The Legend of Queen Judith: A Jewish Warrior of Ethiopia

Baghdad. The year is 978, over a millennium ago. The King of Iraq awakens at the time suitable for royalty, as wise men would say... The sun has long risen, but laughter and noise from the courtyard draw his attention. He stretches, gazes out the window, and spots a peculiar creature. It appears to be a horse, but its colors are black and white, striped exactly like the pajamas the king still wears...

Of course, we now recognize this creature as the zebra, familiar from childhood books and perhaps a safari visit. But in those days, no one in Iraq or the surrounding areas knew of zebras or what they looked like. This particular zebra arrived as a gift from the distant King of Yemen, who required the Iraqi king's assistance. The unusual animal was sent as a token of friendship.

In a letter, the Yemeni King notes that this animal doesn't exist on their continent, but rather in faraway Africa. He mentions having received it as a gift from "Queen Judith," a mythical ruler controlling large parts of Ethiopia, south of Egypt.

Who was this legendary queen, revered and adored?

By the shores of the vast Lake Tana, the source of the Blue Nile (providing 80% of the water in Egypt and Ethiopia after its 1,460-kilometer journey), there lay a great and powerful kingdom. At its helm was a woman named Judith. Her father was a war hero opposed to Christianity and fell in battle against the Axumite Christian Kingdom. In the chaos of battle, his daughter, Esther, crowned herself as queen and defended her remaining troops.

The rulers of Axum desired the conversion of all Jews, including the Jews of Ethiopia, who were part of Esther's kingdom. Esther decided to fight back. With great wisdom, she forged alliances with local tribes, rallying them to join forces against the hated Axumite Kingdom, known for its Christian impositions. Esther's formidable army attacked Axum. The Axumite king fled in fear, and Esther's forces decimated the city. Eventually, the cowardly king was captured and executed.

Rumor had it that the royal family of Axum, including heirs to the throne, hid in a famed monastery called "Debre Damo." Esther led her army there, destroying the monastery and all within. In the aftermath of obliterating the Christian stronghold, she renamed herself "Judith," in proud Jewish affirmation. Judith's army obliterated all traces of Christianity in Axum: churches, monasteries, crosses—all were burned. Any opposition was met with death.

Judith became a legend in her own lifetime. She crowned herself the Empress of the region, appointing local governors over the tribes under her rule. A contemporary historian notes, "The land of the Ethiopians has been ruled by a woman for many years. She killed the Ethiopian king known as Danel. Even now, she governs an independent kingdom, bordering southern Ethiopia."

Judith traded and negotiated with all the kings of the East, and the zebra she sent to the King of Yemen was just one example of her resourcefulness, bravery, and dedication to her people—the Jewish people.