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The Kebra Nagast, by E.A. Wallis Budge, [1932], at sacred-texts.com


92. How they renewed the kingdom of DAVID

   And AZARIAH said, "Bring hither the jubilee trumpets, and let us go to ZION, and there we will make new the kingdom of our lord DAVID." And he took the oil of sovereignty and filled the horn [therewith], and he anointed DAVID with the unguent, that is to say, with the oil of sovereignty. And they blew horns and pipes and trumpets, and beat drums, and sounded all kinds of musical instruments, and there were singing and dancing and games, and [displays] with horses and shield [-men], and all the men and women of the people of the country of ETHIOPIA were present, small and great, and the little Blacks, six thousand in number, and virgin women whom AZARIAH had chosen for the women of ZION by the law, whom DAVID the King had destined for [the service of] the table and banquets in the royal fortress when he should go up thereto [clad in] raiment of fine gold. And in this wise was renewed the kingdom of DAVID, the son of SOLOMON the king of ISRAEL, in the capital city, in Mount MÂKĔDÂ, in the House of ZION, when the Law was established for the first time by the King of ETHIOPIA.

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   And then when he had completed the stablishing of the Law, they made, according to what they had seen in JERUSALEM, the Law in the House of ZION for the nobles of the kingdom, and for those who were inside, and for those that were outside, and for the people, and for the islands, and for the cities, and for the provinces; and for all the inhabitants and for all their tribal kinsfolk they made ordinances in the same manner. And thus the eastern boundary of the kingdom of the King of ETHIOPIA is the beginning of the city of GÂZÂ in the land of JUDAH, that is, JERUSALEM; and its boundary is the Lake of JERICHO, and it passeth on by the coast of its sea to LÊBÂ and SÂBÂ; and its boundary goeth down to BÎSÎS and ’ASNÊT; and its boundary is the Sea of the Blacks and Naked Men, and goeth up Mount KÊBÊRÊNÊYÔN into the Sea of Darkness, that is to say, the place where the sun setteth; and its boundary extendeth to FÊNÊ’ÊL and LASÎFÂLÂ; and its borders are the lands [near] the Garden (i.e., Paradise), where there is food in plenty and abundance of cattle, and [near] FÊNÊḲÊN; and its boundary reacheth as far as ZÂWÊL and passeth on to the Sea of INDIA; and its boundary is as far as the Sea of TARSÎS, and in its remote (?) part lieth the Sea of MEDYÂM, until it cometh to the country of GÂZÂ; and its boundary is the place where [our enumeration] began. And moreover, the dominion of the King of ETHIOPIA belongeth to him and to his seed for ever.


Next: 93. How the Men of RÔMÊ destroyed the Faith