Nationalism and Identity

Carissa mentioned in her blog ‘Ethiopia and Zion’ how the Ethiopians believed themselves to be of equal status as the Israelites, only lacking in wisdom. When they acquired the Arc of the Covenant, this gave Ethiopia even more status. This is a very important aspect of the narrative, and it sheds light on what may be the purpose for its creation. The continuous and underlying theme of ‘pro-Ethiopia’ throughout the text definitely alludes to a type of prehistoric propaganda that is repeated again and again throughout history- the methods have not changed. As discussed in class today, the ‘Kebra Negast’ gives an identity to all Ethiopians. It creates an ‘us’ that a specific group can relate and adhere to, and it provides a sense of unity much like the Magna Carta, the Declaration of Independence, or the Communist Manifesto. This text caters to the individual and group by offering a mentality that can fit all people of a certain group on the basis of similar nationality. I believe this is a great part of the appeal of the text, and the reason for its popularity- it provides a centralization and unification of a broad group of people; a bond that unites a nation.