The Sabbath in Africa by Chester Clark

Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary

THE SEVENTH-DAY SABBATH IN AFRICA: TESTIMONY IN HISTORY AND CULTURE

A Paper Presented in Partial Fulfillment of CHIS 680 History of Sabbath and Sunday

by Chester Van Clark III Fall 2010

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter I. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................... 1 II.

HEBREW INFLUENCE IN AFRICA BEFORE CHRISTIANITY............... 4

III. THE ARRIVAL OF CHRISTIANITY IN AFRICA ....................................... 8 IV. THE SABBATH IN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE .................................. 12 V. THE SABBATH IN CARTHAGE ................................................................ 15 VI. THE SABBATH IN EGYPT......................................................................... 19 VII. THE SABBATH IN ETHIOPIA................................................................... 24 VIII.THE SABBATH IN AFRICA TODAY ....................................................... 34 IX. CONCLUSION.............................................................................................. 36 BIBLIOGRAPHY.......................................................................................... 38

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Problem Statement Since the modern impact of Sabbatarianism began in America with the Seventhday Adventist movement, many associate Sabbath keeping with Western, American religion. But the evidence points to a Christianity in Africa that was included Sabbath keeping in the first millennium of Christian history. While â&#x20AC;&#x153;talking-headâ&#x20AC;? television programs have alluded to this fact, and books have been written and circulated within Adventism in this regard, more could be done to produce travel-type documentaries targeted to reach the non-Adventist and even non-Christian population with sacred history from their own culture. Since this is one of the authorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s particular burdens, this study is undertaken to in part determine feasibility for such a project, and begin to answer the following questions: What are the reliable sources for Sabbath-keeping on the Continent? Which people-groups would they likely appeal to? What physical locations are available to provide human interest for a video presentation? Sabbath Roots by Charles, E Bradford, is the most comprehensive treatment of this topic found in a brief survey of the literature available. No other work was found which looked at the Sabbath question on the Continent as a whole. From this literature review it seemed clear that no Adventist study had been done that looked at the

Sabbatarian stories from Africa with the intention of videography as a means of storytelling and teaching in mind. Purpose Statement This paper will undertake to examine the various stories available regarding seventh-day Sabbath observance in Africa, with the intent of discovering which are most practical for evangelistic use in a video/documentary format. Methodology and Scope The focus of research for this class paper will be limited to a collation of the papers and books already available documenting Sabbatarianism in Africa. The scope of the study began with those evidences most likely to impact the widest population, and those evidences most compelling and certain. Brief Chapter Descriptions In Chapter 1 we look at the pre-Christian Hebraic influence in Africa in an attempt to deduce whether Jewish practices might have been responsible for the remarkable history of Sabbath observance, rather than the Sabbath-keeping being a faithful continuation of the early Christian faith. This will be an important argument to diffuse if the African history is to be used as compelling evidence for evangelistic purposes. In Chapter 2 we examine the arrival of Christianity in North Africa, both from the perspective of the Biblical record and the available historical data. We will see that Christianity grew rapidly despite brutal persecution. This evidence will help us to establish that the Church in North Africa was purified by trial and suffering, and can be perceived as holding fast to a pure faith.

In Chapter 3 we look briefly at Ghana and the Akan language as one instance of African culture and language that powerfully illustrates a historic understanding of the true Sabbath. In Chapter 4 we look at the church in Carthage, and the evidences for Sabbath keeping at this earliest-documented bastion of Christianity. In Chapter 5 we examine the history of Sabbath observance in Egypt, and particularly the changes from Sabbath to Sunday that took place in Alexandria. An understanding of concurrent events will aid in comprehending how this occurred. In Chapter 6 we explore the fascinating history of Sabbath keeping in Ethiopia, a history which continues today where the Sabbath (along with Sunday) is still observed. In Chapter 7 we take a brief look at modern Sabbath keeping in Africa, including in the growth of the Seventh-day Adventist message. In Chapter 8 we draw some conclusions from this study particularly in the prospects of evangelistic documentation of the material uncovered. Presuppositions and Delimitations The author presupposes that the early Christianity that reached Africa would have been Sabbatarian in nature, due to his convictions that this was characteristic of the apostolic church that closely adhered to the teachings of Jesus. Effort is made, therefore, to show that the energies put forth to change Sabbath observance from the seventh day to the first was a deviation from biblical doctrine. It is assumed that when argumentation is made against seventh-day Sabbath keeping that the practice must have been common at the time of writing.

CHAPTER II HEBREW INFLUENCE IN AFRICA BEFORE CHRISTIANITY The presence of the Falasha, a group of Sabbath keeping Ethiopians, has led some to conclude that the history of seventh-day Sabbath observance in North Africa may not be attributable to the Christianity at all, but rather to the Jewish influence from a preChristian era. The Falasha not only observe the Sabbath strictly, but also observe Hebrew dietary laws and keep certain feast days.1 They do not know Hebrew, but their priests use the Old Testament and the Apocrypha as their scriptures in the Geez language. Adherents of this religious system strictly observe purification laws and the keeping of the Sabbath (Saturday) as prescribed in the Bibleâ&#x20AC;Ś. They are very skillful and industrious. The Falasha number about ninety thousand. It is impressive that they have kept their community and religious solidarity in spite of living in a traditionally Christian country, and can still be identified as an indigenous representative of Judaism in Africa.2 The opinions as to the origins of this Jewish population vary widely. Some believe that the Falasha are a product of the influence of transient Jews (merchants and

Charles E. Bradford, Sabbath Roots: The African Connection (Silver Spring, MD: Ministerial Association of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 1999), 89. 2

John Mbiti, African Religions and Philosophy (London: Heineman, 1989), 248.

seafarers) from southwest Arabia who established outposts in the Aksumite kingdom.3 Others have asserted that their presence is the result of a sequence of pre-Christian events, beginning with an awareness of the Sabbath from primeval times, to Nimrod and Cush.4 According to this view, the message of the Sabbath was re-awakened by the visit of the Queen of Sheba to the courts of Solomon (see 2 Chron 9:1-12). “No doubt, the exchanges between the queen and the king were intense, their discussions thorough. Sheba asked Solomon about his God – His name, who He was, and His relationship to Israel. She probably also wanted to know about this God’s relationship to other nations.”5 In Ethiopia another version of this story is found. According to legends there, the queen of Sheba returned from her visit to Solomon and delivered his child. After Solomon’s son grew up, she allowed him to spend time in Jerusalem with his father but he grew homesick. Upon returning to Ethiopia he was accompanied by some of the brightest Israelite young men, who along with the young prince stole the Ark of the Covenant from Jerusalem and carried it to the Ethiopian capitol.6 Interestingly enough, Orthodox churches in Ethiopia have a replica of the ark placed in a type of tabernacle. “Each church, even the smallest, is divided into three sections. These include a Holy of Holies, where the Ark is kept, and where only priests and the king might enter. The

Edward Ullendorff, The Ethiopians, 2nd ed. (London, New York: Oxford University Press, 1965), 49, 111. 4

Bradford, 91.

