Sermon yesterday

 

was on The Ethiopian Eunuch 

Acts 8:26-40

Lots of this information similar

to this post is covered here:

Wednesday, July 10, 2024

You

The following alone

is good enough reason 

for me

to outright reject Catholicism:

The Magnificence of Aksum: 

Revisiting Ethiopian Civilization

"We do not exactly know when and how the Geez alphabets were created and we have yet to decipher and discern whether the brilliant Ethiopic characters are a result of collective literati endeavor or the invention of a mysterious genius. But, we know for sure that Geez was extensively used by Aphilas on his coins and was vocalized and widely used in Aksum during Ezana II."

(Im gonna go with a "mysterious genius" lol 

along with "Preserve these tablets"

Book of Enoch 

Chapter 81:1-3

1. And now, my son Methuselah, all these things I am recounting to thee and writing down for thee, and I have revealed to thee everything, and given thee books concerning all these: so preserve, my son Methuselah, the books from thy father's hand, and (see) that thou deliver them to the generations of the world.

2. I have given Wisdom to thee and to thy children,

[And thy children that shall be to thee],

That they may give it to their children for generations,

This wisdom (namely) that passeth their thought.

3. And those who understand it shall not sleep,

But shall listen with the ear that they may learn this wisdom,

And it shall please those that eat thereof 

better than good food.)

"It is also during Ezana II that the translation of the Bible (the Old Testament) into Geez had begun although the completion of the translation, including the New Testament, took place during Kaleb. The reign of Ezana coincided with the official adoption of Christianity in the first half of the 4th century AD but there was no mass baptism as is usually taken for granted in some history books, and to be sure there were some Christian sects in Ethiopia as far back as the first century AD. The latter argument could be more palpable if we accept some theologian claim that St. Mark was in fact preaching in Ethiopia around the first half of the 1st century AD.  If we are not satisfied with this thesis, however, we may want to validate our argument based on some history and geography pertaining to the birthplace of Christ and the beginnings of Christianity in Rome and Ethiopia. If we accept that Rome became Christian in 312 AD and Ethiopia in 350 AD, the historical and geographical facts will not match. Ethiopia is closer to Bethlehem and Nazareth than Rome is and major religions including Judaism, Christianity and Islam juxtaposed in Ethiopia. This never happened in the European context. 

Moreover, when the first Christian sects appeared in Ethiopia, Rome still professed paganism 

and it is for this simple reason 

that we must put the horse before the cart 

and not vice versa."

(And that is 100% correct 

and very few know it...

And that is for a reason...

And that reason is 

because they are black-Africans...

I've heard 

God likes the last, the lonely, 

the least 

and the left out.

And nobody EVER brings this up

about  The Ethiopian Eunuch 

Acts 8:26-40

There were Black-African

(ethnic) Ethiopian Jews 

during this time frame...

Descendants of Solomon and Sheba.

So why are those of us 

from a euro-centric background

all so shocked 

that the Ethiopian Eunuch had a scroll?

See above:

"And its because they are black-Africans..."

Thats why...

"But he didn't understand it."

He was being sent 

as an ambassador of the Kingdom

otherwise how do you know

he runs the treasury etc...

(Read the story)

He was wealthy, 

he had a chariot

that aint cheap..

.

and the scroll of Isaiah...

Maybe he just didn't see the connection

between what had happened in Jerusalem

(crucifixion) and the Isaiah passage quoted.

Maybe they gave him instructions 

that if anybody ask

this is what you are there about

(the Isaiah passage)

I personally believe it was the crucifixion

and he was on his was home.

And highlighting that passage from Isaiah

 means the rulers of Ethiopic kingdom that sent him

KNEW somehow 

what as taking place in Jerusalem...

They just didn't see the need to inform their emissary

of all the particulars, maybe they thought that that can be taken care of when he gets back.

It's no further an unreasonable conjecture than 

"He bought a scroll"

Here is a picture of a scroll of Isaiah 

found in the Qumran caves of the dead sea:

How many copies 

do you think there really were 

"floating around for sale" 

back in the day?

My conjecture is no more preposterous than that is.

In fact, given what we know to be historically true?

I would argue my conjecture 

is LESS

preposterous than The Ethiopian Eunuch

having purchased his scroll of Isaiah somewhere.

Point being

in our white washed

euro-centric churches

nobody ever brings up:

There were Black- African

(ethnic) Ethiopian Jews 

during this time frame...

Descendants of Solomon and Sheba.

There were also 

Black- African

(ethnic) 

Ethiopian Jews

there before 

Solomon and Sheba as well.

