Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Chap. Two - History of Ethiopia and The Horn
Chap. Two - History of Ethiopia and The Horn
Horn (Hist.1012)
- Chapter Two -
• The period of stone tools is divided into three sub-periods. The first, the
Paleolithic (Old Stone Age, from 3.4 million to 11, 000 years B. P.) was
the period when human being sheltered in caves, developed language, and
used stone to prepare food and clothing. There was sex-age labor division as
well.
• Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age /11, 000-10,000 B. P.) was transition
between Paleolithic and Neolithic (New Stone Age /10, 000-6, 000
B.P).
• During Neolithic period, human beings transformed from mobile to
sedentary way of life and changed from hunting and gathering to the
domestication of plants and animals.
5
• Ethiopia and the Horn chiefly in the more elevated and wetter-parts, people
cultivated plants including Teff, dagussa, nug, enset and etc.
Sites of Neolithic Revolution in Ethiopia and the Horn:
• Emba-Fakeda around Adigrat in Tigray (polished axes, ceramics, grinding
stones)
• Aqordat and Barentu in Eritrea evinces the existence of Neolithic material
culture.
• Lake Basaqa near Matahara, Lalibela Cave on the southeastern shore of
Lake Tana. (domesticated cattle, chickpeas and vegetables) etc.
6
• Among the Hadiya the Supreme Being is known as Waa, who is believed
to exist before everything (hundam issancho) or create world (qoccancho)
and whose eyes are represented by elincho (sun) and agana (moon).
• The major spirits include: Jara (male’s protector), Idota (female’s guard),
Hausula and etc.
• The Kambata have Negita or Aricho Magano/Sky God and religious
officials known as Magnancho.
• The Gedeo called the Supreme Being, Mageno and had thanks giving
ceremony called Deraro.The Konso religion is centered on worship of
Waaq/Wakh. The Gojjam Agaw used to call the Supreme Being Diban (Sky
God).
• The Gurage, there have been Waq/Goita (Supreme Being), Bozha
(thunder deity) and Damwamwit (health goddess)……….
13
2.4.2. Judaism
• is considered as the expression of the covenant that Yahweh/Jehovah (God)
established with the ancient Hebrew community.
• has been followed in Ethiopia and the Horn by peoples before Christianity
reached the region.
• The Bete-Israel practiced Haymanot (religious practices, which are
generally recognized as Israelite religion that differs from Rabbinic
Judaism).
• Many of the Bete-Israel accounts trace their religion 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.)
14
2.4.3. Christianity
• Christianity became state religion in 334 A.D. during the reign of King
Ezana (r. 320-360), who dropped pre-Christian gods like Ares
(Hariman/Maharram/war god), Arwe (serpentpython god), Bahir (sea god)
and Midir (earth god), and embraced Christianity.
• Instrumental in conversion of the king were Syrian brothers, Aedesius and
Frumentius (Fremnatos). When Fremnatos (Kasate Birhane or Abba
Salama) visited Alexandria, Patriarch Atnatewos (328-373) appointed him
as the first Bishop of Ethiopian Orthodox Church (EOC).
• Consecration of bishops from Coptic Church in Egypt continued until 1959,
when Abune Baslios became the first Ethiopian Patriarch.
• The saints also translated the Bible and other religious books into Geez.
• The expansion of Christianity continued in Zagwe period (1150-1270) and
chiefly gained fresh momentum during the early Medieval Period (1270-
1527), when many churches and monasteries were constructed. These
include Rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, Debra-Bizan of Hamasen in
Eritrea; Debra-Hayiq in Wollo and etc.
• From mid-16th to the early 17th centuries, the Jesuit missionaries 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 within the EOC that is
discussed in subsequent units.
• As of 1804, missionaries’ religious expansion also resulted in the conclusion
of treties between European diplomats and Ethiopian authorities. The
Catholic Giuseppe Sapeto (Lazarist mission founder), Cardinal Massaja,
Antoine and Arnauld d'Abbadie were active.
17
2.4.4. Islam
• When Prophet Mohammed had preached Islam in Mecca since 610 AD, he
faced opposition from the Quraysh rulers. the Prophet sent some of his
early followers to Aksum including his daughter Rukiya and her husband
Uthman as well as the Prophet's future wives Umm Habiba and Umm
Salma to Aksum .The first group of refugees was led by Jafar Abu Talib.
• The then Aksumite king, Armah Ella Seham (Ashama b. Abjar or Ahmed al-
Nejash in Arabic sources), gave them asylum from 615-28.
• Subsequently, Islam spread to the Horn of Africa largely through peaceful
ways including trade. Islam was well established in Dahlak (Alalay) Islands
on the Red Sea by the beginning of the eighth century.
• Dahlak route played a minor role in the introduction of Islam into the
interior as Christianity was strongly entrenched as a state religion in Aksum
19
• Thus, the port of Zeila on western coast of the Gulf of Aden served as an
important gateway for the introduction of Islam mainly into the present day
Shewa, Wollo and Hararghe.
• From there, it radiated to central, southern, and eastern Ethiopia through
the role of Muslim clerics who followed in the footsteps of traders.
• Sheikh Hussein of Bale, a Muslim saint (Waliy) of medieval period,
played very important role in the expansion of Islam into Bale, Arsi and
other.
• Islam was introduced into Somali territories in the eigth century A. D.
through Benadir coasts of Moqadishu, Brava and Merca. Abu Bakr Ibn
Fukura al Din Sahil set up Moqadishu Minirate c.1269.