Ethiopia Throughout the Ages

	The Ethiopian Orthodox Church
	Ethiopia, where coffee originated
	Ethiopia Throughout the Ages

The history of Ethiopia, known to many as Abyssinia, is rich, ancient, and in many ways, still unknown.

Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa. It is also home to the oldest archaeological sites in the world, dating back to 2.6 million years ago. Its territory formed the backdrop for the evolution of early humans, with Ethiopia yielding an impressive lineup of early hominid remains, including those of a young woman known to us as Lucy.

Archaeological and written sources indicate that Ethiopia supported a sizable agricultural and urbanized society by 1000 B.C. when the Queen of Sheba visited King Solomon. According to tradition, the son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, King Menelik, became the founder of the Solomonic dynasty.

The first recorded kingdom in Ethiopia grew around Axum during the 3rd century B.C. This kingdom was the first African political entity to adopt Christianity. They were also the first indigenous kingdom to mint their own coins. The kings ordered the carving of the world’s largest monolithic stone monuments, known as obelisks. A great number of them still stand in modern Axum.

Legend has it that in the 12th century, King Lalibela built a series of rock-hewn churches. According to this legend, angels carried Lalibela to heaven while he was under the influence of a sleeping potion given by his jealous brother. God told Lalibela to return to earth and construct unique churches. It took twenty-four years to complete this eighth wonder of the world. They say angels have also worked side by side with the stone masons, speeding up the work.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the Red Sea Kingdoms became Ethiopian puppet states.

During the 16th century, Portuguese missionaries persuaded an Ethiopian king to abandon their long-held Orthodox faith and accept the Pope in Rome as the leader of the Church. This movement was sjort-lived, as the king was deposed and his successor restored the power and influence of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

A major religious, economic and cultural power arose in the 17th century when the ruling dynasty settled in the city of Gondar, close to famous Lake Tana. A series of castle-palaces built with a walled compound is still one of the main attractions in Gondar.

By the 18th century, the empire was broken into provinces. For a hundred years Ethiopian saw constant warfare between warlords in these provinces.

In 1916, the Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church read a proclamation deposing Emperor Iyasu. Emperor Menelik II's daughter, Zawditu was proclaimed Empress. Tafari was elevated to the rank of Ras (or Duke) and declared heir to the throne. On October 6, 1928 Ras Tafari was declared "King of Ethiopia, Heir to the Throne and Regent Pleipotentiary" by Empress Zawditu. Upon her death in 1930, Ras Tafari was proclaimed Emperor, taking the name Haile Selassie (Power of the Trinity).

Between 1936 and 1941, Ethiopia was briefly occupied by the Italians. In the early years of World War II, the country was liberated by the joint forces of the Resistance Movement and the British Army. Ethiopia is the only African nation that was not colonized by European colonial forces.

From 1930-1974 Haile Selassie I reigned as Emperor until a military rebellion ended his regime.