In this thread I'm publishing the first—and (hopefully) not last—of what I call my "CK3 Protocols". What I like to do when playing CK3 is chronicling the progress of my realm and using it as a jumping-off-point to write stories, and here I've rewritten it into a pseudo-religiohisotrical alternate history account about Ethiopia—derived from and similar to the Kebra Nagast—meant to entertain and inspire. The protocol goes up to the point where the game glitched irreparably and I couldn't continue (likely because of all the mods).
PREFACE: The Book of Zion purports to be a chronicle of the Solomonic dynasty of Ethiopia. It was originally written in the Habasha language and is here first made available in English.
The text of the Book of Zion shows signs of multiple later revisions. It was likely sourced from a more sober royal chronicle (or several thereof) and embellished with religious commentary and polemics influenced by folk traditions and mysticism.
Western scholarship on the Book of Zion is currently lacking, and the Ethiopian state and Church are somewhat secretive about it, as is customary for them when it comes to their records and writings.
{The publication of this translation includes sections from the so-called "Tapestry of Kings"}
THE BOOK OF ZION {መጽሐፈ ጽዮን, METS'HAFE TSIYON}
The Book of Zion, and the History of the House of Solomon, of the children of God in Jesus Christ in Habasha.
Glory be unto God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, one God, one nature. And glory be unto the house of Solomon, the house of David, the house of our eternal king Jesus Christ and of His Virgin Mother Mary.
These are the names of the kings of Zion unto the days of King Amlak Be'inya: Salma, Benlekem, Yosef, Zala, Kaleb, Desta Mel'ak, Mehadeyis, Wazeba, Ebana, Kaleb, Wazena, Israel, Hezkiyas, Amotagar, Fasilidas, Gedewon, Kale Hezekiel, Yahowah Tebebe, Negesh Iyasus, Fekere Hezbe, Emnete Kabebot, Mengede Tergu, Kale Isayyas, Nets'hena Tenkare, Tore Mel'akte, Anbasa Talake, Kenede Iyasu, Iyasu, Yahowah Amesgene, Amlak Be'inya. And their champions attended them. And the things of God must be recorded, and the deeds of his people, both weak and strong, to the end that his servants should fear him.
Now concerning the house of Solomon, it was thus: when the queen of Habasha visited Solomon in Jerusalem, the holy city, she conceived by him in marriage, and gave birth to twins, the first of whom was Benlekem {Menelik}, and the second Salma. And when the queen departed, Benlekem her son took the Covenant {ኪዳን kidan} with him from Jerusalem by subtlety. And Salma discovered this, and said unto his brother: ‘Wherefore, my brother, doest thou such a thing, and dishonourest our father?’ Now Benlekem was like unto Cain and Esau and loved neither truth nor justice, and he smote his brother on the cheek. And their mother said unto them, as they were in Eskenderya {Alexandria}, ‘My sons, be ye wise, as your father said, and be ye peaceful, as your father said. Let us be on our way.’ For she was not only comely, but gracious of heart, wherefore the king said of her, ‘Her value is greater than a red pearl.’ And they went on to Aksum. And the brethren continued each in his way, and Benlekem kept the Covenant hidden in Aksum.
{I thought it appropriate to note here that this fictional polemic against the line of Menelik is just a plot device and not intended to be an insult toward the actual Ethiopian House of Solomon}
It was twelve seventy years after the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, twelve according to the number of the tribes of Israel, and the apostles of Christ, and seventy according to the elders of Moses, and the multitude of our Lord; and two thousand years after the days of Solomon, a thousand for each of his sons: there came a man by the name of Gedewon {"Gideon"}, the son of Fasilidas, the son of Hezkiyas, the son of Amotagar. He became exalted among the Habasha for his wisdom and discernment, and he was indeed a son of Solomon, of the line of Salma, and he ruled on the mountains of Habasha, the new Zion. This was not long after the time that the queen of the Jews persecuted the people of God.
Now as GEDEWON {ጌዴዎን} was the son of Salma, so Del Na'od, the godless, was the son of Benlekem, the king of Aksum. And as there was war between Israel and Esau, so was there war between Benlekem and Salma, and Gedewon prevailed and took the kingdom from the house of Benlekem, and drove him from his {Benlekem's} inheritance which he {Benlekem} despised, but he made the king's brother Anbasa the captain of his host. And Gedewon ruled from Aksum, where the Covenant of Zion was, and the Mark of Mehadeyis, and they scraped the name of Del Na'od from the Mark of Mehadeyis, at the command of God.
And Gedewon kept his hand on the heathen of the north, and traded with those far in the west beyond the desert. He made to secure the realm to the south, and gained the friendship of the duke of Bugna. And he betrothed his daughters to the sons of the kings of Aruwa and Makuria, and took the duchies of Gojjam and Shawah, and carved out the heathen and unbelievers to the east, for God was with him. And Gedewon had a crown of pure gold that no man could lift but he, though not by reason of the strength of his arm, and lions and panthers lived on the outskirts of his castle.
And they fought a great battle on the Hill Afsash in Jibat and in the valley of Gafat, where the people of God smote their enemies. And the king, as he lay in his tent, dreamed a dream, and saw a great light, far brighter than the sun, and he heard a voice that said unto him, ‘Behold, I make the angel of my word to go whithersoever thou goest.’ Then the king knew that his house would endure.
And Yostos the unbeliever approached the throne of his lord and wanted to slay him, but as he struck the king's ear off, the sword turned on him, and he died.
In those days there also came a report from the duchy of Sanag, saying that the duke had turned to the faith of Christ, and there was much rejoicing.
King Gedewon ruled eight and thirty years, so that he ruled over Habasha, and Amhara, and Agaw, and had many children, and his spirit went to God.
And Gedewon's son Pawlos ascended to the throne of Zion, and he took the name KALE HEZEKIEL {ቃል ሕዝቅኤል, Word of Ezekiel}, for his word was righteous and true. And his mother had weaved for him a silver coat which was like unto the coat of Joseph.
