Ewostatewos facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Saint Eustathius of Ethiopia |
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Ewostatewos preaching to his disciples
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| Born | 22 July 1273 Tsira, Enderta Province, Ethiopian Empire |
| Died | 23 September 1352 (aged 79) Armenia |
| Venerated in | Oriental Orthodoxy |
| Patronage | House of Ewostatewos |
| Controversy | Sabbath observance |
Ewostatewos (born July 22, 1273 – died September 23, 1352) was an important religious leader from Ethiopia. He lived during the early years of the Solomonic dynasty, a line of emperors who ruled Ethiopia. Ewostatewos was a strong believer in observing the Sabbath, a special day of rest and worship.
His followers were known as the House of Ewostatewos or Ewostathians. They played a big part in shaping the Orthodox Tewahedo Christian faith in Ethiopia.
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The Early Life of Ewostatewos
Ewostatewos was born on July 22, 1273. His birth name was Māʿqāba ʾƎgziʾ. His parents were Śǝna Ḥǝywat and Krǝstos Moʾa. He was born in a place called Tsiraʿ, which was in the Enderta Province of Ethiopia. This area is now near Mekelle.
When he was about seven years old, around 1280, Ewostatewos went to live with his uncle, Abba Daniel. His uncle was the head of a monastery called Debre Maryam Qorqor. This monastery was in a mountainous area called Gar'alta. Abba Daniel taught young Ewostatewos and introduced him to the life of a monk. At 15, Māʿqāba ʾƎgziʾ decided to become a monk. When he made this choice, he was given the new name Ewostatewos.
Ewostatewos's Religious Journey
After becoming a monk, Ewostatewos started his own monastery in Serae, an area that is now part of Eritrea. Many students came to learn from him there. He shared his ideas and teachings with them. However, a church leader named Abuna Yaqob III (who became leader around 1337) did not agree with Ewostatewos's views.
Because of this disagreement, Ewostatewos and many of his students left. They traveled first to Sudan, then to Cairo, Egypt. In Cairo, he met Pope Benjamin II of Alexandria, who was a very important church leader. Ewostatewos explained and defended his beliefs to the Pope. After that, he visited Jerusalem and eventually traveled to Armenia. He passed away in Armenia on September 23, 1352.
What Ewostatewos Believed About the Sabbath
Ewostatewos had a special view on how the Sabbath should be observed. He believed that both Saturday and Sunday should be kept as holy days.
- Saturday was considered the "Lesser Sabbath." This was for the original Sabbath mentioned in the Old Testament of the Bible.
- Sunday was called the "Great Sabbath." This day honored the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is celebrated in the New Testament.
He found support for his ideas in the Ten Commandments and other church rules. This practice of observing both days has been a long-standing tradition in the Tewahedo Churches. Some historians believe that Ewostatewos's ideas about the Sabbath were not new. They might have been practiced in the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria even before his time.
The Lasting Impact of Ewostatewos
Even after Ewostatewos died, his students and followers continued to spread his religious ideas. When Ewostatewos left Eritrea, he had put his senior student, Absadi, in charge of his community. It was hard for Absadi to keep the group together until the other students returned to Eritrea after 14 years.
Together, they helped establish a new community at Debre Mariam in Eritrea. Ewostatewos's followers then spread across northern Ethiopia. They started new monasteries that not only taught his ideas about the Sabbath but also created a religious system that was separate from the main church leaders.
Their strong belief and hard work eventually led to their success in 1450. At a meeting called the Council of Debre Mitmaq, Emperor Zara Yaqob was able to convince the Egyptian church leaders to accept this local way of observing the Sabbath. This showed how important Ewostatewos's teachings became in Ethiopian Christianity.
