Chapter 23 - Mǝdraro

Summary

MƎDRARO WAS TRADITIONALLY the third stop in AbbaṢəbra and Ṣägga Amlak's journey toHoḫ^wärwa and, like the two previous stops,served as a place of pilgrimage, where the Səgd wasalso celebrated (Ben-Dor 1985a, 44). A locality by the name ofMǝdraro appears in historical and modern maps, east of theG^wang River and north of the village of Gana (map 20.1). Thisgeneral location for the holy site is confirmed by QesAsres Yayeh (1995, 60–61), who lists it among the holy mountains ofthe Betä Ǝsraʾel and relates that it is near GanaYoḥannǝs. A Betä Ǝsraʾel village by thename of Mǝdraro is mentioned in a few accounts, thus indicating thatthe place-name was not limited to the holy site, but likely referred to anarea in which the holy site was located(Däbtära Ain Alem andDäbtära Ishanau Asressa 1932, 49;Qes Ḥadanä Təkuyä 2011,126, 208).

Abba Yǝsḥaq, the high priest of theBetä Ǝsraʾel in Tǝgray, referred toMǝdraro as Mǝdrä ʾArwo, which is derived fromthe Geʿez “mǝdrä ʾarwe,” or“land of the beast(s)” (Waldman 2018, 290).Qes Gobäze Baroḵ (2007, 6), in theAmharic version of his book, refers to Mǝdraro as MǝdrʾArwa, thus confirming this etymology. And indeed, an examination ofthe general area marked on the above-mentioned maps as Mǝdraro inGoogle Earth has revealed that it is sparsely settled and dense with wildvegetation. This area is relatively mountainous and traversed by tributariesof the G^wang River. While it is crossed by a few dirt roads, itis relatively distant from the main routes in the region. Thus, if thelocation indicated is correct, the name of the site would seem to accuratelydescribe its remoteness.

The Betä Ǝsraʾel Monks of Mǝdraro

In interviews with Ben-Dor (1985a, 43–44), Wəbe Akale,Qes Wǝbšet, and Yosef David related thatAbba Ṣəbra and Ṣägga Amlakwere tired when they reached Mǝdraro and slept on a large rock. Asthey were sleeping, the rock became flat like a bed. Yosef David, whosenarration described Abba Ṣəbra andṢägga Amlak as one person, recounted that this person placed astone under his head, and dreamt that his enemies were gone and that he wasfree. Wəbe Akale recounted that the stones on which the two hadrested can still be seen at the site.