| Ewostatewos
Ewostatewos (Eustathius) was a Tigrean
monastic evangelist who lived from 1273 to 1352. In his missionary,
he attempted to abolish pagan animistic religions and ceremonial
observances. He is well known for having uprooted twelve sanctified
groves of trees devoted to pagan gods (Heze 62).
Said to be a nephew of Abba Daniel of Geralta, Ewostatewos founded a
vibrant monastic community in Serae (Seraye). In his teachings, he
urged his followers to make their own food. He forbad them from
taking donations from nobles. He condemned Christian rulers who were
involved with the slave trade and he advocated the teaching of
Christ.
At the time, the Ethiopian church as well as the representative of
the Alexandrian Patriarch were opposed to observing the Sabbath on
Saturday. Ewostatewos and most Tigreans, however, preferred to
observe the Sabbath on Saturday and Sunday. The conflicting view
between Ewostatewos and the church lead him to leave the country
around 1338. He went to Cyprus, Jerusalem, Egypt, and finally
settled in Armenia until his death (Prouty and Rosenfeld 64).
Ewostatewos’ followers, upon their return to Ethiopia, were forced
to settle in distant border regions to avoid the wrath of the main
church. His followers built Debre Bizen in Hamasien and Gunda Gunde
in northeast Tigary (Henze 62).
Ewostatewan followers were persecuted and secluded until the reign
of Dawit in 1404. Emperor Zara Yakob in 1450 supervised the Council
of Debre Mitmak in Shewa and finally resolved the conflict by
accepting to observe Sabbath on Saturday and Sunday |
