The Beja and Nubians still adhered to paganism. The Beja maintained their connections with Egypt and remained pagans, traveling to the temple of Isis on the island of Philae every year until the first half of the 6th century AD. There is no doubt that the Christian centers, including monasteries, churches, and communities, which appeared near the homelands of the Nubians in the 4th century AD, had an impact on some Nubians converting to Christianity, and even on some joining Egyptian monasteries that were established in their lands, and on Egyptian monks and priests visiting the Nubians to try to win them over to the new religion. In the early 6th century AD, two official missions were sent to the Nile Valley south of the First Cataract to preach Christianity. One was Jacobite, sent by Empress Theodora, and the other was Melkite, sent by her husband Emperor Justinian. The Empress issued strict orders that her mission must enter Nubia before the Melkite mission. Thus, her Jacobite mission entered the kingdom of Lower Nubia, while the Melkite mission was sent to the kingdom of Makuria. Hence, the kingdom of Makuria, with its capital Dongola, was Melkite, while the region south of the First Cataract was Jacobite. Therefore, the 6th century AD witnessed the complete triumph of Christianity and its dominance over the people and government of Nubia, due to the efforts made by Emperor Justinian and the efforts made by the Jacobites. Thus, Christianity came to Nubia to find two kingdoms there: one in the south, Alwa, with its capital Soba, and the other, Makuria or Marbis, with its capital Dongola in the north. The Kingdom of Makuria (Marbis) with its capital Dongola: Christianity entered the northern lands of Nubia during the reign of King "Silko," and it became the official religion.