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With more than a million square kilometers of land, Ethiopia is about five times the size of the United Kingdom. A landlocked country Ethiopia is bordered by Sudan, Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti and Eritrea. It's magnificent landscape ranges from desert area to forested highlands. The waters of the Abay River, or Blue Nile, feed Lake Tana and flow into the Nile. Most of the Nile's waters originate in Ethiopia.

This land is considered by some to be Africa's oldest continuously identifiable nation and many anthropologists believe that the Great Rift Valley is the site of the origin of mankind. "Lucy", believed to be the oldest complete skeleton ever found, was discovered in the Great Rift Valley.

Apart from neighboring Kenya, Ethiopia is home to more wild animal than any other country in the world. The elephant, giraffe, rhinoceros, zebra, buffalo, monkey, antelope, gazelle, lion, leopard, cheetah and ostrich are just but a few of the species that inhabit this land.There is no doubt that humans have inhabited this land since the dawn of history. The earliest Egyptians believed that they were descended from Ethiopians and in fact an Ethiopian dynasty was established in Egypt in 720BC.

According to tradition, the nation of Ethiopia was founded by Etiopik who was a great grandson of Noah. Some scholars believe that the name Ethiopia is derived from the name Etiopik whilst others believe that it comes from the Greek expression for "sunburned faces". A reference to the fact the inhabitants of this land were black.

Ethiopia has existed in some form or other as an identifiable state since the 10th century BC. and has been known by various names including Abyssinia, "Cush" (or Kush) by the Hebrews and "Punt" by the Egyptians. The founding of the Empire of Axurn (Axum or Aksum) in the 1st century BC is often taken as being the start of Ethiopian civilization. This dynasty survived until around the end of the 10th century AD when Queen Yodit (Gudit) conquered their last king and brought the Zagwe dynasty into existence. This queen is known to have been strongly anti-Christian and destroyed many churches.

This dynasty was in turn overthrown in1270AD by Emperor Yekuno who declared that his was the rightful place as a direct descendant to Menelik I, the offspring of King Solomon and Queen Makeda (Queen of Sheba). Thus began the Solomonic dynasty.The Bible records that the Queen of Sheba (Makeda) traveled from Abyssinia to Jerusalem to examine and learn from the great and wise king of the Jews, King Solomon. (Read 1 Kings 10:1-13)

Legend records that the Queen was converted to Judaism and spent much time in study with King Solomon. When Queen Makeda advised the King that it was time for her to return to her homeland he persuaded her to have supper with him in his imperial palace.

Staying the night in the palace, she was compelled to go to bed with the king. In his dreams that night the king saw that the queen would begat him a son, and that God's blessings would be with him and his country. When the child, Menelik I, eventually grew to adulthood, he journeyed to his fathers country. There he studied the Mosaic law and was proclaimed Emperor of Ethiopia by King Solomon.

Further tradition has it that when Menelik returned home after 3 years of study he took with him the Ark of the Covenant and that the ark has been hidden and guarded throughout the following centuries by members of his family. Some believe that the Ark is in fact being held somewhere in Ethiopia until such time as the third temple is built in Jerusalem at which time it will be returned to its rightful place in the new temple.

Many scholars believe also that the Ethiopian Jewish Felasha peoples (also known as the "black Jews") are direct descendants of Jews of Solomon's time. Some also believe that these peoples may be the lost Jewish tribe of Dan.These peoples called themselves Beta Israel (the house of Israel) and for centuries the Jewish world outside Ethiopia did not know of their existence. In 1769 a Scottish explorer, James Bruce, advised the world of their existence. He found a community of around 100,00 who had for centuries lived their lives according to the Jewish Torah. Sadly this 100,000 were all that were left of an estimated community of more than half a million.

In 1977 the Israel government begged the Ethiopian government to allow 200 of these peoples to leave. President Mariam agreed and 200 Felasha Jews were picked up by military jet and taken to a new life in Israel.Operation Moses was launched in 1984 under a worldwide news blackout. It commenced on November 18th 1984 and ended 6 weeks later on January 5th 1985 after 8000 more Felasha Jews had been rescued and brought to Israel. However Arab nations pressured the Sudan government to refuse to allow the Israeli's to use the Sudan any further in their rescue attempt. As a result two thirds of the Jews were left behind.

