I am very happy to see that the city of Debre Berhan has dedicated a statue to Emperor Zera Yacob.
Emperor Zera Yacob was the son of Emperor Dawit I and Empress Igzi Kebra. He succeeded his elder brothers Emperor Tewodros I and Emperor Yishaq I, and reigned from 1434 to 1468. He is without a doubt one of the greatest of Ethiopia’s monarchs.
As Emperor he was given the additional throne name of Kwostentinos I (Constantine) in honor of the first Christian Emperor of Rome. He was crowned at Axum in 1436. Zera Yacob subjugated the Hadiya Sultanate and as part of the peace settlement married the Sultan’s sister who was baptized as Eleni named for St. Helena, the mother of Constantine. Empress Eleni did not bear any children for Zera Yacob, but her wise counsel resulted in her as being by far the most powerful and influential Empresses in Ethiopian history. She would act as Empress-mother during the reigns of Emperors Baeda Mariam I, Naod, and became Empress Regent during the minority of Libne Dengel all of whom revered her deeply. Possibly because Eleni was unable to bear children, Zera Yacob also had a an “Empress of the left”, Tsion Mogessa, who died or reputed mistreatment at the hands of her husband. This caused a deep and bitter split with their son Baeda Mariam for a long time, although they eventually reconciled and Zera Yacob designated him his heir.
Zera Yacob subjugated the Adal sultanate and the various sub-monarchies of the Sidama region and the Awash valley in 1445 with his defeat of the Sultan Badlay ad-Din at the Battle of Gomit.
Zara Yaqob from the beginning of his reign was confronted with difficulties concerning doctrinal disputes in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. He had received two bishops from the Coptic Patriarch (a rare occurrence) Abune Mikael and Abune Gabriel, who were determined to stamp out emerging teachings considered uncanonical. However for a long time there had been a fierce debate over the observing of the sabbath. The larger group of the hierarchy supported by Coptic Patriarchate of Alexandria, maintained that the sabbath should only be observed on Sundays.
However the followers of the Ethiopian Saint Ewstatewos argued that both the Old Testament Sabbath on Saturday should be observed. After difficult negotiations the Emperor managed to convince the Order of Ewstatewos, two new Bishops and the Patriarch in Alexandria to accept the local practice of observing both Sabbaths, a practice that the Copts had long abandoned. This was achieved at the Council of Debre Mitmaq in 1450 held at the Monastery Zera Yacob had built in Tegulet, Shewa, to replace a great monastery by the same name that the Mameluks had destroyed in Egypt (see my previous post about Debre Mitmaq).
Emperor Zera Yacob is also credited with writing significant theological works that have earned him an honored place in the Orthodox Church. His “Metsihafe Berhan” (Book of Light) which outlines his reforms of church practice is particularly notable.
In 1456 Emperor Zera Yacob witnessed a bright light in the sky which he believed to be a manifestation of the Holy Light of the Trinity. He ordered the building of a church dedicated to the Holy Trinity on the spot and named it Debre Berhan (Mountain of Light). The town of Debre Berhan grew around this church and would serve as his capital. Modern historians believe what he witnessed may well have been Haley’s Comet which would have been visible at that time.
Emperor Zera Yacob is particularly notable in Ethiopian history for having appointed his daughters and nieces to powerful governorships.
Emperor Zera Yacob sent emissaries to Europe who were received by Pope Nicholas V and King Alfonso V of Aragon in 1450. Nine years earlier Ethiopians had attended the Council of Florence establishing the first contacts with Roman Catholicism that would prove critical in subsequent centuries.
That the City of Debre Berhan is honoring its founder with this statue is only fitting. I hope other great figures from our history are similarly honored.
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