A queen from Mesopotamia converted to Judaism, moved to Jerusalem, and saved the city from famine. Her name was Helena of Adiabene, and she was one of the most remarkable converts in Jewish history.
According to Josephus in Antiquities XX, the story begins with her son Izates, crown prince of Adiabene, a kingdom in what is now northern Iraq. A Jewish merchant named Ananias had been teaching Judaism to the women of the royal court, and through them reached Izates. Separately, Helena herself had been drawn to Jewish teachings by another teacher. Mother and son discovered each other's interest independently.
When Izates became king, he wanted to undergo circumcision to complete his conversion. Ananias warned him against it, arguing that the political risk was too great and that worshipping God mattered more than the physical act. But another teacher, Eleazar of Galilee, took a stricter view. He arrived at court, found Izates reading the Torah, and told him bluntly: you know the law, now do it. Izates was circumcised immediately.
Helena traveled to Jerusalem on pilgrimage around 46 CE and arrived during a devastating famine. She spent her own fortune buying grain from Egypt and dried figs from Cyprus, distributing food throughout the city. Izates sent enormous sums of money from Adiabene to support the relief effort. The Talmud later remembered Helena's generosity for centuries.
Izates faced rebellion at home for his conversion. His own kinsmen conspired against him, even inviting the Parthian king Artabanus to invade. But each plot collapsed. Artabanus was overthrown and ironically came to Izates as a refugee. Izates restored him to his throne, demonstrating the power of a king who trusted in God's protection. When Izates finally died after twenty-four years on the throne, Helena followed him in death shortly after. Their bones were brought to Jerusalem and buried in the pyramidal tombs Helena had built, monuments that were still visible in Josephus's day.