Unfortunately, historical information and sources are limited-to-sparse, and most comes from the writings of military opponents. It was called the “Kingdom of the Gideonites” because many of its rulers bore this name.

According to Jewish tradition, the Jews there were descendants of the High Priest Zadok, who was sent with others by King Solomon to escort the Queen of Sheba on her journey home. According to Ethiopian Christian tradition, the Queen of Sheba’s son, King Menelik, divided rule over the kingdom among his confidants. Gideon was given control of the Simien region in northwestern Ethiopia. The group that came with the priests was joined by Jews from Egypt and Yemen.

Aksum and Simien

The rise of Christianity in the region under the significant influence of the Byzantine Empire led to conflicts and divisions in Ethiopian society. A late Ethiopian-Jewish tradition dates the founding of the Kingdom of Simien to the 4th century, after the Kingdom of Aksum, under the rule of Ezana, converted to Christianity. A group that considered itself descendants of the Queen of Sheba...

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