Adiabene

Adiabene (from the Aramaic Hadyab) was an ancient kingdom in Mesopotamia with its capital at Arbela (modern-day Arbil, Iraq). Its rulers converted to Judaism in the 1st Century.http://www.eretzyisroel.org/~jkatz/kurds.html The Queen of Adiabene at the time of the conversion to Judaism, Queen Heleni, moved to Jerusalem, and built palaces for herself and her son, King Monbaz at the northern part of the city of David, south of the Temple Mount. During the Roman conquest of Judea and Samaria (68–67 BCE), it was only Adiabene that sent provisions and troops to the rescue of the besieged Galilee.http://www.kurdistanica.com/english/religion/judaism/judaism.html

According to the Talmud, both Heleni and Monbaz donated large funds for the Temple.

Rulers of Adiabene

1. Izates I (c. 15 CE)
2. Bazeus Monobazus I (20?–30?)
3. Heleni (c. 30–58)
4. Izates II bar Monobazus (c. 34–58)
5. Vologases (a Parthian rebel opposing Izates II) (c. 50)
6. Monobazus II bar Izates (58 – middle of the 70s)
7. Meharaspes (?–116)
8. The Roman Empire (116–117)
9. Narsai (c. 170–200)
10. unknown (200 – c. 310)
11. Aphraates (c. 310)
12. The Sassanid Empire (226–649)

Bishops of Adiabene

1. Pkidha (104–114)
2. Semsoun (120–123)
3. Isaac (135–148)
4. Abraham (148–163)
5. Noh (163–179)
6. Habel (183–190)
7. Abedhmiha (190–225)
8. Hiran (225–258)
9. Saloupha (258–273)
10. Ahadabuhi (273–291)
11. Sri'a (291–317)
12. Iohannon (317–346)
13. Abraham (346–347)
14. Maran-zkha (347–376)
15. Soubhaliso (376–407)
16. Daniel (407–431)
17. Rhima (431–450)
18. Abbousta (450–499)
19. Joseph (499–511)
20. Huana (511–?)

References

• Brauer, E., The Jews of Kurdistan, Wayne State University Press, Detroit, 1993.
• Solomon Grayzel, A History of the Jews ,New York: Mentor, 1968.
• Bishops of Adiabene
• History of Aramaic (includes references to Adiabene)
• University of Chicago
• Adiabene, Jewish Kingdom of Mesopotamia
• History of Christianity in Iran
• The forced conversion of the Jewish community of Persia and the beginnings of the Kurds
• The Y Chromosome Pool of Jews as Part of the Genetic Landscape of the Middle East, American Journal of Human Genetics, Vol. 69, 1095-1112, 2001.
• The history of Judaism in Kurdistan.
• Josephus' Antiquities book 20 chapter 2: HOW HELENA THE QUEEN OF ADIABENE AND HER SON IZATES, EMBRACED THE JEWISH RELIGION