Ja 1028 is a Sabaic inscription dating to the late Himyarite Kingdom. It was commissioned by an army commander of Dhu Nuwas named Sòrḥþl Yqbl in which he celebrated massacring the Christian community of Najran and the burning of their church with the army in a move against the Abyssinian Christians of the Kingdom of Aksum based in Ethiopia.
The inscription was discovered at Bir Hima, a rock art site 85 km northeast of Najran. Along with Ry 507 and Ry 508, it is one of three inscriptions that describe the Himyarite persecution of Najran's Christians.
The following translation follows that of the Corpus of South Arabian Inscriptions:<blockquote>1 Might, the God, to whom belong the heavens and the earth, bless the king Yusuf þsùþr Yṯþr, the king of all the tribes, and might [God] bless the qayls [commanders] â¦
2 Lḥyÿt Yrḫm, Sùmyfÿ þsòwÿ, Sòrḥþl Yqbl [Sharaḥþël Yaqbul dhu-Yazþan], Sòrḥbþl þsùÿd, the sons of Sòrḥbþl Ykml, of the clan of Yzþn and Gdnm,
3 the supporters of their lord, the king Yusuf þsùþr Yṯþr, when he burnt the church, killed the Abyssinians in áºÂafÃÂr, and moved a war against þsòÿrn, Rkbn, FrâÂÂ
4 sùn, and Mḫwn, and brought the war (against) the defence of NagrÃÂn. He reinforced the chain of Mandab, they were with him. And he sent them with an army. What the king has managed
5 to get in this expedition as spoils, amounted to twelve thousand deaths, eleven thousand prisoners, two
6 hundred ninety thousand camels, cows and small animals.102 This inscription was written by the qayl Sòrḥþl Yqbl of Yzþn, when he was in guard against NagrÃÂn
7 with the tribe of HamdÃÂn, citizens and nomads, and the assault troops of þzþnn and the Arabs [þÿrb] of Kinda, MurÃÂd, Madhḥig, while the qayls, his brothers, with the king, were mounting guard
8 on the coast against the Abyssinians, while they were reinforcing the chain of Mandab. That is all what they mentioned in this inscription: deaths, boot[y], garrison service and all (what happened) in only one expedition;
9 then they came back to their houses thirteen months later. Might Rḥmnn bless their sons Sòrḥbþl Ykml and Hÿn þsùþr, the sons of Lḥyÿt
10 and Lḥyÿt Yrḫm, the son of Sùmyfÿ, and Mrṯdþln Ymgd, the son of Sòrḥþl, of the clan of Yzþn. The month of Má¸Ârþn of the six hundred
11 thirty-three [523ce]. For the protection of the heavens and the earth and of the strength of the men was this inscription against those who would harm and degrade. Might Rḥmnn, the Highest,
12 protect it against all those who would degrade. This inscription was placed, written, executed in the name of Rḥmnn. Tmm of Ḥá¸Âyt placed. By the Lord of Jews. By the Highly Praised.</blockquote>
Ja 1028 is a local Himyarite document that discusses the massacre of the Christians of Najran. According to Ja 1028, this massacre was related to the war against the Kingdom of Aksum and constituted a defense of Judaism. The event then led to the Aksumite invasion of Himyar.
The inscription invokes God using by name Rahmanan, a typical personal name for since the Himyarite conversion to Judaism from polytheism. Related inscriptions, particularly Ry 507 and Ry 508, use similar language: the protection of the heavens and Earth, the protection of Rahmanan, and associating Rahmanan with the heavens and Earth. Rahmanan being called the "Lord of the Jews" is also in Ry 515, contemporary to Ja 1028.
In Ja 108 and Ry 515, two names are used for God: (1) Rb-hwd b-Rḥmnn, 'Lord of the Jews by/with Rahmanan' and (2) Rb-hd b-Mḥmd: 'Lord of Jews by / with (?) the Praised'. The language (also seen in CIH 543) has given rise to speculation about whether one or two gods (the God of Israel, and the local Himyarite deity) may have been intended. New evidence from the Jabal Dabub inscription suggests a direct identification between the Israelite and Himyarite god.