During the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, the Southern part of Arabia, known in antiquity as Arabia Felix, had experienced
Aksumite political and military involvement, as the Aksumites had occupied relatively peripheral areas in the region and formed alliances with the local tribes. During the late 4th century AD, the local population converted to
Judaism, and a Jewish kingdom known as Himyar was established. During the reign of Himyarite King
Yanuf Dhu Shanatir, the Aksumites established diplomatic relations with the Himyarite capital city of
Ẓafār, but the friendly relations between the two kingdoms did not last long, as in the second decade of the 6th century AD, the Jewish Himyarites began to persecute the
Christian community of Southern Arabia. A severe drought in the 6th century weakened the Himyarite kingdom and contributed to its eventual conquest by Aksum. ==Aksumite invasion of 518==