(CE:1005a-1044a)
ETHIOPIAN PRELATES (continued)
SAWIROS (fl. late eleventh century)
Sawiros was immediate successor to his maternal uncle, Abuna Fiqtor, who had reared him in Ethiopia. The episcopate of Sawiros
was distinguished by a series of events, which are recorded primarily in the History of the Patriarchs.
After Fiqtor's death (c. 1077), Sawiros went to Egypt, where he was consecrated as metropolitan bishop by Patriarch CYRIL II
(1078-1092). To aid him in this undertaking, Sawiros had obtained preliminary consent from the powerful amir al-Juyush Badr al-
Jamali, vizier (1074-1094) of the Fatimid caliph al-Mustansir, by promising him gifts and improved treatment of the Muslims living
in Christian Ethiopia. Immediately upon his return to Ethiopia from Egypt, however, Sawiros was opposed as bishop by the Coptic monk ‘Abdun, who, under the name of Quril (Cyril), had earlier tried to usurp the episcopal throne from Abuna Fiqtor. Sawiros
emerged victorious, ‘Abdun being forced to flee with whatever belongings he could collect. The fugitive monk sought safety on the
island of Dahlak Kebr (off the coast of Massawa), but was arrested there by al-Mubarak (first of the archipelago sultans), who stripped him of all his goods and sent him to Cairo, where the vizier ordered his execution in A.M. 802/A.D. 1085-1086.
Sawiros, having been part of his uncle's entourage, knew Ethiopia well and enjoyed considerable prestige. Thus, he was able to undertake a number of reforms, distinguishing himself above all by his fight against polygamy. Even the king (unnamed in the
History of the Patriarchs) renounced all his women, save his wife and one concubine who had borne him children.
In October 1088, Sawiros, via his brother, Rijal, sent a present to Badr al-Jamali. But the vizier scorned the gift and complained to
Rijal—before the patriarch and many Coptic bishops, who had been urgently summoned—that Sawiros had not fulfilled his early
promises, in particular, his promise to build four mosques for the Muslims of Ethiopia. But Rijal replied that, on the contrary, his brother had even been imprisoned by the king of Ethiopia precisely because he had agreed to the construction of seven mosques—
mosques that had been rapidly demolished by the Ethiopians. Thereupon, the vizier commanded Patriarch Cyril II to write to the
Ethiopian sovereign, urging him to respect the Muslims. A delegation, led by two Coptic bishops, carried the patriarch's letter to
Ethiopia, along with a letter from Badr al-Jamali, in which he threatened to destroy the Coptic churches of Egypt if the king did
not satisfy his demands. The king, however, answered the vizier with an even harsher letter, wherein he threatened all Islam,
including Mecca, with severe reprisals.
The History of the Patriarchs gives no further information about Abuna Sawiros, but the Ethiopian Synaxarion relates that after ten
years, he left Ethiopia to return to Egypt. However, this return was probably a prudent recall, agreed upon between the Coptic patriarch and the Ethiopian king, as a result of deteriorating relations between Egypt and Ethiopia. This could also explain why certain traditional lists of Ethiopian metropolitan bishops state that Sawiros was "exiled by Alexandria." The Ethiopian Synaxarion further notes that Sawiros died in Egypt and was buried at the Monastery of Anba Macarius (DAYR ANBA MAQAR).
It is probable (but not certain) that Sawiros's successor was Abuna Giyorgis I.
GIYORGIS I (fl. early twelfth century)
It is probable that Giyorgis (Jirjis in Arabic) was the immediate successor of Abuna Sawiros. The only information concerning him is found in the History of the Patriarchs (Renaudot, 1713, pp. 475- 76).
During A.M. 818/A.D. 1101-1102, the king of Ethiopia (unnamed in the Arabic text) sent a messenger to al-Afdal, vizier of the Fatimid caliph al-Amir, asking al-Afdal to have a new metropolitan named for the Ethiopian church. The vizier summoned MICHAEL IV (1092-1102) and asked him to act quickly in regard to this request so that the new bishop could depart for Ethiopia with the returning messenger. Michael chose and consecrated a monk by the name of Jirjis who came from DAYR ANBA MAQAR in WADI HABIB.