And he continued in his father's way and made war with the heathen and the unbelievers in the south and their queen Nakwela, and the Aruwites were with him. Cursed be the kingdom of the Aromites, who worship devils, and who have no sons, and no captains but the wicked Nakwela.
Then came the king of the unbelievers far in the north, Alekayem, and made war with the king of Makuria, and they were twice as many, and he also made war with his {Alekayem's} brother Abas, but God repelled him from His land.
Then Kale Hezekiel defended the Belamites against their brethren, the Aruwites, but God had given them to Endriyas of Aruwa, the king's sister's son, and so also when the Putites fell upon Makuria once more, so that Aruwa was greatly exalted.
And the Darodite kings of Adal turned to the faith of God, and were no more unbelieving, and loved Yahowah, and their people, but they despised the Apostle of Jesus, and the line of Solomon. And Kale Hezekiel said unto the king of Adal, ‘Brother, be ye one with us, for ye are of the seed of Abraham, and ye are of the seed of Abraham, and of the seed of Hendeke, and be ye now brethren with us also of the spirit.’ And the king of Adal answered, ‘Yea, we are the children of Hendeke whose servant brought the faith into this land, but we will not be one with you, for your liturgy is witchcraft unto us.’ So the king of Aksum made war with Adal on the plains of Adal, and had the king of Aruwa with him, Endriyas, the man of God, and he succeeded, and ruled even unto the sea. And when the king of Hamar saw the glory that God had given Kale Hezekiel, he also believed in Yahowah and his son, and was married to the king's son's daughter. And the war with the Darodites continued even unto the days of Mengede Tergu.
And Kale Hezekiel ruled over Habasha, Amhara, Agaw, Argoba, Oma, Harla, and Sidama, one and forty years, and had many children, and his spirit went to God.
So his son Timotewos {"Timothy"} ascended to the throne, and took the name YAHOWAH TEBEBE {የሆወህ ጥበብ, Yahweh is Wisdom}.
At this time, there came a plague upon the land, and the house of Solomon was devastated, that there were no manchildren anymore, and the priests and bishops entreated the Lord Yahowah on their behalf. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto the king in his bedchamber, saying: ‘Because the house of Solomon is puffed up with pride, and ye do eat the inheritance of orphans, therefore doth Yahowah chastise you. Now return, and humble yourself like unto Nebuchadnezzar, lest I make the house of Solomon like unto the house of Saul and the house of Serotsadan {Esarhaddon?}.’ And this was said because the king had taken the possessions of Nahewe the Harlite. And also at this time word arrived of the dissolution of the Kingdom of the Romans, and there was much trembling in all the land, and in all the world. And the king was so distraught for his sin, and for the sins that provoked the Lord to anger, that he wept alone for twelve weeks, for an evil spirit from Yahowah remained that tormented him, and he repented exceedingly, and prayed before the Covenant.
And the king continued, and drove out the heathen and unbelievers that remained in his domain. But the Azimite king of Makuria, the king's cousin, sent men to slay him with guile, and Yahowah punished him {the king of Makuria} by the hand of the Aruwites. Now forgiveness is better than a grudge, yet when Yahowah's anger burneth hot, his judgment is executed by the hands of man; so it was also in those days, as it is now.
And Yahowah Tebebe ruled over Habasha, Amhara, Agaw, Argoba, Oma, Harla, and Sidama, eight and thirty years, and his spirit went to Yahowah.
Then ascended Markos {"Mark"}, whom the king had begotten by Yodit his Nubian concubine, and he took the name NEGESH IYASUS {ነገሠ ኢየሱስ, Jesus Reigneth}.
And Negesh Iyasus was very young when his father the king died, and he grew up in the house of his uncle's son, Count Dawit of Kata. And queen Abgal of Hamar, his sister's daughter, paid him tribute of gold. And his wives were Peresesla, the daughter of holy King Endriyas, and the beautiful Kewedonya. In his days, they opened the treasury of Aksum, and that of Bugna, and of all the lands, and surveyed all the riches, and found the signet ring of king Solomon, and the bishop placed it on the king's hand. And the messengers of the king reported that Alekayem the unbeliever had perished.
Now there arose war in Zion because of the jealousy of the people of the south who were in estates of honour, but the king sent his hosts, and they destroyed them, and banished his enemies. And he had a champion by the name of Christophorus, a Nubian, who was half a man's size, and had twice a man's strength of arm.
And Zion was exceedingly great in the days of Negesh Iyasus, so that he had a throne made of cedar wood overlaid with pure gold, and he wore a breastplate made by smiths in the land of Bo'il far in the east, and his wealth and wisdom were known to all the world.
But Duke Jedat of Mersabat sent a letter to the king, saying that his kingdom would not stand, and mocked him, saying that his enemies would prevail over him, though Jedat was a Christian. And the king was gracious, and said not a word in response.
And when Ogela the Harlite, the duke of Adal, the unbeliever, rebelled against the king, the king humbled him, and proved to him that there was only one God, not a god of the desert, or a god of the camel, but of all men, and of all the worlds. These were the days when the faith of Christ was established in all the land of Zion, from north to south, east to west, and the name of Christ was praised by all. Nevertheless, the king made dispensation for the Jews and the Egyptians, as his fathers had done.
And the Lord sent wolves and a white lion that prowled the borders of the king's realm. And he builded many churches, as his father had done before him. Nevertheless, the war of brethren never ceased, and so the Aruwites made war with the Azimites, and the Azimites were defeated, and Giyorgis {"George"} the Abwabite took the kingdom of the Azimites in Makuria; and also the kings of Hamar strove with one another.
And the queen of Hamar was lifted up in pride, and so her fall came swiftly, and her kingdom was divided, and Negesh Iyasus took heed.