Ibid.

Ibid., 89. 5

Ethiopian liturgy, with its drumming, dancing, scriptural readings, and antiphonal singing, is a powerful amalgam of Jewish and African elements.”7 But these similarities do not prove that the Christian Church in Ethiopia had Jewish roots. Maxime Rodinson argues that even in modern times “the imitation of the Old Testament, even to the point of identification with Israel, is a frequent phenomenon in countries colonized by Europe.”8 Though the nation of Israel failed to realize her evangelistic responsibility to the surrounding nations, even her arch-nemesis, Egypt, may also have received information about the true faith. Through the long history of exposure to believers, beginning with the sojourning of Abraham, through the time of Joseph and the captivity of Israel’s descendants, significant ideology may have been transferred. The British explorer and scholar, James Bonwick, records these interesting anecdotes from various ancient Egyptian authorities: Jahn says, “The Egyptians consecrated to Saturn the seventh day of the week.” Pauw was of the opinion that “the Egyptians seem to have observed it very regularly.” Bunsen, speaking of Set, adds, “He is the god of the Semetic tribes, who rested on the seventh day.” Hesiod, Herodotus, Philostratus, etc., mention that day. Homer, Callimachus, and other ancient writers call the seventh day the holy one, Eusebius confesses its observance by “almost all the philosophers and poets.” Lucian notes that it was given to schoolboys for a holiday. Dr. Schmitz observes: “The manner in which all public feriae (holidays) were kept, bears great analogy to our Sunday. The people generally visited the temples of the gods, and offered up their prayers and supplications. All kinds of business except law suits were suspended.” On the seventh day he appointed a holy day, and to cease from all business he commanded.9 7

Elizabeth A. Isichei, A History of Christianity in Africa (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995), 50. 8

Maxime Rodinson, "Sur La Question Des 'Influences Juives' En Ethiopie," Journal of Semetic Studies 9, no. (1964): 18, 19. James Bonwick, Egyptian Belief and Modern Thought (London: African Publication Society, 1983), 412, 413. 9

In summary, there are insufficient reliable sources to prove how or when the Sabbath and other Jewish elements came to Africa. The Falasha in Ethiopia may be indigenous converts to Judaism who resisted conversion to Christianity, but the fact that they surfaced as late as the sixteenth century10 makes their origin difficult to prove. Some evidence seems to suggest that there was a knowledge of Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s God and even of the Sabbath before the Christian era in Egypt; this would not be surprising to us given our presupposition that the Sabbath was given to all mankind at Creation, and was therefore only remembered or lost sight of to varying degrees. We can conclude that the evidence of Jewish influence prior to the Christian era tends to suggest a Christian-friendly cultural environment that readily accepted the teachings of Jesus (including the seventh-day Sabbath) and maintained the truth faithfully, rather than a strong Jewish religion that influenced Christians towards a deviation from their faith into Sabbatarianism.

Ibid., 12.

CHAPTER III THE ARRIVAL OF CHRISTIANITY IN AFRICA The Bible, in Acts chapter eight, gives an account of the gospel’s introduction to Africa. The deacon Philip was instructed by the Holy Spirit to witness to a traveler, who turned out to be the treasurer of “Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who…had come to Jerusalem for to worship.”11 This influential Ethiopian was evidently a Jewish proselyte who gladly accepted the Messianic truths Philip shared with him and was baptized into the Christian faith. There is no question that he would have returned and witnessed in his home country, for the Bible records that he “went on his way rejoicing.”12 While Western scholars have cited the lack of historical evidence to support this story, Ethiopian sources have had no hesitancy regarding its authenticity. “The Kebra Negast, the book of the kings of Ethiopia, indicates that the biblical story is concerned with Queen Makeda of Ethiopia,”13 and credits the eunuch as the one who brought Christianity to Ethiopia. Further early Christian influences in Ethiopia will be examined in Chapter four.

Acts 8:27.

Acts 8:39.

Bradford, 93.

Those historians who look only to historical evidence are quick to conclude that Christianity made landfall first not in Ethiopia but in Carthage, where the earliest documented Christians are found. As noted, there is no basis for a pious tradition that would trace the founding of African Christianity to the apostolic period. Neither Tertullian, Cyprian, nor Augustine made such claims. So, did the new faith come from Rome or directly from the East? It should first be affirmed that Carthage, situated on the shores of North Africa, was undoubtedly the first city to be touched by Christianity.14 The same author, admitting no documentation supports his theory as to where Christianity arrived from, opines that “it is likely that the Gospel converged on Africa from both locations at the same time.”15 One thing seems certain, however: the faith of Jesus grew quickly in Carthage, and adherents early gave witness to the strength of their convictions by yielding their lives for their beliefs. In AD 180, six Christians were brought before the proconsul of Carthage, Saturninus. Despite being model citizens and drawing no accusation of any crime, these indigenous Africans gave bold testimony of the power of the gospel, steadfastly refusing to do obeisance to the Roman Emperor. When asked by Saturninus if they would like time reconsider, Speratus, one of the accused, replied, “In a matter so straightforward there is no considering.” Upon being offered thirty days to think it over, Speratus answered, “I am a Christian.” The others were likewise resolute “and with him all agreed.” Upon hearing of the verdict of death by the sword, Speratus said, “We give