However, the new prelate, who left for Ethiopia immediately, remained but a short time in that country. In fact, it is said that after
his arrival, he transgressed there in infamous affairs and vile deeds unbecoming to his rank (Sergew Hable Sellassie, 1972, pp. 250-51). The king of Ethiopia, sharply reacting to this, seized all Ethiopian properties acquired by Giyorgis, sent him back to Egypt, and asked that the offending bishop be punished. In Cairo, the vizier had Giyorgis cast into prison, where he remained for several years.
The History of the Patriarchs gives no further information about this prelate. It is probable, but not certain, that his immediate successor was Abuna Mika’el I.
MIKA’EL I (fl. early twelfth century)
It is possible (though not certain) that he was the direct successor of Abuna Giyorgis I. Christened Habib al-Atfihi, he assumed the
name Mika’el (Mkha’il in Arabic) upon his elevation to the seat of Ethiopia by MACARIUS II (1102-1128).
According to the History of the Patriarchs, Mika’el's episcopate was marked by two episodes important in the history of Ethiopia. The first occurred during the pontificate of GABRIEL II (1131- 1145), when the king of Ethiopia (unnamed in the Arabic text) asked the Metropolitan Mika’el to consecrate some bishops as coadjutors in numbers larger than that permitted by canon law. In the margin of
the Arabic text, a note of doubtful value adds that at the time, the number allowed in the Coptic church was seven. However, the metropolitan replied to the king that he did not have the power to accede to this request without the patriarch's authorization,
whereupon the king made his request directly both to the patriarch and to the Fatimid caliph al-Hafiz (1130-1149), who likewise
attempted to influence the patriarch in this matter. The latter adroitly defended himself by explaining to the caliph that if the number of bishops in Abyssinia surpassed the canonical limit, these bishops could then elect their own metropolitan on site, which would risk
removing Christian Ethiopia from all influence coming from Egypt. The caliph accepted this argument and did not insist further. For his
part, the patriarch took care to write to the Ethiopian ruler, exhorting him to desist from his request. Meanwhile, since Ethiopia had been struck by diverse disasters, such as drought, famine, and epidemics, the king hastened to renounce his request, and renewed his allegiance to the patriarch. Gabriel II then sent his blessing to the Ethiopian king, and all calamities came to an end.
Mika’el I continued his episcopal reign in Ethiopia during the brief pontificates of both MICHAEL V (1145-1146) and JOHN V (1147-1167).
It was during John's pontificate that the second episode related in the History of the Patriarchs occurred. The king of Ethiopia (unnamed in the Arabic text) wrote a letter to the powerful vizier al- ‘Adil, that is, ‘Ali ibn al-Salar, vizier to the Fatimid caliph al-Zafir (1149-1154). In this letter, which was no doubt accompanied by an important gift, the king asked the vizier to order Patriarch John V to name a new metropolitan to replace Mika’el, who had grown too old. However, John was able to ascertain the true reason for this
request: the Ethiopian king had illegally seized the throne, and because Mika’el continued to condemn the usurpation, the king wished to rid himself of the venerable prelate. Therefore, the patriarch replied that a new metropolitan could not be named so long
as Mika’el was alive. Furious, ‘Ali ibn al-Salar had John cast into prison, where he remained until the vizier's death. ‘Ali ibn al-Salar was assassinated in 1153. Historically, this episode is difficult to interpret. According to C. Rossini (1928, pp. 289-90, 303), the usurpation opposed by Mika’el was the one perpetrated by the first sovereign of the Zagwe dynasty, who seized power around 1137. This thesis is based on certain legends, which claim that this dynasty remained in power for 133 years before relinquishing its rule in 1270 to Yekunno Amlak, first ruler of the so-called Solomonic dynasty.
The date of Abuna Mika’el's death and the names of his immediate successors are unknown. Nevertheless, it is certain that there was at least one metropolitan who ruled after him and before Abuna Mika’el II, for it is known that the latter was named near the
beginning of the thirteenth century at the request of King Lalibala to replace a metropolitan who had just died.