It was one hundred seven and forty years after Gedewon became king of Aksum, which is Zion, and the kingdom had grown exceedingly, so that all the land sought the counsel of Negesh Iyasus, and he ruled from Damot unto the sea, and from the tower of Sidama unto the tower of Bade. Then came Aron, bishop of Eskenderya, together with Pilatos, bishop of Suba, and Estifanos {"Stephen"}, bishop of Abwab, and stood before the king in the city, in his house. And the bishop Aron said, ‘O great king, what is thy wish?’ And the king answered, ‘Wherefore callest thou me great? Only God is great.’ And Pilatos said, ‘O wise king, what is thy wish?’ And he answered, ‘Wherefore callest thou me wise? Only God is wise.’ And Estifanos said, ‘O good king, what is thy wish?’ And he answered, ‘Wherefore callest thou me good? Only God is good. And moreover, why should I ask a wish of the Lord, seeing that he hath given me all that is?’ And Aron said, ‘Because thou hast been humble before Yahowah, He will lift thee up even like unto Solomon.’ And the bishops took each one of them a jar, a jar of earth, and a jar of water, and an empty jar, and said, ‘God hath given thee command of all that is on the land, and in the sea, and in the air.’ And they called him there king of kings {ንጉስ ነገሥት, negus nagast}, whom we know as the Majesty by {the grace of} Jesus and Mary, the king of Zion {በኢየሱስመ ማርያም ግርማዊ የጽዮነ ንጉሥ Beiyasuseme Maryam Geremawi Yetsiyone Negus}.
These are the words of Samer the Mekawites, the great champion, whose tomb lieth far in the north, ‘Who is like unto the king? / Yea, the strength of his feet is prolonged / And the wisdom of his forehead is exalted / Who is like unto Our God Jesus? / Yea, His wisdom is everlasting / And His strength is eternal mercy / Let Him be the greatness of the king's name.’ And the king continued to execute God's wrath upon the Darodites.
And Negesh Iyasus ruled over Habasha, Amhara, Agaw, Argoba, Oma, Afar, Harla, Sidama, and Berbera, six and fifty years, and had many children, and his spirit went to God.
And his son Timotewos ruled, and took the name FEKERE HEZBE {ፍቅር ሕዝቤ, Love for My People}, and the king was exceeding rich, and good.
In his day, the king of the Aromites in Hamar was strong and faithful, and the king made a truthful covenant with him, and also with the Aruwites. And he turned his face north beyond the sea and made war with the king of the Arabians. Now when King Temor saw that the Habasha were great, and that God had given them much wisdom and strength of arm, he was afraid, though he was puffed up with pride, and he proposed a covenant with the king of Zion, saying, ‘Will ye not be one with us, even as God is one?’ And King Fekere Hezbe answered, ‘Forasmuch as God is one Lord, we will only make a covenant with you if ye believe in Christ, who is the Son of God.’ But the wicked priest of King Temor, whose name was Jemshad, said unto Temor, ‘Thou must not do this thing’, for Satan lived in his heart. Therefore King Temor turned not from his evil ways, and there could be no covenant with the unbelievers, for King Temor's words were only like unto the words of Serotsadan.
These are the words of Bishop Yagish the Hattite, ‘Behold, I see calamity in the north, for he that dwelleth on the mountains and the sea doth thunder. And his name is King Ros yea, even King Ror, he that hath the power of Gog and Magog. Let him that hearkeneth unto the words of angels give heed.’
Around this time the king conferred with the priests and bishops of his domain, and they agreed that an effort should be made to restore the Order of Saint Anetoniyos. At around this time, there came a plague upon the lands of Ham, and it also entered Zion, but the lord sent his angel that stood before the Covenant and delivered His people from death.
And Negesh Iyasus ruled over Zion thirteen years, and his spirit went to God.
And the king's daughter Rebeka, an Omawitess, a meek woman, ascended to the throne, and took the name EMNETE KABEBOT {እምነት ከአበቦት, Faith Like Unto Flowers}. And the queen saw over the realm with justice.
And Emnete Kabebot ruled over Zion nine years, and her spirit went to God.
These are the words of Obaksa of Mareg, the queen's mother, ‘Praise ye Yahowah in sickness and in health. Love ye the Virgin in life and in death. Yea, a man knoweth not when his time shall come, when the angels shall take his spirit to be with his God. Let a young man not trust in youth, nor an old man despair in his old age, for the Lord shall save them, even the hand of our God.’
And the queen's son Mekabyan {"Maccabee"} ruled, and he took the name MENGEDE TERGU {መንገድ ጥረጉ, Prepare the Way}, and he was very young when the queen died, and his household advised him wisely, as the house of Josiah had done.
And the king continued his grandfather's war with the Arabians, and so did the Abgalites in the desert on the sea. And Darmapela, the great captain of the east in Sambar beyond the land of the Hatimites, came as well, for he was betrothed to the king's daughter. And in these days, the kings of Zion began to marry their daughters to the kings of the east.
And we must never forget the battles of the sands of Yemen, nor the conflagration of the latter years, when the mighty king of the east was called to aid the people of God.
In the third year of King Mengede Tergu, they opened up the records of the kingdom, and the scribes, officials and priests looked them over, and they discovered the way in which the Covenant had been brought to Aksum, which is Zion. And Abdemehran, priest of Endarta, said, ‘It was not commanded that the Covenant should be here, but Jerusalem is the house of God.’ And Father Hirad, patriarch of Aksum, had no words against him. Then the priests appealed to the king, and said that the Covenant must be returned to Jerusalem, lest they be slack in the way and commandment of God. Now Jerusalem was at this time in the hands of the unbelievers. And an angel of God appeared in a cloud beside the throne, and all the men fell on their faces. And the angel said, ‘Fear not. The words of your mouths and the thoughts of your hearts have been heard before Yahowah. As for the Covenant, there is no thing which is not known to our Lord, and what is done is done within the sight of His eyes and of His forehead. And forasmuch as the Covenant was taken from Jerusalem by fraud, God knew it, and ordained that it should abide on this mountain until the times of war are fulfilled.’ Then the king went out to the church and bowed himself before the Covenant, and the angel departed and left God's peace with the kingdom.