Francois Decret, Early Christianity in North Africa, trans., Edward Smither (Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2009), 12. 15

Ibid.

thanks to God,” and his companion Nartzalus commented, “Today we are martyrs in heaven; thanks be to God.”16 As in so many instances, the blood shed in multiplied persecutions only served to water the seed of the gospel. By the end of the second century, Tertullian would assert the near ubiquitous nature of Christianity in his Apology to the imperial authorities: “We are but of yesterday, and we have filled every place among you – cities, islands, fortresses, towns, market-places, the very camp, tribes, companies, palace, senate, forum….”17 Perhaps it was even this explosive growth of the Church which made the rulers and populace suspicious and distrustful of the believers. “The outcry is that the State is filled with Christians – that they are in the fields, in the citadels, in the islands; they make lamentation, as for some calamity, that both sexes, every age and condition, even high rank, are passing over to the profession of the Christian faith….”18 In his letter to Scapula, Tertullian went so far as to assert that Christians probably made up the majority of the population in each city. What will you make of so many thousands, of such a multitude of men and women, persons of every sex and every age and every rank, when they present themselves before you? How many fires, how many swords will be required? What will be the anguish of Carthage itself, which you will have to decimate, as each one recognizes there his relatives and companions, as he sees there it may be men of your own order, and noble ladies, and all the leading persons of the city, and either kinsmen or friends of those of your own circle? Spare thyself, if not us poor Christians! Spare Carthage, if not yourself!19 16

Allan Menzies, ed. The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Fifth ed., 10 vols., vol. 9 (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1906), 285. 17

Allan Menzies, ed. The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Fifth ed., 10 vols., vol. 3 (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1906), 45. 18

Ibid., 17.

Ibid., 107, 108. 10

While some may accuse Tertullian of bluffing or exaggerating, it seems unlikely that he would do so in writing to the chief magistrate of Carthage himself! Surely he would have some awareness of the credibility of Tertullianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s statements. As Carthage was the center of commerce and trade for all of North Africa, and was well connected with both Europe and the Middle East, we can only assume that a pervasive Christianity in this cosmopolitan center would spread Christianity far and wide across the continent. In summary, the Bible gives clear indication in the book of Acts that the gospel found a ready and receptive heart in the Ethiopian eunuch. Being a man of stature and influence, it is expected that he must have shared his newfound faith with those back home in North Africa after being baptized by Philip. Whether he was the first, or alone, we cannot deduce; but it is abundantly clear that the faith of Jesus swept across the north of the African continent and multiplied rapidly, the disciples giving impetus to their testimony of love for the Savior by the blood that they gladly shed for His sake.

CHAPTER IV THE SABBATH IN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE Perhaps one of the most fascinating evidences (and the most difficult to efface) of Sabbath keeping in Africa is embedded within the very language of the people. While religious creeds can be changed, and political or military power may sway the populace, it is difficult and often not even deemed necessary to alter the language and vocabulary being used. In the West African country of Ghana, many of the indigenous tribes give unintentional testimony to the seventh-day Sabbath. In their languages the term used when referring to Saturday, the seventh day, is “Memeneda,” which literally means “I AM THAT I AM’S DAY” or “The day of the I AM.” For example, among the Akan-speaking people of Ghana, Memeneda, the seventh and last day of the week, is the day that has historically been assigned to God (Onyame). Because it was a special day for worship, it was called Memeneda Dapaa (“Saturday, the good or precious day”). On this day personal and mundane activities, like Saturday market days and funerals, were discouraged; wars could also not be declared nor waged on this day. Since God's day is Saturday, and since every male child who is born on this day (or who claims this day as his own) is called Kwame, God is also called Onyame Kwame, (meaning “the God of Saturday” or “the God whose day is Saturday”).20

Samuel Koranteng-Pipim, ""Remember" The Sabbath Day," Adventists Affirm 8, no. 3 (1994): 5.

This terminology predated the arrival of the Portuguese missionaries who first landed in Ghana in the fifteenth century. This led to a very interesting language development that continues to this day. Ever since the arrival of those white missionaries with their peculiar day of worship, all white people have been assigned Sunday (Kwasida), the first day of the week. Every white person is, to this very day, called Kwasi Broni (“Sunday whiteman”), since it was the white European (more specifically, the European-Roman Catholic from Portugal) who attempted to introduce Sunday worship in place of Saturday worship.21 This linguistic phenomenon has made it relatively easy to show the local population that the true day of worship is the seventh day, and the Seventh-day Adventist Church has grown rapidly in regions where this cultural predisposition to Sabbath keeping is found. In the author’s travels in these regions he has found the knowledge of these words and their etymology to be widespread. For another instance of the seventh-day Sabbath being codified in the language of the people, we turn now to Ethiopia, where Sabbath observance has always been a part of their Christian culture. It is interesting to note that the word “Ehud” for Sunday is derived from the Ethiopic word “Ahadu” meaning “one,” and the Arabic word “Wahid” also meaning “one.” So the word “Ehud” for Sunday really means the first day of the week. The names used for Wednesday means the fourth day and also the name used for Thursday means the fifth day. The Galla tribe which is the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia, has a very interesting name for Saturday Sabbath, or “the original Sabbath.” The name this tribe has given to Sunday is “the little Sabbath,” or “the second Sabbath.”22 In summary, this is yet another evidence of the existence of an African awareness of the Sabbath truth long before modern Christian missionaries arrived. Other similar

Ibid.

Bekele Heye, The Sabbath in Ethiopia (Lincoln, NE: Center for Creative Ministry, 2005), 46, 47.

evidences may also exist in other languages that can be used to help the indigenous people feel personal ownership of the biblical truth of the Sabbath.

CHAPTER V THE SABBATH IN CARTHAGE The city of Carthage was located on the eastern side of Lake Tunis. Roman legends credit its building to Phoenician colonists from Tyre in the ninth century B.C. It became a wealthy and populous city and a major power in the Mediterranean region, benefiting from the trend towards urbanization that the colonizing Romans brought with them. “African urbanization was a key factor in Romanization as well as in the establishment of Christianity.”23 Much of our information about Carthage, and the religious practices found there, comes from the writings of Tertullian, the prolific and capable author (the first Christian to write extensively in Latin) and defender of Christianity. During most of his lifetime (the later second and early third centuries) the Church in Carthage was not organized in a systematic fashion, largely because the ever-changing and very real threat of persecution forced it underground. We have already seen evidence of the tenacity and bravery of Carthage’s Christians, so we will turn directly to the question of Sabbath observance. Would such a

Decret, 4.

