Hammerschmidt, Ernst. "Jewish Elements in the Cult of the Ethiopian Church". Journal of Ethiopian Studies, Vol.3, No.2 (1965): 1-12.

Hammerschmidt, Ernst. "Jewish Elements in the Cult of the Ethiopian Church". Journal of Ethiopian Studies, Vol.3, No.2 (1965): 1-12.

• European missionaries and travelers in Ethiopia since at least the 1600s have noticed the influence of Jewish culture and traditions upon the Ethiopian Church, most of them deriding it as demonstrative of the corrupted state of Christianity in Ethiopia (1).
• Ethiopia was converted to Christianity under the reign of two monarchs in the 300s, introduced to Christianity by two slave boys serving at the Ethiopian court in Axum. One, Frumentius, was freed by the Axumite King and later returned as first Bishop of Axum after being ordained in Alexandria (2).
• Ethiopia was always alleged a deep connection to Judaism, an influence felt in Ethiopian Christianity, beginning with the claim that the Ethiopian monarch began with the Emperor Menelik, born to the Queen of Sheba by Solomon and raised in Jerusalem. They claim that Emperor Menelik took the Arc of the Covenant with him to Ethiopia (2).
• Modern Christian practice in Ethiopia still reflects divisions between the North and South, as only the modern North was part of the Kingdom of Axum and directly exposed to these traditions. For this reason, Jewish influence is much stronger in northern practices (7).
• Although the actual ceremonies of Ethiopian worship are Christian, their performance is influenced by Judaism. The layout of the temples is based on ancient synagogues, and texts are kept in a replica arc in the center, just like the Torah in synagogues (3-4).
• Words and names have a special and elevated meaning in the Ethiopian Church, similar to their role in ancient Judaism. For example, false names are often given during baptism to prevent demons from gaining name knowledge, a practice common among Jews in the time of Solomon (4).
• Circumcision is still practice by Ethiopian Christians, performed by a priest and following baptism (5).
• They also observe the sabbath consistently, marking another wholly Jewish practice present in the Church. The list of prohibited activities during the Sabbath is almost identical to that marked in the Torah. There are, however, modifications, as the Church permits cooking on Sabbath in celebration, and also incorporates a 'special' sabbath during the week of Easter as a day of mourning (5-6).
• The Ethiopian observance of the Sabbath was encouraged by a number of early Christian figures and apostolic writings common during the time, although whether it applied to Saturday or Sunday was debated. This certainly gave Christian legitimacy to Sabbath observance in Ethiopia in Late Antiquity (7-9).
• Interestingly, the Sabbath is personified in a number of Ethiopian accounts, taking on the form of an angel to be lauded and adored. She, it is usually female, plays a role similar to the Virgin Mary, entreating God for mercy on behalf of those observing her (10).
• The Ethiopian Church is full of Jewish influences, but they have been rebranded and repurposed to fit within a Christian worldview. Moreover, many of these practices were reclaimed by Christians in Late Antiquity, and modern practice reflects a preservation of ancient Christian practice rather than a steady corruption by Judaism (12).