Chapter 15 - Abba Rid

Summary

ATHIRD BETÄ Ǝsraʾel monastic site in the Səmen isthe renowned Betä Ǝsraʾel holy site ofAbba Rid. While we have not yet been able to reach thissite, we were able to establish its location based on the sources at hand,as well as to uncover a unique phenomenon: the holy man to whom the holysite is dedicated, Abba Yared, is the only known local holyman considered a holy man by both the Betä Ǝsraʾel andEthiopian Orthodox Christians. He is also recognized as such by theKǝmant, a third religious group living in the northwestern EthiopianHighlands. A Christian monastery and associated Christian holy sitesdedicated to Qəddus(Saint) Yared exist near theBetä Ǝsraʾel holy site.

In the Christian tradition, Qəddus Yared was thecomposer of the traditional religious music used in the liturgy, and acontemporary of the sixth-century Aksumite monarch GäbräMäsqäl (Munro-Hay 2005). Born in Aksum, he received atraditional church education. He had difficulty mastering the subject matterand was severely punished. He fled, and, sitting in the shade of a tree, sawa caterpillar climb up the tree several times and fall each time, but tryagain. Finally, it succeeded on the seventh attempt. Inspired, Yaredreturned and quickly concluded his education. He became a deacon, married,and had children. When he discovered that his wife had been unfaithful, heplanned to kill her lover, but God sent him three birds from heaven whichtook him to the heavenly Jerusalem. There, Yared heard heavenly music whichhe reproduced upon his return. The king was so captivated by the music thatduring a performance, he pierced Yared's foot with a staff withoutnoticing. Yared did not stop until he had finished the performance. Inremorse, the king offered to grant Yared a wish, and Yared asked to assume amonastic life away from the capital. He became a monk inṢällämt and passed away in Səmen (Brita 2014;Conti Rossini 1904; Heldman and Shelemay 2017).

In his account of Betä Ǝsraʾel monks and holy places,Taamrat Emmanuel mentions the site of Abba Rid, locates itin the Səmen, near Dǝbǝl, and relates: “It wasdescribed to me as a place nearly always covered with ice, and thatsometimes even under the ice, the half-naked faithful adore andpray.”