The Change of Ethiopia's Shape Over the past Three Millennia

D'mt Empire
c. 980 - c. 400 b.c.
Kubek15, Africa in 400 B.c., 2010, WikiCommons,
 accessed August 25, 2016,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:
Africa_in_400_BC.jpg.

     Ethiopia’s unique position in avoiding colonialism in the Scramble for Africa during the 18th and 19th centuries is worth boasting about. An even greater feat is how that ancient kingdom more or less avoided the western slave trade that took place during the three centuries that followed Columbus’ discovery of the new world. 

     Before the Famous Aksumite Kingdom, the territory of modern northern Ethiopia and Eritrea was ruled by an empire known as D'mt. Very little is known about the nature of this kingdom. It is speculated that it was just an earlier era of the Aksumite Empire.

Area in the Kingdom of Aksum -
c.100 -- c.900

Aksum, Map/Still, from Britannica Online for Kids, 

accessed August 25, 2016,

http://kids.britannica.com/elementary/art-87705.

     Going back to the era in ancient Ethiopia when the kingdom of Aksum ruled in a very stable epoch. The boundaries of Aksum were more in modern-day Sudan and Eritrea. The area covered by the kingdom of Aksum varied through the years and peaked around 1000 when it included the vassal state of Kitara. 

Aksumite Kingdom
at it's peak
Jolie, Africa in 400 B.c., 2008,
Wiki Commons,
accessed August 25, 2016,
https://commons.
wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Adal.PNG.

Zagwe Empire
1137-1270 A.D.
LaGabrie, Zagwe Empire, 
2015, Wiki Commons,
accessed August 25, 2016,
https://commons.wikimedia.org
/wiki/File:Approximate_
extension_of
_the_Zagwe_Empire.JPG.

     [1] During the middle ages, “The Zagwe dynasty ruled many parts of modern Ethiopia and Eritrea from approximately 1137 to 1270.” The boundaries of the kingdom were small, but well fortified. The rulers ruled through an emperor and since Mara Takla Haymanot — the founder of the Zagwe dynasty married a daughter of of the last king of Aksum, the Zagwe were considered a Solomonic bloodline as well. 
     From the fall of the Zagwe dynasty through the scramble for Africa, the area of Ethiopia remained with only several exceptions. [2] During the Ottoman era, the area of modern-day Eritrea was captured, but were driven out and lost all their territory except one seaport that remained in their hands until the Italian invasion later in the 1800’s. 

An 1891 map of Ethiopia
unknown, Ethiopia 1891, 2015,
Wiki Commons, accessed August 25, 2016,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:
Abyssinia1891.jpg. 

     Yet, exceptions to that uninterrupted streak of freedom from foreign conquests. [3] After defeating Italy’s invasion in 1895-96, the Italians returned successfully forty years later and captured the capital city of Addis Ababa. The ancient Solomonic monarchial dynasty came to a grinding halt with Italy claiming Ethiopia as her own. Fascist Italy brought Ethiopia’s land mass to be combined with Somaliland to the north-east and Eritrea to the north-central-west — together the newly formed territory was branded Italian East Africa from 1936-1941, with Emperor Haile Selassie in exile. In 1942, in the heat of World War II, Ethiopia was freed from the Italians by the Allied Powers. For the next ten years Ethiopia’s border included Eritrea and on September 15, 1952 

Eritrea won their independence and Ethiopia became landlocked again.

     [4] September 12, 1974 was the last day Haile Selassie was upon the throne of Ethiopia. A Soviet-backed coup called the Derg overtook Ethiopia and ruled through an old-world communist-style military dictatorship until 1991.
     Since the 1990’s Ethiopia’s borders have stayed relatively the same and her politics have operated in a Democratic-style Republic model. Although this has not been free from oppression or corruption.

     Within modern-day Ethiopia there are thirteen provinces that are based upon historical regions and religious orientation. Wikipedia notes that [5] “Various religions are adhered to in Ethiopia. Most Christians live in the highlands, whereas Muslims mainly inhabit the lowlands. Adherents of traditional faiths are primarily concentrated in the southern regions.”