Church, purified by the fires of persecution, stand in contrast to the pagan world by honoring the seventh-day Sabbath? Evidence powerfully suggests that the Church in Carthage had not, in Tertullianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s day, forgotten the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. Modern Christian historians, denying the apostolicity of this observance, nonetheless bear witness to its practice. Undoubtedly following Jewish tradition, it appears that the liturgical assembly with its readings, prayers, sermon, hymns, Eucharist, or breaking of bread, lasted from the evening of the Sabbath evening until dawn Sunday. The churches maintained this worship schedule, yet as the Eucharist developed and individual church practices became more autonomous, some churches felt free to celebrate this rite in the morning while others did so in the evening. At the end of the second century, when the church broke with the Jewish calendar and practices, the Sabbath was abandoned and Sunday was adopted as the Lordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s day (Dominicus dies) around which the Christian week was organized.24 Tertullian himself was probably partly responsible for the decline of Sabbath observance in Carthage, for he developed a number of arguments against its required observance. Yet in his writings he refers to the custom that the Christians held of resting on the seventh-day. And he consistently refers to this day as the Sabbath, and to Sunday as the day of the resurrection or as the day of the sun. While defending Christian practices, Tertullian points out that they are not so different from those of the pagans who were persecuting them. We shall be counted Persians perhaps, though we do not worship the orb of day painted on a piece of linen cloth, having himself everywhere in his own disk. The idea no doubt has originated from our being known to turn to the east in prayer. But you, many of you, also under pretence sometimes of worshipping the heavenly bodies, move your lips in the direction of the sunrise. In the same way, we have some resemblance to those of you who devote the day of Saturn to ease and luxury, though they go too far from Jewish ways, of which they indeed are ignorant.25

Menzies, ed. The Ante-Nicene Fathers, 28, 29.

Ibid., 31.

Thus Tertullian admits that the Christians rested on Sabbath, not entirely different from the pagans who observed the day of Saturn with “ease and luxury.” But the Christians in Carthage at the end of the second century had already begun to make the Sabbath austere, a day for humility, while Sunday was made a day of rejoicing. Writing of the posture assumed in prayer, Tertullian urged that kneeling not be neglected on Sabbath, and that it not be practiced on Sunday. In the matter of kneeling also prayer is subject to diversity of observance, through the act of some few who abstain from kneeling on the Sabbath; and since this dissension is particularly on its trial before the churches, the Lord will give His grace that the dissentients may either yield, or else indulge their opinion without offence to others. We, however (just as we have received), only on the day of the Lord's Resurrection ought to guard not only against kneeling, but every posture and office of solicitude; deferring even our businesses lest we give any place to the devil.26 When writing against Marcion, Tertullian argued that Jesus did not break the Sabbath as the Pharisees accused Him of doing, but rather having fulfilled it He made it superfluous and obsolete. Since, however, He has made the law obsolete by His own precepts, even by Himself fulfilling the law (for superfluous is, “Thou shalt not commit adultery,” when He says, “Thou shalt not look on a woman to lust after her.” Superfluous also is, “Thou shalt do no murder,” when He says, “Thou shalt not speak evil of thy neighbour,”) it is impossible to make an adversary of the law out of one who so completely promotes it.27 In his polemics against the Jews, however, Tertullian argued that true Sabbath observance is a spiritual keeping of every day holy, and that the fourth commandment was meant to be only temporarily binding, not even still necessitating observance by the time Joshua and the children of Israel marched for seven days around the city of

Ibid., 689.

Ibid., 467.

Jericho.28 These arguments against Jewish Sabbath keeping while maintaining the Christian observance of the Sabbath shows that at least in Tertullianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s view the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath was not a Jewish custom which had wrongly influenced the Christian Church, but a distinctly Christian custom handed down from Christ and the apostles (albeit one which he conceived to be entirely separated from the ten commandments). In summary, the evidence is clear that Christians in Carthage observed the Sabbath, though by the end of the second century it was being observed alongside the first day of the week. Tertullian consistently refers to the seventh day of the week as the Sabbath, however, and nowhere intimates that Sunday has in any way replaced it. His arguments against the Jews (while he at the same time maintained the Christian seventhday observance) makes it hard to conclude that the church had just been unduly influenced by Judaizers.

Ibid., 152-156.

CHAPTER VI THE SABBATH IN EGYPT In Egypt Sabbath keeping practices can be detected similar to those in Carthage in the early centuries. It is mentioned in the early fourth century, along with the practice of a Sunday festival of joy.29 And once again the evidence points not to Judaizing tendencies, but to an indigenous Christian tradition. On the Sabbath day we gathered together, not being infected with Judaism, for we do not lay hold of false Sabbaths, but we come on the Sabbath to worship Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath. For of old there was among the ancients the honorable Sabbath, but the Lord changed the day of the Sabbath to the Lord’s day, and not we alone despise the Sabbath, but the prophet is the one who cast it aside and said, “Your new moons and Sabbaths my soul hates.”30 This commentary further relates how the Jews perverted the Sabbath but Jesus clarified which were the laws of the Jews had forbidden what God had not forbidden. “Athenasius clearly states that Christ changed ‘the day of the Sabbath to the Lord’s day,’ and that the Sabbath was abolished by Sunday. But at the same time, he reports that in the fourth century, Christians in Egypt still came ‘on the Sabbath to worship Jesus, the Lord

Kenneth A. Strand, ed. The Sabbath in Scripture and History (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald, 1982), 169. 30

Seventh-day Adventist Bible Student Sourcebook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald, 1962), s.v. "Homilia De Semente."

