LE CHIESE MONOLITICHE ED IPOGEE DI LALIBELA’ (Ethiopia and Christianity: An Ancient History. The Monolithic Churches and Underground of Lalibela) was written by the Italian archeologist, Diego Capra in 2009. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3QNSN1T1AiwUTRYSldNUERRd28/view?usp=sharing
The book is about Ethiopian history, and as such, it serves as a perfect source for the cure of the confusion that is currently coming to scene from mainly some of our dear Tgrayan neighbours. The confusion concerns:
1) Who the Aga´ azians were?
2) Who the Habashat were?
3) Is Tgray really the source for the Axoumite empire (some Tegaru friends are eager to teach us that)?
4) How old are the names; Tegaru, Adoulis, Kebessa and Hamasien?
The book is in Italian. After touching through Capra´s main reasons for writing this book, I will briefly translate the verses in his book that answer the questions that are raised above.
What is the book about?
Diego Capra is moved by the interest in studying the special architectural forms of the medieval churches of Lalibela, one of the special products of Ethiopian culture. His main goal is to study these architectural expressions of the specially Axoumite culture. By analysing through the various stages, he tries to explain how this culture came to effect all the history of Ethiopia. In order to do that, he found it relevant to start from the time period of the first commercial relations between Ethiopians and the Pharaohs in ca 2000 BC till the construction time of the Lalibela churches in the Middle Ages.
1.1) Relations with the Egyptians
Comments before quoting the authour; during the Pharaonic times, it is well known that specially the coasts of the Red Sea were called what we know as "Punt". This area extended from Suakin in Eastern Sudan to Somalia, the center being between Suakin and Adoulis. Punt included also the non Nubian areas of the Nile, which basically is modern day AmHara and Tgray regions of Ethiopia and other Ethiopians along that line. Professor Fattovich, Bard, the Angelinis, Massa, Schmidt, Curtis, and Teka stress the importance of Eritrea for the location of Punt, this is for the simple reason that sea trade was the easiest to take for heavy commodities. Without speculating in facts, it seems evident that the commodities that came through the Nile were different than those that came by the sea, and we can find sources that point to this interpretation of the realities of that time in our own sources. From Eritrean monastery sources, we can know that the areas that is now Ethiopia was inhabited by the Kelews, while the area that is now called Eritrea and Eastern Sudan was inhabited by their first brothers; Belews or the Beja.
They all did very well in trade; while the Ethiopians or Kelews traded mainly through the Nile, by possibly using the famous papyrus boats that they still use, the Belews depended mostly on sea trade and camel and other animal caravans through the desert, which could explain why the latter came to be known as Agazians not long after. The name Agazian means literally people on the move, all the time. It is also a name of ethnicity, and a language called Ge´ez. The term Ge´ez refers also to the number "1", much like A means one from Alpha (Alif in Arabic, or Alef in Hebrew). The reason Ge´ez means 1 is because we used to operate with consonants "only". Before, we had the abjad writing system, like other Semitic languages of today. This would be before the introduction of vocals as reading aids into the previous consonant-based-system in ca 500 years after Christ. This system is called Abugida, it became successful as it proved itself to be effective for Bible translation, which went mostly from Greek to Ge´ez.
It is correct that until ca 1000 AD, most Eritreans used to have two or several homes for climatic, pastoral and economic reasons. Eritreans having 3 different climates, were bound to move from one place to another seasonally within the country, Schmidt, Curtis and Teka. If not to the same extent as in the old days, this movement is still the reality for some peasant and pastoralist Eritreans, both in the high- and the lowlands. Even in the highlands, people like my family used to move back and forth from around Ghindae to Akkele Guzai, it stopped with the arrival of the Italians.
Quoting from Capra:
"Durante il Medio Regno compare il termine “Kush ” utilizzato per indicare le regioni immediatamente a sud l’Egitto. Come sosteneva il Naville, un altro termine usato era “Khebsi ” che significa “di terre divine”, è un termine raro nei testi antichi, ma è spesso utilizzato in epoca Tolemaica in iscrizioni che parlano di Punt. Il termine Khebsi potrebbe essere connesso con “Habasha”, ma non è sicuro, anche se si iniziò ad usarlo dopo la migrazione" del Yemen.
The author is saying that the areas immediately South of Egypt were called "Kush" during the Middle Kingdom. Another term that they used was "Khebsi", which means the "devine land". This term was rarely used in the ancient texts, it was however often used in the Middle Kingdom. He continues that the term "Khebsi" could be connected to "Habesha", but it is not certain, even though the latter was used after the migration from Yemen.
Comment; There is nothing in Capra´s writing that can indicate that he had been in Eritrea. Adding to the fact that the focus of his writing is Ethiopia, it is evident how he could fail to problematise the term "Khebsi" with the Kebessa that we all know of. For me, it is evident that it is Kebessa that the Egyptians were referring to when they wrote "Khebsi", specially when it is mentioned in relation to "Outoulit", "Amasu" and "Tekaru"
As you can read here below, the author had no problem recognising Adoulis, Hamasien and Tegaru:
"i nomi presenti nelle iscrizioni dei faraoni, come per esempio i nomi presenti nelle iscrizioni dei faraoni, come per esempio Outoulit, Amasu e Tekaru molto probabilmente equivalgono ad Adulis", Hamasien e Tigrè".
Translated; the names presented in the pharaonic inscriptions, such as "Outoulit, Amasu e Tekaru" most likely amount to Adulis, Hamasien and Tgray.
Comment; From this it is easy to conclude that the Khebesi terminology refers to Kebessa, Tekaru, like he said, to Tgray or Tigre as they say it in Ethiopia.