MIKA’EL II (fl. early thirteenth century)
According to the History of the Patriarchs, during the pontificate of JOHN VI (1186-1216) and under the reign of the Ayyubid sultan Abu Bakr, also known as al-Malik al-‘Adil, who had assumed power in July 1199, an Ethiopian delegation was received in Cairo, requesting a new metropolitan to replace the one who had just died. His name is unknown, but he was the successor to Mika’el I. Since the arrival in Cairo of this delegation was also recorded by the Arab physician and writer ‘Abd al-Latif al-Baghdadi, the date is
known, the Islamic month of Shawwal A.H. 596/August A.D. 1200. Unable to find a monk suitable for this duty, John VI was obliged to designate a certain Kil (abbreviation of Mika’el) ibn al-Mulabbas, bishop of the city of Fuwa. Traveling with the Ethiopian delegation, Kl, now Abuna Mika’el II, came to Ethiopia, where he was received with great pomp and given large endowments in order to meet his own needs and those of his entourage. However, five years later he was back in Cairo with neither retinue nor means. He told John VI that in Ethiopia he had run counter to the treacherous intrigues plotted by the queen, who had a brother named Jabrun. If one admits a scribal corruption of the Arabic text, the name may also be read as Khayrun or Hitrun. She had thus forced Mika’el to consecrate Jabrun as bishop, who then gradually usurped many prerogatives of the abun. Because Jabrun and his cohorts had dared to attack the dwellings of the metropolitan and make an attempt on his life, Mika’el had been forced to flee. Unconvinced by this story, the patriarch dispatched to Ethiopia a priest named Musa, who had instructions to deliver a letter to the king and investigate the affair. One year later, accompanied by an Ethiopian delegation, Musa returned to Egypt with an answer from the king and the necessary information.
The true reason for Mika’el's flight was that he had caused a dignitary of the Ethiopian church to be beaten to death, a man who had been posted to guard the treasure of the archbishop and whom Mika’el had suspected of having stolen a bar of gold. The relatives
of the dead dignitary had then attacked the residence of the metropolitan, who had fled in fear. As for Jabrun, he had died two
months after Mika’el's flight and therefore no longer posed a threat. Furthermore, the king of Ethiopia had sent gifts with the delegation for both the patriarch and the sultan, and requested a new metropolitan. In the absence of al-Malik al-‘Adil, the king's letter was given to the regent, al-Malik's son, al-Malik al-Kamil, who authorized the patriarch to carry out the Ethiopian request.
Thus, on Sunday, 9 Ramadan A.H. 606/A.D. 7 March 1210, Mika’el was removed from his duties as metropolitan and from his rank as bishop. At the same time, the patriarch consecrated in his place a monk from the Monastery of Saint Antony, Isaac (Arabic, Ishaq; Ethiopian, Yeshaq), who then left for Ethiopia with another monk, his brother, Yusif (Joseph), who had been assigned as coadjutor.
The History of the Patriarchs ends the episode on an important note. It says that the Ethiopian king was Lalibala, who in fact ruled
from about 1190 to 1230, that his wife was named Masqal Kebra, and that this sovereign had two sons, one of whom was named
Yabarak (this should be read as Yetbarak) and the other Abiab (i.e., La’ab or, more precisely, Na’akuto La’ab, who, according to
tradition, was the nephew of Lalibala and occupied the throne after his uncle and before his cousin Yetbarak). It adds that the capital of this king was ‘Adafa (i.e., Adafa), located near the present city of Lalibala, and that the original country of the ruling Zagwe dynasty was called al-Bukna, corresponding to the district of Bugna, to the south of Lasta. These data from the Arabic text confirm the historical bases and importance of this episode.
YESHAQ I (fl. early thirteenth century)
He succeeded Mika’el II, who had been dismissed from his position. At the request of the negus Lalibala (c. 1190-1230), John VI (1189-1216) chose two brothers from among the monks at the Monastery of Saint Anthony, Yeshaq (Ishaq in Arabic) and his older
brother, Yusuf (Joseph). Yeshaq was named metropolitan and his brother, coadjutor. The consecration took place in Cairo on Sunday, 9 Ramadan A.H. 606/7 March 1210.
All other historical data are lacking. The direct successor to Yeshaq I was Giyorgis II.
GIYORGIS II (fl. early thirteenth century)
Near the end of the reign of the negus Lalibala, Giyorgis became the direct successor of Abuna Yeshaq I; his name has been transmitted only through Ethiopian documents.
Giyorgis II is first mentioned in a feudal act dated 29 March 1225 in connection with a donation of land made by Lalibala. He is also mentioned in the colophon of Kebra Nagast (Bezold, 1905, p. 138), a literary work containing the written version of the national
legend of Ethiopia. This colophon states that the work had first been translated from Coptic into Arabic in the year 1217 of the Ethiopian calendar (A.D. 1224-1225), during the reign of Lalibala and the metropolitanate of Giyorgis II.
