On the Horn of Africa, completely landlocked, lies the country of Ethiopia, the second most populous country in all of Africa. Ethiopia has nine regional states, one of which is Oromia. It has recently become possible to get Oromia news.
The regional capital of Oromia has an interesting history. Up until 2000, it was located in Addis Ababa, which was known also as Finfinne. As the new millennium dawned, the capital was moved to Adama. According to government sources, Addis Ababa was inconvenient from the point of view of developing the region's culture, history, and language. This turned out to be a controversial move, with critics declaring that the government wanted to play down the importance of Addis Ababa in the region. In 2005, the Oromo People's Democratic Organization returned the capital back to Finfinne.
It is no small feat that we are now able to read about Oromia. Until very recently, the ruling body was rather bashful about the goings on in the country. Our new-found ability to read about the region is a triumph of democracy and freedom.
In an article published in the Finfinne Tribune, it talks about the ancient origins of the Solomonic Dynasty of Abyssinia. The books of Kings and 2 Chronicles in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible mention an historic meeting between King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, who was also known as Queen of the South. What you won't find in the OT is any mention of an alleged son who was the product of that meeting, a son who later became King Minilik I.
It is not necessarily weird that the Bible doesn't mention Minilik. The Bible is a story of Creation, of God's promise to Abraham and about the world's long road to salvation via Jesus Christ, a direct descendant of King David. King Solomon himself was illegitimate in conventional eyes, the product of an adulterous union between his father, King David, and Bathsheba, the wife of one of the king's soldiers. So, while Minilik certainly has a very prestigious nth cousin, he himself was not part of the main story line and his omission does not rule out his provenance.
What is more likely is that the royal heritage of Minilik I was claimed by himself. Rulers in ancient times would often claim some mythical, mystical origins in order to distinguish themselves from ordinary mortals. Their mystical roots were then used to justify the use of unlimited power over their subjects.
The practice of claiming divine origins lasted until Emperor Haile Sillassee was deposed in the revolution of 1974. He, too, was part of the Solomonic dynasty. Born TM Woldemikael, he was regent of Ethiopia for 29 years before ascending to Emperor in 1930.
It is exciting to be exposed to new stories about old countries that never seem to have a big role on the world stage, at least from a western point of view. It is unfortunate that records of the Solomonic Dynasty, kept by the Christian monks of the Ethiopian orthodoxy, were demolished when Judith I destroyed the monasteries. Following the revolution in 1974, most of the Ethiopian royal family were put in prison, later to be released and entered into exile. Today, many members of the royal family have been allowed to come back and life in Ethiopia.
The regional capital of Oromia has an interesting history. Up until 2000, it was located in Addis Ababa, which was known also as Finfinne. As the new millennium dawned, the capital was moved to Adama. According to government sources, Addis Ababa was inconvenient from the point of view of developing the region's culture, history, and language. This turned out to be a controversial move, with critics declaring that the government wanted to play down the importance of Addis Ababa in the region. In 2005, the Oromo People's Democratic Organization returned the capital back to Finfinne.
It is no small feat that we are now able to read about Oromia. Until very recently, the ruling body was rather bashful about the goings on in the country. Our new-found ability to read about the region is a triumph of democracy and freedom.
In an article published in the Finfinne Tribune, it talks about the ancient origins of the Solomonic Dynasty of Abyssinia. The books of Kings and 2 Chronicles in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible mention an historic meeting between King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, who was also known as Queen of the South. What you won't find in the OT is any mention of an alleged son who was the product of that meeting, a son who later became King Minilik I.
It is not necessarily weird that the Bible doesn't mention Minilik. The Bible is a story of Creation, of God's promise to Abraham and about the world's long road to salvation via Jesus Christ, a direct descendant of King David. King Solomon himself was illegitimate in conventional eyes, the product of an adulterous union between his father, King David, and Bathsheba, the wife of one of the king's soldiers. So, while Minilik certainly has a very prestigious nth cousin, he himself was not part of the main story line and his omission does not rule out his provenance.
What is more likely is that the royal heritage of Minilik I was claimed by himself. Rulers in ancient times would often claim some mythical, mystical origins in order to distinguish themselves from ordinary mortals. Their mystical roots were then used to justify the use of unlimited power over their subjects.
The practice of claiming divine origins lasted until Emperor Haile Sillassee was deposed in the revolution of 1974. He, too, was part of the Solomonic dynasty. Born TM Woldemikael, he was regent of Ethiopia for 29 years before ascending to Emperor in 1930.
It is exciting to be exposed to new stories about old countries that never seem to have a big role on the world stage, at least from a western point of view. It is unfortunate that records of the Solomonic Dynasty, kept by the Christian monks of the Ethiopian orthodoxy, were demolished when Judith I destroyed the monasteries. Following the revolution in 1974, most of the Ethiopian royal family were put in prison, later to be released and entered into exile. Today, many members of the royal family have been allowed to come back and life in Ethiopia.
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