And there arrived testimony from the north that the White Horseman rode far in the north, but also that the people of Tergama were on the march, as had been prophesied by the prophet Ezekiel, bringing with them much war. In these days, the kingdom of the Romans was split between the sons of Yawan {Javan} and the invaders who said that they were their brethren and {that they were} Christians. And the kings of the unbelievers also raged.
Now Wardira, the king of Mareg, was a godless man, and he was of the stock of the Darodites. And Wardira laid chains on his wife queen Ruun, the king's {Mengede Tergu's} aunt and put her in prison, and she was a righteous woman who loved God. And when the king knew this, he sent his hosts to make war with Wardira, and they prevailed, and Talka the Bimolite, the king's friend, became king of Mareg, but his kingdom did not stand, and there was long war in the south because of the sin of Wardira.
These are the words of King Mengede Tergu, ‘Hearken now, my people: The Lord Yahowah is on His throne in heaven, and His word is sent down by His angels. Let every man and woman seek His wisdom, and let not the teachings of his Church be forgotten.’
In the two hundred eight and fiftieth year of Zion, when the war with the Arabians was aflame, there was a great battle in the desert, and the king's son Na'od commanded the cavalry. And as he rode over an hill, the Arabian archers arose from among the sands, and Na'od was struck by arrows as he sat on his horse. And as he expired, his hand gripped his sword, and smote off the head of the archer that had killed him as he was riding by. And as the horse came to an halt, the prince's body sat still in the saddle and was not moved, and the Arabians durst not approach, but encamped themselves afar off. And Na'od's men came at night and took the prince's body and brought it to Aksum. And at this, the king's heart smote him, and he was very ill, and though his son had died an hero, he was exceeding grieved, and he expired thereafter.
And Mengede Tergu ruled over Habasha, Amhara, Agaw, Argoba, Oma, Afar, Harla, Sidama, Berbera, Ziyat, Sanag, Hapun, and Hamar, three and sixty years, and angels were among his courtiers, and he had many children, and his spirit went to God.
And Mekabyan, the king's daughter's son, ascended to the throne, and took the name KALE ISAYYAS {ቃል ኢሳይያስ, Word of Isaiah}.
In the days of King Kale Isayyas, the land of Zion was surveyed by command of the steward, Duke Asabyos. These are the lords of Zion and their districts: Duke Asabyos ruled over Baklin and Bazana; Grand Duke Zosima ruled over Adal; Duke Gazenja ruled over Bugna; Duke Saro ruled over Kafa; Duke Dengel ruled over Gojjam; Count Saharadi ruled over Western Hamar; Grand Duke Gara ruled over Eastern Hamar and Hapun; Grand Duke Iyasus ruled over Damot; Duke Birka ruled over Dawaro; Duke Afework ruled over Bagemdar; Duke Marapawo ruled over Shawah; Count Gandajelka ruled over Borana; Count Danyakawe ruled over Sera; Count Ode ruled over Massawa; Countess Sulamatis ruled over Nizwa.
In the fourteenth year of King Kale Isayyas, Kaled, king of the Arabians, fell upon the kingdom of Beshai, king of the Putites, and drove him west, and took his kingdom. Then the king of the unbelievers was mighty and ruled from one end of the earth to the other, and had an host of a thousand times a thousand, a thousand times a thousand.
And Kale Isayyas ruled over Zion sixteen years, and his spirit went to God.
And Sara, the king's daughter, ascended to the throne, and took the name NETS'HENA TENKARE {ንጽህና ጥንካሬ, Purity is Strength}.
And the queen stretched out her hands against the unbelievers in Arabia as her fathers had done before her, and the men of Zion conquered the coast up the Red Sea beyond Mount Bazana, and east along the coast of the Yemenites.
In the three and twentieth year of Queen Nets'hena Tenkare, the sins of the Abgalites was full, and the hosts of Zion fell upon them and took their land. Also, she repelled the hosts of Husene {Husayn} the Persian which fell upon the world, and whose kingdom could not stand.
Nets'hena Tenkare ruled over Zion five and fifty years, and angels were among her courtiers, and her spirit went to God, just as her hosts fell upon the south of Arabia.
And the queen's grandson Ya'ekob ascended to the throne, for his father had died a leper, and Ya'ekob took the name TORE MEL'AKTE {ጦር መላእክት, Spear of the Angels}.
And Tore Mel'akte was on the field of battle when messengers came, saying, ‘My lord the king, thy mother the queen is dead,’ for she was old with years. Then the king looked out upon the plain of Yemen and called his hosts together, that they should fall upon the Arabians, and the people of Zion conquered. Now King Ka'el of Makuria was wroth with King Giyorgis of Aruwa, and he came with his hosts against the Aruwites who were with Tore Mel'akte on the plain of Yemen, and the Nubians slew each other in the hotness of battle, so that the Arabians mocked. But the king summoned his men, and they went out and slew the unbelievers. And when they turned and looked, there were corpses all around, even the corpses of their brethren and their friends. Then the godless and the cowardly among them said to the king, ‘Wherefore hast thou taken us into this wilderness to die? And the flesh of our best ones hast thou made meat for the ravens.’ And there was great wailing.
And again the hordes of the Persians came from the east in the days of King Tore Mel'akte, but they could not breach the kingdom, for the men of Zion stood as a wall beyond the Sea of Mekra. And the king's hosts ...
{The following poem or song appears appended after the abrupt end to the main text.}
This is the Song of the House of Solomon, the wisdom of King Iyasu, whose name is Tamani {ታማኝ, Faithful}.
The kings of Zion do sit in high places,
And look to and fro over their domain.
The people of God keep watch,
and heed the words of king and church.
Our God is exalted on His throne of amber.
Upon His head is a laurel of purest pearl.
Yahowah shall keep His covenant.
He shall never leave those whom he loveth.
