Beta Samati: discovery and excavation of an Aksumite town

The Empire of Aksum was one of Africa's most influential ancient civilisations. Traditionally, most archaeological fieldwork has focused on the capital city of Aksum, but recent research at the site of Beta Samati has investigated a contemporaneous trade and religious centre located between Aksum and the Red Sea. The authors outline the discovery of the site and present important finds from the initial excavations, including an early basilica, inscriptions and a gold intaglio ring. From daily life and ritual praxis to international trade, this work illuminates the role of Beta Samati as an administrative centre and its significance within the wider Aksumite world

Religious statecraft: Narratives of persecution and diplomacy in the case of Byzantine, Aksum and Himyar

When reviewed against the background of Byzantine diplomatic correspondence, Aksum’s religious policy on the Arabian Peninsula is perceivable within a Constantinian religio-political matrix. Imperial letters from Byzantine to Aksum and Persia denote the Byzantine role of arbiter of early Christianity. Byzantine Rome’s role in Christianity when reviewed from diplomatic correspondence with allies and antagonists recounts narratives of orthodoxy and persecution. Parallel review of letters from Constantine and Constantius decodes the Christian kingdom of Aksum as a participant of 4th-century CE Constantinian dynamics. This review was enabled through document analysis

Journal of African Christian Biography: v. 4, no. 1

A publication of the Dictionary of African Christian Biography with U.S. offices located at the Center for Global Christianity and Mission at Boston University. This issue focuses on: 1. Introducing African Christian Biography. 2. Modern African Church History and the Streetlight Effect. 3. Both African and Christian. 4. Musicians and Composers in African Christianity. 5. Yared. 6. John Knox Bokwe. 7. Recent Print and Digital Resources Related to Christianity in Africa. 8. Guidelines for Article Contributors. 9. Suggested Interview Guidelines and Questions. 10. Guidelines for Book Reviewers

Snakes and Sacrifices: Tentative Insights into the Pre-Christian Ethiopian Religion

Despite the recent efforts which were recently made in this field of study, our knowledge of the pre-Christian religion of Aksumite Northern Ethiopia remains very limited. This article presents the contribution that archaeology can make to debate on this topic. In particular, some archaeological finds from Betä Giyorgis, north of Aksum, and from Aksum itself which can be related to the cult of the snake and to the practice of human sacrifices are described. These finds, dating from the Proto-Aksumite (3rd–1st centuries B.C.) and the first part of the Aksumite (1st–4th centuries A.D.) periods, may support the reality of the cult of the snake and of the practice of human sacrifices, two elements characterizing the Ethiopian traditions related to Arwe, the mythic snake-king of Aksum. In the conclusions, these specific aspects which may have characterized the pre-Christian Ethiopian religion are put in a broader regional context, compared to what is known about similar cultic traits in the Nile valley, in the Near East, and in South Arabia. Possible links to be explored with further research covering the different traditions are suggested. Moreover, a possible evolution in the meaning of the snake in Ethiopia, from benevolent and helpful entity to dangerous monster, and, finally, to symbol of sin, is outlined

The decline and collapse of the Kingdom of Aksum (6th-7th CE: an environmental disaster or the end of a political process?

The historical matter of the ‘end’ of the Kingdom of Aksum (6th-7th cent.) has been debated long by scholars in search of understanding for the ‘last days’ of the African state. Starting from the end of 20th cent., researches privileged the theory of the environmental degradation caused by the human exploitation of natural resources, associated to destructive phenomena such as famines, plague, locust infestations (and consequent migrations and social conflicts). In truth, none of these factors proves to be exclusive of the period between 6th and 7th cent., and recurrent episodes of that sort has occurred in ancient and modern history of the Ethio-Eritrean highlands. Rather, in the same ages the historical framework is characterized by the overthrow of the political balance on the regional scene. The ‘retreat’ of Byzantines and Persians, the rise of the Caliphate, the taking of control of the Reds Sea coasts by the Arabs, the decline of Adulis and the maritime trade route: the sum of these elements justifies the dramatic changes we call ‘decline and collapse’ of Aksum