The Ancient Church of Ethiopia

From the shadow of the Ark of the Covenant to the echoes of ancient hymns sung in the highlands of Axum and Lalibela, Ethiopia stands as one of the oldest living witnesses of Christianity. While the Western world often frames the story of Christianity through Rome, Byzantium, and later Europe, Ethiopia preserves a parallel and deeply rooted Christian legacy—one that is both ancient and unique, yet intimately woven into the fabric of biblical prophecy. The Ancient Church of Ethiopia takes readers on a sweeping journey across centuries, exploring Ethiopia's profound role in the history and spread of the Christian faith. Drawing on Scripture, historical sources, and rich cultural traditions, JN Everly reveals how Ethiopia appears again and again in the Bible—as a land of prophecy, pilgrimage, and promise—and how its people came to embrace and preserve one of the earliest forms of Christianity outside the Holy Land. From the Queen of Sheba's visit to Solomon, to the baptism of the Ethiopian eunuch, to the arrival of Frumentius and the birth of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, the book uncovers the ways Ethiopia not only received the Gospel but guarded it, nurtured it, and proclaimed it across Africa and beyond. It also examines the enduring significance of Ethiopia in Christian thought, from the preservation of the Ark to the symbolic "hands stretched out to God" in Psalm 68. Beautifully written and deeply researched, this book invites readers to see Ethiopia not as a footnote in biblical history, but as a central stage where God's redemptive story continues to unfold. A narrative of faith, resilience, and destiny, The Ancient Church of Ethiopia offers fresh insight into the origins of African Christianity and challenges the world to rediscover Ethiopia's sacred place in the heart of the Christian story.