6 h 52 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 6 h 52 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · 200 pagesHardcover · 6 × 9 in · 200 pagesAbout this book
What if a nation's royal origin story begins with a queen's journey and an ark's departure?
The Kebra Nagast, Ethiopia's national epic, brings together royal legend, Bible stories, prophecy and Christian teaching. Its story follows Makeda, the Queen of Sheba, as she travels to Jerusalem to meet King Solomon. Their encounter leads to the birth of Menelik, whose journey brings questions of kinship, royal power and sacred duty into focus.
From its opening council of bishops to its account of the Ark of the Covenant leaving Jerusalem, the text links Ethiopia's royal origins with biblical tradition. It presents Ethiopia as a second Zion and reads Old Testament stories as signs pointing toward Christ. Read it as a nation's sacred origin story, rather than a strict historical record.
What you’ll discover
- A queen seeks wisdom Follow Makeda to Solomon's court, where wisdom and royal power draw her into a life-changing encounter.
- A son's royal journey Travel with Menelik to Jerusalem as he meets his father and faces questions of royal inheritance.
- The Ark's sacred passage Explore the epic's account of the Ark's journey from Jerusalem to Ethiopia.
- Prophecy and Christian teaching Discover how the text reads biblical stories as signs pointing toward Christ.
- A nation's origin story See how Ethiopian tradition connects sacred history, royal authority and a people's sense of belonging.
Who will love it
You will love this book if you enjoy founding epics, the Queen of Sheba and Solomon, the mystery of the Ark, Ethiopian history, or sacred stories that weave Bible, legend and royal pride together.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Glory begins in heaven with Zion
- Kingship passes down a chosen line
- The Ark is a heavenly thing on earth
- A queen sets out to find wisdom
- Solomon teaches the queen humility and God
- One night joins two houses and a dream
- The son recognizes his father and his calling
- Zion is carried away in the night
- Solomon grieves, repents, and is comforted
- Ethiopia is renewed and the book is read
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The Kebra Nagast
by Attributed to Ethiopian scribes · 1320
A queen of the south travels to Jerusalem for wisdom, and her son carries the Ark of the Covenant home to Ethiopia.
Challenging2–5 hours to readEspañol
Excellent
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In short
What if the lost Ark of the Covenant did not vanish at all, but was carried south to Africa by a king's own son? That is the bold claim of the Kebra Nagast, the Ethiopian epic whose title means the Glory of the Kings.
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Listen freeOr hold it in print: paperback, hardcover or large print, at costFrom the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Glory begins in heaven with Zion
The book opens in heaven. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit agree to make a heavenly Zion, a dwelling for their glory, before anything else. Only then do they decide to make Adam. Every later event hangs on this order.
The setting is a council of 318 Orthodox fathers. Gregory, the worker of wonders, speaks for them. He asks what makes a king great. Is it soldiers, riches, or rule over many towns?
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A queen of the south travels to Jerusalem for wisdom, and her son carries the Ark of the Covenant home to Ethiopia.
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Details
- First published
- 1320
- Language
- Español
- Listening time
- 6 h 52 min
- Level
- Challenging
- Paperback
- 200 pages · 6 × 9 in
- Hardcover
- 200 pages · 6 × 9 in
- Large print paperback
- 334 pages · 8.5 × 11 in
- Large print hardcover
- 334 pages · 8.5 × 11 in
- Delivery and returns
- Printed when you order. Usually here in 12 to 14 days.Arrives to to Estados Unidos, printed for you at cost
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Cite this edition
The Kebra Nagast. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/loa-kebra-nagast.
The Kebra Nagast. (2026). Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/loa-kebra-nagast (Original work published ca. 1320)
The Kebra Nagast. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/loa-kebra-nagast.
@book{anonymous2026kebra,
title = {The Kebra Nagast},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/loa-kebra-nagast},
note = {First published ca. 1320}
}
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What is the Kebra Nagast about?
It is an Ethiopian epic about Queen Makeda, King Solomon and their son Menelik, who brings the Ark of the Covenant to Ethiopia. It also explains why Ethiopia's kings traced their line from Solomon and the divine covenant.
What does Kebra Nagast mean?
The title is usually translated as the Glory of the Kings. The Ge'ez word for glory also describes the radiant presence of God, so the title points to a kingship that shares in divine splendor.
Who is Menelik in the Kebra Nagast?
Menelik is the son of Solomon and Queen Makeda. The book first calls him Bayna-Lehkem, and he becomes the first king of the Solomonic line of Ethiopia, anointed in Jerusalem and given the name David.
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