[Lithograph 28]
ABYSSINIAN PRIEST AND WARRIOR
Ever since the kingdom of Axum adopted Christianity in the fourth century, Ethiopia has been in step with the Christian church. The Ethiopian church is a part of Monophysitism, considered heretical by the Council of Chalcedon in 451, and while being strongly influenced by the Monophysite Coptic church of Egypt, it maintains a unique creed with Judaic elements. A warrior with spear and gaša (shield) appeared before a priest, perhaps before joining an expedition. The priest wears a simple garment and leans on a bed of animal fur, answering the warrior's questions. “Abyssinian,” in this case, means the priest is an Amharan, one of Ethiopia's major ethnic groups who speak Amharic, a Semetic language of the Afro-Asiatic family.
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