'Amr ibn Jafnah (

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

: عمرو بن جفنة) was a poet and the second of the

Ghassanid The Ghassanids, also known as the Jafnids, were an Arab tribe. Originally from South Arabia, they migrated to the Levant in the 3rd century and established what would eventually become a Christian kingdom under the aegis of the Byzantine Empi ...

rulers, as well as the first

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

king in the ruling dynasty. He succeeded his father, Jafnah. 'Amr was known for his conflicts with the

Salihids The Salīḥids (), also known simply as Salīḥ or by their royal house, the Zokomids (Arabic: ''Ḍajaʿima'') were the dominant Arab ''foederati'' of the Byzantine Empire in the 5th century. They succeeded the Tanukhids, who were dominant i ...

and the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...

Biography

Family

Being the son of Jafnah, 'Amr would have been descended from the Arabian king

Muzayqiya Muzayqiya () was the leader of the Azd tribes and a king ruling parts of Yemen in the 2nd century CE. Muzayqiya succeeded his brother Imran in the leadership of the kingdom. During his time, the Ma'rib Dam collapsed which resulted in several Qahta ...

as well as the

Azd The Azd (Arabic: أَزْد), or Al-Azd (Arabic: ٱلْأَزْد), is an ancient Tribes of Arabia, Arabian tribe. The lands of Azd occupied an area west of Bisha and Al Bahah in what is today Saudi Arabia. Land of Azd Pre-Islamic Arabia Pre- ...

tribal group. 'Amr had a son named Tha'laba, who succeeded him.

Rule

'Amr took the throne after his father had died. He became the first of the Ghassanid rulers to adopt the tradition of wearing a

crown A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, parti ...

. His rule is dated to 265–270 CE. According to the historian

Ibn Hisham Abu Muhammad Abd al-Malik ibn Hisham ibn Ayyub al-Himyari (; died 7 May 833), known simply as Ibn Hisham, was a 9th-century Abbasid historian and scholar. He grew up in Basra, in modern-day Iraq and later moved to Egypt. Life Ibn Hisham has ...

, the Ghassanids had several military campaigns and battles led by 'Amr which were fought against the

and the

, the latter having acted treacherously against the Ghassanids.Kitab al-Tijan by

Towards the end of the reign of 'Amr, the Romans made a reconciliation with the Ghassanids and signed an agreement which ensured peace amongst them.

Personal interests

Religions

'Amr ibn Jafnah was a convert to

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

, and the first of the Ghassanid rulers to become a Christian. Under his rule, Christian monasteries were built in Syria. The Ghassanids, now Christians, would become allies of the Byzantines in later years.

Poetry

Aside from his career as a ruler, 'Amr also had an interest in poetry; having composed a poem after his battle with the

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jafnah, Amr ibn Arab Christians Converts to Christianity Ghassanids Ghassanid kings 3rd-century Arab people