God ruleth with mercy and justice.
Our God decreeth, exalteth and debaseth.
The godly shall outlive those who hate them.
They shall be blessed with abundant loins.
Thus shall the king's word be true,
And the strength of his throne shall be established.
Amen.
PREFACE: The Book of Zion purports to be a chronicle of the Solomonic dynasty of Ethiopia. It was originally written in the Habasha language and is here first made available in English.
The text of the Book of Zion shows signs of multiple later revisions. It was likely sourced from a more sober royal chronicle (or several thereof) and embellished with religious commentary and polemics influenced by folk traditions and mysticism.
Western scholarship on the Book of Zion is currently lacking, and the Ethiopian state and Church are somewhat secretive about it, as is customary for them when it comes to their records and writings.
{The publication of this translation includes sections from the so-called "Tapestry of Kings"}
THE BOOK OF ZION {መጽሐፈ ጽዮን, METS'HAFE TSIYON}
The Book of Zion, and the History of the House of Solomon, of the children of God in Jesus Christ in Habasha.
Glory be unto God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, one God, one nature. And glory be unto the house of Solomon, the house of David, the house of our eternal king Jesus Christ and of His Virgin Mother Mary.
These are the names of the kings of Zion unto the days of King Amlak Be'inya: Salma, Benlekem, Yosef, Zala, Kaleb, Desta Mel'ak, Mehadeyis, Wazeba, Ebana, Kaleb, Wazena, Israel, Hezkiyas, Amotagar, Fasilidas, Gedewon, Kale Hezekiel, Yahowah Tebebe, Negesh Iyasus, Fekere Hezbe, Emnete Kabebot, Mengede Tergu, Kale Isayyas, Nets'hena Tenkare, Tore Mel'akte, Anbasa Talake, Kenede Iyasu, Iyasu, Yahowah Amesgene, Amlak Be'inya. And their champions attended them. And the things of God must be recorded, and the deeds of his people, both weak and strong, to the end that his servants should fear him.
Now concerning the house of Solomon, it was thus: when the queen of Habasha visited Solomon in Jerusalem, the holy city, she conceived by him in marriage, and gave birth to twins, the first of whom was Benlekem {Menelik}, and the second Salma. And when the queen departed, Benlekem her son took the Covenant {ኪዳን kidan} with him from Jerusalem by subtlety. And Salma discovered this, and said unto his brother: ‘Wherefore, my brother, doest thou such a thing, and dishonourest our father?’ Now Benlekem was like unto Cain and Esau and loved neither truth nor justice, and he smote his brother on the cheek. And their mother said unto them, as they were in Eskenderya {Alexandria}, ‘My sons, be ye wise, as your father said, and be ye peaceful, as your father said. Let us be on our way.’ For she was not only comely, but gracious of heart, wherefore the king said of her, ‘Her value is greater than a red pearl.’ And they went on to Aksum. And the brethren continued each in his way, and Benlekem kept the Covenant hidden in Aksum.
{I thought it appropriate to note here that this fictional polemic against the line of Menelik is just a plot device and not intended to be an insult toward the actual Ethiopian House of Solomon}
It was twelve seventy years after the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, twelve according to the number of the tribes of Israel, and the apostles of Christ, and seventy according to the elders of Moses, and the multitude of our Lord; and two thousand years after the days of Solomon, a thousand for each of his sons: there came a man by the name of Gedewon {"Gideon"}, the son of Fasilidas, the son of Hezkiyas, the son of Amotagar. He became exalted among the Habasha for his wisdom and discernment, and he was indeed a son of Solomon, of the line of Salma, and he ruled on the mountains of Habasha, the new Zion. This was not long after the time that the queen of the Jews persecuted the people of God.
Now as GEDEWON {ጌዴዎን} was the son of Salma, so Del Na'od, the godless, was the son of Benlekem, the king of Aksum. And as there was war between Israel and Esau, so was there war between Benlekem and Salma, and Gedewon prevailed and took the kingdom from the house of Benlekem, and drove him from his {Benlekem's} inheritance which he {Benlekem} despised, but he made the king's brother Anbasa the captain of his host. And Gedewon ruled from Aksum, where the Covenant of Zion was, and the Mark of Mehadeyis, and they scraped the name of Del Na'od from the Mark of Mehadeyis, at the command of God.
And Gedewon kept his hand on the heathen of the north, and traded with those far in the west beyond the desert. He made to secure the realm to the south, and gained the friendship of the duke of Bugna. And he betrothed his daughters to the sons of the kings of Aruwa and Makuria, and took the duchies of Gojjam and Shawah, and carved out the heathen and unbelievers to the east, for God was with him. And Gedewon had a crown of pure gold that no man could lift but he, though not by reason of the strength of his arm, and lions and panthers lived on the outskirts of his castle.
And they fought a great battle on the Hill Afsash in Jibat and in the valley of Gafat, where the people of God smote their enemies. And the king, as he lay in his tent, dreamed a dream, and saw a great light, far brighter than the sun, and he heard a voice that said unto him, ‘Behold, I make the angel of my word to go whithersoever thou goest.’ Then the king knew that his house would endure.
And Yostos the unbeliever approached the throne of his lord and wanted to slay him, but as he struck the king's ear off, the sword turned on him, and he died.
In those days there also came a report from the duchy of Sanag, saying that the duke had turned to the faith of Christ, and there was much rejoicing.
King Gedewon ruled eight and thirty years, so that he ruled over Habasha, and Amhara, and Agaw, and had many children, and his spirit went to God.
And Gedewon's son Pawlos ascended to the throne of Zion, and he took the name KALE HEZEKIEL {ቃል ሕዝቅኤል, Word of Ezekiel}, for his word was righteous and true. And his mother had weaved for him a silver coat which was like unto the coat of Joseph.
And he continued in his father's way and made war with the heathen and the unbelievers in the south and their queen Nakwela, and the Aruwites were with him. Cursed be the kingdom of the Aromites, who worship devils, and who have no sons, and no captains but the wicked Nakwela.