of the Sabbath.’”31 The Christians clearly saw their Sabbath observance as distinct and different from that practiced by the Jews. In Alexandria, where the influence of philosophical thought and preoccupation with theological debate were pandemic, there was an earlier complete departure from Sabbath observance than in the Egyptian countryside. This is made clear by statements made by Church historian Socrates Scholasticus (c. AD 440): For although almost all churches throughout the world celebrate the sacred mysteries on the Sabbath of every week, yet the Christians of Alexandria and at Rome, on account of some ancient tradition, have ceased to do this. The Egyptians in the neighborhood [surrounding countryside] of Alexandria, and the inhabitants of Thebaïs, hold their religious assemblies on the Sabbath, but do not participate of the mysteries in the manner usual among Christians in general: for after having eaten and satisfied themselves with food of all kinds, in the evening making their offerings they partake of the mysteries.32 The translators and editors of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers make the following footnote regarding Scholasticus’ use of the term “Sabbath”: “i.e. Saturday. Sunday is never called ‘the Sabbath’ by the ancient Fathers and historians, but ‘the Lord’s day.’ …Many early Christians, however, continued to observe the Jewish Sabbath along with the first day of the week.”33 While in Carthage there was no effort to distance Christians from Jews (the latter enjoying freedom to practice their religion), in Alexandria (as in Rome) it is possible that there was a desire to make the distinction plain. “It is well known that Rome had begun keeping Sunday in the second century. One of the strong factors that prompted Rome’s

Strand, ed., 170.

A. C. Zenos, ed. The Ecclesiastical History of Socrates Scholasticus (Boston: Berwick and Smith, 1890), 132. 33

Ibid.

decision was the Christians’ desire to disassociate themselves from Judaism. Indeed, the church in Rome went so far as to convert the Sabbath into a day of fasting.34 In Alexandria the situation was similar. Although it had kept the Sabbath as a day of worship and festival, in harmony with the rest of north African and Eastern Christianity, there was a strong Jewish population in the city and growing tensions between both the Jews and Christians as well as between the Jews and the civil authorities. Since the early second century, according to the Epistle of Barnabas, there were tensions between the Jews and Christians in Alexandria. Socrates Scholasticus records that the Jews in Alexandria did not work on Sabbath, but instead amused themselves in such a manner that “disorder is almost invariably produced. And although this was in some degree controlled by the governor of Alexandria, nevertheless the Jews continued opposing these measures.”35 He also notes that the Jews were “always hostile toward the Christians.”36 During the time of Cyril, archbishop of Alexandria (AD 412-444), the Jews burned a church and were responsible for the death of many Christian believers. Cyril was successful in expelling the Jews from the city in spite of the opposition from some of the civil authorities. Cyril, accompanied by an immense crowd of people, going to their synagogues – for so they called their house of prayer – took them away from them, and drove the Jews out of the city, permitting the multitude to plunder their goods. Thus the Jews who had inhabited the city from the time of Alexander the Macedonian were expelled

Strand, ed., 171.

Zenos, ed., 159.

Ibid.

from it, stripped of all they possessed, and dispersed some in one direction and some in another.37 It is not difficult to understand, then, how in this anti-Semetic climate of Alexandria the Christian believers would seek to distance themselves from the Jewish religion. “It seems to be more than coincidental that Sabbath services disappeared from the Alexandrian churches apparently during the time of Archbishop Cyril.”38 But the Coptic church outside of Alexandria apparently continued to practice the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath for around another one hundred years. “Beginning with the sixth century, there are no known references to Sabbath observance among the Egyptian Coptic Christians.”39 That did not mean that all Egyptian Christians forgot about the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. In documents written no earlier than the second half of the fifth century, the following counsel is given. “Let the servants (of the Lord) work five days; on the Sabbath (Sabbaton) and the Lord’s day (Kyriake) let them rest for the church that they might be instructed in piety. The Sabbath because God Himself rested on it when He completed all the creation. The Lord’s day because it is the day of the resurrection of the Lord.”40 In summary, Egypt harbors a rich history of Sabbath keeping up until the end of the fifth century. The plethora of well-documented stories and accounts, especially of

Ibid.

Strand, ed., 172.

Ibid., 173.

Wilson B. Bishai, "Sabbath Observance from Coptic Sources," Andrews Unversity Seminary Studies 1, no. (1963): 27.

occurrences in Alexandria, lends itself well to the accounting of how the Bible Sabbath was forgotten and the first day became the prevalent day of worship.

CHAPTER VII THE SABBATH IN ETHIOPIA As may be recalled, the Bible’s account of the Ethiopian eunuch indicates that the message of Jesus early came to this portion of North Africa. The story of his return to the palace of the queen and the witness he bore to his newfound faith is lost to history, however. The earliest record extant of the gospel arriving in the kingdom of Aksum (Ethiopia today) tells a story of two Christian young men who were captured by Aksumites when their ship was at a local port (by some accounts, they were shipwrecked and rescued by the king’s father). These two young men, Frementius and Edesius, eventually became the king’s secretary and cupbearer, respectively. In time, the young men were given permission to leave Aksum. Frementius went to Alexandria and requested a bishop be sent to lead the Christians in Aksum. Athansius, bishop of Alexandria, consecrated Frementius for this task, so the young Christian captive turned king’s secretary became the first bishop of the region. In the year AD 340 King Esana was converted, marking the beginning of Aksum as a Christian kingdom.41

Strand, ed., 174.

