SPECIAL EPISODE-

Did You Know Ethiopia Had Christianity Before Most of Europe?
Here’s how this ancient African kingdom embraced Christ centuries before the West.

Yes, Ethiopia was one of the first Christian nations in the world — long before most of Europe adopted Christianity. Let’s explore how:

1. Christianity Came to Ethiopia in the 4th Century CE

• Ethiopia officially adopted Christianity in 330 CE, under King Ezana of the Aksumite Empire.

• King Ezana was converted by Frumentius, a Syrian Christian missionary who became the first Bishop of Aksum.

• This makes Ethiopia one of the very first countries to embrace Christianity as a state religion, alongside Armenia (301 CE) and before the Roman Empire (which only made Christianity official in 380 CE).

2. Earlier Than Most of Europe

Here’s how Ethiopia compares to Europe in adopting Christianity:

So yes — Ethiopia had Christianity hundreds of years before most of Europe even heard the gospel.

3. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church

• One of the oldest organized Christian churches in the world.

• Retains ancient Jewish-Christian customs like Saturday Sabbath observance, circumcision, and dietary laws.

• Uses Ge'ez, a classical Ethiopian language, for scripture and liturgy.

• Maintains unique Christian books and traditions not found elsewhere — a living window into early Christianity.

4. Lalibela’s Rock-Hewn Churches — Africa’s New Jerusalem

• In the 12th century, King Lalibela carved 11 churches out of solid rock.

• These underground churches are shaped like crosses, passageways connect them, and some are up to 40 feet deep.

• Created as a spiritual alternative to the pilgrimage to Jerusalem after the city fell under Islamic rule.

• Today, they are UNESCO World Heritage Sites and symbols of African Christian devotion.

5. Biblical Lineage and the Ark of the Covenant

• Ethiopian tradition teaches that the Queen of Sheba visited King Solomon, and their son, Menelik I, brought the Ark of the Covenant to Ethiopia.

• The Ark is believed to rest in Axum, guarded by a single monk.

• This ancient connection gives Ethiopia a biblical identity, unique among Christian nations.

6. Christianity That Survived Alone

• After Islam spread across North Africa in the 7th century, Ethiopia became an isolated Christian kingdom — cut off from Europe and the East.

• Yet, it preserved ancient Christian texts, traditions, and saints’ lives that disappeared elsewhere.

• Its survival is a testament to African resilience and religious independence.

Final Thought:

Ethiopia’s Christianity is not borrowed — it is homegrown, ancient, and African.
Long before cathedrals rose in France or England, monks were chanting in Ge'ez in the Ethiopian highlands, and kings were carving churches into mountains.

So yes — Africa knew Christ before Europe did.
And Ethiopia is living proof.