Bete Israels (Falashas) Part 2 :: By: Wehib Bayou

The part 1 story of the Falasha people was emphasizing on the origins of the Falashas or oftenly called Bete Israels, based on serious archaeological studies carried out, that are disclosing each time more and more of the fact that THERE WAS NO TEACHING OF THE MONOTHEISTIC (ORIT) RELIGION IN THE DA’AMAT- AXUM STATE BEFORE THE COMING OF CHRISTIANITY IN THE 330S BY GRECO-ROMANS TO THE REGION. ( Bete Israels part 1: Wehib Bayou).

With a scientific estimation, in 300-320 A.D, it is documented in the kings Greek and Ge’ez chronicles that two Axumite Kings made a campaign of incursion upon the neighboring ‘Simien’ and ‘Walqa’it’ people and lands, where upon the word “Simien” was for the first time pointed out.

We are unfortunate to tell the history between 320 and 1270 (for about 1000 years) where what happened between those times appear to be blank in terms of what is available to us through historical records.

However, the political fairy-tale that was created after 1270 distorted the ancient indigenous name “Simien” land and people, to “Aihuud” and “Falasha”, and the people have been indicted as alien destroyers of the Axumite Empire and its civilization, by their woman militant leader “Gudit”. On the other hand, the “Kebra Nagast” that was translated from Arabic to Ge’ez in 1350 claims that the neighboring Simien/Falashas, Tigre, Amhara Rulers and Christian Rabbis (in Ge’ez ‘kahn’), are labeled as Jews, who migrated from Jerusalem to Ethiopia, lead by “Emperor Menelik the first, the Son of King Solomon and The Queen of Sheba” in around 1000 B.C; bringing with them the Orit (Moses’s) Laws and Religion.

It is also worth to notice that the nine Greek-Romans ‘saints’ translated the Bible from Greek to Ge’ez for the first time in Axum between 450 and 570 A.D, and also founded the rules of the monastery and monks.

Between the years 1337 and 1450, teachers of the monks and the monasteries, the assemblage called ‘Aeostatians’, started for the first time taught and strongly consolidated the Orit (Old Testament) laws and rules side by side with Christianity religion in the whole region of the highlands of Tigre, Agaw, Amhara and Simien/Falasha neighboring and interrelated societies.

According to available documents, there were three major historical events that occurred in Ethiopia that are worth to mention in this topic.

1. Within the estimated time between 1270 and 1577, it is recorded in the consecutive Kings Chronicles that for about 300 years, successive Solomonic Kings crusaded incessantly in time and places upon Muslims and pagan faith believers of Shoa, Warji, Yifat, Dawaro, Arbabini, Sharka, Bale, Dera, Adal, Mora, Lebekela, Hagera, the Fedise, Gided, Negeb, Zeba, Hubet, Tersa, Iyim, Harla, Ilbro, Zeila, Istee, Argoba, Fitegar, Harar, Silti, Gurage, Hadia, Ausa, Doba, Waj, Somali, Kembata, Gamo, Wolaita, Gafat, Janjero (Yem), Damot, Bosha, Inarya, Bizamo people and their administrations; solemnly destroying the economic, political, defense, religion, cultural and traditional structures of these people.

2. It is also recorded that from 1523-1543 Imam Ahmed Bin Al-Ghazi (The left hand) rose a rebellion in retaliation, that incorporated and mobilized the Muslims and Indigenous religion believers of that Part of Africa, including the Orits Simien/Falashas against the Christian Government, and until the coming of the assisting force of the Portuguese from India, inflicted a severe damage on the Christian Kingdom and its structure.


3. The rebellion war of Imam Ahmed- the left, apart from the damage it brought to the Christian forces, it resulted the Migration and Settlement of the Indigenous Oromo societies in the North Eastern part of Africa and also opened the door to the “Great Peoples’ Movement” in 1520-1620.


Therefore, the weakened Christian Government in Ethiopia in the 16th Century was forced restrain itself on the Northern Highlands and central highlands; thus within the coming 3 centuries, local political forces and movements emerged in Gondar, Tigrai and Shoa. The common long term bond of these local forces and movements was to rebuild what was destroyed in the 16th Century by the above mentioned major occurrences.

Accordingly, in the mentioned localities of the Christian political powers belief, teachings and policy, domestic Muslims, Orits (Simiens/Falashas), and Pagan Oromos were labeled as home-enemies contrasting to the outer enemy of the contiguous Ottomans who seized the red sea region, within the 16-19 centuries.


Based on the policy and belief of the Christian forces of the region, between the year 1580 and 1632, the Simien/Falasha Government was officially declared upon, out from its documented recognized territories of about a millenium, since 300 A.D as a Jewish “Aihuud” state. The well organized, cannon led armies of Atse Sartsa Dengel and Atse Susenous finalized the subordination of the Orit religion and enforced the reign of Christianity on the present day parts of Gondar. Those who insisted to hang on their Old Testament were displaced from their land and forced for hard laborship and oppressions. Their religion (Old Testament) was officially revoked by an official decree from the King. Also, the Muslims of Amhara, Agaw and Tigre, who are traditionally called “Jabarti” were alienated from any Governmental positions, were forbidden to have worshipping places or houses.

Summary

What happened to the Falasha is part of what has happened to all of the Ethiopian People by the Ethiopian people for centuries.