Christianity. Most
scholars agree that the majority of the Himyarite Christian communities were monophysite, under the influence of the Syrian and Ethiomind some important papian Churches. Yet, we should keep
and
map of thatera and area:
rameters of the
a. Some of the said traditions may be posterior
of older
that is of
attempts which took place before the
Council of Chalcedon (451)19.
b. It is
possibIe that the
dogmatic differentiations
and debates could not easily reach the young Himyarite Church.
the beginning of the 6th C. a cordial
c. As we shall see below,
aJliance between Orthodox-Chalcedonian Byzantium and the monophyThis
had to
site Himyarites and Ethiopians saw the
struggle against a front of Jews, pagans and Nestorians.
this occucrence, the Orthodox Church herself has acd.
cepted the martyrdom of the Sourth Arabian Christians, canonized
October 24.
them as saints and celebrated their memory
C
As we said before, the 6th century has been extremely
for South Arabian Christianity.
Around the early 20's the Jew Himyarite king, Dhu-Nuwas, persehis
cuted with profuse atrocity the Christian communities all
kingdom. The Christians were forced either 10 renounce their faith
and become Jews or die. The whole structure of the Himyarite
special place
the martyrdom was gained
Church was eliminated.
by Najran, an important city at the north of the Himyarite state; its
leaders and almost the whole of its population were Christians. The
«first among the firsts» was Arethas (Harith) who was decapitated
Najran2!'.
with al1 the nobles of the
19.
S h a h d , Byzantium and the Arabs
the
Washington, DC
1989, 363-364 and 373-374.
20.
S h a h d. The Martyrs of Najran. New Documents, Bruxelles 1971.
138
Immediately after this massacre, the Byzantine emperor Justin
was informed about the events; since it was very difficult for the
time,
Byzantine army to be transported to remote South Arabia
Justin asked the king of Ethiopia, Ellesbaan, to invade South Arabia
in order to protect the Christians and punish the persecutors. The
Ethiopian king did so and after his victory a) appointed a Christian
king
the Himyarite kingdom and b) asked the Patriarch of Alexandria for a bishop. About the identity of the new king there are some
problems which cannot be discussed here; conventionally we shall reSouth Arabia. As
fer to him as Abraham, the first Christian king
for the new (arch)bishop, we shall also not examine the questions
raised about him; we shall merely underline that Church tradition
Gregentius
knows him as «equal to the Apostles», Orthodox
(November 19) and that he had been the outstanding personality who
undertook the titanic task which, under those circumstances, should
be described rather as a new planting of Christianity than as a mere
restoration of
Gregentius's missionary work bears some unique characteristics.
We shall try to present an outline of his work, using as major source
a text called «Laws of the Himyarites»
This text, originating most probably from South Arabia in the second
third of the 6th century, is a peculiar chronicle which describes Gregentius's missionary experiment and, at the same time, proposes a
certain missiological methodology:t:'.
It was the first time that the Christian Himyarites prevailed politically and occupied the Himyarite throne. Up to that moment commuthe country, but now a new reality emerged: the
nities did exist
«Christian Himyarite State». This reality implied a new vision, that of
Abraham
a totally Christian society. Archbishop Gregentius and
the words of Fr. Georges
espoused wholeheartedly the ideal which,
21. For the Ethiopian invasion and the
problems, see v . C h r s t d e s, The
Himyarite - Ethiopian War and the Ethiopian
of South Arabia
the Acts
of Gregentius (ca 530 AD): AnnaIes d· Ethiopie 9 (1972), 115-146,
Shahid,
Byzantium
South Arabia: Dumbarton Oaks Papers 33 (1979), 24-94. See also S.
st
u u, Die byzantinische Aussenpo/itik, wie sie sich uns im Martyrium
Arethas und seiner Beg/eiter darstellt:
63 (1992), 286-293, and
des
our note 11.
22. G r e g e n t u s, Homeritarum Leges, Patrologia Graeca 861, 563-620.
23. The
presentation of the «Laws»
based
my doctoral dissertation;
see our note 3.
