| Gebre Meskel ገብረ መስቀል | |
|---|---|
 Detail from a painting inUra Kidane Mehret. | |
| King of Axum | |
| Reign | 534–548[1][2] or 550–564[3][4] |
| Predecessor | Kaleb orIsrael |
| Successor | Kostantinos |
| Born | Axum |
| Issue | Kostantinos[5] |
| Father | Kaleb |
Gebre Meskel (Ge'ez: ገብረ መስቀል gäbrä mäsqäl, "Servant of the Cross") also known asGabra Masqal was aKing of Axum who reigned in the6th century. He was a son ofKaleb of Axum and brother toIsrael of Axum.[5] His reign is most notable for the compositions of hymns by the Ethiopian saintYared.
According to one source, Gebre Meskel had a high administrative position in theShewa region during the reign of his father.[1] Oral tradition claims his seat was in the mountains of Menagesha.[1]
MostAxumite regnal lists name Gebre Meskel as the direct successor of his father Kaleb.[6][7] Lists that include reign lengths state he ruled for 14 years.[8][9][10][11] A regnal list quoted byCarlo Conti Rossini stated this king reigned for 40 years.[8] Some lists place Gebre Meskel after his brotherIsrael, who reigned for 8 months.[7] The1922 regnal list of Ethiopia, as quoted by thenPrince RegentTafari Makonnen, stated this king reigned for 14 years and succeeded kingZa Israel, who apparently only reigned for one month according to this list.[12] The 1922 regnal list gave his regnal dates as 523–537E.C.[12]
According to theKebra Nagast Gebre Meskel was the youngest son of Kaleb and succeeded him to the throne after Kaleb retired to amonastery.[13]
To date, no Axumite coinage has been discovered bearing the name of this king.[14]
Most regnal lists name Kostantinos as Gebre Meskel's successor.[8][10][9][12]
Various sources suggest that a struggle for the throne emerged after the end of the reign of Kaleb, who had died or abdicated depending on the source.[1] One source claims that Gebre Meskel was the rightful heir to the throne, as he was Kaleb's eldest son, but the throne was usurped by his brotherBeta Israel, who would later drop dead when priests announced that they had asked the retired king Kaleb who he wanted as his successor and he had chosen Gebre Meskel.[1] A different source claimed that it was Israel who was the rightful heir and that his brother was the one who had usurped the throne, leading to a long-lasting conflict.[1]
Hagiographical sources consider Gebre Meskel to be Kaleb's only son and completely ignore Israel.[1]
Ethiopian sources generally indicate that Gebre Meskel's reign was peaceful.[15][16] However, outside of Ethiopia events were less peaceful. The territory of southArabia, conquered by his father Kaleb, was likely lost during the reign of Gebre Meskel and the Persians annexed the territory by c. 575.[16]
Some chronicles claim that in the seventh year of his reign, he travelled toJerusalem and afterwards built a palace inSamaria inNablus.[17]
The Axumitecomposer andsaintYared is said to have composed hymns in the reign of Gebre Meskel.[15]
According to oral tradition, Gebre Meskel was killed when we went to easternTigray to wage war.[18] He has been canonized by theEthiopian Church and his feast is observed on 29Hedar (8 December).[16]
A text namedGedle Asfé credits the construction of St. Mary's Church inYeha to Gebre Meskel.[15] Another text namedGedle Aregawi stated the monastery ofDebre Damo was built during his reign.[15] Ethiopian tradition also states that the Zur Amba church inBegemder was founded during Gebre Meskel's reign.[15]
Gebre Meskel is additionally credited with building a palace next to one built by his father Kaleb.[15]
Some sources state that he was buried in the church ofDebre Selam in theOromia region.[18] However, there is also a tomb in theTigray Region known as the "Tomb of Gabra Masqal", which is dated to c. 599.[19]
The name "Gebre Meskel" or "Gabra Maskal" has been used as aregnal name by at least three Ethiopian emperors:
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Giustino de Jacobis (Roman Catholic),Nine Saints • Armenian Apostolic liturgical calendar,Coptic calendar,Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar • | ||
