Charles Edwards (Rastafarian)
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King Emmanuel Charles Edwards VII (1915 - 1994) was an influential leader of the Rastafari movement order Bobo Shanti. He was born in Saint Elizabeth and died in Kingston, Jamaica. He established the Bobo Shanti faith, based on ancient Ethiopian tradition (e.g. customs of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church).
[edit] Early life
He preached the doctrines of Marcus Garvey and Leonard Howell, both prophets of the Rastafari culture.Later he himself came to be regarded as High Priest by his followers, and even more - they claimed him to be Adonai incarnate.
[edit] Bobo Shanti
In 1958, King Emmanuel VII officially founded the Ethiopia Africa Black International Congress (EABIC), while reconstituting the ancient Melchizedek tradition. King Emmanuel VII being the President-Founder, God, & King of the Bobo Shanti Order, was duly recognized as creational crowned champion of human rights and human justice, and ambassador for the repatriation and reparation network of His Divine Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia. King Emmanuel VII's Royal Saints and Apostles i.e., Priests, Prophets, Empresses, & Princesses are referred to as "Bobo Shanti" or simply "Bobo Dreads." They are recognizable by their tightly wrapped turbans and flowing shawls, respectivley worn to cover their consecrated locks. In his years as President-Founder, God and King of the EABIC, King Emmanuel VII reestablished the principles for his ancient divine order and bequeathed these tenets to his Royal Saints and Apostles for spiritual guidance.
Because King Emmanuel VII was highly regarded as The Black Christ-in-flesh, the Royal Saints whom followed him on his sojourn identified each of their respective environments as previously recorded in the Bible. For instance, Ackee Walk was supposed to be Nazareth, where Jesus came from, Harris Street was Galilee, where Jesus went after leaving his native home, Eighth Street, Capernaum and Ninth Street, Bethlehem, for it was there that Yeshua, Queen Rachel's son, was born. The settlement in Bull Bay is named Mount Temon, where God originated, per Genesis passage. The Bobo Shanti trinity, consists of Marcus Garvey as the Holy prophet, King Emmanuel VII as the Holy Priest and Haile Selassie as the Divine King.
In all songs and readings from the bible, the Congress members generally use such phrases as: "KING EMMANUEL THE 7TH ADONAI GOD JAH RASTAFARI".
"HOLY EMMANUEL I KING SELASSIE I JAH RASTAFARI".
You can hear these phrases in reggae songs from singers like Sizzla, Capleton, Turbulence, Junior Reid, Fantan Mojah and Anthony B who are also followers of the Bobo Shanti order.
