The Forgotten History of Ethiopia As The First Major Power In The World To Adopt Christianity.

Introduction

In the beginning Christianity was a a very small religion born in the Middle East, composed of individuals who practiced secretly, challenged the state religions of their countries, or went around the Middle East, Europe, and Afrika spreading the Gospel of Isa (Christ).

Traditionally, when we think of the early history of Christianity we typically associate its national character with the Roman Empire. Yet decades before the Roman Empire formally adopted Christianity, Christianity was instituted as the official religion by King Ezana of the Aksum Empire around 325 AD. Formerly based in modern day Northern Ethiopia and Eritrea, Aksum was one of the most powerful Nations in the world at the time. The only other two Nations that projected as much power and influence as Aksum was the Roman and Persian Empire.

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, born in the Aksum Empire, is one of the oldest Christian Churches in the entire world. Depending on your method of historiography, Aksum was the first, or second, Nation in the world to adopt Christianity. With the institutionalization of Christianity by the Royal Families of Ethiopia and its spread and promotion throughout the empire, more and more citizens of Aksum began converting into the Christian Faith as time passed.

The Ethiopian Bible

Out of all Chrisitian Churches, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church possesses the largest Biblical cannon (number of books in the Bible). For this reason many consider the Ethiopian Bible to be the most complete and classical Bible in existance.

Protestant, which is the branch of Christianity most people in America, Britain, and former British colonies belong to, has 66 Books which they define as ‘the Bible’. The Ethiopian Church, on the other hand, possesses more than 80 Books within their ‘Bible’, which includes all the Books within the Protestant and Catholic Bible plus additional Books they have long believed to be sacred and associated with the Gospel. This positions the ‘Bible’ of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church as the largest and most extensive Bible out of all Chrisitan churches.

The Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Church contain similar amount of Books in what they refer to as their ‘Bible’; with the Eastern Orthodox Church containing a few more books. Both of these churches have more books in their Bible than Protestant churches, but less than the Ethiopian church.

Why these branches of Christianity have different books in their Bible and why there isn’t one Bible for all Christian believers, is a question we may touch on another day.

Ethiopa’s Early Encounter With the Abrahamic Faiths Based Upon Oral & Biblical Tradiiton

The region of Ethiopia is mentioned more than 40 times in the Bible. Describing the early influence Christianity had in Ethiopia, Book of Acts 8:27-28 states “…behold, a man of Ethiopia, an enoch of great authority under Kandake Queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for worship, was returning, and sitting in his chariot reading Isaiah the prophet.” In Psalms 68:31 it is stated “Princes shall come out of Kemet; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.”

Additionally, the Solomonic dynasty, an Ethiopian ruling family which began its rule in the 13th century, claimed descent from the biblical King Solomon. Ethiopian oral tradition states Queen Sheba, a royal woman who reigned over the southern region of Ethiopia, went to visit King Solomon in Jerusalem to exchange gifts and knowledge. The two royals ended up giving birth to a boy, named Menelik I. Menelik I would go on to become the first Emperor of Ethiopia and is credited with bringing the Ark of the Covenant with him from Jerusalem to Ethiopia. The Kabra Negast, written in Ge’ez in the 14th century, details the ancestral history of the Solomonic dynasty and Menelik I. These two traditions establish the significant role Ethiopia has played in the early History of the Bible.

Now lets briefly detail how Christianity, a religion originating in the “Middle East” and whose early members were persecuted by various Governments, ended up as the official religion of the Aksum Empire (Ethiopia and Eritrea); one of the first Nations in the world to do such.

How Christianity Became The Official Religion of the Aksum Empire of Ethiopia

Ethiopia’s geographical position, which was extremely close to the Middle East and consequentially close to Greece through Egypt, allowed them become interlocked in a web of knowledge, commerce, and intellectual exchange. This geographic closeness to the Middle East, the place where Judaism, Christianity, and Islam were born, resulted in Ethiopia’s early adoption and connection with all three Faiths.

In the early 4th century, two Christian students from the Levant region, Frumentius and his brother Aedesius, were traveling in a Roman ship on the Red Sea, near an Aksum port. At the time the Aksum and Roman Empire did not have the best relationship, leading to the seizure of the Roman ship and the taking of these two students to the Court of Justice in Aksum.

