One of the stories in the Giovardiana manuscript describes the miraculous birth of Zar’a Ya‘eqob. In medieval Ethiopia, as in Europe, monasteries were repositories of knowledge and centres of learning, and, judging from the many theological works which would later be written by Zar’a Ya‘eqob, the prince must have been a particularly gifted student. Enraged by such defiance, Zar’a Ya‘eqob had Stephen bound, stripped of his monastic garb, and flogged. Zar’a Ya‘eqob was also determined to root out pagan and magical practices from his empire. In 1445 Zar’a Ya‘eqob came face to face with his most dangerous opponent, Ahmad Badlay, the sultan of ‘Adal, who had already won several victories against the Christian forces of Ethiopia.

Source: Ethiopian News February 15, 2020 10:18 UTC