Missions
Pre-Islamic S. Arabia
139
Florovsky, can be described as «the Empire», i.e. the Christianization
of universal society, as opposed to the ideal of «the Desert», i.e. the
defensive withdrawal of the
50, the «Christian Himyarite 5tate» set forth a strange procedure
towards the Christianization of the whole country. This procedure
consisted of three successive steps:
the (non-Christian) Himyarites were hastily baptized, either
a.
by death-threat (the pagans) or after religious dialogue (the Jews). 50,
the majority of the population suddenly became newly-baptized, but
without having been «catechumens» before. This problem was
«solved» by the next steps.
b. The whole territory was divided into small administrative deneighbourhoods); so, the
partments called «regiones»
everyday life of the newly-baptized Himyarites could be easily supervised and guided.
new law-code was promulgated. Church tradition credits
c.
Gregentius himself with its composition. One of its major goals was
instruct (catechise) practically the converts about their new duties and
accordance with the claims of their new
to conduct their new life
other words, the state legislation claimed to have incorpofaith.
rated the divine commandments!
Besides, the new laws had another purpose. They were the main ·
instrument for the Christianization of the social structures, so as to do
away with all contradictions between social and personal
order
to inculcate the new, Christian spirit into every aspect of life, the 63
fact, emarticles of the laws pursued three basic sub-aims, which,
body a great variety of legal issues:
a. The renovation of sexual and famiIial life. For example, adultery and prostitution were banned and, if committed, severely
ished;
the other hand, the women were protected against men's
abuse.
b. The protection of the weak and poor. The «Christian Himyarite 5tate» showed itself as the realization of the heavenly
a special part of the earth.
c. The humanization of the state power. That is, provisions were
24. G. F r
sk
BeJmond 1974, 67-100.
Christianity and Culture (CoJlected Works,
Nordland,
140
Athanassios
Papathanassiou
made so that the unchecked authority of the nobles and the state
was restricted.
Given these
a
anaIysis of the laws has
vinced us that their function was twofold:
the one hand they tried
social life;
the other hand,
to impose Christian principles
their positive and radical provisions
favor of social justice, etc.)
were,
the eyes of a fresh convert or a skeptical non-Christian, the
tangible proof that Christianity was indeed essentiaI for human life.
D
What has been drafted above is the missionary concept as found
the text «Laws of the Himyarites». Of course, it does not lie
beyond criticism.
many cases the IegisIator reveals himself as a
broad-minded person who had the
to make the proper use of
his contemporary cultural data (religious
conditions,
social ideas, economic relations,
order to make the expansion
of Christianity more acceptable by his contemporary people.
et,
judging from the point of view of the authentic ecclesiastical ethos,
of the State-Missionary
one has to admit that the authorative
(e.g. especially when sin is considered a crime confronted by the state
penal law) may result
the elemination of human freedom and
the reduction of Christianity to a severe system of social discipline.
The «Christian Himyarite State» did not last more than 50 years;
around 570 - 575, Persia invaded South
Almost 50 years
a tide. But it is the South Aralater, Islam swept the peninsula
bian Christianity that exercised a considerable influence
early Islam
favor of Christianity. This will be more
understood if we take.
into consideration that one quranic sura (chapter) praises the
Christian martyrs of
Anyway, what is deduced from our study of the missionary
history, is the fervent desire of the Church to witness, so that according to the «Laws of the Himyarites» - the people are
minated and the devil suffers great damag&B.
25. For example: was probably
by chance that Gregentius entrusted 50 much
legistation; the highly developed urban struetures of South Arabia included the legal
general) was something
the South Arabian way of Iife.
ones, so the Law
Yemen Nestoriano: Studi
onore di Edda Bre5ciani, Pi5a 1985,
26. G.
g u e w s k a j a, Byzanz auf den Wegen nach lndien, Berlin etc 1969, 268.
195,
27. Sura 85, 4-8. See my Hristianismos kai ls/am; opseis tis protis synantisis tous
[= Christianity and Islam; Aspects of their First EncounterJ: Exodos 8 (1992), 21-32
Greek).
28. P.G. 861, 573
,