Israel of Axum

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Israel
Kingdom of Aksum
Preceded by
Saifu		 King of Aksum Succeeded by
Gersem

Israel (vocalized Ge'ez እስራኤል ʾIsrāʾēl or ይስራኤል Yisrāʾēl, c.590) was a king of Axum. He is primarily known through the coins minted during his reign.

The Kebra Nagast and Ethiopian historical tradition states that Kaleb had two sons, Gabra Masqal and Israel. While Munro-Hay doubts this Israel was the son of King Kaleb, tradition may have remembered Israel better than the other kings between him and Kaleb (or Gabra Masqal), and compressed the succession.[1] Richard Pankhurst mentions the name of this king as an early example of Judaic influence in Ethiopian culture.[2]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ S. C. Munro-Hay, Aksum: An African Civilization of Late Antiquity (Edinburgh: University Press, 1991), p. 13.
  2. ^ Richard Pankhurst, The Ethiopians: A History (Oxford: Blackwell, 2001), p. 36


  This Ethiopian royalty-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
 This Ethiopian history-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
Languages