November
08
/ 2014
According to local tradition, the fall of the Aksumite kingdom of Ethiopia toward the end of the 10 th century A.D. was attributed to a queen who invaded from the south. This queen is said to have laid waste to the city of Aksum and the countryside, destroyed churches and monuments, usurped the throne from the ruling Aksumite king, and attempted to wipe out the remaining members of the royal family. Yet, this queen is a great mystery, and opinions about her vary from one scholar to another. For a start, the queen seems to have different names. Although she may have been known as Gudit, Judit, Yodit or Judith (which are similar), she is also known as ‘Esato in
