The Secret Life of Tzipora: The Jewish Empress Turned Spy

In 1445, during the reign of renowned Ethiopian Emperor Zara Yaqob, an interesting event unfolded. Zara Yaqob was the most distinguished of Ethiopia's emperors, with neighboring tribes and nations under his thumb, making it impossible for them to resist his power. While passing through the Jewish Kingdom of Gedaion, he saw Princess Tzipora and decided she must become his wife. With no way to reject the emperor's demand, Tzipora was taken to his court at the age of 18 and forced to convert, receiving the name 'Walta Kedusan.' Although the emperor had many wives, Tzipora was exceptional in her influence, earning her the title "Empress." She bore him three sons.

This was her public persona. Privately, Tzipora remained faithful to Jewish commandments, dismissing the imposed faith she was forced to adopt. Most importantly, she became a secret spy for the Gedaion Kingdom, passing on the emperor's military plans. The Jewish community intended to use this intelligence to dethrone the mighty emperor and take over the kingdom, hoping to place Esakal, Tzipora's son, on the throne, raising him within Jewish traditions.

The emperor planned a war in southern Ethiopia against the Muslim Sultanate of Adal, and Tzipora leaked these plans to her brother in the Gedaion Kingdom. When the emperor moved south with his army, the Jews began their counterattack. Special envoys informed the emperor of the uprising, prompting his swift return to the capital city, as he knew the people loved his son Esakal and would not oppose his ascension. The emperor's quick return thwarted the plans, leading to a defeat of the Jewish army. Tzipora's fate was not as she hoped; she was executed for treason, unlike Queen Esther's triumphant ending.

The remnants of the Jewish army fled to the Semien Mountains, the domain of the Gedaion Kingdom. The emperor removed his son Esakal from succession, appointing him to a military position far from the capital to preclude further uprisings. The emperor adopted the title "Destroyer of Jews."

Among those captured in the uprising, known as "Tzipora's rebellion," was Monk Abba Tzabra, a spiritual leader to Ethiopian Jewry. In a remote prison, he met Esakal, assigned there by his father, and slowly convinced him of his Jewish identity. Eventually, Esakal freed Abba Tzabra, and together they escaped through the forests. Their journey was a spiritual awakening, founding synagogues in every village they visited, as per Ethiopian tradition. In the Gedaion Kingdom, Abba Tzabra established critical ordinances, created a single prayer book for the Ethiopian community, prohibited touching Christians to prevent assimilation, and became the first to transcribe oral Torah into writing. He also penned many hymns, with Ethiopian immigrants naming a synagogue in Beersheva: "Abona Abba Tzabra Synagogue."

Esakal returned with Abba Tzabra to the Gedaion Kingdom, becoming known as "Tzaga Amlek"—Son of the King. He too became a prominent Torah scholar and leader among Ethiopian Jews, fulfilling his mother's legacy of a son returning to Judaism openly and proudly.

Zion Tzipora's second son, Baeda Maryam, secretly buried his mother to protect her dignity from his father's wrath. While he experienced long-standing conflicts with his father, they eventually reconciled, allowing him to succeed as Emperor of Ethiopia. Despite rumors spread by Christians throughout the empire labeling him a Jew, he did not live following his mother's or brother's example, nor did he favor the Jews. Concerns about his citizens likely held him back. His army's Christian chief of staff, Marcus, caused significant harm to Ethiopian Jews—troubles that ceased only when the southern Muslims rose, engaging the Ethiopian empire in conflict.