As for the History of the Coptic Patriarchs, although it does not list the name of the metropolitan, it does conserve the story of the
circumstances surrounding his election. Near the end of the pontificate of the Coptic patriarch John VI (1189-1216), the Ayyubid sultan al-Malik al-Kamil (1200-1218) received a messenger in Cairo from the king of Ethiopia (Lalibala). This messenger had been commanded to announce the death of Abuna Yeshaq I to the sultan and ask him to send a new one. However, an ambitious Coptic priest named Dawud ibn Laqlaq then went to al- Malik al-Kamil and, after giving him 200 dinars, asked the sultan to intervene and have him (Dawud) consecrated as metropolitan of Ethiopia. (This same Dawud later became the Coptic patriarch Cyril III, 1235-1243.) Al-Malik al-Kamil sent the messenger to John VI, who in turn suggested to the messenger that he tell the sultan "that this one is not fit because his belief in God is corrupt" and that sending him to Ethiopia could distance the Ethiopians from the Coptic church and consequently from the Egyptian authorities as well. The messenger having followed these instructions, the sultan decided to leave the patriarch complete freedom in making his choice. Thus it was that someone other than Dawud was consecrated as metropolitan. Although the History of the Patriarchs omits both the name of the metropolitan and the date of his consecration, it is
clear that this episode refers to Giyorgis II, and thus, his election must be placed around 1215.
The date when his metropolitanate ended is unknown. It is possible (but not certain) that he was the immediate predecessor of Qerelos I.
QERELOS I (fl. end thirteenth century)
It is probable (but not certain) that Qerelos I was the direct successor to Abuna Giyorgis II. The principal data concerning this metropolitan comes from the Life of Abuna Takla Haymanot (Budge, 1906), the Ethiopian saint (d. c. 1313) to whom is attributed
both the founding in Shewa of Dabra Asbo (later called Dabra Libanos) and the establishment of one of the two great monastic
orders of Ethiopia.
This Life reports that at fifteen years of age Takla Haymanot was led by his father to Abuna Gerelos (i.e., Qerelos or Cyril), who
ordained him a deacon. The text describes Qerelos as "bishop of Amhara at the time of the Zagwe kings" and states that Abuna Takla Haymanot's ordination took place "when Benjamin was Archbishop of Alexandria," a statement based on a misunderstanding, since there was no successor to Saint Mark named Benjamin during the thirteenth century. According to this same Life, Qerelos then
conferred the priesthood upon Abuna Takla Haymanot and eventually named him liqa kahnat (chief of the priests). However, according to Cerulli (1943, pp. 230-31), the office of liqa kahnat, which consisted in choosing the candidates to be presented to the
metropolitan for ordination as priests, was in fact established only in the fourteenth century by Abuna Ya‘qob and assigned to Fileppos, third abbot of Dabra Asbo.
The name of this abun is often missing in the traditional lists of the metropolitans of the Ethiopian church, but there is no doubt as to
his existence. He is mentioned notably in an act concerning a gift of land made in 1270 by the negus Yekunno Amlak soon after his
accession to the throne, an act registered in the Golden Gospel of Dabra Libanos in Shimazana.
The date when the metropolitanate of Qerelos I ended is unknown. He seems to have died near the beginning of Yekunno Amlak's reign, for according to the Egyptian historian al-MAQRIZI, in a letter written to the Mamluk sultan Baybars (1260-1277) that was received in A.H. 673/A.D. 1274-1275, the negus Yekunno Amlak requested a new metropolitan. It would appear, according to certain Arabic documents, that Qerelos I had as his successor a Syrian metropolitan (unnamed) or even several Syrian metropolitans. According to one hypothesis (Weit, 1938, pp. 117- 21), these Syrian metropolitans were Melchite, but according to
another (Taddesse Tamrat, 1972), they were Jacobite; however, the Arabic documents are not at all explicit on this subject. According to the Life, the Abuna Yohannes II wished to consecrate Abuna Takla Haymanot "bishop over half of Ethiopia." Although the reality of this consecration is questionable, the episode is important from a chronological point of view, for it confirms that Abuna Yohannes II was the direct successor of Qerelos I.