Ethiopia's Modern-Day Administrative Zones
UN Emergencies Unit for Ethiopia, Ethiopia's Zone Region, 2000,
Wiki Commons, accessed August 25, 2016,https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:
Ethiopia_zone_region.jpg.

[1] Parker Wilson, “Ethiopia Then and Now,” Prezi, November 3, 2012, accessed August 25, 2016, https://prezi.com/i1cfr6cbyamt/ethiopia-then-and-now/. 

[2] “History of Eritrea,” History World, accessed August 25, 2016,http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ad18#ixzz4IK2PCT1x.

[3] “Italo-Ethiopian War,” Britannica, December 29, 2015, accessed August 25, 2016,https://www.britannica.com/event/Italo-Ethiopian-War-1935-1936.

[4] “Ethiopian Treasures,” Ethiopian Treasures, accessed August 25, 2016,http://www.ethiopiantreasures.co.uk/pages/derg.htm.

[5] “Demographics of Ethiopia,” Wikipedia, accessed August 25, 2016, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Ethiopia. 

______________________________________

                                                                                      Bibliography 

History World. “History of Eritrea.” 

     Accessed August 25, 2016. 

     http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ad18#ixzz4IK2PCT1x. 

Britannica. “Italo-Ethiopian War.” December 29, 2015. Accessed August 25, 

     2016.https://www.britannica.com/event/Italo-Ethiopian-War-1935-1936. 

     

Wilson, Parker. “Ethiopia Then and Now.” Prezi. November 3, 2012. 

     Accessed August 25, 2016. 

     https://prezi.com/i1cfr6cbyamt/ethiopia-then-and-now/.  

     

Wikipedia. “Demographics of Ethiopia.” Accessed August 25, 2016. 

     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Ethiopia.Ethiopian Treasures. “Ethiopian Treasures.” Accessed August 25, 

     2016.http://www.ethiopiantreasures.co.uk/pages/derg.htm.

Ethiopian Missionary Activity

     One possible evidence of missionary activity of Israelites reaching out to Ethiopians is found in the story of Ebed-Melech and Jeremiah. Ebed-Melech was an Ethiopian who worked in the court of King Zedekiah of Judea. His actions show that he God had reached his heart, be it through a human witness or by the Holy Spirit alone. He was probably a prisoner of war, but he did not let that hold him back from taking action to rescue a prophet of God. When there was not anyone else present who was willing to help Jeremiah after his own people threw him into a pit of mire — and apparently left him for dead! Upon hearing of the situation, Ebed-Melech went to King Zedekiah and reported the matter — that “[1] men have acted wickedly in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet whom they cast into the cistern (Jer 38:9, NASB).” Later, because of his kindness God sends a message from Jeremiah to Ebed-Melech that in the day when Jerusalem is taken, he would be delivered and kept safe!

     Another instance is Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. God drew the Queen to meet Solomon because of all that she had heard of him and his God. This story, as mentioned in several earlier blogs is one that Ethiopians based their ruling dynasty’s bloodline upon. This story is found in 1 Kings 10:1-13 and 2nd Chronicles 9:1-12. 

     In Acts 8:26-40, a well known instance of missionary activity with an Ethiopian is found in the story of Phillip the Evangelist with the Ethiopian Eunuch who works for Queen Candace. Phillip is told by the Spirit to look for the Eunuch and upon seeing him, he climbs in his chariot and they read Isaiah chapter 53 and Phillip expounds upon the passage, showing it is the Messiah. The Eunuch then requests baptism and gets baptized in a nearby stream.

St. George in Lalibela.
taken from:
http://www.travel-tour-
 guide.com/ethiopia_danakil_lalibela_pictures/

     Compared with the rest of the world, “[2] Ethiopia is one of the oldest Christian states in the world.” Aside from Phillip the Evangelist, it appears to be the center for early 1st century missionary activity by Matthew as reported in Foxe’s Book of Martyrs — Foxe reports that Matthew “[3]went to Ethiopia, ordained preachers, settled churches, and made many converts. He afterwards proceeded to Parthia, where he had the same success; but returning to Ethiopia, he was slain by a halberd in the city of Nadabar, about the year of Christ 60.

