Abgar V (died 40 AD) was King of Osroene from 4 BC to 40 AD. During his reign, he became the first monarch to convert to Christianity, doing so as the result of Jude the Apostle's ability to save him from sickness.
Biography[]
Abgar was an Arab who ruled over the kingdom of Osroene, taking the throne in 4 BC as a Roman client. He lost his throne in 7 AD and regained it five years later, and he was a contemporary of Jesus. Abgar wrote to Jesus with a request to be healed, having heard of his miracles; Jesus blessed him for "believing without seeing", but informed the king that he could not come because he needed to fulfill his mission of martyrdom. Instead, he promised to send an apostle to heal him after his ascension. After Jesus' death, Jude the Apostle was sent to heal Abgar, beginning to cure every disease and weakness in Osroene, including that of Abgar. The crowds of Edessa were amazed by wonderful miracles, and the whole city was devoted to the name of Christ. Abgar became the first monarch to adopt Christianity as his religion, and he died in 40 AD.