On the Horn of Africa, completely landlocked, lies the country of Ethiopia, the second most populous country in all of Africa. Ethiopia has nine regional states, one of which is Oromia. It has recently become possible to get Oromia news.
The history of Oromo, as it is sometimes called, is very interesting. This is as true for recent history as it is for ancient times. Until the beginning of the 21st century, Oromia's capital was Addis Ababa, also known as Finfinne. At this time, the government moved the capital to Adama. The rationale behind this change was that it was more suitable for the cultural growth of the region. Opponents of the switch blamed it on the government wanting to diminish the influence of Addis Ababa. By 2005, the capital was moved back to Finfinne by the People's Democratic Organization of Oromo.
The fact that the news of the region is now available to the rest of the world should be heralded as a welcome change. Until recently, the Ethiopian government prided itself on its ability to hold its cards close to its chest as far as the rest of the world was concerned. The fact that we can now read about repression of the media is a huge step.
Oromo is also known as Finfinne. The Finfinne Tribune writes about the supposed origins of the Abyssinian Solomonic dynasty. In the Old Testament, we read about King Solomon hosting a visit from the Queen of Sheba. What we do not read about in the books of Kings and 2 Chronicles is the birth of Minilik I, the product of a romantic union between the two monarchs. This baby grew up to become a king of Ethiopia/Abyssinia.
While the Bible certainly does not shy away from mentioning the products of adulterous relationships (King Solomon himself, the son of King David and Bathsheba was born on the wrong side of the blanket), it makes no mention of a romance between the two monarchs, Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, nor does it say anything about Minilik I.
Now, rulers back in those days made a habit of claiming a mystical heritage, if only to distances themselves from their subjects. These lofty roots were used as justification to exercise limitless power over the ordinary mortals over whom they reigned.
The notion that kings were demigods persisted right up until the overthrow of Emperor Haile Sillaasee in 1974. Sillaasee, too, was a member of the Solomonic dynasty. Born Tafari Makonnen Woldemikael, he served as regent of Ethiopia between 1916 and 1930 before taking over as Emperor until 1974.
It is exciting to be exposed to new stories about old countries that never seem to have a big role on the world stage, at least from a western point of view. It is unfortunate that records of the Solomonic Dynasty, kept by the Christian monks of the Ethiopian orthodoxy, were demolished when Judith I destroyed the monasteries. Following the revolution in 1974, most of the Ethiopian royal family were put in prison, later to be released and entered into exile. Today, many members of the royal family have been allowed to come back and life in Ethiopia.
The history of Oromo, as it is sometimes called, is very interesting. This is as true for recent history as it is for ancient times. Until the beginning of the 21st century, Oromia's capital was Addis Ababa, also known as Finfinne. At this time, the government moved the capital to Adama. The rationale behind this change was that it was more suitable for the cultural growth of the region. Opponents of the switch blamed it on the government wanting to diminish the influence of Addis Ababa. By 2005, the capital was moved back to Finfinne by the People's Democratic Organization of Oromo.
The fact that the news of the region is now available to the rest of the world should be heralded as a welcome change. Until recently, the Ethiopian government prided itself on its ability to hold its cards close to its chest as far as the rest of the world was concerned. The fact that we can now read about repression of the media is a huge step.
Oromo is also known as Finfinne. The Finfinne Tribune writes about the supposed origins of the Abyssinian Solomonic dynasty. In the Old Testament, we read about King Solomon hosting a visit from the Queen of Sheba. What we do not read about in the books of Kings and 2 Chronicles is the birth of Minilik I, the product of a romantic union between the two monarchs. This baby grew up to become a king of Ethiopia/Abyssinia.
While the Bible certainly does not shy away from mentioning the products of adulterous relationships (King Solomon himself, the son of King David and Bathsheba was born on the wrong side of the blanket), it makes no mention of a romance between the two monarchs, Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, nor does it say anything about Minilik I.
Now, rulers back in those days made a habit of claiming a mystical heritage, if only to distances themselves from their subjects. These lofty roots were used as justification to exercise limitless power over the ordinary mortals over whom they reigned.
The notion that kings were demigods persisted right up until the overthrow of Emperor Haile Sillaasee in 1974. Sillaasee, too, was a member of the Solomonic dynasty. Born Tafari Makonnen Woldemikael, he served as regent of Ethiopia between 1916 and 1930 before taking over as Emperor until 1974.
It is exciting to be exposed to new stories about old countries that never seem to have a big role on the world stage, at least from a western point of view. It is unfortunate that records of the Solomonic Dynasty, kept by the Christian monks of the Ethiopian orthodoxy, were demolished when Judith I destroyed the monasteries. Following the revolution in 1974, most of the Ethiopian royal family were put in prison, later to be released and entered into exile. Today, many members of the royal family have been allowed to come back and life in Ethiopia.
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You can get the latest oromia news from our up-to-date site. For further information, see the following page at http://www.oromiapress.com now.
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