Religion and Culture

Adiabene belonged to the varied religious world of northern Mesopotamia, where local traditions coexisted with Iranian and Hellenistic influences. Its most striking religious development was the conversion to Judaism of Helena, Izates II, and later members of the royal family. Josephus describes debates over Jewish practice, including circumcision. The conversion did not mean that all inhabitants of Adiabene became Jewish. Over later centuries Christianity also became important in the region.