Axum Empire

Religious Traditions

Axum is rich in religious traditions. The original religion practiced there was a traditional African one in which the primary deity was associated with the sun and moon. Later, traders and sages from India and Asia brought religions such as Buddhism and Jainism to Axum. During the 4th century, Christianity was declared the national religion. By the 6th century, Jewish traders had introduced Judaism in Axum. There is evidence that in 627 to 628 C.E. the Prophet Muhammad sent a letter to the Axumite king, Ella Saham, seeking to convert him to Islam. King Saham replied by saying that he had definitely accepted Islam as his faith and that he was sending his son to the prophet. Afterward, a small group of Muslims who were seeking asylum fled to Axum where they found refuge and an abundance of the means of living. Axum was one of the earliest places where followers of Muhammad could freely practice their religion without fear of persecution. Traditional African, Judaic, and Islamic influences can still be seen in the architecture and cultural customs of Axum.

[Page 107]Axum is also thought to be Ethiopia's most sacred place, because it is the site of the first St. Mary Church, which was built in 372 C.E. to hold the Ark of the Covenant. In the early 1530s, just before the Muslim armies attacked, the Ark was moved; however, it was returned to Axum in the early 1600s and installed in the second St. Mary's Church. The Ark remained there until 1965 when Emperor Haile Selassie moved it to a new chapel, where it remains today.

In addition to Axum's rich religious tradition, it is renowned in Ethiopian tradition as the home of Makeda, Queen of Sheba. The queen left from Axum when she visited King Solomon's court in Jerusalem to discuss commerce, religion, and politics with him. The Queen of Sheba's sacred quest for wisdom resulted in the Ethiopians' possessing the Ark of the Covenant.