Beta Israel

"Ancient history

The earliest archaeological evidence indicating the presence of Jews in the region comes from two incense burners discovered at Adi Qereh site near the ancient capital Yeha of Dʿmt, inscribed in Sabaic and dated to approximately 800 BCE, several centuries before the destruction of the First temple in Jerusalem. These inscriptions refer to "Hebrews" living among the local population. According to the researchers, these hereditary findings are consistent with archaeological findings on the penetration of crops domesticated in the Near East indicating that 2,500 years ago people from the Near East migrated to the Ethiopian Highlands bringing foreign crops such as wheats, barley and lentils."

"In 325 CE, Ezana of Axum proclaimed Christianity as the state religion, leading to the construction of monasteries and churches throughout the empire..."

(And it has been ever since.)

"In the 9th century, a traveler known as Eldad ha-Dani, often referred to as "The Danite," arrived in the city of Kairouan, in modern-day Tunisia. Eldad claimed to come from an independent Jewish kingdom located in the mountains, south of Kush (modern-day Ethiopia).[36][37] Eldad brought Halachic books with him, today scholars find it almost completely resembles the Halacha of the Beta Israel.[38] 

Eldad asserted that 

his community did not adhere to the Talmud, 

but instead preserved a form of Judaism 

only adhering to the Written Torah. 

(Translation: They kept it pure

"adhering to the Written Torah")

"Upon his arrival, Eldad's claims were met with skepticism by the Kairouan Jewish community."

"In response, the Jewish leaders sent a letter to Tzemach Gaon the Geon of Sura, a prominent halachic authority of the time, seeking clarification regarding Eldad's identity and religious practices. Tzemach Gaon affirmed that Eldad was indeed Jewish and said he belonged to the Tribe of Dan who settled in South of Cush, 135 years before the destruction of the First Temple."

Back to:

The Magnificence of Aksum: 

Revisiting Ethiopian Civilization

"In most Eurocentric history books, the Syrian monks are considered as the founders of the Ethiopian monasteries and hence responsible for early evangelism in Ethiopia, 

but this is completely erroneous. 

A medieval Ethiopian book entitled Gedla Tsadkan (The Struggle of the Saints), states that the initial evangelical teachings were undertaken by 62 Ethiopian monks and priests and eight Syrian monks."

So basically:

One group said:

Hey 

we were/are the first, 

and the only legitimate church ever

you have to do things our way

and we say we will only use a language few understand (Latin)

and that only we should be in possession of the book

and that only we can explain it to you.

(Rome).

A different group said 

a lil bit before that,

We are going to make monasteries and churches out of rock

because we know what is going to happen someday,

(Now)

and our monks will teach people to read 

in the monasteries

and the whole reason we want them 

to be able to read is

 to be able to read this text

and we will make copies of the text for them

in their own common language

and we will make copies of it 

on goat skin so its durable

for generations

"so preserve, my son Methuselah, 

the books from thy father's hand,"

(Ethiopia)

SO WHICH GROUP 

DO YOU THINK

GOT IT MORE CORRECT?

Like I said:

This alone

is good enough reason 

for me

to just outright reject 

Catholicism

No

Praying to Mary.

No

Praying to Saints.

No

Bowing before statutes.

No

Mother of God.

No

Queen of Heaven.

No

Amillennialism

Even Needed to do so...

The Ethiopian church 

along with the Syriac,

Coptic and Armenian 

were never under 

the auspices of Rome...

EVER.

So

"All roads lead to Rome."

Is a crock of shit

and they have known it all along...

Side notes: 

Just like Ethiopian Christianity was never under Rome's rule? Ethiopian Judaism was never under Jerusalem's either, it's very unique in that regard as of yet I haven't found out about any other place where that is true...

Also, Ethiopia has never 

been ruled by a colonial power...

"In 325 CE, Ezana of Axum proclaimed Christianity as the state religion, leading to the construction of monasteries and churches throughout the empire..."

"I've heard 

God likes the last, the lonely, 

the least and the left out."

Draw your own conclusions.

I'm not saying 

we all need to be Ethiopian Orthodox,

what I am saying is:

 There are branches of the tree so to speak 

(Body of Christ)

that no one ever thinks of

(Because they are black Africans)

that have valid points 

that need be considered.

Lord knows we cant have 

some black Africans out doing 

some white Europeans.

Might just wanna rethink that.

Had to be some reason God wanted Phillip

going down that "wilderness road" ...

Acts 8:26

And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.

I think it's says a lot more

than we think it does...

And I have felt that away

for a while now.

Just sayin...

Thats

On the way to church...

Monastery carved into the hillside.

Closest road is like 18 miles away or so.

Stone church.

Flag back in the day...

Carved out of stone.

Need lol...

Genesis 2:11-13

The name of the first is Pison: 

that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, 

where there is gold;

12 And the gold of that land is good: 

there is bdellium and the onyx stone.

13 And the name of the second river is Gihon: 

the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia.

Church...

Monastery with 

ladders pointed out 

up and down rock walls.

Love ya babe

:-)...