Overview

Ancient Ethiopians have worshipped, feared, and praised God in their own way even before the faith of the Black Hebrews & Israelites was introduced, by the will of Yahweh, the True God of Israel. Where there is worship, there is the praise which is often expressed in musical tunes, psalms and hymns of thanks and praises. The art of religious music took shape in Ethiopia with the introduction of the Beta Israel (original Judaic faith of the Afro-Shemites) when Menyelek I came back from Jerusalem with the Ark of the Covenant and with it the Levites who accompanied the Ark of the Covenant. These Levites, whose major function was to preside over religious rites, brought hymn books, and musical instruments with them to Ethiopia. The Levites praised God with instruments before the Ark of the Covenant in the Old Testament times; the faithful Rastafarians of "The Lion of Judah" are the true New Testament "levites," or prophetic priests, likened to the Ethiopian Debteras, yet - after the Order of Melchizedek.