The Ethiopian national identity forged in the centuries following the reign of Amda Siyon (r. 1314–1344) drew on connections to the outside world to define the nation’s qualities and mission. At the heart of this identity was a unique religious vision that combined elements of the Coptic Christianity of Egypt and the Middle East with the belief that Ethiopia’s rulers were direct decedents of King Solomon. Thus, in creating a picture of themselves, Ethiopians turned to historical developments that were centered outside of Ethiopia — the early spread of Christianity within the Roman Empire and the formation of a unified Jewish kingdom in Palestine.

Two fourteenth-century Ethiopian chronicles played key roles in articulating this identity. The Kebra Negast (The Glory of Kings) established the link between the kings of Ethiopia and the kings of Israel. Crucially, it claimed that the historical connection between Ethiopia and Israel went far beyond the descent of Ethiopia’s kings from Solomon. According to the Kebra Negast, when Queen Makeda’s son Menilek returned from Israel, he brought with him the Ark of the Covenant. Since the Ark embodied the Hebrew’s status as God’s chosen people, the removal of the Ark from Israel suggested that this special status had been transferred to the Ethiopians. A second chronicle, The Glorious Victories of Amda Siyon, placed Amda Siyon’s conquests in the context of this religious history, portraying Ethiopian expansion as the victory of a holy warrior over God’s enemies. As you read the excerpts from these two chronicles included in this activity, consider the way they helped support and legitimize Ethiopia’s Solomonic dynasty. What do they suggest about the nature of Ethiopian kingship? How did Ethiopia’s kings use religion to strengthen the bonds between themselves and their subjects?