Then came the king of the unbelievers far in the north, Alekayem, and made war with the king of Makuria, and they were twice as many, and he also made war with his {Alekayem's} brother Abas, but God repelled him from His land.
Then Kale Hezekiel defended the Belamites against their brethren, the Aruwites, but God had given them to Endriyas of Aruwa, the king's sister's son, and so also when the Putites fell upon Makuria once more, so that Aruwa was greatly exalted.
And the Darodite kings of Adal turned to the faith of God, and were no more unbelieving, and loved Yahowah, and their people, but they despised the Apostle of Jesus, and the line of Solomon. And Kale Hezekiel said unto the king of Adal, ‘Brother, be ye one with us, for ye are of the seed of Abraham, and ye are of the seed of Abraham, and of the seed of Hendeke, and be ye now brethren with us also of the spirit.’ And the king of Adal answered, ‘Yea, we are the children of Hendeke whose servant brought the faith into this land, but we will not be one with you, for your liturgy is witchcraft unto us.’ So the king of Aksum made war with Adal on the plains of Adal, and had the king of Aruwa with him, Endriyas, the man of God, and he succeeded, and ruled even unto the sea. And when the king of Hamar saw the glory that God had given Kale Hezekiel, he also believed in Yahowah and his son, and was married to the king's son's daughter. And the war with the Darodites continued even unto the days of Mengede Tergu.
And Kale Hezekiel ruled over Habasha, Amhara, Agaw, Argoba, Oma, Harla, and Sidama, one and forty years, and had many children, and his spirit went to God.
So his son Timotewos {"Timothy"} ascended to the throne, and took the name YAHOWAH TEBEBE {የሆወህ ጥበብ, Yahweh is Wisdom}.
At this time, there came a plague upon the land, and the house of Solomon was devastated, that there were no manchildren anymore, and the priests and bishops entreated the Lord Yahowah on their behalf. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto the king in his bedchamber, saying: ‘Because the house of Solomon is puffed up with pride, and ye do eat the inheritance of orphans, therefore doth Yahowah chastise you. Now return, and humble yourself like unto Nebuchadnezzar, lest I make the house of Solomon like unto the house of Saul and the house of Serotsadan {Esarhaddon?}.’ And this was said because the king had taken the possessions of Nahewe the Harlite. And also at this time word arrived of the dissolution of the Kingdom of the Romans, and there was much trembling in all the land, and in all the world. And the king was so distraught for his sin, and for the sins that provoked the Lord to anger, that he wept alone for twelve weeks, for an evil spirit from Yahowah remained that tormented him, and he repented exceedingly, and prayed before the Covenant.
And the king continued, and drove out the heathen and unbelievers that remained in his domain. But the Azimite king of Makuria, the king's cousin, sent men to slay him with guile, and Yahowah punished him {the king of Makuria} by the hand of the Aruwites. Now forgiveness is better than a grudge, yet when Yahowah's anger burneth hot, his judgment is executed by the hands of man; so it was also in those days, as it is now.
And Yahowah Tebebe ruled over Habasha, Amhara, Agaw, Argoba, Oma, Harla, and Sidama, eight and thirty years, and his spirit went to Yahowah.
Then ascended Markos {"Mark"}, whom the king had begotten by Yodit his Nubian concubine, and he took the name NEGESH IYASUS {ነገሠ ኢየሱስ, Jesus Reigneth}.
And Negesh Iyasus was very young when his father the king died, and he grew up in the house of his uncle's son, Count Dawit of Kata. And queen Abgal of Hamar, his sister's daughter, paid him tribute of gold. And his wives were Peresesla, the daughter of holy King Endriyas, and the beautiful Kewedonya. In his days, they opened the treasury of Aksum, and that of Bugna, and of all the lands, and surveyed all the riches, and found the signet ring of king Solomon, and the bishop placed it on the king's hand. And the messengers of the king reported that Alekayem the unbeliever had perished.
Now there arose war in Zion because of the jealousy of the people of the south who were in estates of honour, but the king sent his hosts, and they destroyed them, and banished his enemies. And he had a champion by the name of Christophorus, a Nubian, who was half a man's size, and had twice a man's strength of arm.
And Zion was exceedingly great in the days of Negesh Iyasus, so that he had a throne made of cedar wood overlaid with pure gold, and he wore a breastplate made by smiths in the land of Bo'il far in the east, and his wealth and wisdom were known to all the world.
But Duke Jedat of Mersabat sent a letter to the king, saying that his kingdom would not stand, and mocked him, saying that his enemies would prevail over him, though Jedat was a Christian. And the king was gracious, and said not a word in response.
And when Ogela the Harlite, the duke of Adal, the unbeliever, rebelled against the king, the king humbled him, and proved to him that there was only one God, not a god of the desert, or a god of the camel, but of all men, and of all the worlds. These were the days when the faith of Christ was established in all the land of Zion, from north to south, east to west, and the name of Christ was praised by all. Nevertheless, the king made dispensation for the Jews and the Egyptians, as his fathers had done.
And the Lord sent wolves and a white lion that prowled the borders of the king's realm. And he builded many churches, as his father had done before him. Nevertheless, the war of brethren never ceased, and so the Aruwites made war with the Azimites, and the Azimites were defeated, and Giyorgis {"George"} the Abwabite took the kingdom of the Azimites in Makuria; and also the kings of Hamar strove with one another.
And the queen of Hamar was lifted up in pride, and so her fall came swiftly, and her kingdom was divided, and Negesh Iyasus took heed.
