[go: up one dir, main page]
Scribd
Upload
33K views2 pages

Ethiopian Religious History

Judaism is the religion of the ancient Jewish or Hebrew people based on a covenant between them and God. Some accounts say Ethiopian Jews known as Beta Israel descended from the Tribe of Dan migrating to Ethiopia as early as the Exodus, while others trace their origins to the 6th century AD. The isolated Beta Israel developed their own version of Judaism called Haymanot and lived in small villages across northern Ethiopia. Christianity became the dominant religion of Ethiopia beginning in the 4th century AD when King Ezana converted and established the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. The Nine Saints expanded Christianity further in the 5th century by translating religious texts into Ge'ez. Throughout the Middle Ages, many churches

Uploaded by

Hanamariam Fantu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
33K views2 pages

Ethiopian Religious History

Judaism is the religion of the ancient Jewish or Hebrew people based on a covenant between them and God. Some accounts say Ethiopian Jews known as Beta Israel descended from the Tribe of Dan migrating to Ethiopia as early as the Exodus, while others trace their origins to the 6th century AD. The isolated Beta Israel developed their own version of Judaism called Haymanot and lived in small villages across northern Ethiopia. Christianity became the dominant religion of Ethiopia beginning in the 4th century AD when King Ezana converted and established the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. The Nine Saints expanded Christianity further in the 5th century by translating religious texts into Ge'ez. Throughout the Middle Ages, many churches

Uploaded by

Hanamariam Fantu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

Judaism

 Judaism is the religion of the ancient Jewish or Hebrew people. It is


considered to be the expression of the covenant that Yahweh or Jehovah
or God established with the Israeli. It has been followed in Ethiopia and the
Horn by the people called Beta Israel or "house of Israel" began to be
clearly noticed in the 4th century AD.
 The Beta Israel or Ethiopian Jews practiced Haymanot. Many of the Beta
Israel accounts of their own origins stress that they stem from the very
ancient migration of some portion of the Tribe of Dan to Ethiopia, led it is
said by sons of Moses, perhaps even at the time of the Exodus (1400-1200
B.C.).
 Other Beta Israel takes as their basis the account of return to Ethiopia of
Menilek I, the first Solomonic Emperor of Ethiopia.
 Another group of Jews are said to have arrived in Ethiopia led by Azonos
and Phinhas in 6th century A.D. Still others are said to have been Jewish
immigrants intermarried with Agaws. The Jews have been isolated from
mainstream Jewish for at least a millennium. The Jewish developed and
lived for centuries in northern and northwestern Ethiopia, in more than
500 small villages spread over a wide territory. Most of them were
concentrated mainly on North Gondar, Shire Enda-Selassie, Wolqayit,
Tselemti, Dembiya, Segelt, Quara and Belesa.

Christianity
 Evidences show that Aksumite King Ezana (r. 320-360 AD) dropped pre-
Christian gods like Ares, Hariman, Maharram ,war god, Arwe (serpent-
python god), Bahir (sea god) & Midir (earth god) and embraced
Christianity.
 Instrumental in conversion were Syrian brothers, Aedesius & Fremnatos
also called Kasate Birhane, visited Alexandria, Patriarch Atnatewos (328-
373), appointed him first Bishop of Ethiopia under title Aba Salama. This
made Ethiopian Orthodox Church (EOC) subservient to Coptic in Egypt until
full independence i.e. consecration of its own patriarch, Abune Baslios was
achieved in 1959.
 Christianity was Christianity was further expanded to the mass of the
society in later part of 5th century, during the reign of Ella Amida II (478-
86) by the Nine Saints
 The saints translated Bible and other religious books into Geez. Then
expansion of Christianity chiefly gained fresh momentum in Zagwe period
(1150-1270). During early Medieval (1270-1527) many churches and
monasteries were constructed including Debra-Bizan of Hamasen in
Eritrea; Debra-Hayiq in Wallo; Debre-Dima & Debre-Werq in Gojjam;
Debra-Libanos in Shawa and Debre-Asabot on the way to Harar.
 In 16th and 17th centuries, Jesuits tried to convert Monophysite EOC to
Dyophysite Catholic. Yet this led to bloody conflicts that in turn led to
expulsion of the Jesuits. However, the Jesuits intervention triggered
religious controversies with in Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Lately,
monopolization of burial places by Church forced people to accept
Tawahedo.
 Since 1804, missionaries‟ religious expansion was one of the dominant
themes of treaties concluded between European diplomats and Ethiopian
authorities.
 Catholic Giuseppe Sapeto, Giustino De Jacobis, Cardinal Massaja, Antoine
and Arnauld d'Abbadie were active.
 Protestant missionaries were led by Anglican Church Missionary Society
(ACMS), Church Missionary Society of London (CMSL) & Wesleyan
Methodist Society and their major leaders were Samuel Gobat, C.W.
Isenberg, J. L. Krapf & Theophil Lefebvre. Systematic approach of trained
Protestants enabled them to win confidence of local people. They
translated religious books in to vernacular languages. They adopted old
names for Supreme Being like Waaqayyoo, Tossa and used them in new
versions as equivalent to God. Village schools, medical facilities were
established by Protestants. Eventually, continuous and systematic
indoctrinations seem to have resulted in grafting of new teaching on
indigenous religion.

You might also like