Malkëkarib YuhaâÂÂmin (r. 375âÂÂ400) was a king (Tubba', ) of the Himyarite Kingdom (in modern-day Yemen), succeeding his father Tharan Yuhanim. Byzantine sources and contemporary historians credit him with converting the ruling class of the Himyarite Kingdom from paganism to Judaism (whereas later Islamic sources ascribe this event to Abu Karib, his son). These events are chronicled by the fifth-century Ecclessiastical History of the Anomean Philostorgius and the sixth-century Syriac Book of the Himyarites. Such sources implicate the motive for conversion as a wish on the part of the Himyarite rulers to distance themselves from the Byzantine Empire which had tried to convert them to Christianity.
Malkikarib was likely at an advanced age when he took the throne as he immediately initiated a coregency with his children. He first entered into a coregency with his son Abëkarib Asÿad (Abu Karib). Later in his reign, he entered into coregency with both his sons Abëkarib Asÿad and Dharaþþamar Ayman. According to two inscriptions, RES 3383, Ja 856 (= Fa 60), and Garb Bayt al-Shwal 1, Malkikarib Yuhamin constructed a mikrÃÂb named Barëk in the city of Marib (and also capital of the ancient Saba kingdom) in order to replace the polytheistic temple of the moon deity Almaqah. The term mikrÃÂb refers to a structure that is either the equivalent of a synagogue or refers to a local Himyarite variant of this Jewish institution.
Very little memory of Malkikarib Yuhamin remained among traditionalist writers from the Islamic era. Al-Hamdani believed that he had reigned for thirty-five years and, besides this, only knew that he was the father of Abëkarib Asÿad.
The standing relief image of a crowned man, is taken to be a representation possibly of Malkëkarib Yuhaþmin or more likely the Christian Esimiphaios (Samu Yafa').
This inscription dates from 360 to 370, prior to Malkikarib taking the throne. It is carved on a stela from the Great Temple of the god Almaqah. It is the earliest inscription to mention the Marib Dam.<blockquote>[Sharah àÿathat Ashwaÿ and his] son 2 Mar[thadum] Asþar banà « Su[kh]3 aymum mas[ters of the pala]ce of RaymÃÂn, princes of the two commu4 nes Yarsum of *Samÿë, the third of *Haga5 r um, and KhawlÃÂn GudÃÂdatÃÂn, have dedicated to their lo6 [rd] *Almaqahà « *ThahwÃÂn master of *AwÃÂm 7 a bronze statue when order was given to him by his two lo8 rds ThaþrÃÂn Yuhanÿim and his son Malkëka9 rib Yuþmin, kings of Sabaþ, of dhu-RaydÃÂn, of H àa10d àramawt and of Yamnat, to take the lead of the army with the Arabs 11 when the Dam was breached at H àabÃÂbid àand *Rah àbum, 12 and was breached the entire great wall which is between H àabÃÂbid àand 13 *Rah àbum and, of the dam, were breached 70 *shawh àa14t ÃÂ; and they praised the power of their lord *Almaqah15à «-*ThahwÃÂn master of *AwÃÂm because He granted them 16 their fulfilment, with his order to retain for [t]17hem the flood until they completed their works; and he 18 praised their lord *Almaqahà « ThahwÃÂn master 19 of *AwÃÂm because He granted them the oracles that to Him 20 had been demanded; and may He continue to grant them the fa21vour and the benevolence of their two lords ThaþrÃÂn Yuhanÿim 22 and his son Malkëkarib Yuþmin, kings 23 of Sabaþ, of dhu-RaydÃÂn, of H àad àramà Ât, and of Yamnat; and they rep24aired this breach in three months, 25 during dhu-Sabaþ, -*IlþilÃÂt, and -*Abhë.</blockquote>
This inscription dates to January 384 and is carved on a relief from a large block, likely originating from Zafar, Yemen. It describes Malkikarib Yuhamin in coregency with his two sons and commemorating the construction of a new palace. This is also the first time where the rejection of polytheism is expressed in an extant inscription from the Himyarite kingdom.<blockquote>Malkëkarib Yuhaþmin and his sons Abëkarib Asÿad and Dharaþþamar Ayman, kings of Sabaþ, of dhu-RaydÃÂn, 2 of Hadramawt, and of Yamnat, have built, laid the foundations of, and completed the palace Kln3m, from its base to its summit, with the support of their lord, the Lord of the Sky4 in the month of dhu-diþÃÂwÃÂn {January} of the year four hundred and ninety-three.</blockquote>
This is the oldest inscription mentioning the construction of a mikrÃÂb. It was found at Marib, which was once the capital of the ancient Saba kingdom. It likely dates to the first half of Malkikarib's reign, between 375 and 384.<blockquote>Malkëkarib Yuhaþmin and his son [Abëkarib Asÿad, kings of] 2 Sabaþ, of dhu RaydÃÂn, of H àad àramawt and [of Yamnat have built from the foundations to] 3 the summit their mikrÃÂb Barëk for their salvation and [... ...]</blockquote>
This inscription dates to the first half of the fifth century and describes the conquest of Central Arabia and was carved on a desert ravine from that area. It mentions Malkikarib Yuhamin in the capacity of him being the father of the king who created the inscription, Abu Karib.<blockquote>Abëkarib Asÿad and his son H àaà Âà ÂÃÂn Yuhaþmin, kings of Sabaþ, 2 of dhu-RaydÃÂn, of H àad àramawt, and of Yamnat, and of the Arabs of the Upper-Country {TwḠ} and of the Coast {Thmt}, 3 son of H àaà Âà ÂÃÂn Malkëkarib Yuhaþmin, king of Sabaþ, of dhu-4 RaydÃÂn, of H àad àramawt, and of Yamnat, have had this inscription carved in the wÃÂd5 ë Maþsal Gumh àÃÂn, when they came and took possession of the Land 6 of Maÿaddum during the installation of garrisons provided by some of their communes, with their commune 7 H àad àramawt and SabaþâÂÂthe sons of MaribâÂÂthe junior offspring 8 of their princes, the youngest of their officers, their ag9 ents, their huntsmen, and their troops, as well as their Arabs,10 Kiddat, Saÿd, ÿUlah, and H[...]</blockquote>