It was one hundred seven and forty years after Gedewon became king of Aksum, which is Zion, and the kingdom had grown exceedingly, so that all the land sought the counsel of Negesh Iyasus, and he ruled from Damot unto the sea, and from the tower of Sidama unto the tower of Bade. Then came Aron, bishop of Eskenderya, together with Pilatos, bishop of Suba, and Estifanos {"Stephen"}, bishop of Abwab, and stood before the king in the city, in his house. And the bishop Aron said, ‘O great king, what is thy wish?’ And the king answered, ‘Wherefore callest thou me great? Only God is great.’ And Pilatos said, ‘O wise king, what is thy wish?’ And he answered, ‘Wherefore callest thou me wise? Only God is wise.’ And Estifanos said, ‘O good king, what is thy wish?’ And he answered, ‘Wherefore callest thou me good? Only God is good. And moreover, why should I ask a wish of the Lord, seeing that he hath given me all that is?’ And Aron said, ‘Because thou hast been humble before Yahowah, He will lift thee up even like unto Solomon.’ And the bishops took each one of them a jar, a jar of earth, and a jar of water, and an empty jar, and said, ‘God hath given thee command of all that is on the land, and in the sea, and in the air.’ And they called him there king of kings {ንጉስ ነገሥት, negus nagast}, whom we know as the Majesty by {the grace of} Jesus and Mary, the king of Zion {በኢየሱስመ ማርያም ግርማዊ የጽዮነ ንጉሥ Beiyasuseme Maryam Geremawi Yetsiyone Negus}.
These are the words of Samer the Mekawites, the great champion, whose tomb lieth far in the north, ‘Who is like unto the king? / Yea, the strength of his feet is prolonged / And the wisdom of his forehead is exalted / Who is like unto Our God Jesus? / Yea, His wisdom is everlasting / And His strength is eternal mercy / Let Him be the greatness of the king's name.’ And the king continued to execute God's wrath upon the Darodites.
And Negesh Iyasus ruled over Habasha, Amhara, Agaw, Argoba, Oma, Afar, Harla, Sidama, and Berbera, six and fifty years, and had many children, and his spirit went to God.
And his son Timotewos ruled, and took the name FEKERE HEZBE {ፍቅር ሕዝቤ, Love for My People}, and the king was exceeding rich, and good.
In his day, the king of the Aromites in Hamar was strong and faithful, and the king made a truthful covenant with him, and also with the Aruwites. And he turned his face north beyond the sea and made war with the king of the Arabians. Now when King Temor saw that the Habasha were great, and that God had given them much wisdom and strength of arm, he was afraid, though he was puffed up with pride, and he proposed a covenant with the king of Zion, saying, ‘Will ye not be one with us, even as God is one?’ And King Fekere Hezbe answered, ‘Forasmuch as God is one Lord, we will only make a covenant with you if ye believe in Christ, who is the Son of God.’ But the wicked priest of King Temor, whose name was Jemshad, said unto Temor, ‘Thou must not do this thing’, for Satan lived in his heart. Therefore King Temor turned not from his evil ways, and there could be no covenant with the unbelievers, for King Temor's words were only like unto the words of Serotsadan.
These are the words of Bishop Yagish the Hattite, ‘Behold, I see calamity in the north, for he that dwelleth on the mountains and the sea doth thunder. And his name is King Ros yea, even King Ror, he that hath the power of Gog and Magog. Let him that hearkeneth unto the words of angels give heed.’
Around this time the king conferred with the priests and bishops of his domain, and they agreed that an effort should be made to restore the Order of Saint Anetoniyos. At around this time, there came a plague upon the lands of Ham, and it also entered Zion, but the lord sent his angel that stood before the Covenant and delivered His people from death.
And Negesh Iyasus ruled over Zion thirteen years, and his spirit went to God.
And the king's daughter Rebeka, an Omawitess, a meek woman, ascended to the throne, and took the name EMNETE KABEBOT {እምነት ከአበቦት, Faith Like Unto Flowers}. And the queen saw over the realm with justice.
And Emnete Kabebot ruled over Zion nine years, and her spirit went to God.
These are the words of Obaksa of Mareg, the queen's mother, ‘Praise ye Yahowah in sickness and in health. Love ye the Virgin in life and in death. Yea, a man knoweth not when his time shall come, when the angels shall take his spirit to be with his God. Let a young man not trust in youth, nor an old man despair in his old age, for the Lord shall save them, even the hand of our God.’
And the queen's son Mekabyan {"Maccabee"} ruled, and he took the name MENGEDE TERGU {መንገድ ጥረጉ, Prepare the Way}, and he was very young when the queen died, and his household advised him wisely, as the house of Josiah had done.
And the king continued his grandfather's war with the Arabians, and so did the Abgalites in the desert on the sea. And Darmapela, the great captain of the east in Sambar beyond the land of the Hatimites, came as well, for he was betrothed to the king's daughter. And in these days, the kings of Zion began to marry their daughters to the kings of the east.
And we must never forget the battles of the sands of Yemen, nor the conflagration of the latter years, when the mighty king of the east was called to aid the people of God.
In the third year of King Mengede Tergu, they opened up the records of the kingdom, and the scribes, officials and priests looked them over, and they discovered the way in which the Covenant had been brought to Aksum, which is Zion. And Abdemehran, priest of Endarta, said, ‘It was not commanded that the Covenant should be here, but Jerusalem is the house of God.’ And Father Hirad, patriarch of Aksum, had no words against him. Then the priests appealed to the king, and said that the Covenant must be returned to Jerusalem, lest they be slack in the way and commandment of God. Now Jerusalem was at this time in the hands of the unbelievers. And an angel of God appeared in a cloud beside the throne, and all the men fell on their faces. And the angel said, ‘Fear not. The words of your mouths and the thoughts of your hearts have been heard before Yahowah. As for the Covenant, there is no thing which is not known to our Lord, and what is done is done within the sight of His eyes and of His forehead. And forasmuch as the Covenant was taken from Jerusalem by fraud, God knew it, and ordained that it should abide on this mountain until the times of war are fulfilled.’ Then the king went out to the church and bowed himself before the Covenant, and the angel departed and left God's peace with the kingdom.