     [5] In the 4th Century A.D., a Greek Christian named Frumentius was shipwrecked in Ethiopia and the Queen requested him to stay and from there he began to secretly spread Christianity throughout the lands. He was later appointed as the bishop of Ethiopia. [6] In the 15th Century, Jesuit missionaries were sent to Ethiopia in the hopes of bringing the Ethiopian Church into fellowship with the Catholic Church. 

    The Bible speaks of in futuristic language that, “Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God” (Psalm 68:31, KJV). While this may refer to the Christianization of Ethiopia, it probably has a fuller fulfillment in the future.

Deacon in the Tigray, Ethiopia
taken from:
 http://mitchellk.photoshelter.com/image/I0000u6IUIewjFhM

References

New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Je 38:9). LaHabra, CA: 

     The Lockman Foundation.

“Religion in Ethiopia." Wikipedia. Last modified May 10, 2016. Accessed       

     August 9, 2016. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Ethiopia.

Foxe, J. (2000). Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson. Logos 

     Bible Software 6.13. Faithlife Corporation: ©2000-2016.

Adejumobi, Saheed A. The History of Ethiopia. The Greenwood Histories of the 

     Modern Nations. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2007.

“History of Ethiopia,” www.historyworld.net, accessed August 14,     2016, http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.aspgroupid=2112&HistoryID=ab92>rack=pth

     Due to it’s proximity, northern Africa has had a more direct relationship with Europe than has other African countries. Ethiopia and Egypt on the other hand have had an even more direct tie with both European countries as well as Middle Eastern and Asian. 

     It is not clear when Ethiopia first had contact with the far eastern Asian countries. However, it appears to be true that the first century a.d. kingdom of Aksum had made contact with Emperor Ping through the Indian Ocean Trade route. The records state that the Chinese leader had received a rhinoceros.
     It is equally difficult to pinpoint when Ethiopia’s first contact with Europe was since it’s visits by Europeans predate Ethiopian record keeping. During the days of the Roman Republic, tribal groups that later made up the nation of Ethiopia were recognized by Roman officials.
     The Ethiopian nation which has always been made up of countless numbers of different tribes - each having a different ethnicity, have formed many different styles of government. One of the most famous that began around the second century a.d. was the Aksum kingdom made up of an Amhara ruling class that had developed their denominated form of Christianity from their contact with the nation of Tyre. 

      In the early 1500’s Ethiopian emperor Levna Dengel appealed to Portugal for help against the neighboring Somalis. “A Portuguese embassy had reached the Ethiopian court in 1520.” While the Portuguese embassy was already in Ethiopia by that time, it was utilized through a war conflict with Somalia. 

In 1889, “Emperor Menelik II signed a treaty of friendship and cooperation with Italy.” However, in 1896 a dispute came about over the meaning of the treaty and Italy claimed it had been given the right to control Ethiopia while protecting her. This caused a revolt in Ethiopia and the country made history for being the first African country to successfully push a European nation back against colonialist advances. However, sadly in the 20th century, Italy briefly established communist rule over Ethiopia during World War II. It was the European nations of England and France, along with the United States that stepped in and liberated the Ethiopians. 

    While Ethiopia had contact with China at least as early as two thousand years ago due to the Indian Ocean trade, it was a thousand years before that when contact was made with Israel through a possible territory expansion attempt.  It seems that both major European contacts with Ethiopia were through war. With Portugal, it was through the Portuguese assisting Ethiopia while with Italy, it was through direct opposition.

