A Study on the Ark of the Covenant (Tabot) in Ethiopian Culture
Tolga Savaş AltınelThe inspiration, name, content, and fate of the Ark of the Covenant, which God had Moses build with the Sinai Revelation, has been the subject of many studies. Since this issue has been mentioned in the Qur’an, it has also become the agenda of Muslims. Due to its extraordinary powers, there have been different narrations about the Ark in various religious traditions. One of them is the Abyssinian tradition. This tradition, separated from mainstream Judaism and Christianity, draws the mystery of the sacred object to these lands by using its original name. Thus, the present study discussed how the Ark of the Covenant was called the Tabot, and analyzes the process of it being brought to the Abyssinian lands and its adventure to reach the present day were tried to be analyzed. In addition, it has been reported that in the Abyssinian culture, the Tabot was renewed and even differentiated according to Christian motifs. In fact, the altar tablet used in the surrounding churches gained a new form by taking the features of the Ark in the Abyssinian tradition. Beyond that, the identification of the Tabot with Mary in Abyssinian culture has gained a new dimension in terms of the Ark being the so-called residence of God. Therefore, the Abyssinian tradition stands out, based on its attributes to the Tabot and its replicas.
Etiyopya Kültüründe Ahit Sandığı (Tabot) Üzerine Bir İnceleme
Tolga Savaş AltınelTanrı’nın Sina Vahyi’yle Musa’ya yaptırmış olduğu Ahit Sandığı’nın esin kaynağı, ismi, muhtevası ve akibeti birçok araştırmanın konusu olmaktadır. Bu konu Kur’an’da da zikredilmiş ve bu vesileyle Müslümanların gündemine de girmiştir. Ahit Sandığı’nın sahip olduğu olağanüstü güçler, onun her dönemde gizemini korumasına vesile olmuştur. Ahit Sandığı ile ilgili çeşitli dinî geleneklerde birbirinden farklı rivayetler yer almaktadır. Bunlardan biri de Habeş geleneğidir. Habeş geleneği, ana akım Yahudilik ve Hıristiyanlıktan ayrılarak onun özgün ismini kullanmasının yanında günümüzde de ona sahip olduğunu iddia etmekle kutsal nesnenin gizemini bu topraklara çekmektedir. Makalemizde Ahit Sandığına Tabot denilmesi ele alınmış, onun Habeş topraklarına getirilme süreci ve günümüze ulaşma serüveni analiz edilmeye çalışılmıştır. Ayrıca Habeş kültüründe Tabot’a Hıristiyan motifler yüklenerek yenilendiği hatta farklılaştığı aktarılmıştır. Çevre kiliselerde kullanılan sunak tableti, Habeş geleneğinde Ahit Sandığı’nın özelliklerini alarak yeni bir forma kavuşmuştur. Bunun ötesinde Habeş kültüründeki Tabot’un Meryem’le özdeştirilmesi de Ahit Sandığı’nın Tanrı’nın ikametgâhı olması açısından yeni bir boyut kazanmıştır. Dolayısıyla Habeş geleneği, Tabot’a sahip olduğunu iddia ettiği kadar ona ve replikalarına yüklediği anlamlarla temeyyüz etmiş olmaktadır.
According to the Tanakh, the Ark of the Covenant, which God had Moses build with the Sinai Revelation, has occupied an important place in the history of the early Israelites. Meanwhile, its name, nature, content, function, and fate continue to be the subjects of research. Due to its association with the so-called residence of God, a great holiness was attributed to it, while carrying the Ark was especially reserved for the Levities. The sacrifice was also given to the Kohanim (the privileged lineage of this tribe) in the context of service and reverence. Its passing into the hands of the Philistines was perceived as a divine warning, and it was returned to the Israelites with the miracles of God. In addition, King David, who brought it to Jerusalem, danced in front of it, while King Solomon had it placed in the holiest place of Beth haMikdash, which he had built.
The Ethiopian tradition regarding the Ark has drawn considerable attention. First, because it mainly uses its original name, and second, because it states that they have this Ark today. While the Tanakh uses the Hebrew word “Aron” for the Ark, it states that it disappeared after the Babylonians destroyed the temple.
As for the name of the Ark as Tabot (Tabut in the Qur’an) in Ethiopian literature, it has been attributed to Jewish sources by naming the chest in which Moses was placed by his mother as the Tabah. However, considering that the source of inspiration for the Ark is Egyptian culture, the main question is why the Tanakh calls the Ark “Aron” despite using this word in other contexts. However, the Qur’an and Ethiopian tradition continue to use the name of the culture from which the object was inspired.
The fate of the Ark is quite different from the one described in the Tanakh, especially when we examine the Kebra Nagast, the national epic of Ethiopia. According to the legend, King Solomon’s son Menelik I was guided by the angel of God and he had the Tabot brought from Jerusalem to New Zion, with the help of the priest Azarias. The Tabot, which was brought to the city of administration through a legendary journey, has been moved to different places for security reasons several times in the historical process, according to the narratives in other written/oral sources. Ultimately, in Ethiopian tradition, it is accepted that the Tabot is still preserved in the Church of Mary Zion in Aksum.
Interestingly, the journey of the Tabot to Ethiopia, which is the main theme of the Kebra Nagast, has been highly criticized. In addition to the two different journeys, the accommodation points in the narratives seem to be problematic in terms of geography. It is also suspected that it might have been brought to Aksum during the time of Menelik I. Beyond that, it is not known when it was placed in the church in Aksum. The fact that it is not mentioned at all in Ethiopian sources or that there are different narratives about it in different parts of Ethiopia prevents the formation of its uninterrupted and consistent narrative.
Conversely, although the Ethiopian tradition preserves the original name of the Ark and claims that it was moved to these lands, they have become the representatives of a great transformation in this regard, with the meaning and perceptions attributed to its nature over time. In fact, in Ethiopian tradition, the Tabot appears to have turned into an altar tablet (similar in shape and function), which we encounter in Coptic and Syriac churches, rather than a chest. Based on this metaphorical name transformation, the chest or storage location where the tablet is placed is known as the Minbere Tabot. Thus, the altar tablet in other churches replaces the Ark in Ethiopia. In addition, the holiness of the Ark was transferred to it, and it was forbidden to touch or look at it. In fact, these altar tablets, which provided the legitimacy of each church, has not only resulted in the imitation of the Tabot, but it has also caused the emergence of more Tabots (tabotots) than the number of churches in Ethiopia. These tablets dedicated to God, Mary, and the saints have been identified with the beings to which they were dedicated. In a sense, these Tabots have become their place of residence and representation, just like the Ark. These Tabots also play a central role in today’s Timqat feast, and even though they are replicas, significant effort has been made to bring back each Tabot taken from the churches to Ethiopia. In this case, their return was enthusiastically welcomed by large crowds.
Finally, the transformation of the original Tabot, preserved by a devoted clergyman in the church of Mary Zion, is its identification with Zion and Mary. Inheriting the Tanakh descriptions of Zion, the Ethiopian tradition gave Zion a new meaning: it is identical with the Ark of the Covenant and Mary. The fact that the Ark contains the tablets on which God’s words were written is kept the same as the Virgin Mary carrying Jesus in her womb. Consequently, the Ethiopian tradition and the Ark seem to have created the “New Ark of the Covenant,” just like the renewal of the same covenant in the transition from Judaism to Christianity. In this regard, by using his perception of holiness in the past, it not only sanctifies the altar tablet (which is the legitimacy tool of the churches) but also unites the old and new by making the Virgin Mary a partner in such holiness.