YOHANNES II (fl. early fourteenth century)
The date of Yohannes' arrival in Ethiopia is unknown, but in the Life of Takla Haymanot, the Ethiopian saint who founded one of the
two great monastic orders of Ethiopia (Budge, 1906—text, p. 84 and trans., pp. 206-207), it is reported that toward the end of the saint's life there arrived in Ethiopia a metropolitan called Abuna Yohannes. This metropolitan wished to ordain Takla Haymanot a bishop and give him half of the country; but the saint declined the offer. In general this episode is considered only as an imitation of a similar episode—the supposed assignment of the position of bishop to Fileppos, third abbot of Dabra Libanos. However, it is important from a chronological point of view, for it shows that Yohannes II was the successor (probably direct) of Abuna Qerelos I and that he arrived in Ethiopia just before the death of Abuna Takla Haymanot (c. 1313).
Yohannes' prelacy is confirmed by another text, the Life of Basalota Mika’el (Rossini, 1962, pp. 22-23; and 1961, pp. 20-21), abbot of Dabra Gol in Amhara during the first half of the fourteenth century. Here it is stated that Basalota Mika’el, having noted that Abuna Yohannes was collecting contributions for administering the sacraments and, in particular, for ordaining priests, did not hesitate to reproach him, all of which the metropolitan ignored. Thereupon, the abbot dared to make his complaints known to the negus (unnamed in the Ethiopian text, but doubtless ‘Amda Seyon), who, however, instead of giving credence to the abbot, exiled him to Tigre. This accusation of simony seems unusual, for it is well known that in Ethiopia the metropolitans have always been accorded revenues and that they collected a contribution from each candidate to the priesthood at the time of his ordination. This episode should thus be interpreted in the sense that probably this particular metropolitan levied too large a contribution upon each candidate, which would constitute an impediment to the increase of priests just at a time when the Ethiopian church was having to fight in a country still rife with paganism.
The date of Yohannes II's death is unknown, but it may be presumed that his metropolitanate can be placed between 1310 and 1330. His successor was Abuna Ya‘qob.
YA‘QOB (fl. mid-fourteenth century)
The name of this metropolitan is listed in five texts in Ethiopian literature that comprise the "Cycle of the Holy Monks in Conflict Against the King." These monks were Basalota Mika’el, abbot of Dabra Gol in Amhara; Fileppos, abbot of Dabra Asbo (subsequently
known as Dabra Libanos) in Shewa; Anorewos, founder of Dabra Segaga in Shewa; Aron, abbot of Dabra Daret in Bagemdir; and
Samu’el, founder of Dabra Wagag in the southeast of Shewa. Despite the differences and anachronisms, a comparison of the five
texts furnishes a sketch of the principal events of Ya‘qob's episcopate.
Having arrived in Ethiopia toward the end of the long reign of ‘Amda Seyon, Ya‘qob was expelled and sent back to Egypt soon after the enthronement of Sayfa Ar‘ad. According to the Life of Abbot Fileppos, Yaqob's expulsion occurred between the accession of the king (1344) and Fileppos' own expulsion (1346); thus, it may be deduced that Ya‘qob was sent back to Egypt around 1345. Further, this same text states that upon his return to Egypt, "Ya‘qob found the cinders still warm on the hearth in the home he had left seven years before." Therefore, he must have arrived in Ethiopia around 1338.
Upon his arrival, Ya‘qob met Ewostatewos, founder of one of the great monastic orders of Ethiopia, but he maintained close relations with the monks of another order, that of Abuna Takla Haymanot, whom he supported in their conflict with the monarchy.
After his accession to the throne, Sayfa Ar‘ad promised to have no more than one wife, but some time later, following the example
of his predecessors, he married three. Ya‘qob supported the monks in their revolt against this concubinage, whereupon the negus simply hastened to exile the most aggressive monks to the south of the kingdom and dispatched Ya‘qob to Egypt.
During his metropolitanate Yaqob divided the territory of central Ethiopia into twelve religious districts, and over each district he
appointed an abbot of a monastery, almost in imitation of the twelve apostles of Christ. Thereby, the work of this metropolitan had
considerable impact on the life of the church in Ethiopia, despite the brevity of his tenure.
His successor to the See of Ethiopia was Abuna Salama II.