Pankurst, Richard. An Introduction to the Economic History of Ethiopia (London: Lalibela
     House, 1961).
Sampson, Jerry. Ethiopia: History and Culture. (New York, NY: Sonit Academy Group, 2012)
Jump up

depiction of elephants by Ptolemaic Egypt

Pre-Christian era Trade      

     The area that makes up today's Ethiopia on Africa's horn has always been a strategic power for the nation's trade. The busiest maritime ports in pre-Christian times were Adulis and Massawa on the red sea (in modern day Eritrea); Gulf of Aden ports of Tajurah (Djibouti), Zeil (Somalia / Somaliland), Berbera (Somalia). These ports, along with routes in Sudanese lands were crucial for the marketing of its natural resources such as gold, salt, livestock, and elephants. The demand for the latter increased as the Ptolemies conquered Egypt and began investing in them as military instruments much in the same way tanks have been used in the modern era.[1]                                                                  

                                                                       Aksum-era Resources 

Early Christian era Ethiopia -
The Kingdom of Aksum 

     
      The dawn of the Christian era saw travel-fare increase along these same routes in addition to the growing maritime ocean route between India and Aksum -- the headquarters for the Ethiopic kingdom of 1st century a.d. The strategic location of the Aksumite kingdom on Africa’s horn encompassed the modern day nations of Ethiopia, Sudan, Djibouti, Eritrea, and Somalia. Ethiopia’s natural resources that dominated the market during this era was ivory, gold, civet musk (perfume taken from glandular secretions of a civet cat), and much later — slaves. These goods were traded and sold in the caravan system where merchants would travel in groups and set up fairs outside of villages and major cities where multitudes would excitedly flock to purchase wares brought to them from distant lands. These fairs were enriched by the increased maritime that came about due to established water routes of the infamous Silk Road. [2] The availability and production of goods and services in the Aksumite economic powerhouse increased to unforeseen heights for the better half of the first millennium a.d. 

    Post-Islam Economics

Civet Cat - raised for it's glandular secretions

     The seventh and eighth centuries marked the beginning of a permanent downturn in Aksumite economic dominance as Islamic conquests rampaged throughout the middle east and northern Africa. Having to focus on maintaining independence and strengthening its borderland caused the Ethiopian empire ceded its economic prominence to the newly arrived Islamic hoards.
         

    Modern Era Resources 

       In the modern era, while Ethiopia was blessed enough to escape colonization and the slave trade, it was dominated in the world war II era by Fascist Italy and later by communism until 1994. During those years, Ethiopia did not benefit economically through their own natural resources. Since 1994, efforts have been made to establish greater access to their petroleum and natural gas.[3] Even without much oil production, it is still Ethiopia’s largest yearly export and accounts for 19% of it’s economy. each year Ethiopia has seen a steady increase of its GDP, which currently is at $61.4 billion.[4] It currently accounts for .091% of the world market and its chief exports are refined petroleum, coffee, oily seeds, vegetables, cut flowers, gold, bovine, dried legumes and tanned sheep hides.[5] The economic trading power of this ancient country appears to be on the increase.

Addis Ababa

[1] Elephants http://web.linkethiopia.org/guide-to-ethiopia/the-pankhurst-history-library/trade-in-ethiopia-in-ancient-times-1/

[2] Early Trade ibid

[3] Oil http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2015/01/26/ethiopia-extractives-mining-strategic-assessment-mineral-sector

[4] GDP http://statisticstimes.com/economy/countries-by-projected-gdp.php

[5] Exports http://www.indexmundi.com/ethiopia/natural_resources.html

The Religion of Ethiopia

        Culturally speaking, it would hard to top Africa in the level interesting. Each country is highly distinctive and packed with one-of-a-kind experiences and stories that stimulate the curiosity. 

