Ethiopia has one of the longest traditions of Christianity in the world. Long before European countries had heard of Jesus Christ, this African nation was following his word. So it’s no surprise that Christians flock to the country to see its ancient churches and colourful monasteries, and to participate in its abundance of vibrant festivals.
However, it might come as more of a surprise that Muslims and Jews also come to Ethiopia to celebrate their religions. That this triumvirate of religions all recognise the spiritual significance of Ethiopia is perhaps what makes the country so unusual.
According to early Ethiopian history, the Queen of Sheba visited King Solomon in Jerusalem. The Queen of Sheba, or Saba, was the ruler of what was then Abyssinia. Having heard of a religious leader across the seas, she gathered her entourage and set sail for Jerusalem.
King Solomon welcomed her regally into his palace and treated her to dinner. What happened next is open to debate. Chronicles relate that the king said to the visiting queen: Take not what is not given to you, and I shall take nothing that’s not given to me. He then fed her with food laden with salt and spices and offered no water to wash it down. When the queen had gone to bed, he instructed one of his servants to place a glass of water at her bedside. The queen, waking with an intense thirst, drank the water. The king, on being told of this, came to her chamber with the words:You took something not given to you, and I shall take what is not given to me.
Whether the queen gave of herself freely or not, on her return to Ethiopia she was carrying King Solomon’s child. It was this child, Emperor Menelek, who was the founder of the dynasty of emperors, the Solomonic line and the Lion of Judah.
According to legend, the young Menelek, at about the age of 11, returned to Jerusalem with his mother to meet his father. At the end of this visit, Menelek seized the Ark of the Covenant, carrying it with him as they fled from the land. At first King Solomon followed in anger, intending to reclaim the Ark, but the word of God came to him, instructing him to leave the Ark with Menelek, so he returned to Jerusalem without it. The Ark of the Covenant has since then been held at Axum, although was briefly hidden in different places during the Italian occupation in the 20thcentury; it now remains at St Mary of Axum, deep inside the church in the holy of holies, seen only by the keeper of the Ark. All churches in Ethiopia have a replica Ark of the Covenant which is brought out during festivals and carried in processions around towns and villages.
In the 4thcentury, when most Ethiopians converted to Christianity, some remained Jewish and continued to worship in the old Solomonic traditions. During the time of the Derg, when Ethiopia was ruled by communists, the government, known for severe and harsh policies, was particularly cruel to the Jewish community. Over 39,000 Ethiopian Jews fled to Israel shortly after that country was formed and the Israeli Government gave them citizenship. To this day, there’s a considerable community of Ethiopian Israelis living in Israel, and they, like many Jews around the world, see Ethiopia as their spiritual home.
While Ethiopian Christians also believe themselves to be descended from King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, and continue to have a strong bond with the Jews, their history diverged from that of the Jews in the 4thcentury. It was then that Ethiopian merchants known as janderabaw, who had travelled the world trading with other nations, brought the word of Christ home. King Ezana of the Axumite Kingdom heard rumours of their stories, and sent for them, asking what they had seen and heard. It was King Ezana who oversaw the building of the first church, known as Maryam or Zion, in Axum, and he who sent out a priest named Freminatos, originally his slave, to travel lands far and wide speaking of the Christian faith.
Shortly afterwards, the nine saints reached the country from Syria and led the people in carving churches into the tops of cliffs in the harsh yet stunning Tigrey region. In those days, many still feared retaliation from those who had not converted; these early churches are so hard to reach that few made the climb and worshipers were able to celebrate mass in peace. So many churches were cut, in such inaccessible and remote locations, that many have yet to be explored. Most notable are Wukro Kirkos, Tigrey’s earliest church, Abuna Gebre Mikael, set into the base of a cliff, and Debre Maryam Korkor, with its unexpected pillars and arches.
One of the most extraordinary sites for a church is that of Abuna Yemata, built by a saint of the same name. The church is reached by a 2-hour climb up the cliff, which includes a section of clambering up a sheer rock-face using handholds and footholds in the rock. It’s said that no one has fallen while ascending the cliff because the nine saints – nine stone pinnacles surrounding the church – are watching over climbers.
From around the 10thcentury, Arabs took control of Jerusalem and tension grew between the Arab States and Ethiopia. Rumours reached Ethiopia that Ethiopians travelling to worship in Jerusalem were being killed. In the 12thcentury, King Lalibela, saddened that Ethiopians were no longer able to visit, decided to build a second Jerusalem on the escarpment now named after him. The 11 churches that make up Lalibela, Ethiopia’s New Jerusalem, are hewn from rock and linked by a maze of tunnels and passageways. Bete Giyorgis, or St George, perhaps the most striking of the churches and the one at which many pilgrims still worship, is carved as a symmetrical cross that rises from a sunken courtyard.
Muslims started arriving in the 7thcentury. At that time, the well-loved and just King Al Nejash was ruling the land. News of the king’s democratic beliefs, and his belief in religious equality, reached the ears of the Prophet Mohamed, who advised his followers to go, telling them Abyssinia was a free and welcoming country and a good place to spread the word of Islam. The first Muslims who settled in Ethiopia named their village Al Nejash after the king who welcomed them into the country.
In the 10thcentury, 43 holy men made the journey from Arabia. Sheik Aba Dir, despite being the youngest, was recognised by the men as their leader because of the miracles he accomplished and his deep spirituality. They settled at the recently founded city of Harar, now recognised by many Muslims as the fourth holiest city in the world after Mecca. Medina and Jerusalem. From Harar, the faith spread around the Horn of Africa, and many scholars from Djibouti, Somalia and further afield came to teach Islamic education.
In the 1560s, Amir Nur, with the help of the Yemenis, built a wall around Harar. To this day he’s revered for preserving the religion and culture of Harar. The wall has five gates representing the five pillars of Islam and the five prayers of the day, and 6,666 verses of the Koran are inscribed into the wall.
While the city has now expanded far beyond its walls, the walled city known as Jugoll – jug meaning stop, and goll meaning enter – is still at its centre. Jugoll has a greater concentration of mosques than any city in the world. The traditional houses inside the walls remain as they have been for centuries, with thick walls formed of volcanic stones adorned with bright trays and baskets and cups and vases; their main door faces either east or west to allow the sun to enter the house once a day. The three main rooms are the living room with five platforms, the bedroom and the storage room. The two main niches are for storing manuscripts while the beams over the door are for carpets – the best carpet is only brought down for the wedding of the daughter of the household, and she takes that carpet with her into her new home.
Now Jews, Christians and Muslims visit this country, all exploring the history of their religion and worshipping at the ancient sites. Unique in Africa – perhaps in the world – Ethiopia is revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims alike, all of whom believe the country to have significant meaning in the history of their faith.
Sites of significance
Jews: Woleka, just outside Gondar, where the Jewish community still lives.
Christians: Axum, where the first church was built and the Arc of the Covenant is believed to be held; Gheralta where there are hundreds of churches carved into the tops of cliffs; and Lake Tana, where all the islands have beautiful monasteries painted with vivid Bible stories.
Muslims: Al Negesh, near Wukro, home of the first Muslim community; and the attractive ancient walled city of Harar, considered to be the fourth most holy city in the world by many Muslims.
Lalibela, the New Jerusalem, is significant to Jews, Christians and Muslims.
Tamara Britten, 05 May 2020
Published also in: Travelog Magazine: The Standard
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