[Suzy Quzy]

Man...you have to be a SERIOUS pilgrim to go to Ethiopia.

[Michael Goldsberry]

Link

[DieHard the Hunter]

WOW!!!

Sometimes I wish I were Indiana Jones. What a fascinating post -- thanks!

[texas booster]

http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/kn/

English translation of the Kebra Nagast, the holy text of Ethiopian Christians. It's title is:

The Queen of Sheba and Her Only Son Menyelek (I)

Ought to be an interesting read.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

Sounds like going to Phaic Tan!
http://tinyurl.com/ez95k

[kitchen]

GGG ping?

[SunkenCiv]

GGG ping. I'm goldbrickin' here, so no fancy one this time. :')

[SteveH]

The Sign and the Seal by Graham Hancock covers most of the background of this theory (I think).

[wouldilie]

I made it to Axum in the early 70's when I was stationed in Asmara. It was hard to get a travel permit because of the war between the ELF and the Ethiopians. It's a very bizarre place and I can't imagine how any of the things there were built. Bechtel would have a real hard time even building the roads to Axum with modern technology, let alone how those single piece of stone obelisks got there. It's hard to get there but definitely worthwhile.

[Ken in Eastman]

"As nearly every schoolchild in Ethiopia is taught, the Ethiopian people are the descendents of Menelik, the product of a night of romance between King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Though the Tanach notes the Queen of Sheba's visit to Jerusalem, no mention is made either of a sexual encounter between the two or of a child, whom Ethiopians say was born unbeknownst to Solomon only once the queen had returned to Ethiopia."

In Graham Hancock's book, he elaborates on the legend, Menelik was asked to leave because the officials (and Solomon's wives) were jealous because he was Solomon's first born son and had influence with Solomon.

When the court officials continued to press Solomon, he stated that Menelik would return to his home, but to accompany him so would the first born sons of all the court officials -- a very Solomonesque decision. This is how the Ark of the Covenant was transported because only priests were llowed to transport the Ark.

[RightWhale]

Axum has the Ark. They say so, and the guy that guards the Ark says so, too. He is tough, don't mess with him.

[SunkenCiv]

[I think there's more, such as topics about the obelisk, but only used the FR search engine, so this is what turned up]

Myth of the Lost Ark fuels pride of a nation on brink of war (Lost Ark in Axum?)
News Telegraph, UK | 12-29-05 | David Blair
Posted on 12/29/2005 9:54:10 AM EST by emiller
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1548632/posts

[anglian]

Believers Driven from Homes in Axum Rock hewn Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Axum Axum is considered the most holy city for the Ethiopian Orthodox Church because of its ancient churches and their claim that the original Ark of the Covenant is kept there. The influence of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church is very strong in the area. A Full Gospel church is the only known non-Orthodox church in the city. According to a VOMC source in Ethiopia , the church frequently experiences harassment with stones often thrown at the building throughout the services. "In one of my trips to Axum , I was ministering in the evening service and stones were flowing on the roof like rain. I had to wait for hours to get out of the church and even then, stones were falling everywhere as we went out," he said. On March 12 and 17, the church building was attacked. The mob severely damaged the building with stones and burned it. Following the latest attack, Ethiopian Orthodox leaders ordered their followers to expel anyone from their home who was not a member of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. At last report, four young women have been expelled and are now living inside the church compound for protection. One of these women is suffering badly from AIDS but was still thrown out of her bed by her parents and chased from her home. For more information on Ethiopia and the suffering facing Christians there, click here. http://www.persecution.net/news/ethiopia14.html

[ckilmer]

another interesting thing about the etheopians jews is that they preserver in their old testatment the book enoch and the book of jubilee--which are also found among the dead sea scrolls. but not in todays jewish or christian bibles.

apparently there was a winnowing of books that went on among 2nd and 3rd century jews as to acceptable cannon.

while I understand why books like the book of Judas or the book of thomas didn't make the cut in the new testatment... I don't know why the book of enoch and the book of jubilees didn't make the cut in the old testament.

the christians for their part took as old testament cannon whatever the jews said was cannon. so that's why you don't see the book of enoch or the book of jubilee in christian bibles.