However, I would have to say Ethiopia is by far the most fascinating because of their connection with Judaism and Christianity. Their largest traditional religion is found with the [1]Oromo people and their worship of Waaqayoo (Waaqa for short). 
Here is a quote from one of the famous Qaallu  (male priest) M. de Almeida (1628-46), who had this to say: 'the Oromo are neither Christians, moors nor heathens, for they have no idols to worship.” Interesting he associated “idols” with Christianity. I wonder what what we as Christians would think of that reputation we have!? Below is the traditional range of territory the Oromo occupy.
       Since the introduction of first Christianity and then Islam, the Oromo have become converted to both at a reasonable rate. After converting to either religion, they typically retain their former opinions and thus the three main branches are: Christian Oromo; Islamic Oromo; and traditional Oromo. 
    
       In addition to not worshiping idols, the Oromo also appear to believe in one Divine Reality or God, namely the Waaqa. Waaqa  does not tolerate lies, theft, or injustice and commands obedience to divine law and turning away from all sin. Within the Oromo faith, there are other manifestations
through mini-deities and angels, but they are expressions of the one divine reality.

 The picture below and to the left is an Oromo man performing rituals for a worshiper. It is beneath the dignity of an Oromo to ask for reimbursement money at any time for his services.
       Traditionally, you can find Ethiopians claiming to have descended from all three branches of Noah’s children — Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Yet, the  most prevalent and biblically sound is Ham and his son Cush in Genesis 10:6. 

      In traditional Ethiopian history, King Solomon an intimate encounter with [2]Makeda (biblical Queen of Sheba) and the child that was the result of the affair is said to be the origin of the Ethiopian royal family extending back well over a several Millennia until the early 70’s when an outside communist regime deposed the Solomonic emperor Halie Selassie. 
  
       [3]Islam has a story of Solomon having relations (non-sexual) with the Queen of Sheba, or Bilqiys in the Quran in the Surah An-Naml  chapter. This connection is more economical. While on the subject of Islam, it also is worthy of noting that the Muslim faith reached Ethiopia early on in the development of Islam in the 7th century. That is six hundred years after the Biblical account in Acts 8. 
       Now back to the Solomon and Queen connection! While the Ethiopian traditional connection between Solomon and the Queen is biological, in the Quranic it is economical, in the biblical account it is spiritual…in the biblical it is spiritual. The Queen searches Solomon out over “[4]heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions (1Ki 10:1, NASB).”
      In the Christian faith, it is claimed that the record in Acts chapter 8 of the Ethiopian Eunuch and Phillip is the start of the Christian faith in Ethiopia. 
Yet, there is another link with the Ethiopian and the line of Shem (that’s where the Hebrews descended from) that extends back further than any of the aforementioned traditions. Abraham’s third wife Keturah gave birth to Jokshan, who in turn begat Sheba (Gen 25:1-3, NASB). It has long been stated that this is the same family line of Sheba, the grandson of Abraham. Extensive [5]DNA studies have also been given on Ethiopians and have shown that most have about 50 percent Semitic blood.
      Thus if this very popular theory is true, the Queen of Sheba who met with Solomon was already at the very least partially a descendant of Shem because of the Sheba factor. Yet, if the Solomon and Makeda (Queen of Sheba) is legit, Ethiopia has at least two major connections with the Semitic people. I thought this quote would be a nice way to sum up the blog. 

“[6]Once they were kings. A half million strong, they matched their faith with fervor and out-matched the Moslem and Christian tribesmen around them to rule the mountain highlands around Lake Tana. They called themselves Beta Israel—the house of Israel—and used the Torah to guide their prayers and memories of the heights of Jerusalem as they lived in their thatched huts in Ethiopia”.


--------------------------------
[1] https://ethnomed.org/culture/oromo/oromo-cultural-profile
[2] Stephen Belcher, African Myths of Origin (London: Penguin Books, 2005)
[3] https://www.al-islam.org/enlightening-commentary-light-holy-quran-vol-13/section-3-solomon-and-queen-sheba#surah-
naml-verses-32-33
[4]The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., 1 Ki 10:1). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
[5] https://news.upenn.edu/news/out-africa-penn-geneticist-publishes-largest-ever-study-african-genetics-revealing-origins-migr
[6] http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/ejhist.html. “Falashas: The Forgotten Jews,” Baltimore Jewish Times, 9 November 1979