The Chapel of the Tablet

The Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion (“Re-ese Adbarat Kidiste Kidusan Dingel Maryam Ts’iyon” in the languages of Ethiopia) of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church is the most important and the oldest church of Ethiopia. The original church is believed to have been built during the reign of Ezana, the first Orthodox Christian emperor of Ethiopia, during the fourth century AD. Image File history File links Ark_of_the_Covenant_church_in_Axum_Ethiopia. ... Image File history File links Ark_of_the_Covenant_church_in_Axum_Ethiopia. ... The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church is an Oriental Orthodox church in Ethiopia that was part of the Coptic Church until it was granted its own Patriarch by Cyril VI, the Coptic Pope, in 1959. ... Ezana of Axum was ruler of the Axumite Kingdom from about 320 to 350 AD. Ezana succeeded his father Ella Amida while still a youth and his mother, Sofya served as regent. ...

History

The church is in the town of Axum in Tigray Province. Since its founding during the episcopacy of Frumentius (known in Ethiopia as Abune Selama Kesatay Birhan or "Our Father of Peace the Revealer of Light") the Church of Mary of Zion has been destroyed and rebuilt at least twice. Its first destruction occurred at the hands of Queen Gudit during the 11th century. Its second destruction occurred in the 16th century at the hands of Ahmad ibn Ibrihim al-Ghazi after which it was rebuilt by the Emperor Gelawdewos, and then further rebuilt and enlarged by Fasilides during the 1600s. Axum, properly Aksum, is a city in northern Ethiopia. ... Tigray was a province of Ethiopia. ... Frumentius (Geez ፍሬምንጦስ /freminťos/) (died ca. ... Gudit (or Judith; also known as Esato) is a semi-legendary non-Christian queen (flourished c. ... Ahmed Gurey statue in Mogadishu. ... Gelawdewos or Claudius (1522 - March 23, 1559) was negus (throne name Asnaf Sagad I) (1540 - 1559) of Ethiopia, and a member of the Solomonid dynasty. ... Fasilides or Basilides (throne name `Alam Sagad), b at Magazaz, Shewa, in 1603 before 10 November, was (1632 - October 18, 1667) of Ethiopia, and a member of the Solomonid dynasty. ... Many inventions and institutions are created, including Hans Lippershey with the telescope (1608, used by Galileo the next year), the newspaper Avisa Relation oder Zeitung in Augsburg, and Cornelius Drebbel with the thermostat (1609). ...

The dome and bell tower of the new Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion, built by Emperor Haile Selessie in the 1950s

In the 1950s the Emperor Haile Selassie built a new modern Cathedral next to the old Cathedral of Our Lady Mary of Zion that was open to both men and women (the old church remains accessible only to men, as Mary, symbolized by the Ark of the Covenant resting in its chapel, is the only woman allowed within its compound). Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1500x1000, 315 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1500x1000, 315 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital... This does not cite any references or sources. ... Haile Selassie Emperor Haile Selassie I (Power of Trinity) (born Lij Tafari Makonnen, July 23, 1892 – August 27, 1975), styled His Imperial Majesty (or HIM), was the Emperor (1930–1936; 1941–1974) of Ethiopia, and is the religious symbol for God incarnate among the Rastafari movement. ... Saint Mary and Saint Mary the Virgin both redirect here. ... The Ark of the Covenant (ארון הברית in Hebrew: aron habrit) is described in the Hebrew Bible as a sacred container, wherein rested the stone tablets containing the Ten Commandments as well as other sacred Israelite objects. ...

Reportedly, the Ark was moved to the Chapel of the Tablet adjacent to the old church because a divine 'heat' from the Tablets had cracked the stones of its previous sanctum. This new chapel was built at the expense of Emperor Haile Selassie's wife, Empress Menen. It remains a significant center of pilgrimage for Ethiopian Orthodox Christians, especially during the main Festival of Maryam Zion on 30 November (21 Hidar on the Ethiopian calendar). Empress Menen Asfaw (March 1889 - February 15, 1962) was the wife and consort of Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia. ... This article is about the religious or spiritual journey. ... is the 334th day of the year (335th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

St. Mary of Zion was the traditional place where Ethiopian Emperors came to be crowned. And indeed, if an Emperor was not crowned at Axum, or did not at least have his coronation ratified by a special service at St. Mary of Zion, he could not be referred to by the title of "Atse".

Ark of the Covenant

St. Mary of Zion claims to contain the original Ark of the Covenant. According to tradition, the Ark came to Ethiopia with Menelik I after visiting his father King Solomon. Only the guardian monk may view the Ark, in accordance with the Bible accounts of the dangers of doing so for non-Kohanim. This lack of accessibility, and questions about the account as a whole, has led foreign scholars to express doubt about the veracity of the claim. The guardian monk is appointed for life by his predecessor before the predecessor dies. If the incumbent guardian dies without naming a successor, then the monks of the monastery hold an election to select the new guardian. The guardian then is confined to the chapel of the Ark of the Covenant for the rest of his life, praying before it and offering incense. The Ark of the Covenant (ארון הברית in Hebrew: aron habrit) is described in the Hebrew Bible as a sacred container, wherein rested the stone tablets containing the Ten Commandments as well as other sacred Israelite objects. ... Menelik I, first Emperor of Ethiopia, is traditionally believed to be the son of King Solomon of ancient Israel and Makeda, Queen of Sheba. ... Artists depiction of Solomos court (Ingobertus, c. ... This Gutenberg Bible is displayed by the United States Library. ... The position of a Kohens hands when he raises them to bless a Jewish congregation A Kohen (or Cohen, Hebrew priest, pl. ...

It is believed that the monk is trained in 6 different types of martial arts and will kill any who enter without proper documentation. Also legend has it the monk has come from a long line of monks part of a secret society created back in 1812 to protect the ark. Another interesting fact is that the room where the ark is stored has a dragon guarding it in case anyone gets pass the monk.