Nine Saints
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TheNine Saintswere a group ofmissionarieswho were important in the initial growth ofChristianityin what is nowEthiopiaduring the late 5th century. The names of the Nine Saints are:
- Abba Aftse
- Abba Alef
- Abba Aragawi
- Abba Garima(Isaac or Yeshaq)
- Abba Guba
- Abba Liqanos
- Abba Pantelewon
- Abba Tsahma
- Abba Yem'ata
Rugare Rukuni and Erna Oliver identify the Nine Saints asJewish Christians,and attribute the Judaic character of Ethiopian Christianity, in part, to their influence.[1]: 6, 8
Origins
[edit]Although frequently described as coming fromSyria,only two or three actually came from that province; according toPaul B. Henze,others have been traced toConstantinople,Anatolia,and evenRome.[2]
The Ethiopian historianTaddesse Tamratspeculates that they may have been connected with the anti-Monophysiteand anti-Miaphysitepersecutions that followed theCouncil of Chalcedon,which adoptedDyophysitism.Their activities spread Christianity beyond "a narrow corridor betweenAdulisand Aksum along the caravan routes. "[3]
Founding of monasteries
[edit]Besides converting the local inhabitants to Christianity, they also founded a number ofmonastichouses that followed the rule of SaintPachomius:Abba Aftsefounded the monastery atYeha;Abba Alefthe northernmost establishment atBi'isaon the south bank of theMareb River;the foundation of the important monastery ofDebre Damois attributed toAbba Aragawi;Abba LiqanosandAbba Pantelewonare credited with establishingPentalewon MonasteryinAxum;Abba GarimafoundedAbba Garima Monasterynorth ofAdwa;Abba Gubathe one at Madara;Abba Tsahmathe one atSedenya;andAbba Yem'atafounded the southernmost one of the group in theGar'alta,noted for itsAbuna Yemata Guhchurch named after him.[4]
Abba Garima and the Garima Gospels
[edit]Recent radiocarbon dating supports the tradition of SaintAbba Garima's arrival at theAbba Garima Monasteryin 494.[5]TheGarima Gospels,which Garima is said to have written, is now regarded as "the world's earliest illustrated Christian manuscript" and the oldest surviving Ethiopian manuscript of any kind.[5]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^Rukuni, Rugare; Oliver, Erna (January 2019)."Ethiopian Christianity: A continuum of African Early Christian polities".Hervormde Teologiese Studies.75(1): 1–9.doi:10.4102/hts.v75i1.5335.
- ^Henze,Layers of Time: A History of Ethiopia(New York: Palgrave, 2000) p. 38.
- ^Taddesse Tamrat,Church and State in Ethiopia, 1270-1527(Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1972ISBN0-19-821671-8), p. 23.
- ^This list is fromRichard Pankhurst,The Ethiopians, A history(Oxford: Blackwell, 2001), p. 37 n. 38
- ^abMartin Bailey."Discovery of earliest illuminated manuscript"."?".June 2010. Archived fromthe originalon 2012-05-01.
External links
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Giustino de Jacobis(Roman Catholic),Nine Saints•Armenian Apostolic liturgical calendar,Coptic calendar,Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar• | ||