And there arrived testimony from the north that the White Horseman rode far in the north, but also that the people of Tergama were on the march, as had been prophesied by the prophet Ezekiel, bringing with them much war. In these days, the kingdom of the Romans was split between the sons of Yawan {Javan} and the invaders who said that they were their brethren and {that they were} Christians. And the kings of the unbelievers also raged.
Now Wardira, the king of Mareg, was a godless man, and he was of the stock of the Darodites. And Wardira laid chains on his wife queen Ruun, the king's {Mengede Tergu's} aunt and put her in prison, and she was a righteous woman who loved God. And when the king knew this, he sent his hosts to make war with Wardira, and they prevailed, and Talka the Bimolite, the king's friend, became king of Mareg, but his kingdom did not stand, and there was long war in the south because of the sin of Wardira.
These are the words of King Mengede Tergu, ‘Hearken now, my people: The Lord Yahowah is on His throne in heaven, and His word is sent down by His angels. Let every man and woman seek His wisdom, and let not the teachings of his Church be forgotten.’
In the two hundred eight and fiftieth year of Zion, when the war with the Arabians was aflame, there was a great battle in the desert, and the king's son Na'od commanded the cavalry. And as he rode over an hill, the Arabian archers arose from among the sands, and Na'od was struck by arrows as he sat on his horse. And as he expired, his hand gripped his sword, and smote off the head of the archer that had killed him as he was riding by. And as the horse came to an halt, the prince's body sat still in the saddle and was not moved, and the Arabians durst not approach, but encamped themselves afar off. And Na'od's men came at night and took the prince's body and brought it to Aksum. And at this, the king's heart smote him, and he was very ill, and though his son had died an hero, he was exceeding grieved, and he expired thereafter.
And Mengede Tergu ruled over Habasha, Amhara, Agaw, Argoba, Oma, Afar, Harla, Sidama, Berbera, Ziyat, Sanag, Hapun, and Hamar, three and sixty years, and angels were among his courtiers, and he had many children, and his spirit went to God.
And Mekabyan, the king's daughter's son, ascended to the throne, and took the name KALE ISAYYAS {ቃል ኢሳይያስ, Word of Isaiah}.
In the days of King Kale Isayyas, the land of Zion was surveyed by command of the steward, Duke Asabyos. These are the lords of Zion and their districts: Duke Asabyos ruled over Baklin and Bazana; Grand Duke Zosima ruled over Adal; Duke Gazenja ruled over Bugna; Duke Saro ruled over Kafa; Duke Dengel ruled over Gojjam; Count Saharadi ruled over Western Hamar; Grand Duke Gara ruled over Eastern Hamar and Hapun; Grand Duke Iyasus ruled over Damot; Duke Birka ruled over Dawaro; Duke Afework ruled over Bagemdar; Duke Marapawo ruled over Shawah; Count Gandajelka ruled over Borana; Count Danyakawe ruled over Sera; Count Ode ruled over Massawa; Countess Sulamatis ruled over Nizwa.
In the fourteenth year of King Kale Isayyas, Kaled, king of the Arabians, fell upon the kingdom of Beshai, king of the Putites, and drove him west, and took his kingdom. Then the king of the unbelievers was mighty and ruled from one end of the earth to the other, and had an host of a thousand times a thousand, a thousand times a thousand.
And Kale Isayyas ruled over Zion sixteen years, and his spirit went to God.
And Sara, the king's daughter, ascended to the throne, and took the name NETS'HENA TENKARE {ንጽህና ጥንካሬ, Purity is Strength}.
And the queen stretched out her hands against the unbelievers in Arabia as her fathers had done before her, and the men of Zion conquered the coast up the Red Sea beyond Mount Bazana, and east along the coast of the Yemenites.
In the three and twentieth year of Queen Nets'hena Tenkare, the sins of the Abgalites was full, and the hosts of Zion fell upon them and took their land. Also, she repelled the hosts of Husene {Husayn} the Persian which fell upon the world, and whose kingdom could not stand.
Nets'hena Tenkare ruled over Zion five and fifty years, and angels were among her courtiers, and her spirit went to God, just as her hosts fell upon the south of Arabia.
And the queen's grandson Ya'ekob ascended to the throne, for his father had died a leper, and Ya'ekob took the name TORE MEL'AKTE {ጦር መላእክት, Spear of the Angels}.
And Tore Mel'akte was on the field of battle when messengers came, saying, ‘My lord the king, thy mother the queen is dead,’ for she was old with years. Then the king looked out upon the plain of Yemen and called his hosts together, that they should fall upon the Arabians, and the people of Zion conquered. Now King Ka'el of Makuria was wroth with King Giyorgis of Aruwa, and he came with his hosts against the Aruwites who were with Tore Mel'akte on the plain of Yemen, and the Nubians slew each other in the hotness of battle, so that the Arabians mocked. But the king summoned his men, and they went out and slew the unbelievers. And when they turned and looked, there were corpses all around, even the corpses of their brethren and their friends. Then the godless and the cowardly among them said to the king, ‘Wherefore hast thou taken us into this wilderness to die? And the flesh of our best ones hast thou made meat for the ravens.’ And there was great wailing.
And again the hordes of the Persians came from the east in the days of King Tore Mel'akte, but they could not breach the kingdom, for the men of Zion stood as a wall beyond the Sea of Mekra. And the king's hosts ...
{The following poem or song appears appended after the abrupt end to the main text.}
This is the Song of the House of Solomon, the wisdom of King Iyasu, whose name is Tamani {ታማኝ, Faithful}.
The kings of Zion do sit in high places,
And look to and fro over their domain.
The people of God keep watch,
and heed the words of king and church.
Our God is exalted on His throne of amber.
Upon His head is a laurel of purest pearl.
Yahowah shall keep His covenant.
He shall never leave those whom he loveth.
God ruleth with mercy and justice.
Our God decreeth, exalteth and debaseth.
The godly shall outlive those who hate them.
They shall be blessed with abundant loins.
Thus shall the king's word be true,
And the strength of his throne shall be established.
Amen.
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