After becoming acquainted with the intelligence and spiritual knowledge of the two young Christian students, the royals of Aksum gave the two brothers important roles within the government. Frumentius even became Treasurer of the kingdom. As Frumentius grew older, he began spreading the Gospel of Christ within the royal and noble families of the Empire. As there were already Christians of Ethiopian descent within the empire, many people within Aksum were already familiar with the faith which allowed the missionary work of Frumentius to have a greater degree of appreciation.

During the pursuit of his missionary purpose, Frumentius was granted the opportunity to meet the Pope of Alexandria which resulted in the request for bishops to be sent to Ethiopia. This led to Frumentius himself becoming the first Bishop of Ethiopia.

As time passed, the Monarch who took these young students under his care eventually passed away, leaving behind two young sons. During this tragic period, the boys, Aedesius and Frumentius, began to feel home sick and yearned for a return to the Levant. The Queen, who had just lost her husband, pleaded with the boys to remain teaching in Aksum at least until her two children, both princes, became fully prepared to assume Government duties. Frumentius, the older brother, decided to remain. One of the princes he assisted in training, Ezana, would eventually become King; becoming one of first major Kings in the world, if not the first, to adopt Christianity as the Official Religion of the State.

Initially, the circle of those interested in Frumentius preaching were most likely foreign merchants and royalty as they were the closest in proximity to government officials. Also, at this time, the major language of the Christian world was Greek therefore only those somewhat acquainted with or learned in Greek would be receptive to his preaching. This seemingly foreign influence was rejected by Ethiopians who believed in the sacredness of their language and traditional religion. This state of affairs most likely contributed to the translation of the Bible into Ge’ez early on in Ethiopia’s offical Christian history.

Unique Forms of Ethiopian Christiniaity

Throughout the years, due to not being subject to any Christian authority, Ethiopia has been able to develop its own unique form of Christianity. It is important to note, that in the 16th century attempts were made by Portuguese Catholics to convert citizens of Ethiopia into Roman Catholics. This led to the expulsion of all Portuguese Church and Government officials and for the next few centuries no European missionaries were allowed on Ethiopia’s soil. A significant example of the sovereign power Ethiopian’s derived from their unique Chrisitian heritage.

One of the most important products of Ethiopian Christianity, which separates it from other forms of Christianity, is its depictions of Jesus and other major Biblical figures. Most of these figures appear to be Ethiopian, though typiclly light skin, as opposed to European; which shows they see themselves and their community reflected in these sacred and divine stories rather than foreigners. The Garima Gospels, a critical manuscripts within the Ethiopian Christian tradition, are one of the world’s oldest surviving illuminated Christian manuscripts.

The Ethiopian Bible is also written in an ancient Ethiopian language called Ge’ez, rather than Hebrew or Greek. This language is to the Ethiopian Church as Latin or Greek is to European Churches or Hebrew is to Judaism. Except for highly advanced and dedicated Church scholars, very few people in Ethiopia still speak and understand Ge’ez. Yet Ethiopians believe Ge’ez, which they associated to the early history of Christianity, is an extremely sacred language; a language which connects them to their deeply spiritually aware ancestors.

The architecture of traditional Ethiopian churches is also very unique, as it is carved from hard rock stones, some even being carved into large rock mountains in the extreme highlands. These traditional churches, which were designed intricately and complemented with advanced engineering techniques, were built very early on and throughout Ethiopia’s long history. Till this day, these architectural feats are an important pilgrimage site for many adherents of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

The Ark of the Covenant, a wooden chest covered with gold, is described in the Old Testament as the storage unit where the Israelites placed the Ten Commandments after their sacred agreement and pledge to God. It is believed, through the Biblical narrative, that the Israelites carried this Ark through the wilderness on the way to the ‘Promise Land’. The Ethiopian Church claims this Ark is under their care and possession, which was brought by the son of King Solomon and Queen Sheba - Menelik I - to Ethiopia.

Members of the Ethiopian Church are also expected to pray seven times a day: In the morning, at the ‘third’ hour, the ‘sixth’ hour, the ‘ninth’ hour, in the evening, before bed, and at midnight. These strict observances of prayer makes the Ethiopian Church one of the most disciplined Christian Churches in regards to prayer.

