Kebra Negast-is there truth to their claims?

[Preachgirl]

There is an ancient Ethiopian book called Kebra Negast (Glory of the Kings). The book alleges that when the Queen of Sheba came to visit Solomon, she returned home pregnant with his child. Her son, named David (Menelik I) became the first king of Ethiopia. Some Ethiopian Christians believe that the Ark of the Covenant is hidden in Ethiopia and was taken there to keep it from being plundered by the Babylonians. Has anyone heard of this and is there anything in the scriptures that would support these claims?

[Integrity]

Greetings Preachgirl,

This is the first time I hear of this. Sorry that I cannot be of any help in this. I pray that someone with great insight into the History of biblical times be able to help you or someone that knows of such a person. When you have received the correct answers to your question, please do share it. I personally would love to know.

[Preachgirl]

I have found an online copy of Kebra Negast. I plan to read it as well as the biblical account of Solomon to see if it aligns with God's Word. I would like to talk to someone affiliated with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church to see what their stance is on Kebra Negast. If anyone knows an Ethiopian Orthodox who would be willing to discuss this matter, please let me know.

[Integrity]

Greetings Preachgirl,

Before time passed even more, I wanted to share the following with you. I had come across the following which has to do with discoveries of bibilical times. It looks like a good site. Take a look at it and let me know what you think. users.netconnect.com.au/~leedas/index.html

By the way how is your comparison coming along to the bible?

You know if I am not mistaken that name Menelik 1 rings a bell, is that the same peson whom the rastas worship from that lineage of a son by the name Selasi(spelling?) I dont know if my memory is good on this one, but sure sounds familiar, correct me if Im wrong on this one. Cause just this year or last year they had some gathering in Ethopia to honor that name.

Look forward to hearing your feedback on all this. GB and Peace to you dear sister.

[Against All Odds]

January 24, 2001

Dear Friends and Family,

This past week we had a holiday that I didn't have a chance to tell you about in my previous e-mail but Dr. Rose sent a picture that I think you might find interesting. The holiday is one in which the tabot is celebrated. This gives a glimpse into the heart of one of the main aspects of Ethiopian culture. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church is a very old church. It is a cousin to the Egyptian, Russian and Greek Orthodox churches. The similarity between these churches, however, does not extend much beyond the fact that all of them believe in Jesus, God and the fact that they have the word Orthodox in their name.

Much of the belief centers around the tabot which is a representation of the ten commandments written on the two tables of stone by the finger of God and placed in the ark of covenant as described by Moses in the book of Exodus. The Ethiopians believe they have the real ark of the covenant and the real ten commandments in an Ethiopian Orthodox Church in one of the cities in northern Ethiopia. They believe that the Queen of Sheeba that came to visit King Solomon in the bible was from Ethiopia. They also believe that she had an affair with Solomon which resulted in a child being born after she returned home to Ethiopia. This child's name was Menelik. He grew up and went back to visit his Israelite ancestors. He then returned to Ethiopia with the ark of the covenant. Actually, the story is a lot longer than that and there are many versions, and it appears the ark did not come directly back to Ethiopia, but went by way of the Nile River through Egypt. There is not a lot of evidence to definitely prove one way or the other the facts of this story since it happened so long ago. There is a really interesting book on the subject written by a British journalist. The book is called the Sign and the Seal, by Graham Hanthingy. The book is well researched and is interesting reading since it gives some pictures of what Ethiopia was like in the past and some of what it is like now.

Anyway, the belief is strong in many Ethiopians, and most Orthodox Ethiopians that they have the ark. You can even visit the church where is is supposed to be kept. It is said that the ark in the past used to be taken our of that church for special occasions. One occasion is on the holiday that just passed. The importance of the ark is so strong that all the Orthodox churches in Ethiopia have a tabot, which can be either wood or stone and represents the ten commandments in the ark. This object is very sacred, even the copies. During this holiday, the tabot is covered with a beautifully embroidered cloth and the priests of the church dress up in their colored robes with gold embroidery and carry their gold embroidered umbrellas over the ark. A procession is held, and here in Gimbie, they take the tabot to one end of town on one day, then the following day they take it back to the temple, where it is again placed in the forbidden room where no one but the priests may enter. The procession is accompanied by several choirs of chanters and dancers that include a choir of kids that chant and dance. The police accompany the ark and usually just about anybody that has nothing else to do on that day either goes out to see the procession or takes part in it. Taking pictures in not allowed here in Gimbie, though it is quite a tourist attraction in Addis Ababa (the capital). It is said that they used to take the real ark out on this holiday in the past but this has not been done in a long time due to all the unrest in the country with wars and civil wars. The ark is believed to have powers by these people. They state that when the Italians attacked Ethiopia in the late 19th century with all their modern weapons, the poorly equiped Ethiopians were able to utterly defeat the Italians because they brought the ark into battle with them, just as the Israelites did at times in the Bible.

I had mentioned this belief several times in the past but after reading more into the subject and after experiencing the holiday, I thought a bit longer explanation would be interesting for those Ethiopian watchers out there.

This letter gives you more insight on Kebra Negast and the Ark of the Covenant. I hope it helps.