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With its elements of magic removed, al-Tabari's tale touched on a real incident. In 517, the enthronement of a Persian Rabbinite king led Christians to seize a major town of the Himyarite kingdom. After mustering an army, Dhu-Nuwas inflicted a costly defeat on the rebels, taking many prisoners, and destroying their church. In imitation of his cousin Mar Zutra II who had declared his independence from Kovad in Persia, Dhu-Nuwas carried out some rash acts that eventually involved him in difficulties and brought misfortune to him and the kingdom of Himyar.

News of this deed soon reached Byzantium, a challenge of this sort could not go unpunished. But the Roman emperor, Justin I, was embroiled in a war with the Persians and a Samaritan revolt in Israel. He decided to write to the Christian king of Ethiopia, who was a good deal closer to Himyar, to act as Christendom's avenger. The Ethiopian king was more than anxious to oblige the emperor's request. In 518, when Ethiopian troops landed in Himyar. Dhu-Nuwas's forces soundly defeated the invaders. Flushed with success, he now saw himself as the champion of Arabian Jewry. It has been suggested by some scholars that Dhu-Nuwas's ultimate objective was the creation of a Jewish empire stretching from Babylon to the Red Sea.

In the meantime, a revolt in the northern Himyarite center of Najran (c. 523), which was inhabited chiefly by Christians, led to many casualties. The town's governor, a Christian named Harith (Aretas) ibn-Kaleb, although a feudatory of Dhu-Nuwas, resented his status as a vassal to the Rabbinite king (he may also have not performed his feudal duties in the war against Aidug). In any case, the governor's feelings were paralleled by the town's Christian population, which also refused to obey the king's orders. When the Najran rebels spurned Dhu-Nuwas's peace terms, he besieged the town and reduced its inhabitants to such straits as they were forced to capitulate. Harith and several hundred of the rebels were executed, and burned in a great trench. A heavy tribute was also levied on the remaining Christians in the kingdom in reprisal for the persecution of Jews in Christian countries

The Roman emperor, although anxious to eliminate the Rabbinite king, was still engaged in a conflict with Persia and preferred that his Ethiopian ally undertake the task. The Ethiopian Negus (ruler), Kaled Ella Asbaha, required little persuasion to go to war, for Himyar had expelled many of his nation (the Cushites) from Arabia. Dhu-Nuwas did not remain idle. He endeavored unsuccessfully to secure allies. The Arab tribes distrusted him because of his foreign lineage and Kavad I of Persia, in spite of predecessor's promises of assistance, did not like the idea of autonomous armed Jewish kingdoms. In Mahoza, he crucified Mar Zutra and Haninai on charges of misuse of the king's revenue, and now found it easy to simply ignore Dhu Nuwas' pleas.

By the year 525 CE, the Ethiopians and the Romans were ready to strike. The Negus of Ethiopia had put together and equipped a powerful army, and the Roman emperor had provided his ally with the necessary fleet to transport the troops to Himyar. Dhu-Nuwas took measures to prevent the landing of the Ethiopian army by barring the most likely invasion points with chains.

His efforts, however, proved fruitless, and the Ethiopian troops were able to disembark near Zafora (Thafar) on the Red Sea coast. Asbaha had taken steps to inform the Christian Arabs of the region of his plans, and they attacked the Himyarites as Dhu-Nuwas deployed his army to meet the invasion force of the Ethiopians. In the ensuing battle, the Rabbinite king fell back on his faithful, courageous cavalry to repel the invaders, but they were overwhelmed by the larger army of the enemy. The capital of Dhu-Nuwas fell into the hands of the enemy, along with his wife, and all the treasures of his kingdom. Realizing that all was lost, and unwilling to be taken alive, the impetuous king charged his steed over a great rock jutting over the sea. The waves swept his body out to sea. So died the first and last Rabbinite king of Himyar. But the royal family did not die out, we will revisit them when we explore the marriages between the Jews and the Quraish, the family of the Prophet.