St. Yared in the Sǝmen Mountains of northern Ethiopia: The Ethiopian Orthodox and Betä Ǝsraʾel (Ethiopian Jewish) religious sites

Abstract

The Betä Ǝsraʾel and Ethiopian Orthodox Christians did not commonly recognize the same post-biblical individuals as holy men. One striking exception is Yared, perhaps the most renowned local saint of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, traditionally the composer of numerous elements of its liturgical music and hymns. The Betä Ǝsraʾel identify Yared as a member of their community, and holy sites of both groups, dedicated to him, existed in the Sǝmen Mountains of northern Ethiopia, in significant proximity to each other. These mountains are a unique test-case for interreligious interaction involving the Betä Ǝsraʾel, since rather than being a minority group under Christian rule, the Betä Ǝsraʾel of the Sǝmen were, from the 15th to the 17th century, politically autonomous and at times engaged in military conflict with the Christian Solomonic state. Yared is also recognized as a holy man by members of a third religious group residing in northern Ethiopia—the Kǝmant. This article will examine the layout and characteristics of the sites dedicated to him in the Sǝmen Mountains, as well as the nature of the religious activities conducted in them, and examine their roles in the sacred geography of the region.

Keywords

• Ethiopia
• Ethiopian Orthodox Church
• Saint Yared
• Semien Mountains
• Beta Israel
• Kemant