According to local tradition, the fall of the Aksumite kingdom of Ethiopia toward the end of the 10th century A.D. was attributed to a queen who invaded from the south. This queen is said to have laid waste to the city of Aksum and the countryside, destroyed churches and monuments, usurped the throne from the ruling Aksumite king, and attempted to wipe out the remaining members of the royal family. Yet, this queen is a great mystery, and opinions about her vary from one scholar to another.
For a start, the queen seems to have different names. Although she may have been known as Gudit, Judit, Yodit or Judith (which are similar), she is also known as ‘Esato in Amharic, and Ga’ewa in Teltal.
Despite the differences in name, there are other problems surrounding the character of Gudit. For instance, Ethiopian tradition suggests that Gudit belonged to the Jewish faith, or had adopted it from her husband. This has been disputed, however, as some have suggested that the queen adhered to a form of indigenous African-Ethiopian based religion. Thus, her resentment towards the Aksumite Kingdom may be interpreted as a reaction against the encroachment of her territories by the Christian kingdom. Another interpretation suggests that Gudit was neither a Jew, nor a pagan, but an Ethiopian Christian woman. In fact, it is also suggested that she belonged to the Aksumite royal family and had a legitimate claim to the throne, and she succeeded in capturing it in a succession struggle. The traditional depiction of the queen as ‘Jewish’ may have been metaphorical, rather than literal. In other words, Gudit may have been called Jewish simply based on her actions which were deemed ‘un-Christian’, such as the burning and destruction of churches.
