Zara Yaqob

Zar'a Ya`qob or Zera Yacob (Ge'ez <font size="+1">ዘርአ:ያዕቆብ </font> zar'ā yāʿiqōb "Seed of Jacob," modern zer'a yā'iqōb) (1399&ndash;1468) was (19 or 20 JuneGetachew Haile, "A Preliminary Investigation of the "Tomara Tesse't" of Emperor Zar'a Ya'eqob of Ethiopia" in Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, Vol. 43, no. 2 (1980), p. 210. The beginning of what Getachew Haile believes is the "Ṭomarä Tesbe't" states that he was crowned on 26 Sené (20 June), while a contemporary Stephanite writer ascribes a date of 25 Sené (19 June). Getachew Haile explains this discrepancy by suggesting that the ceremony lasted two days. 1434&ndash;1468) of Ethiopia (throne name Kwestantinos I Ge'ez <font size="+1"> ቈስታንቲኖስ </font>qʷastāntīnōs or Constantine I), and a member of the Solomonic dynasty. Born at Tilq in the province of Fatagar (now part of the Oromia Region, near the Awash River), Zara Yaqob was the youngest son of Dawit I and his youngest queen, Igzi Kebra.

The British expert on Ethiopia, Edward Ullendorff, stated that Zara Yaqob "was unquestionably the greatest ruler Ethiopia had seen since Ezana, during the heyday of Aksumite power, and none of his successors on the throne &ndash; excepted only the emperors Menelik II and Haile Selassie &ndash; can be compared to...
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