Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Prompt Blog week 7: Kebra Negast and the Position of Ethiopia

The selected passage of the Kebra Negast focusing on the Queen demonstrates a clear attempt to establish the importance of Ethiopia within the Christian world.
As early as the title we see a reference to the departure of God and his ark to Ethiopia. This establishes Ethiopia as religiously significant country and a key part of the "story of Israel" painted in the rest of the Old Testament and Psalms. This depiction of Ethiopia is also evident when describing Jesus' prophesizing of the "Queen of the south" rising up.
From here the depictions of and stories about the queen carry the significant portrayl of Ethiopia. Page 17 describes how the Gueen is favored by God. The stories about her portray her as an intellectual near equal to the wise King Solomon, and as someone important enough to draw significant attention from him. These portayals symbolically mirror the more subtle suggestion of Ethiopia as a significant part of religious life.
Considering Ethiopia's location and history, this sort of value or significance appears necessary for survival as a Christian state.

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