Even before Christianity became the Roman Empire's official religion, it became the religion of a different kingdom, 4,000 km from Jerusalem. This was the adoption of Christianity by the Kingdom of Aksum, in modern-day Ethiopia, which was one of the world’s most influential ancient civilizations but remains one of the least widely known.
According to Ethiopian tradition, Christianity first came to the Aksum Empire in the fourth century A.D. when a Greek-speaking missionary named Frumentius converted King Ezana. However, modern discoveries cast doubt on this account, and scholars debate when and how Christianity reached Ethiopia. Archaeological finds, such as trade seals, pottery, and glass beads, suggest that long-distance trade played a significant role in the spread of Christianity to the region.
Despite Islam's advance in the region during the 7th century, Christianity remained a significant presence in Ethiopia. The Kingdom of Aksum maintained its Christian identity, partly due to its mountainous terrain, which provided natural defense, and the strength of its religious institutions. In the 16th century, Ethiopia found an unlikely ally in Portugal, which sent military assistance to fend off Islamic forces led by the Adal Sultanate. This alliance helped preserve Christianity in the region, which remains to this day.
Being relatively isolated from where mainstream Christianity developed resulted in some differences, such as its Bible. The Ethiopian Bible, also known as the Gädlä Hawaryat or Garima Gospels, is one of the oldest and most unique Bibles. Written in Ge'ez and dating back to the 5th century, it contains different texts than other Bibles. Through history, commerce can shape such fundamental aspects of culture and religion such as this story shows.
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