Dihya

A Jewish warrior queen?

7th century CE. The north of Africa is made up of various kingdoms. One of the kings marries a poor peasant girl. On her wedding night, the girl kills her husband and proclaims herself ruler.

(Now, we know what you're thinking. Sounds like a fairy tale. It probably is; this story has gone through a millennium of transformation and exaggeration. Let's continue.)

The girl, Dihya, now a queen, unites the African kingdoms. She leads them in a great war against Arab invaders. Using advanced tactics, she defeats a much greater army.

The Arabs propose a union to attack the Visigoths. Dihya agrees, but is betrayed. She is killed in battle.

Now, there are a lot of theories about Dihya's identity. Some claim she was a Christian, or that she persecuted Jews. But those kingdoms were Berber; it's highly possible that they were Jewish as well. Dihya has also been called a prophet and a Jewish sorcerer (her other name, Kahina, means "priestess soothsayer").

So, potentially...

A Jewish warrior queen.