Fesseha 13

Ethiopia's 5000 Year History, from Noah until the EPRDF, Fesseha Yaze Kassa, AD 2011

translated and annotated by Ras Feqade, AD 2021

### Chapter 13. Reign of Menilek I 982-957 BC.

In 982 BC it is Menilek I who reigned in Ethiopia and was born from King Solomon of Jerusalem and the Queen of Saba, Queen of the Sabaeans, likewise who administered Ethiopia in the King of Kingships for 25 years.

[The dates in the text correspond to 974-949 BC in the Gregorian Calendar, but my estimate for Menelik I's reign of 25 years is somewhat later, 946-921 BC.]

Menilek I's reigning in Ethiopia has shown the history of Ethiopia a different appearance. And this has enmeshed Ethiopia's royalty /History of Kings/ and likewise structure, with the Solomonic Dynasty.

While the 12 tribes who came with him and the 12 thousand firstborn males taught the Torah Law in the land of Ethiopia, a gate has opened that a people who were religious prosper, and that they quit worshiping idols.

The corporeal administration and also the procedure of law, being recurrent with the former civilized and primary country, had advantage.

While they who came from Jerusalem and began to live in Ethiopia were intermarried with Ethiopia's peoples, and gave birth, and above their being able to live in peace, as they were ordained in various desirable skills, in regard to working by their skill of hand and presenting the beneficial items of service to the people, and teaching peoples, they have provided an unassailable contribution.

And additionally, regarding both the cultural coronation order and the people's leadership beginning from Menilek I, it has been attempted to cast the regulation of law and order on a firm foundation, by a process that was extracted from the wise King Solomon and that followed the kind of order and method called modern in that era.

Even though the kings who succeeded after him, as we shall see next, quit the Law of Torah and continued their worshiping idols, there were plenty of peoples who firmed up in the Law of Torah by believing in the true God. And likewise the kings. It is not difficult to realize that the diplomatic bond created with the other primary powerful countries, produced an affirmative character that was its own, whether in trade or in other similar branches.

And in the later era, the creation of a relationship that kept with the civilized Christian countries and was desirable, was not absent. And this basis of it is, since it did not burden the peoples who were introduced with the Law of Torah in the earlier era, and who were not strangers to the Godly religion, to accept Christianity also in the later era.

At the time of Menilek's coronation, various kings and officials, who administer plenty of floating and minor territories, being appointed, The King of Kings who leads the country in supremacy was Menilek I.

It is said that it was in the ancient city where his mother reigned called Saba, that his coronation was performed. And when this is said, being as the limit of Menilek's territory was that wide territory that his mother would rule, it is said that at that time it also encompasses the Nubia that would be ruled by Egypt from 1500 to 1200. And the reason is after 200 years passed since the Egyptians left, that the Queen of Saba reigned and he also replaced her.

And so, the history of Ethiopia taking one kind of foundation, when kings drawn from the Solomonic dynasty, reign and administer Ethiopia, and while they answer cooperating with the territory's people /with both Nubian Ethiopia and Aksumite Ethiopia/ when enemies arise, they have been able to endure, honoring their own territory until they were fully various countries.

When it was from Jerusalem that Menelik I brought his wife, apart from her all the others who came along were males. Even so, around the living of the peoples who, in various troubles, entered Ethiopia from other countries at various times, plenty of Israelites also would enter Ethiopia from Jerusalem in the similar appearance.

Thus, when Christianity entered after they waited hungry, these peoples are who lived firmly in their Law of Torah without accepting Christianity. And by this reason, who endured while they lived fleeing, fighting and resisting in the attacks that would arrive on Christians in the later era.

And who are found in Ethiopia until today, taking by this flight of theirs the name Migrant or Felasha, and who journey to their former country Israel at every time.

When Menilek I took over the authority of King of Kingships of Ethiopia, being substituted at his mother's foot, it is possible to think that his father King Solomon could adjourn them having shared a description /advice/ for him and the people who came with him, of what his rulership and other divisions of authority had to look like. And his extending the governmental structure that centralized this advice of his father, is known.

