The great St. Irenaeus of Lyons testified
[Irenaeus Against Heresies 4.23.2] that Philip the Apostle was not required to
labor or put up much effort to convince the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts 8. And he
said the reason was that the Eunuch was readily prepared with faith and the
fear of God. But what does he mean by that? Did the Eunuch have Jewish
background? If Yes, then it means Ethiopians were Jews before Christ … ? Many of
the earliest fathers would say yes!
Pontius (died AD260s), a deacon in Carthage, read the Ethiopian eunuch as a Jew. [Pontius Life of St. Cyprian 3] The Ethiopians are always known to be God-worshiping faithful people. Jeremiah looked back and forth in history with the Holy Spirit and said "Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots?" Jer. 13:23 He simply meant Ethiopians are stubborn about Lord and they don't change Him with earthly lords. People in Ethiopia started scarifying in accordance with the mosaic law 900 years before Christ after Queen Saba visited Solomon and his wisdom and returned with Old Testament rites, Levite priests, the law and the Solomonic Dynasty altogether (which is one of the world's oldest continued dynasties reigning until 1974 – it’s first emperor being Menelik I Son of King Solomon BC911 its last emperor was Haileselassie I 1974)
Some of the oldest Christian churches today archaeologists confirmed that they were convert from Judaic temples hosting the mosaic sacrifice and according to the mosaic law and orders. The most prestigious of these would necessarily be the Church of Our Lady Zion of Mary in central Axum which was converted during the reign of Ezana in AD330s into a big cathedral and is believed to still contain the true Ark of the Covenant handed to Moses by the God of Israel. [Some contemporary historians are in fact a little evangelical in their assertions that “The Ark is Really in there” (see Hancock, Graham (1992). The Sign and the Seal: The Quest for the Lost Ark of the Covenant. New York: Crown. ISBN 0517578131.)] Consequently emperors and bishops in Ethiopia were consecrated therein throughout the history which is currently the case for the consecration of Ethiopian patriarchs.
Today, Ethiopia is home to almost 40,000 Christian churches and monasteries across its face quite numerous from the 4th and 5th centuries and onwards. All these keep the replicas of the Ark of the Covenant. Ethiopians still observe the Jewish sabath on Saturday and animals that are prohibited for Israelites from back in Leviticus are virtually marginalized from Ethiopian dishes till today. Ethiopians take their new-born to circumcision [not to Jewish rituals anymore but to hospitals] but astoundingly they do it on the eighth day after birth. We can count numerous other traditions with in the Ethiopian public date back to the mosaic period with an incredible harmony with the New Covenant not emanating from the Church’s prescription, but out of deep roots in Judaic periods.
Amos said to the Israelites “Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians unto me, O children of Israel? saith the LORD." Amos 9:7. This was the basis which served as St. Irenaeus said prepared the Eunuch to readily accept Christ immediately. The immediacy and decisiveness as well as the intensity of his discipleship to Christ had been a spectacular one as appeared to numerous New Testament scholars.
St. Irenaeus went on and testified that the Ethiopian was assigned to preach the gospel to the lands of Nob and Ethiopia. The core message of his gospel, St. Irenaeus says, was that “… the God of Israel was revealed in flesh …” - which agreeably goes fairly along with the lived Judaic tradition prevalent in those lands since pre-Babylon-exile era.
Papacy, Priesthood and the Eucharist were first introduced in Ethiopia when in AD328 St. Freumentus of Syria appeared before the imperial court and noticed a staggeringly ready-made Christian kingdom desperately in need of the sacraments that thrived in the world only in Catacombs and under persistent persecution.
