Yemen is a country steeped in antiquity and a place which I have always had an interest in. Locals have over history claimed the city of Aden as the location of the Garden of Eden though that is, for obvious reasons, difficult to prove. It is a fertile strip of land at the southern right corner of the Arabian peninsula. In Roman times it was called Arabia Felix (Happy Arabia) because of the lush oases, fruit and vegetables that were able to grow there in comparison with the rest of Arabia.
Yemen is almost entirely Arab in ethnicity. There is a small community of Jews that have lived in Yemen for hundreds of years, some claim since the days of Solomon.
The majority of Yemenis are Muslim with Sunnis slightly edging out Shi'ites. The Christian population is around 1%.
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| Yemeni Jewess -source: Joshua Project |
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| Yemeni Jews at a wedding |
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Social life is patriarchal and patrilocal with the average household consisting of about 8 individuals. Most of the labor force is employed in agriculture with the exception of those living in cities such as Aden and Sana'a.
Yemen is fairly closed to outsiders and disapproves of anything Christian. They have an Arabic Bible but not in any local dialect. Until God, in providence, causes the country to becomes more tolerant Christian witness and work there will be little to none. Yet praise the Lord, "We have a God who delights in impossibilities." -Andrew Murray.
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