And therefore, when we see what preceding writers set forth, roughly to be persuaded briefly what kind of government structure there was in Menilek I's time,

1. Menilek I King of Kings; when he sits in time of judgement, his chair was clean, his sea of clothes, clothes of the sun, and his throne of jewels, his basin and where he drinks, a jewel washbasin.

2. Head of Priests Azaryas. Taking vicarage of Aksum and being in great honor, he would introduce tax by his accord. And additionally he would give spiritual service being Nebureed of Aksum, Patriarch of Tedbabe Zion, Chief of chiefs of Merthule Zion, head priest of Thana St. Qirqos.

3. Gedewon was born from Abiyath son of David; when his throne was of gold, being beneath the King of Kings Menelik, and the territory he ruled was Shere, north Medebay, Adey Abo, Mereb, Wolqayt Theggede, Wogera, Janora, Seqelt, Begemder, Chelga. His seat was in the neighborhood of the King of Kings. And additionally he commands the army; he counsels with the King of Kings, he fulfills various matters while he summons the people, the nobles and the princes. And in this he had been given the name Bailiff of the North.

4. Eliab son of Jesse, uncle of Solomon, sits to the left of the King of Kings. He is a king. His throne, his washbasin and his chair were of gold. Being beneath the King of Kings, called Elect of Tenben, he would administer from the sea of Tekkeze as far as the country of Nagran /Yemen/.

5. Het is grandson of David, son of Amnon. His throne, his chair and his washbasin were of gold. He sits beneath the King of Kings. And the limit of his administration was from the Tekkeze as far as Wonbera, beyond the White Nile, Enarya /Keffa/, Senar, Qwara, Acheffer, Wollega, Gwagusa... And he campaigns representing the King of Kings.

6. Juel, his throne and his chair and his washbasin were of gold. He sits to the left of the King of Kings. He would reach from Zeqwala Derare as far as the Beshlo river.

7. Abhel, born from the tribe of Benjamin. He stands girded while his throne is of silver. And the limit of his territory was Loqmaj, Leqa, Tebe, his city /his seat/ Enarya.

8. Beldad, born from Canaan. While his throne is of silver, the place of his territory was a place called Gezwa Jafar. And he was subordinate to Abhel.

9. Asser, born from the tribe of Judah. His throne is of silver. The limit of his territory was Kulu Getta, Arusi, Jenka, Rochelomi.

10. Sabeq, is a native of Bethlehem, Aminidab's descendant. While his throne is of iron, his city was Sayent.

11. Surba, who was from the princes' party.

12. Gurba, while he is born from the princes' party; Surba and Gurba would administer in one kind of authority being kings in the territory they were given. And their throne is of silver.

The territories /places/ listed above, that were given to each of the officials, being as some were changing their names in this era, there are cities in Ethiopia that are called by their ancient names until today. And therefore plenty of territories are territories found within the present Ethiopia. However we don't see when Menilek I fielded lower officials to a distant country. But it is known that Ethiopia's territorial limit was as stout in his era as that of his mother's territory.

Whether in his time or in the Queen of Saba's time, we are persuaded that there were rulers who were in King of Kingships earlier in Napata, and now limited in Kingship.

Even so, in the style of rulership and patronage that has religious content like this, meaning that made the Law of Torah a foundation, continued by a few consecutive kings to take the kind of shape we have seen, yet it could not permeate to the end. And the reason is since the Kings of Kings who reigned after Menilek at Napata and Meroe have begun to worship the deities of Egypt.

Yet still, it is known that peoples who lived in the ancient Aksum and its area, at an individual level, meaning at the time when it remained being a state religion, were peoples who advance the Law of Torah.

Similarly, because the Law of Torah is unknown before Menilek coming, and because idols would be worshipped, it is clear that after Menilek and his followers entered and taught taking the Law of Torah, peoples lived who continued in the former idol worship.

Overall, although Aksum and its area is known beginning from Menilek I and his mother Makeda, and likewise enduring a little time after him, by the capital again turning to Napata, having faded for many centuries until Aksum and its area became the capital a second time or again, it has been able to be illustrious again in the later era.

* Next: Fesseha 14.