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CHAPTER 6 LESSON 2 The Kingdom of Aksum

Ezana: King of Aksum

King Ezana ruled Aksum during the fourth century A.D. He became a Christian and made Christianity the official religion of his kingdom.King Ezana ruled the African kingdom of Aksum from A.D. 325 to 360. His kingdom was large. It extended throughout much of what is now Ethiopia. He also may have had influence in the Arabian kingdom now known as Yemen. It is even possible that Ezana had a foothold across the Red Sea in Yemen. In any case, Ezana’s reign occurred at the beginning of Aksum’s period of greatest power, from the fourth through the sixth century A.D.Ezana’s Coins Much of what historians know about ancient Aksum comes from one of two sources—stone pillars, called steles, and coins. Aksum minted coins during a period of about 300 years. It was the only African civilization to do so. Although an earlier Aksumite king named Endubis was the first to produce coins, Ezana was the first to mint coins bearing the Christian symbol of a cross. The cross replaced the crescent that appeared on earlier coins. The crescent may have represented the god of the sun or the moon. The use of the cross reflected Ezana’s desire to spread Christianity. Conversion to Christianity Sometime between A.D. 330 and 440, Ezana became a Christian. He also made Christianity the official state religion. This was perhaps his most important contribution to Ethiopian culture. The story of Ezana’s conversion is told by Rufinius, a fourth-century historian.

According to Rufinius, two Syrian boys —Frumentius and Aedesius—grew up in the court of King Ella Amida, Ezana’s father. The boys had been aboard a trading ship that was seized in the Red Sea. They somehow survived the incident and were taken to Ella Amida. The king treated them kindly and, as they got older, gave them official tasks to perform. When the boys were grown, Ella Amida also granted them their freedom. Soon afterwards he died, leaving Ezana as his only heir. At that time, Ezana was

only an infant. His mother turned to the two Syrians for assistance. She asked them to remain at court until her son was old enough to rule.

Frumentius was especially loyal and honest. He also was a Christian and promoted Christianity. One way he did this was to seek out and assist Christian traders. After Ezana became king, Frumentius traveled to Alexandria. He asked the head of the Eastern Orthodox Church to send a bishop to Aksum. Instead, Frumentius was appointed bishop. He returned to the kingdom as Ethiopia’s first Christian bishop. The influence of Frumentius led to Ezana’s conversion to Christianity.

Ezana is also linked to the Ark of the Covenant, which is sacred to both Jews and Christians. The Ark was the cabinet built to contain the stone tablets that God gave to Moses. The Ten Commandments were written on the tablets. According to the Torah (the Hebrew Bible), the Ten Commandments were part of an agreement, or covenant, between God and the Hebrews. They form the basis of the Jewish religion and are also honored by Christians.

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During the reign of King Solomon of Israel, the Ark of the Covenant disappeared from Jerusalem’s temple. There is more than one version of how this happened, but they all center around Menelik. According to one legend, Menelik was the son of King Solomon and Sheba, the queen of Ethiopia. Menelik, while a young man, spent three years with his father in Jerusalem. When Menelik returned to Aksum, many people accompanied him. One of them was Azariah, whose father was the high priest of the temple of Jerusalem. Before leaving Jerusalem, Azariah had a dream telling him to take the Ark of the Covenant to Ethiopia. Then Azariah stole the Ark and replaced it with a copy. When Solomon found out, he tried to recover the Ark. Then he too had a dream, telling him that the Ark should stay with Menelik. This supposedly happened many hundreds of years before Ezana’s reign.

What happened to the Ark of the Covenant after Menelik arrived in Ethiopia is still unknown. However, it appears that the Ark may have been brought to Aksum during Ezana’s reign. Many believe that the Ark is now being kept at Saint Mary’s of Zion, a church established by Ezana. In 1965, Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie had a small chapel built at St. Mary’s to house the Ark. A guardian of the Ark is chosen from among the monks living in the compound at Saint Mary’s. He is the only person who may enter the chapel. The Ark of the Covenant has become important in the Ethiopian Christian tradition. Many of the country’s churches contain a replica of the Ark.Ezana’s Inscriptions Like many rulers of ancient kingdoms, Ezana had his deeds inscribed on stone pillars, or steles. A group of about 50 steles are located on the northern edge of Aksum. Some date back to prehistoric times. At 24 metres (78.74 feet), King Ezana’s is the tallest one still standing. The stele of King Ezana is one of several carved to look liketall buildings. Although Aksum’s buildings were not nearly as high as the pillars, their doors

and windows probably looked much like those carved in the stele. Carved square beam-ends resemble the wooden beams used in Aksumite construction.

The stele is inscribed in three languages—Greek, Sabaean, and Ge´ez, the language spoken in Axsum. Sabaean is a language once spoken in southwestern Arabia. The Greeks were known to trade with Aksum, which may explain the use of Greek. Ezana used the traditional title negusa nagast, meaning “king of kings,” to show that he ruled over the heads of many small states. The inscription describes his victory over rebellious peoples.

Review Questions 1. What ancient kingdom did Ezana rule?

2. How have historians learned about Ezana’s reign?

3. What change did Ezana make to the coins of Aksum? Why?

Critical Thinking 4. Drawing Conclusions Why did Ezana

and other ancient kings tell of their military victories in stone inscriptions?

5. Understanding Cause and EffectWhat lasting effect did Ezana have on Ethiopian culture?

6. Making Inferences Why might Ezana have protected the Ark of the Covenant?

HISTORY MAKERS: EZANA CONTINUED

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Chapter 6, Lesson 2History Makers

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