While specific historical documentation about Sabbath keeping in Aksum does not exist, it can be reasonably assumed that the Ethiopian Christians early practiced a similar practice as both in Alexandria and in Syria, the home of Frementius. Therefore a practice of keeping both Sabbath and Sunday was probably followed. It might also be assumed that Frementius and Edesius did not find themselves alone as Christians in Aksum. Indeed, to have converted so many to their own religion in the very short time (several years) that they were there as to request a bishop for the region would be quite impressive. It might be speculated that they found residual effects of the Ethiopian eunuch’s witness in the form of either primitive Christian believers or at least openness to the Christian faith. Evidently the Ethiopian believers escaped significant pressure from their Alexandrian counterparts on the Sabbath issue, for while in Alexandria the Sabbath ceased to be observed by the sixth century, stress regarding the Ethiopia’s Sabbath observance is not documented until over half a millennium later, during the late eleventh century. In a report on Ethiopia, Bishop Sawiros requested Patriarch Cyril II (1072-1092) of Alexandria write to the Ethiopians “forbidding them to observe the customs of the Old Testament.” The Sabbath is not specifically mentioned. But in 1238, Ibn al-Assal completed his Collection of Canons for the benefit of Coptic Christians in Egypt where “the observance of the Sabbath is clearly rejected as a Jewish custom.” “At least from this period onwards, it is quite evident that the Egyptian bishops were determined to impose the official Alexandrian line on the Ethiopians.”42 These efforts did not meet with universal success in Ethiopia, where sources insist that Sabbath observance never ceased. Bekele Heye reported on a visit that he and a group of clergy paid to the bishop of west Ethiopia in his office at Lekempti, the provincial capital of Wollenga. They had 42

Ibid., 175.

a long interview with the bishop regarding the position of the Egyptian Orthodox Church on the seventh-day Sabbath. The bishop told them plainly that the Coptic Church has never given up Sabbath observance. He referred to Matthew 5:17, 18 and said that the Decalogue is still binding.43 These and many other factors indicate that the history of the Seventh-day Sabbath is deep-rooted in the culture of the Ethiopian peoples. There is no record at any time in the history of the Ethiopian Orthodox church that this church has officially given up Sabbath observance.44 Evidently the pressure from Egypt in the late eleventh century was not completely successful, for two hundred years later Egyptian monks went to Ethiopia to attempt reforming the “decayed” church of Abyssinia. “That ‘restoration’ most probably included the Sabbath question.”45 During this time considerable confusion regarding official church leadership in Ethiopia existed, largely because of the failure of Alexandria to consistently appoint bishops as it had done in the past, and due to rivalry between leadership in Alexandria and Syria. A revival of Sabbath keeping actually resulted from the attempts to change the Ethiopian church! “The fact is that the great Sabbath controversy of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries seems to have originated with a monastic leader, Eustathius (Ewostatewos), who did not want to give up Sabbath observance.”46 Eustathius had founded a monastery and collected a large group of students to study under him. The fact that he was a Sabbath keeper is attested by the accusations lodged against him in Egypt. “In Cairo fellow Ethiopian pilgrims accused him, before 43

Bradford, 108.

Bekele Heye, The Sabbath in Ethiopia (Lincoln, NE: Center for Creative Ministry, 2005), 46, 47. 45

Strand, ed., 176.

Ibid.

the patriarch, of observing the Sabbath as well as Sunday.”47 Attempts were even made on his life by a rival group of fellow clergy! Eventually he appeared before the patriarch in Cairo. Eustathius admitted that the Sabbath was central in the conflict. But he defended his position by referring to the Ten Commandments and to the Apostolic Canons. He told the patriarch, “I came to your country…so that I may die for the word of God, for I have found no rest in this World. In Ethiopia they said to me, ‘Break the Sabbath and the [other] rest days like us,’ and I refused. And here you say to me ‘Be one with us in prayer’ while you do not observe the rest Days.”48 After leaving Cairo, Eustathius traveled towards Jerusalem. While in the journey, he was persecuted for being a Sabbath keeper and put into fetters. From Palestine he went to Cyprus, and eventually to Armenia, where fourteen years later he died. After the death of Eustathius a group of his followers rejoined their brethren in Ethiopia and began establishing monasteries which were opposed to the Alexandrian system of worship. These followers were referred to as the “House of Eustathius.” “His disciples made the Sabbath their rallying point. They grew rather rapidly in numbers, to the great alarm of the anti-Sabbath party.”49 When a new Ethiopian Bishop was finally appointed to the position that had been vacant, he requested help from King Dawit (AD 1380-1412) to bring the House of Eustathius into line. The king held a conference with the Eustathian leaders, resulting in the imprisonment of their leader and some of his colleagues. This was turned into a blessing, however, when during the four years of their incarceration they were successful in winning over many of the attendants and even the clergy of the royal court. When 47

Ibid.

Ibid., 177.

released, the followers of Eustathius were commanded to observe both Sabbath and Sunday, though in the Alexandrian line of churches in Ethiopia and at the Royal court the opposition to Sabbath observance was to be maintained. Enjoying this royal protection, the House of Eustathias saw widespread and rapid growth in Ethiopia, and continued to gain allies in the king’s court. “For instance, an increasing number of monastic communities readopted the Sabbath, and at the royal court a pro-Sabbath clergyman assayed to give religious instruction to the princes.”50 This climate produced the leader who would be a champion of the seventh-day Sabbath, Zara Yaqob (AD 1434-1468). When he came to the throne he apparently already had strong Sabbath convictions, and set out immediately to unify the strong proSabbath community with the weaker anti-Sabbath community. These efforts were understandably opposed by two Egyptian bishops, but the king gained their cooperation, and obtained from them in “their own handwriting” their agreement on the observance of the two Sabbaths.51 A tremendous revival of Sabbath observance took place in Ethiopia upon the unification of the Christian believers. The Mashafa Berhan, or “Book of Light” (which has sometimes been credited to Zara Yaqob himself) strongly encourages observance of both Sabbath and Sunday, and gives precise instructions as to how this observance is to be carried out. It contains readings both for the “first Sabbath” as well as for Sunday. Although the Mashafa Berhan enjoins the observance of both Sabbath and Sunday, it is obvious that it was written with the purpose of defending Sabbath observance over against the ones who said that the Sabbath had been abolished. Matthew 5:18, 19 is quoted several times to remind the readers of the unchangeable character of God’s 50

Ibid.

