History of the Jews in Ethiopia
The history of the Jews in Ethiopia refers to people in Ethiopia who practice Judaism or have Jewish ancestry. This history goes back millennia. The largest Jewish group in Ethiopia is the Beta Israel, also known as Ethiopian Jews. Offshoots of the Beta Israel include the Beta Abraham and the Falash Mura, Ethiopian Jews who were converted to Christianity, some of whom have reverted to Judaism. Addis Ababa is home to a small community of Adeni Jews. Chabad also maintains a presence in Addis Ababa. History Independence (325 AD – 1632 AD) According to the Beta Israel tradition, the Kingdom of Beta Israel, later called the Kingdom of Gondar, was initially established after Ezana was crowned as the Emperor of Axum in 325 AD. Ezana, who was educated in his childhood by the missionary Frumentius, declared Christianity as the official religion of the Axumite empire after he was crowned. The inhabitants who practiced Judaism and refused to convert to Christianity began revolting; this group was referred to as "Beta Israel" by the emperor. Following civil war between the Jewish population and the Christian population, the Beta Israel appear to have forged an independent state, either in northern western Ethiopia or the eastern region of Northern Sudan. By the 13th century, the Beta Israel had already moved to the more easily defensible mountains to the northwest of the Christianized region of the plains.<ref>Kaplan, "The Beta Israel, p. 408</ref> The kingdom was located in the Semien Mountains region and the Dembia region – situated to the north of Lake Tana and south of the Tekezé River. They made their main city at Gondar, crowned their first king, Phineas, a descendant of the Jewish High Priest Zadok, and started a period of territorial expansion eastward and southward. During the mid-9th century, the empire of Aksum began a new expansion, which led to an armed conflict between the Empire forces and the Beta Israel forces. The Beta Israel kingdom under King Gideon IV managed to defeat the Axum forces. During the battle, King Gideon IV was killed. As a result, Gideon's daughter Judith inherited the kingdom from her father and took command. Queen Judith signed a pact with the Agaw tribes which were pagans. Around 960, The large confederation led by Queen Judith, which included both forces of the Agaw tribes and the Beta Israel forces, invaded the capital city of Axum, conquering and destroying it (including many churches and monasteries which were burned and destroyed) and imposed the Jewish rule over Axum. In addition, the Axumite throne was snatched and the forces of Queen Judith sacked and burned the Debre Damo monastery which at the time was a treasury and a prison for the male relatives of the emperor of Ethiopia, killing all of the potential heirs of the emperor. The Golden Age of the Beta Israel kingdom took place, according to the Ethiopian tradition, between the years 858–1270, in which the Jewish kingdom flourished. During that period, the world Jewry heard for