Blackwell Reference Online

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In 1667 on the Gregorian calendar, an Ethiopian philosopher by the name of Zera Yacob (1599–1692 ce ), whose name means “The Seed of Jacob,” wrote a treatise in which he recorded both his life and his thought. He begins his Treatise with the story of his life. It is the only known autobiography in Ethiopic literature. He was born on August 28, 1599, near Aksum, from a family of poor farmers. Zera Yacob attended the traditional schools of Ethiopia, studying in particular the Psalms of David, the zema (sacred music taught in Church school), the qene (“poetry” or “hymns”) and the sewasewa (“vocabulary,” which designates the interpretation of the Holy Scriptures and is somewhat the equivalent of “belles-lettres”). It is a point of special importance that the prose of Zera Yacob reflects the language that is taught in the qene school: it is the jewel, the masterpiece of Ethiopian literature. Moreover, his thought is imbued with the discussion and criticism which are encouraged in this school. In 1629, King Susenyos made his solemn profession of Catholic faith. Shortly afterwards, Zera Yacob was denounced before the king and was compelled to flee for his life, taking with him three measures of gold and the most precious of his possessions: the Book of Psalms, the Dawit – the second great influence in his life, together with qene language and culture. On his way to Shoa ... log in or subscribe to read full text