He continues: "Queste iscrizioni indicherebbero i futuri territori dell’Impero Axumita e testimonierebbero la presenza dello stesso nell’Africa orientale." Meaning, these inscriptions would indicate the future territory of the Axoumite empire and be a testimony of presence of the same in East Africa.
1.7) Civiltà proto-axumita (The pre-Axoumite Civilization)
In this chapter, Capra mentions different tribes of mainly Tgray, since his focus is on Ethiopia. These people went by no means under the name "Tgrinna". He also mentions the Eritrean region of Akkele Guzai, but he seems to be oblivious of its exact whereabouts. Again, the writer didn´t go outside Ethiopia, which is why he could say this;
"Molti dei nomi riportati nell’epigrafe sono di difficile decifrazione, anche se per alcuni è stato possibile una identificazione: i primi ad essere sconfitti furono i Gazè, popolo che viveva vicino ad Axum". Translation: Many of the reported names in the epigraph are difficult to decipher, although for some it was possible to identify: the first to be defeated were the Gazè, the people who lived near Axum.
He continues "Analizzando l’iscrizione, si ricava che i primi ad essere sottomessi fu il popolo Gazè, il quale un antico annotatore indicava essere formato da gente axumita, affermando che essi chiamavano loro stessi con il termine Agazian e dicevano di provenire dall’Arabia Meridionale". Translation: Analyzing the inscription, it shows that the first to be subjected was the Gaze people, which indicates that an ancient annotator was to be formed by the Axoumite people, saying that they call themselves by the term Agazian.
"In seguito Caleb conquistò popoli stanziati a nord di Axum. L’epigrafe continua nell’elencare le genti sottomesse dall’imperatore nel sud e nell’est Etiopia, narrando inoltre l’attraversamento del Mar Rosso per poter occupare territori nell’Arabia settentrionale".
Translation: Caleb conquered later people that were settled north of Axoum. The inscription continues listing the subjugated people by the emperor in southern and eastern Ethiopia, narrating also the crossing of the Red Sea in order to occupy territories in Arabia.
It is suitable to end this chapter by quoting what the author started it with: "Questo fatto è ben visibile nel testo dell’epigrafe di Adulis, di cui l’autore è sconosciuto. Si ha solamente una copia contenuta nel libro “Christian Topography” di Cosmas Indicopleustes, un mercante che visitò nel 525 d.C.
Translation: This fact is clearly visible in the text of the epigraph of Adulis (he is referring to Monumentum Adulitatum), no one knows exactly who wrote in the Adoulite stelae. One has retained only one copy of the book "Christian Topography" by Cosmas Indicopleustes, a merchant that visited in 525 (comment; and made a copy of what was inscripted in the lost stelae).
Reason for ending with the last stanza is because you are recommended to read the copy of the Adoulis Stelae inscription for yourself. An English translation of the copy is found below in this blog.
1.8) Civiltà Axumita. (The Axoumite Kingdom)
"Dall’iscrizione di Adulis appartenente a un imperatore sconosciuto sappiamo che Aksum non era lacapitale del sovrano."
Translation: From an inscription from Adulis to an unknown emperor, we know that Axoum was not the capital of the sovereign".
He is telling us that Axoum was not the center of the kingdom or empire initially, we learn however from his writing that it became the capital in later stages. From other sources, it could be said that Axoum was chosen as a capital for strategical reasons. Notably, its heights and the view it provides to watch over the Sea, Yemen and other surrounding territories that had become the domains of the Agazian conquerer from Asmara.
The map above was made after excavations in Eritrea and in Tgray in 1970s. It shows where Aga´azi or Gaze is, as appose to where the Habashat were to be found. They both proudly left echoes of themselves in their respective countries; Eritrea and Tgray. From other sources, we know that the Habesha term was newly introduced into our society through the Ethiopian colonisers in 1950s. For many Agazians, or Eritreans, it costed them severe consequences and punishment for denying to be called "Habesha" (unlike the lost and forgetful generation that followed, this term was not accepted by Eritreans at the time). This can explain why unlike in Eritrea, the term is associated with pride and boast in Ethiopia, where it has its origins and where it was meant to serve for a huge amount of people. It is different to be a Canadian in America than to call the entire American people Canadians, or vice versa.
Apart from the here mentioned archeologists and historians that have written extensively about the Axoumite kingdom, its origins, the Monumentum Adulitatum (that this author has used as a source), and Punt, "The Throne of Adulis"written by Bowersock, gives a very well account about the origins of Axoum, its world wars and the famous Adoulite monument that explains that Gaze and Seraie were the last places that were subjugated before the mysterious Eritrean man from Asmara continued his journey to conquer Tgrai and other neighbouring countries, such as Sudan, Egypt, Djibouti and parts of Somalia. Capra doesn´t make this clear enough in his writing, meaning the conquest did not go from Tgrai, to north and then south in Ethiopia. The conquests seem further to have happened rather fairly fast and on track, almost simultaneously. You can also see the facts for yourself by reading this English translation of the original monument; http://milla4.blogspot.no/2016/05/the-mysterious-eritrean-conqueror-of.html
Beautiful Papyrus Boat in Ethiopia
Final thoughts; I wish a day would come where Tegaru and Eritreans can respect each others differences by having an integrity and respect for themselves first (if it was so, I wouldn´t have blogged about it :) ), and with that base, be able to easily move ahead towards peace and prosperity in our region, let alone in our respective countries. Lets stop attempting the impossible; the games of ill fated, yet annoying confusion.
There is still hope for mutual respect, peace & prosperity between both countries.
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