Judaism was a considerable power in Arabia before Mohammed;[1] the Abyssinians may have taken some traces of it with them into Africa. But, on the whole, there is not enough evidence to justify us in supposing this; the Judaistic elements in their Christianity can be explained otherwise (p. 319) . We may suppose, then, that they were originally Pagans of the usual Semitic kind, polytheists, like their cousins the Arabs before Mohammed.
There are two accounts of the conversion of the Ethiopians.[2] The one most commonly received, believed by themselves, which, all things considered, remains the most probable, dates it in the time of Constantine, about 330-340. The story is told by Rufinus,[3] copied by Theodoret,[4] Socrates[5] and Sozomen.[6] Rufinus calls Ethiopia "India," as do many ancient writers, to the great confusion of their modern readers. He tells the story thus: At the time of Constantine certain philosophers, Metrodorus and Meropius, a man of Tyre, travelled about in the East "for the sake of seeing places and examining the world." Meropius had with him two Tyrian young men, the elder Frumentius and Aedesius the younger, to whom he was tutor. While they were coming back, presumably up the Red Sea, they were attacked by barbarians. Meropius got to his ship and escaped; but the two boys stayed behind "meditating under a tree and preparing their lessons." So they were caught and taken to the barbarian king. At that time the Ethiopians had established a kingdom with Aksum[7] as its capital; they are often called Aksumites. Their king made Aedesius his cup-bearer, and Frumentius whose admirable qualities he soon recognized, his Chancellor. When the king died, leaving two infant sons, Frumentius and Aedesius become governors in their name. They were Christians, and began to preach the faith. The two princes, named Abrehā and
- ↑ The Himyarite kingdom, in the Yaman was Jewish.
- ↑ The eunuch of Queen Candace (Acts viii. 26-39) plays less part in Ethiopic legend than one would expect.
- ↑ Hist. Eccl. i. 9 (P.L. xxi. 478-480).
- ↑ Hist. Eccl. i. 22 (P.G. lxxxii. 969-972).
- ↑ Hist. Eccl. i. 19 (P.G. lxvii. 125-130).
- ↑ Hist. Eccl. ii. 24 (ib. 995-1000).
- ↑ Aksum, the first centre of Ethiopic Christianity and the Metropolitan See of Abyssinia, is in the Tigre country, among the high mountains in the north of the present kingdom, west of Adua.