Ethiopia became the second country in the World that has officially accepted Christianity as the religion of the state religion in AD333 although some historians argued that it is even the first even before Armenia. This and that, Ethiopia has become one of the first lands where Christianity has taken its long breath after 3 centuries of persecution. Ever since, we remained one of the most Orthodox of Orthodox maintaining all the apostolic traditions - written or noted. Christianity in the very flavor and texture as had been given by the Apostles. ----- E.T.H.I.O.P.I.A. "EST. BC5500" Gen 2:13
Pontius (died AD260s), a deacon in Carthage, read the Ethiopian eunuch as a Jew. [Pontius Life of St. Cyprian 3] The Ethiopians are always known to be God-worshiping faithful people. Jeremiah looked back and forth in history with the Holy Spirit and said "Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots?" Jer. 13:23 He simply meant Ethiopians are stubborn about Lord and they don't change Him with earthly lords. People in Ethiopia started scarifying in accordance with the mosaic law 900 years before Christ after Queen Saba visited Solomon and his wisdom and returned with Old Testament rites, Levite priests, the law and the Solomonic Dynasty altogether (which is one of the world's oldest continued dynasties reigning until 1974 – it’s first emperor being Menelik I Son of King Solomon BC911 its last emperor was Haileselassie I 1974)
Some of the oldest Christian churches today archaeologists confirmed that they were convert from Judaic temples hosting the mosaic sacrifice and according to the mosaic law and orders. The most prestigious of these would necessarily be the Church of Our Lady Zion of Mary in central Axum which was converted during the reign of Ezana in AD330s into a big cathedral and is believed to still contain the true Ark of the Covenant handed to Moses by the God of Israel. [Some contemporary historians are in fact a little evangelical in their assertions that “The Ark is Really in there” (see Hancock, Graham (1992). The Sign and the Seal: The Quest for the Lost Ark of the Covenant. New York: Crown. ISBN 0517578131.)] Consequently emperors and bishops in Ethiopia were consecrated therein throughout the history which is currently the case for the consecration of Ethiopian patriarchs.
Today, Ethiopia is home to almost 40,000 Christian churches and monasteries across its face quite numerous from the 4th and 5th centuries and onwards. All these keep the replicas of the Ark of the Covenant. Ethiopians still observe the Jewish sabath on Saturday and animals that are prohibited for Israelites from back in Leviticus are virtually marginalized from Ethiopian dishes till today. Ethiopians take their new-born to circumcision [not to Jewish rituals anymore but to hospitals] but astoundingly they do it on the eighth day after birth. We can count numerous other traditions with in the Ethiopian public date back to the mosaic period with an incredible harmony with the New Covenant not emanating from the Church’s prescription, but out of deep roots in Judaic periods.
Amos said to the Israelites “Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians unto me, O children of Israel? saith the LORD." Amos 9:7. This was the basis which served as St. Irenaeus said prepared the Eunuch to readily accept Christ immediately. The immediacy and decisiveness as well as the intensity of his discipleship to Christ had been a spectacular one as appeared to numerous New Testament scholars.
St. Irenaeus went on and testified that the Ethiopian was assigned to preach the gospel to the lands of Nob and Ethiopia. The core message of his gospel, St. Irenaeus says, was that “… the God of Israel was revealed in flesh …” - which agreeably goes fairly along with the lived Judaic tradition prevalent in those lands since pre-Babylon-exile era.
Papacy, Priesthood and the Eucharist were first introduced in Ethiopia when in AD328 St. Freumentus of Syria appeared before the imperial court and noticed a staggeringly ready-made Christian kingdom desperately in need of the sacraments that thrived in the world only in Catacombs and under persistent persecution.
Ethiopia became the second country in the World that has officially accepted Christianity as the religion of the state religion in AD333 although some historians argued that it is even the first even before Armenia. This and that, Ethiopia has become one of the first lands where Christianity has taken its long breath after 3 centuries of persecution. Ever since, we remained one of the most Orthodox of Orthodox maintaining all the apostolic traditions - written or noted. Christianity in the very flavor and texture as had been given by the Apostles. ----- E.T.H.I.O.P.I.A. "EST. BC5500" Gen 2:13
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አስተያየት ይለጥፉ