law…. The author continues, “Regarding him who abolished the honor of the first Sabbath, behold he uprooted the foundation of the church. He cast her out because he has abolished one major word from the Decalogue upon which the church is founded…. “Whoever strikes one word from the Decalogue, behold he has stricken out the name of Jesus…. And if one strikes out the name of Jesus, behold he has stricken out the name of the Trinity. And if one struck out one from the Trinity, he has indeed cancelled his Christianity.” In order to make absolutely sure that there is no misunderstanding, the text of the Decalogue is repeated in full both in reading two and in reading six.52 Beginning in the early sixteenth century, a tremendous struggle began as Rome for the first time began to gain a foothold of influence in Ethiopia. This influence was largely attributable to the growing power of Islam and the need for assistance that Ethiopia felt. The Ethiopian king desperately appealed for aid, promising solidarity with the European church (in spirit, not in doctrine) if such could be rendered. In desperation the king sent Joao Bermudez to Europe in 1535 to summon help. Trying to enlist the sympathy and support of Portugal and of other Christian powers, the king made it be known that he was willing “to bring the monophysite Church, without changing its character or doctrine, under the supreme jurisdiction of the Church of Rome.”53 No doubt the king did not appropriately conceive the pressure that Rome would place on his church to bring it also into doctrinal conformity. Once the decisive battle was won with the aid of the Portuguese, conflict erupted in the Ethiopian Church, as Bermudez attempted to make good on his promises to the European powers and enforce Catholic rites on the church. He was ultimately exiled, but the controversy continued. Jesuit priests arrived in Ethiopia in AD 1555, and in AD 1557 Jesuit Bishop Andre de Oviedo further reinforced their presence. The king of Ethiopia, Claudius,

Ibid., 178.

Ibid., 181.

debated Oviedo and his companions and out of their disputes produced a “Confession of Faith.” Significant in their disputations was the matter of observance of “Jewish” customs and manners. The king forcefully argued that the Sabbath of Ethiopia was not a Jewish heritage, for they did not follow Jewish practices nor honor the Jewish faith. But as far as our celebration of the Sabbath day is concerned, we do not celebrate it as the Jews do, who have crucified Christ, saying: Let His blood (fall) over us and over our children. For these Jews neither draw water nor kindle a fire nor cook any food, nor bake bread, neither [do] they go from house to house. But we celebrate it in bringing the offering [i.e. the Sacrament] on it and in keeping the agape, as our fathers, the apostles, have commanded us in the Didiscalia. We do not celebrate it in the way that Sunday is celebrated, which is the new day, about which David said: On this day which the Lord has made, let us be glad and full of joy.54 Not long afterwards (AD 1559) King Claudius was killed in battle and succeeded by his brother Minas (AD 1559-1563). His brother continued the policy of defending the Ethiopian faith, but upon Minas’ son’s succession to the throne things began to change. Sartsa Dengel (AD 1563-1597) sided with Oviedo and the Roman priests, and was suspected of requesting the pope to send Catholic missionaries to Ethiopia. In AD 1603 a new missionary arrived in Ethiopia, the Spanish Jesuit Pero F. Paez. Paez learned the local language in one year, and became a popular teacher in a school that he established. The fame of the new teacher reached King Za Dengel’s ears and he invited Paez to visit the palace. The king was immediately moved by what he heard and observed and resolved to bring the kingdom into harmony with Rome. Za Dengel’s decision to join the Roman Catholic Church became clear to his subjects when he set forth an edict “That no Person should any longer observe the Sabbath as a Holy Day.” Letters followed from him to both Pope Clement VIII and King Philip III of Spain and Portugal, asking for artisans, soldiers, and more Jesuit fathers to instruct his subjects. 54

Ibid., 181, 182.

The reaction in Ethiopia was fast and violent. Peter, the Abuna, released the people from their oath of allegiance to the king, and excommunicated Za Dengel. Only once before had a king been excommunicated (for incest). A successful military refolt ended with the defeat and death of the king, only months later, in October of 1604, in spite of his being supported by about 200 Portuguese soldiers with firearms.55 The death of the king, however, led to a war for succession to the throne. After several years Susenyos (AD 1607-1632) established himself on the throne. He had a respect for the learning of the Jesuits, himself being an educated man. While not promoting the Roman faith he eased the restrictions upon it and in effect accomplished what Za Dengel had unsuccessfully attempted. In AD 1612 the king privately became a Roman Catholic.56 Though the clergy rebelled against the new religious order, they were unable to surmount the efforts of the Jesuits and the king. Edicts were issued prohibiting Sabbath observance. To make sure that such decrees were respected, “a general, accused of having refused to work on the Sabbath, was ‘beaten with rods, and publicly degraded.’”57 This naturally led to remonstrance from both the military and the clergy, who accused the king of changing religions. “Susenyos expressed his surprise at the accusation that he had changed the religion of the country. He had only reformed it. Christ, in fact, had two natures, he added. “In the next place he had abrogated the Observance of the Sabbath Day, because it became not Christians to observe the Jews Sabbath.”58

Ibid., 182, 183.

Ibid., 183.

Ibid.

An armed rebellion ensued, but the king was able to subdue it sufficiently to stay on the throne. A decade of violence ensued before the king finally issued a decree of religious freedom in AD 1632. The next king, King Fasiladas (AD 1632-1667) ordered the Jesuits to leave the country. He burned their books, and executed priests who remained. His son, Yohannes I (AD 1667-1682) went beyond his father’s efforts and banished Roman Catholics from Ethiopia in AD 1669. Unable to conquer Ethiopia, Rome moved to isolate it. Sabbath observance continued to be practiced along with Sunday celebration. Real Sabbath keeping today, however, is limited to the more remote areas where Coptic Christians still practice the ancient faith of their fathers.59

Ellen White comments, regarding this history: “The history of the churches of Ethiopia and Abyssinia is especially significant. Amid the gloom of the Dark Ages, the Christians of Central Africa were lost sight of and forgotten by the world, and for many centuries they enjoyed freedom in the exercise of their faith. But at last Rome learned of their existence, and the emperor of Abyssinia was soon beguiled into an acknowledgment of the pope as the vicar of Christ. Other concessions followed. An edict was issued forbidding the observance of the Sabbath under the severest penalties. But papal tyranny soon became a yoke so galling that the Abyssinians determined to break it from their necks. After a terrible struggle, the Romanists were banished from their dominions, and the ancient faith was restored. The churches rejoiced in their freedom, and they never forgot the lesson they had learned concerning the deception, the fanaticism, and the despotic power of Rome. Within their solitary realm they were content to remain, unknown to the rest of Christendom. “The churches of Africa held the Sabbath as it was held by the papal church before her complete apostasy. While they kept the seventh day in obedience to the commandment of God, they abstained from labor on the Sunday in conformity to the custom of the church. Upon obtaining supreme power, Rome had trampled upon the Sabbath of God to exalt her own; but the churches of Africa, hidden for nearly a thousand years, did not share in this apostasy. When brought under the sway of Rome, they were forced to set aside the true and exalt the false Sabbath; but no sooner had they regained their independence than they returned to obedience to the fourth commandment.” Great Controversy, pp. 577, 578.

