Kebra Nagast

• The Kebra Nagast, meaning ‘the Glory of the Kings’, is a national epic account of the genealogy and history of the Emperors of Ethiopia, written in Ge'ez.
• It starts with Menelik I who ruled c. 950 BCE. and who is believed to be the son of King Solomon of Israel and Makeda the Queen of Sheba.

Description

• It was written during the 14th century CE, and combines the Old and New Testament of The Bible. It takes the form of a dialogue between the Bishops at the First Council of Nicaea in 325 CE.
• The Kebra Nagast relates the story of how the Ark of the Covenant was brought out of Israel by Menelik I, leaving only a copy in the Temple of Jerusalem.
• Christianity was introduced into Ethiopia by Frumentius between 331-341 CE.

Contents

• It was written in 117 chapters as a dialogue between the 318 Orthodox Fathers at the First Council of Nicaea (325 CE), debating the meaning of the ‘Glory of God’.
  • Chapters 3-17:
    • A speech by a Father called Gregory describing the story that follows:
  • Chapters 19-94:
    • The story of King Solomon of Israel, Makeda the Queen of Sheba, their son Menelik I, and how Menelik brought the Ark to Ethiopia, and how Menelik used the Ark to conquer all his enemies (chapter 94).
  • Chapters 95-112:
    • Chapter 95 describes the Solomonic line of Ethiopian Kings as being descended from Solomon’s first son, Menelik I. And that the real Ark of the Covenant is located in Ethiopia.
  • Chapter 117:
    • a Prophesy that the Roman Empire will be replaced by the Ethiopian Empire.

Translation

• According to a Printer’s addendum, the Kebra Nagast was originally written in Coptic, then translated into Arabic, then into the Ge'ez language of Ethiopia in 1225 CE. However, some historians believe it was originally written in Ge'ez.
• One of the first translations of the Kebra Nagast was in 1533 CE by Francisco Alvares, an Envoy of King Manuel I of Portugal, who published his version as ‘The Prester John of the Indies’.