Later in 1985 Operation Joshua was launched and a further 800 Jews were brought from Sudan to Israel. In November 1990 Israel and Ethiopia reached an agreement to allow all Ethiopian Jews the opportunity to leave if they wished. Operation Solomon started in early 1991 with the Israeli government authorizing a special permit for the Israeli airline, El Al, to fly on the Jewish Sabbath. On Friday May 24th and continuing non stop for the next 36 hours, 36 El Al jumbo jets and Hercules C130's brought a further 14,324 Ethiopian Jews home to Israel.

The Solomonic line ruled Ethiopia until 1974 and a number of kings from this line were devout Christians. How many Ethiopians were converted to Christianity as a result of the Ethiopian eunuch's conversion through the apostle Philip can only be guessed at. (Acts 8:26-40). In 1869 the British sent troops into Ethiopia to subdue the current king, Kasa Hayla who had proclaimed himself Emperor. This was the first time that a serious attempt had been made by a European power to subvert Ethiopian sovereignty.

Years of unrest followed. Bitter disputes broke out between Ethiopian princes as well as attempts by various other nations to rule Ethiopia by waging a policy of "divide and conquer" between the princes. In 1889 Emperor Menelik II took control and is often considered to be the founder of the Ethiopian nation as it exists today. He successfully united, by conquest as well as appeasement, the various regions and peoples that made up his land. The rapid modernization of his nation is considered one of Menelik's greatest achievement's.

During Meneliks reign, Ethiopia practiced absolute religious freedom with Menelik himself being both Amharic and Christian. Following his death in 1913, Menelik was succeeded by his grandson, Iyasu. He was overthrown 3 years later partly as a result of his having embraced the Muslim faith in violation of dynastic law. A number of Kings and a Queen followed until in 1930, Tafari Makonnen was sworn in as Emperor Haile Selassie I. (His name meaning "Might of The Trinity")

Haile Selassie continued Menelik's modernization efforts but is remembered most for his role as a warrior king. Italy invaded Ethiopia in 1935, with no declaration of war and just pior to their taking the capital, Addis Ababa, the Emperor and what was left of his army, managed to escape into exile. During it's occupation of Ethiopia the Italian fascist army carried out large scale murder and mayhem on the population. Many monks were murdered including the Archbishop Petros, Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. It is estimated that more than a quarter of a million civilians were murdered during this period of time. As a result of its conduct during the Ethiopian campaign and occupation, Italy became the first nation ever to be cited for crimes against humanity by the United Nations War Crimes Commission.

In early 1941. Haile Selassie and his troops returned with the British and the Italians were routed. The Emperor re-entered Addis Ababa on May 5th 1941. The Lion had returned. One of Haile Selassie's first acts was to ensure the protection of Italian prisoners and civilians in his country. In 1974 a Soviet-backed coup d'etat took place resulting in the Emperor being imprisoned. In 1975 the monarchy was illegally abolished and in August of that year Haile Selassie was assassinated.

A Marxist council replaced the monarchy until its overthrow in 1991. With the fall of Communism a transitional government under Meles Zenawi was installed. Under this government the country has continued to carry on certain human rights abuses and factional strife is rampant. It is a sad fact that this land that seems to have had such a prevalent place in Bible history finds its recent history to be so unpleasant. What then of its future? Does the Bible tell us what place Ethiopia will take in last day events?

Sadly we have but to read Ezekiel's account of an invasion of Israel by an alliance of nations in the last days to see that Ethiopia is listed predominantly amongst that alliance. (Ezekiel 38:1-23). In the latter days, Ethiopia will join together with a league of nations that many believe will be headed by Russia (Gog/Magog) and will attack Israel. As a result these nations will incur the full fury of God. This alliance will be decimated as God causes what appears to be a great earthquake, overflowing rain, great hailstones, fire and brimstone to fall upon the troops. No doubt as a result of these, the troops will turn against each other.

What a sad end to a nation that has been given such opportunities in the past to follow Jesus as their Saviour. Pray for this land, for the Felasha Jews that still remain and for the Christians that survive there.

This article is written by Rev Bobhines
Email:- bobhines@paradise.net.nz

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