Page:Early Christianity in Arabia.djvu/50

38 On the death of Hareth, the people of Asad, Keis, and Temeem rose against Hogr and Sjerhabîl, and drove them away. On the news of this insurrection, Sahban raised an army and led it against the tribe of Modhar, which was joined by that of Rabyah. The result of this war was that Sahban was defeated and slain. Alsabah, the son of Abrahah, succeeded to the throne, and proceeded to take vengeance on the Maadites for the death of his predecessor. In the battle of Cilab, which followed, the forces of Hamyar were entirely defeated by the Maadites, under their former leader Colaib, and the tribe of Maad was released from its subjection to Hamyar during the life of its chieftain. The crown of Hamyar was next usurped by Lachnya Dzu Shanathir, who was famed only for his tyranny and for his profligacy. He was slain by Yusef Dzu Nowass, who succeeded him and became a convert to Judaism.

The tolerant spirit of the Arabian idolatry afforded equally a safe asylum to the persecuted disciples of Zoroaster, numbers of whom settled in Bahhrein, to the Jew, and to the fugitive Christian. As long as the kings of Hamyar adhered to their ancient superstition, each of these sects was allowed the free exercise of its religious ceremonies, and the public profession of its faith. But no sooner did the