The different avenues of the spread of Christianity are quite fascinating. In class, we have examined different groups who have come to certain beliefs as a result of their respective contexts and circumstances. Historically Christianity has clashed with other cultures, and religion. In the Kebra Negast reading, the royalty of Sheba as well as Solomon worship the King of Israel. Solomon passes his beliefs to the Queen of Sheba which is quite interesting in regards to the fact that these beliefs traveled in such a fashion. The transformation from polytheistic to monotheistic beliefs is apparent and in turn the God of Israel is brought to Ethiopia. Ultimately, the Rastafari utilize Kebra Negast symbolically which helps them understand existence and tolerability.
Truthful or not, I really enjoyed reading this story. From an outsiders perspective, people fail to grasp the roots of religion in different areas of the world. From our study in class, it is obvious that regardless of the validity of these tales, they function as effectively explaining how a certain faith came to be. Personally, I think it is very intriguing that while Ethiopia is known today as an extremely poor country, there is definitely a connection to the roots as a result of the involvement of Solomon in the story. What happens between Solomon and the Queen makes him come off as somewhat self-centered around his wisdom and desires. However regardless of the ignorance of modern morals, it serves a purpose in explaining how Christianity spread to Ethiopia.
I was definitely struck by the portrayal of Solomon in this story as well. He was so selfish and manipulative, and I found it interesting that such an important and highly regarded figure would be portrayed in that way. I had a couple explanantions as to why that could be in my blog, but your explanation is interesting and something I did not think about. This story was written so long ago, that the acts that Solomon did probably were not seen in the same negative light as they are seen today.
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