nazret.com

A manuscript found in a remote Ethiopian monastery could be the oldest illustrated Christian work in the world, experts have claimed. In a report published on Britain's Telegraph newspaper, the manuscript is originally thought to be from around the 11th century, new carbon dating techniques place the Garima Gospels between 330 and 650 AD.

The 1,600 year-old texts are named after a monk, Abba Garima, who arrived in Ethiopia in the fifth century.

Illustrations of the saints Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are all included in the book along with what may be the first ever Christian illustration of a building, the Temple of the Jews.

Read full story from The Daily Telegraph.

Columbus Holy Trinity Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church thrives in a new location

Church rises again in new home

Ethiopians' spirit wasn't broken after first church burned

The Rev. Moses Haregewoyn likes to think of his congregation as the mythological phoenix that burned and then emerged anew from the ashes.

After all, the group of more than 300 Ethiopian immigrants had left their homeland, torn by civil war and a now-defunct communist rule, and started over in the United States.

The parishioners at Columbus Holy Trinity Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church leaned on one another and on the church, the one place that felt like home in a strange country.

Then, five years ago, they lost their spiritual home to a fire.

They had to rise again.

Read More from Columbus Disptach

Washington National Cathedral ponders sale of rare books including a gift from Ethiopia

nazret.com - Washington National Cathedral is considering selling its collection of rare books including a Gospel manuscript in an Ethiopian dialect from former Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, The Washington Post reported. The paper said, the Cathedral has gone through three round of layoffs and slashed its annual budget from $27 to $13 million.

The Cathedral is said to have more than 8000 volume of rare books including a first edition of the King James Bible printed in London in 1611 that belonged to Henry, the prince of Wales and the king's eldest son.

The precious relic is a psalter written in the liturgical Geez language

Ancient prayer book returned to Ethiopia

AFP

ADDIS ABABA — A century-old Ethiopian prayer book stolen decades ago was returned to the African nation late Wednesday after the American collector who held it agreed to the restitution.

The precious relic is a psalter written in the liturgical Geez language and illuminated with bright and colourful pictures of saints that belonged to Emperor Menelik, who ruled the country from 1889 to 1913.

Experts say it disappeared three decades ago and was only located recently by Steve Delamarter, a visiting American scholar who made contact with several collectors of Ethiopian items in the United States.

"Gerald Weiner is the largest collector of Ethiopian antiquities in north America. I went to him and said they belonged to Ethiopia," said Steve Delamarter, professor of Old Testament at US-based George Fox University.

"To my surprise, he thought it was a good idea and decided to act in good will," he said, before handing the relic to Addis Ababa University officials at a ceremony late Wednesday.

Delamarter said he was still working with the Ethiopian authorities on ways of repatriating all the items in Weiner's collection.

Officials say thousands of Ethiopian historical objects remain in the hands of foreign collectors and museums in Western countries due to centuries of poor management which led to looting.

Professor Richard Pankhurst, an Addis Ababa-based historian who has long championed the return of stolen Ethiopian antiquities, hailed the psalter's homecoming but singled out Britain for its lack of cooperation.

Following the defeat of Ethiopian emperor Tewodros by British troops in 1868, victorious soldiers stole an 18-carat gold crown, more than 500 ancient manuscripts and a painting.

Tewodros commmitted suicide and his young son Alemayehu was taken to Britain, where he died 11 years later aged 18.

Only a handful of the artefacts have since been returned, with the rest still housed by well-known museums across Britain.

"It took 15 elephants and 200 mules to bring the loot. It was unjustified and even sacrilegious as they were taken from a church," Pankhurst said.

Ethiopian President President Girma Wolde-Giorgis has over the past few years written letters to Queen Elizabeth II requesting the repatriation of Prince Alemayehu's remains and the restitution of the gold crown.

"There have been requests for their return, but the answers from British authorities are always not satisfactory," Pankhurst said.

Another relic, the Axum Obelisk, was re-erected in its original site two years ago after Rome returned the 150-ton stela plundered by fascist Italy seven decades earlier.

Ethiopia prepares to celebrate Christmas today - Merry Christmas

Ethiopia is one of the oldest nations in Africa. It still follows the ancient Julian calendar, so Ethiopians celebrate Christmas on January 7. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church's celebration of Christ's birth is called Ganna. It is a day when families attend church.

The day before Ganna, people fast all day. The next morning at dawn, everyone dresses in white. Most Ethiopians don a traditional shamma, a thin, white cotton wrap with brightly colored stripes across the ends. The shamma is worn somewhat like a toga. Urban Ethiopians might put on white Western garb. Then everyone goes to the early mass at four o'clock in the morning. In a celebration that takes place several days later, the priests will dress in turbans and red and white robes as they carry beautifully embroidered fringed umbrellas.

Most Ethiopians who live outside the modern capital city, Addis Ababa, live in round mud-plastered houses with cone-shaped roofs of thatched straw. In areas where stone is plentiful, the houses may be rectangular stone houses. The churches in Ethiopia echo the shape of the houses. In many parts of the country there are ancient churches carved out of solid volcanic rock. Modern churches are built in three concentric circles.

In a modern church, the choir assembles in the outer circle. Each person entering the church is given a candle. The congregation walks around the church three times in a solemn procession, holding the flickering candles. Then they gather in the second circle to stand throughout the long mass, with the men and boys separated from the women and girls. The center circle is the holiest space in the church, where the priest serves Holy Communion.

Around the time of Ganna, the men and boys play a game that is also called ganna. It is somewhat like hockey, played with a curved stick and a round wooden ball.

The foods enjoyed during the Christmas season include wat, a thick, spicy stew of meat, vegetables, and sometimes eggs as well. The wat is served from a beautifully decorated watertight basket onto a "plate" of injera, which is flat sourdough bread. Pieces of injera are used as an edible spoon to scoop up the wat.

Twelve days after Ganna, on January 19, Ethiopians begin the three-day celebration called Timkat, which commemorates the baptism of Christ. The children walk to church services in a procession. They wear the crowns and robes of the church youth groups they belong to. The grown-ups wear the shamma. The priests will now wear their red and white robes and carry embroidered fringed umbrellas.

The music of Ethiopian instruments makes the Timkat procession a very festive event. The sistrum is a percussion instrument with tinkling metal disks. A long, T-shaped prayer stick called a makamiya taps out the walking beat and also serves as a support for the priest during the long church service that follows. Church officials called dabtaras study hard to learn the musical chants, melekets, for the ceremony.

Ethiopian men play another sport called yeferas guks. They ride on horseback and throw ceremonial lances at each other.

Ganna and Timkat are not occasions for giving gifts in Ethiopia. If a child receives any gift at all, it is usually a small gift of clothing. Religious observances, feasting, and games are the focus of the season.

Source: howstuffworks