Zera Yacob's Contradictions

Zera Yacob had a culture entirely theological, where he earned respect for his intellectual capacities, and went on to pursue the traditional Ethiopian theological education. Zera Yacob mastered Coptic theology and Catholic theology, and he had extensive knowledge of Jewish, Catholic, and Islamic religions. His spiritual vade mecum was David’s Book of Psalms, in which he sought comfort and inspiration. Knowing two Christian interpretations of the Bible, as well as the two other Abrahamic religions, and being able to see the contradictions between them, Zera Yacob is led to refuse the authority of the Ethiopian tradition and of any tradition in general. He comes to think that tradition is infested by lies, because men, in their own ignorance,