Lastly, and significantly, in our mention of the unique traditions of Ethiopian Chrisitanity, is that out of 365 days of the year, members are expected to fast 55 days before Easter, 40 days during the Christmas period, 15 days to commemorate Virgin Mary’s death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven; and weekly fasting every Wednesday and Friday. This means that members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church are expected to fast more than 200 days out of the 365 days of the year; resulting in the cultivation of extreme spiritual discipline. For ordinary members of the church, fasting for at least 180 days is considered mandatory, and is looked at as a way for believers to celebrate the creation of the Universe and God’s blessings upon humanity.

What practices and beliefs does the Ethiopian Orthodox Church share with other mainstream Christian Churches?

Members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church strongly adhere to the Holy Trinity spiritual doctrine, which binds all Christians together - the sacred union between The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. The Orthodox Church also ritually participates in the Eucharist offering, or Communion, the symbolic eating of the body and blood of Jesus Christ, through crackers and wine or cranberry juice.

Though due to the practice of childhood circumcision, the abstaining from pork, women wearing head covering within the church, the slaughtering of animals in a specific manner, many religious observers believe Ethiopian Christianity emphasizes the beliefs of the Old Testament more than any other Christian denominations.

Why is there differences of opinion regarding whether Ethiopia was the first or second Nation in the world to adopt Christianity?

The reason for the differences of opinion is due to the amount of weight scholars attribute to the credibility of different sources. In Ethiopia case, the archeological evidence and oral and written history points to the adoption of Christianity as a State Religion around the early 4th century, in about 325 AD. In Armenia case, which is typically given the title as the first Christian Nation in the world, there is an accredited historian who details Armenia state’s adoption of Christianity, and the time given to this adoption is 301 AD, a couple decades before Ethiopia.

Where it gets tricky is that there are also legends which state Ethiopia adopted Christianity long before Armenia. In the 8th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, it states that an Ethiopia eunuch, who was the finance minister of the legendary Queen Kandake (Candace) of the Kush Empire, was baptized and trained as a Christian missionary. This was three centuries before both King Ezana of Aksum and the Armenia Kingdom adopted Christianity. So the question then becomes, who do you believe and why?

What is certain though is when it comes to hard core ‘proof’ or the material evidence, only the Aksum Empire early adoption of Christianity is without a doubt. Additionally, it is written in the Golden legend that the Apostle Matewos converted many Ethiopians, including the daughter of the King of Ethiopia, into Christianity also centuries before Armenia or King Ezana.

Not only is there archeological evidence confirming the early history of Christianity within Ethiopia, there are also coins which depict King Ezana alongside Christian symbols dated to the 4th century. Before the adoption of Christianity, Aksum coinage featured the traditional symbol of the disc and the crescent. After King Ezana’s adoption, the coins began featuring the Holy Cross. As far as the evidence goes no nation any where in the world featured a cross on their currency before Aksum. During this time a statement from King Ezana reads: “In the faith of God and the power of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit who have saved my kingdom. I believe in Your Son, Eyesus Christ who has helped me who will help me always.”

There is also a historical record written in stone, labeled as Ezana Stone, which records the conversion of King Ezana and the expansion of the Aksum Empire.

Why All This Matters?

The vast majority of Afrikan people in the world today, whom are Christian, are unfortunately unaware of the legacy of Christianity in Afrika, specifically Ethiopia, prior to the initiation of the MAAFA and the Colonization of Afrika. Both of these major events are sadly the period in which most Afrikans in the world were introduced to Christianity, which is why many now call it the “white mans religion”. Prior to those tragically transformative events, most Afrikans practiced Islam, Ancestral Spirituality, or the synchorinization of both.

Ethiopia was a rare exception to this case. There, Christianity developed for more than a thousand years before Europeans began introducing their own form of Christianity into Afrika, shaping the religion to suit their own imperialist agenda.

Therefore, we believe it is incredibly important for Afrikans to become acquainted with the independent development and uniqueness of Ethiopian Christianity. Specifically, become acquainted with how their Faith has been used as a source to protect their sovereignity rather than undermine it.

Through their own particular interpretation of Biblical scripture, through their own artistic depiction of Biblical figures, through their own emphasis on certain Christian values, and lastly through their own established historical traditions, Ethiopia has made the Gospel of Christ to reflect their own community and environment. Which is what Religion truly is. Simply a divine relfection and a source of internal power and peace.

This is a lesson Christians all over the Afrikan world must realize and reflect upon. How do we apply Christian principles for the benefit of our own upliftment?