The Faiths
Religious
faith is central to most Ethiopian's lives. God is part of every day
conversation among Christians and Muslims who make up 45% and 35% of the
population respectively. In religious
terms, Ethiopia was the first country (after Armenia) to adopt
Christianity. Ethiopians were Christians when Europe was still pagan.
St George, shown at left is Ethiopia's patron saint.
There is a strong Judeo-Christian culture dating back 2,000 to 3,000
years. If the legendary Queen of Sheba did indeed hail from Ethiopia,
(see "The Legend") that was 3,000 years ago.
The form of Judaism practiced by the
Falasha people is both pre-Mishna, pre-Talmud which makes it no less than 1800
years old which supports the view that Judaism came very early to
Ethiopia and never became updated as the centuries went by. Eventually,
Judaism came into conflict with Christianity, which emerged dominant.
In
1985, some 7,000 Jews were saved from famine and airlifted to Israel to begin
new lives in Operation Moses. In 1991, in Operation Solomon, a further
14,000 were rescued from the middle of the civil war. Today, 23,000 remain
in desperately squalid conditions. About 400 per month gain access to Israel. A Falasha woman is pictured
above. Note the Star of David
around her neck.
Christianity came
around 1600 years ago and has been central to the country's life ever
since. The Orthodox church is very much the guardian of the ancient
traditions. The dimly lit churches are abundantly
decorated with colorful tapestries, murals and frescos of mainly early Christian subjects.
The Tabot, or tablets
containing the Laws of Moses, housed in the Ark of the Covenant has a replica in
every church and is kept hidden from view in the inner sanctuary or holy of
holies of every church. During the festival of Timkat on January 19th, the
Tabot is carried in solemn procession accompanied by singing, dancing the banging of staffs,
the rattling of sistra and the beating of drums. It
is a scene straight out of the Old Testament (see The
Legend).
Most
Muslims live in the eastern, western and southern lowlands. Islam has a long
tradition in Ethiopia. Legend says that the prophet Mohammed was nursed by
an Ethiopian woman who sent some of his followers to Ethiopia in 615 CE to avoid
persecution. Many Muslims are also found in the towns and centers of the
north.
As the Arabs took
control of the Red Sea, so the influence of Islam spread
into Ethiopia, bringing it into conflict with Christianity.
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