Kingdom of Aksum Timeline

One of the oldest Aksumite tombs is at Näfas Mawca, dated to the third century AD, where the burial is covered by a single stone block measuring 17 by 7 by 1 metres.

Steve Kaplan argues that Aksum culture was significantly influenced by Judaism, saying that 'The first carriers of Judaism reached Ethiopia between the reign of Queen of Sheba BC and conversion to Christianity of King Ezana in the fourth century AD.' By the time Christianity took hold in the fourth century, many originally Hebraic-Jewish elements had been adopted by much of the indigenous population.

Image source: History of the Jews in Ethiopia

In the early times of the empire, around 1700 years ago, giant obelisks were constructed to mark emperors' and nobles' tombs with underground grave chambers, the most famous of which is the Obelisk of Aksum.

Image source: Obelisk of Axum

Due to its ties with the Greco-Roman world, Aksum adopted Christianity as its state religion in the mid 4th century under Ezana (320s – c. 360). King Ezana became the first Christian ruler of Aksum in the fourth century.

Image source: Ezana of Axum

The Tomb of the Brick Arches, dating to the early or mid-fourth century, lies beneath a structure of mud-mortared stones and contains a horseshoe arch of square bricks.

In the fourth century, Ezana of Axum promoted the Geʽez script and made Geʽez an official state language alongside Greek; by the sixth century literary translations into Geʿez were common.

Image source: Geʽez

The Tomb of the False Door, probably built in the late fourth or early fifth century, features a false-door facade with the symmetrical recessed planes characteristic of Aksumite design.

The most famous example of early Geʽez literature is represented by the Garima Gospels, a set of manuscripts containing all four Gospels translated into Ethiopic dating between the fourth and sixth centuries.

Image source: Garima Gospels

Islam arrived in the seventh century, during the reign of Ashama ibn-Abjar, when the first followers of the Islamic prophet Muhammad (the Sahabah) migrated from Arabia due to their persecution by the Quraysh, the ruling Arab tribal confederation of Mecca.

Image source: Najashi

A more enduring impact occurred with the rise of Islam in the early seventh century and the expansion of the Rashidun Caliphate. After the Muslim conquests isolated Axum from the Greco-Roman world, Geʿez replaced Greek entirely.

Image source: Rashidun Caliphate

At the end of the seventh century, a strong Beja tribe known as the Zanafaj entered the Eritrean plateau through the valley of Gash-Barka.

Image source: Beja people

The kingdom's slow decline had begun by the 7th century, at which point currency ceased to be minted. Consequently, Aksum experienced a decline in prosperity due to increased isolation and eventually ceased production of coins in the early eighth century.

This decline was possibly accelerated by an apparent decline in the reliability of rainfall beginning between 730 and 760, presumably with the result that an abbreviated modern growing season was reestablished during the ninth century.

Famine is noted in Ethiopia in the ninth century, contributing to the kingdom's difficulties.

Image source: Famines in Ethiopia

Arabic inscriptions on the Dahlak Archipelago are dated to the mid ninth century AD, reflecting the growing Islamic presence in the region.

Image source: Dahlak Archipelago

Under the reign of Degna Djan, during the ninth century, the empire kept expanding south, undertaking missionary activities south of Angot.

Aksum's final three centuries are considered a dark age, and the kingdom collapsed under uncertain circumstances around 960. The Persian (and later Muslim) presence in the Red Sea, along with the decline of Rome, caused Aksum to suffer economically, and the population of the city of Axum shrank.

After a short Dark Age, the Aksumite Empire was succeeded by the Zagwe dynasty in the eleventh or twelfth century (most likely around 1137), although limited in size and scope. According to one Ethiopian traditional account, Queen Gudit reigned for forty years and her dynasty was overthrown by Mara Tekla Haymanot in 1137 C.E., who ushered in the formation of the Zagwe dynasty.

Image source: Zagwe dynasty

Yekuno Amlak, who killed the last Zagwe king and founded the modern Solomonic dynasty around 1270, traced his ancestry and his right to rule from the last emperor of Aksum, Dil Na'od.

Image source: Yekuno Amlak