In summary, Ethiopia provides a powerful example of a nation where the Sabbath has been historically kept, most likely without interruption, since the time of the early church. The many plots and efforts made to alter its commitment to the seventh day make for interesting story lines and could easily be used in a documentary manner to show the strength of convictions and the biblical arguments employed for nearly two millennia.

CHAPTER VIII THE SABBATH IN AFRICA TODAY We have already noted that the church in Ethiopia still observes the seventh-day Sabbath, as do the Falasha Jews. In his book, Sabbath Roots, Charles Bradford briefly documents a number of additional Sabbath keeping groups in Africa today.60 While other Jewish groups exist in South Africa, Kenya, and other areas where there is commercial activity, they are not necessarily indigenous African Sabbath keeping groups. Some groups of the latter category will be outlined below. The Abayudaya of eastern Uganda. This group of Black Ugandans (numbering about 500) practice a Jewish-like religion, observing Jewish holidays and dietary laws, and keeping the Sabbath holy as they have for generations. Sabbath keeping community in Sudan. ADRA leaders have associated with a large group in Khartoum who are Sabbath keepers. A leader in this group claims to trace his ancestry back to Solomon through the Queen of Sheba. This group reportedly was astounded to learn that there were other Sabbath keepers in the world, as they believed they were the only still observing the seventh day.

Bradford.

Independent Sabbath keeping movement in Zaire. In 1932 Johan Maranke, a Shoni who was living at the time in Rhodesia, received instructions (which he believed to be from God) to go to Zaire and teach people about the Bible, particularly about the commandments. A large movement of independent congregations resulted that were nearly indistinguishable from Seventh-day Adventism. Because the country outlawed independent congregations, between 1972 and 1975 churches with up to 300,000 members requested affiliation with the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Nearly 44,000 were baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Sabbath keeping denominations in Ghana. Seventh-day Adventist minister Jacob Nortey explored two Sabbath keeping groups in Ghana. One was founded by a Methodist member who claimed to have received a series of dreams in which he learned the Sabbath truth. His followers believe in baptism by immersion (three times, to be precise). The second group was started by Opanin Samuel Kwadjo Safo who learned the Sabbath message from his own personal Bible study. Today there are more than 350 churches throughout Ghana that are a part of the Kristo Asafo Mission. In summary, the light of the Sabbath has shone brightly from both the pages of history and Scripture on the continent that is often referred to as â&#x20AC;&#x153;dark.â&#x20AC;? Scattered throughout Africa are undoubtedly others who are learning the biblical message of the Sabbath and keeping the seventh day holy.

CHAPTER IX CONCLUSION The record of early Sabbath keeping in Africa is both well documented and interesting. While not all tribal groups can be proven to have a history of seventh day observance, enough evidence exists across the continent to make the case for an African sense of pride and ownership of this biblical truth. As mentioned in the initial problem statement, there exists a resistance to Sabbath keeping in many parts of the world on the basis of the common perception that it is either a Jewish or a Western/American phenomenon. Sufficient evidence has been uncovered even in this brief paper to argue that the Sabbath is indeed a gift of God to mankind â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and that Africans are included as noble recipients of this gift. History provides outstanding examples of African believers who recognized the Sabbath and tenaciously defended its observance at high personal risk and cost. These stories took place in and were linked to locations that could provide appealing visual material. An appealing documentary format could match the plots and characters of the true stories to the engaging and interesting graphic illustrations in such a way as to provide an apologetic for Sabbath observance today that would be attractive to

Africans, inspiring them to rise to the admirable commitment of their ancestors and be faithful to the truth once committed to the saints. The greatest contribution of this paper is arguably in the significant education of its author on the subject. Examining this topic with the potential of an evangelistic documentary in mind has resulted in a paper that has looked for human-interest stories (anchored in locations that could provide visual material) as well as sought to pre-empt the arguments that will be brought against the history of Sabbath keeping on the Continent. With further research, some good writing, and a creative (and brave) camera crew, it is the authorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s conclusion that a compelling and organically African presentation in support of Sabbath keeping could be made.

BIBLIOGRAPHY PRIMARY SOURCES Athanasii, S.P.N., Seventh-day Adventist Bible Student Sourcebook. Washington, D.C.:Review and Herald, 1962. Menzies, Allan, ed. The Ante-Nicene Fathers. Vol. 9. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1906. ________, ed. The Ante-Nicene Fathers. Vol. 3. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1906. White, Ellen G. The Great Controversy. Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press, 1911. Zenos, A. C., ed. The Ecclesiastical History of Socrates Scholasticus. Boston: Berwick and Smith, 1890. SECONDARY SOURCES Bishai, Wilson B. "Sabbath Observance from Coptic Sources." Andrews University Seminary Studies 1 (1963). Bonwick, James Egyptian Belief and Modern Thought. London: African Publication Society, 1983. Bradford, Charles E. Sabbath Roots: The African Connection. Silver Spring, MD: Ministerial Association of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 1999. Decret, Francois. Early Christianity in North Africa. Translated by Edward Smither. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2009. Heye, Bekele. The Sabbath in Ethiopia. Lincoln, NE: Center for Creative Ministry, 2005. Isichei, Elizabeth A. A History of Christianity in Africa. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995.

Koranteng-Pipim, Samuel. ""Remember" The Sabbath Day." Adventists Affirm 8, no. 3 (1994): 5-14. Mbiti, John. African Religions and Philosophy. London: Heineman, 1989. Rodinson, Maxime. "Sur La Question Des 'Influences Juives' En Ethiopie." Journal of Semetic Studies 9 (1964). Strand, Kenneth A., ed. The Sabbath in Scripture and History. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald, 1982. Ullendorff, Edward. The Ethiopians. 2nd ed. London, New York: Oxford University Press, 1965.