"Before the King James Bible was translated into English—Ethiopian Christians were already reading a sacred text that told a completely different story about Africa, Black identity, and God's covenant."
The Kebra Nagast (The Glory of Kings) is a 700-year-old Ethiopian epic that has been described as "the repository of Ethiopian national and religious feelings"[citation:6]. It presents an African-centered view of the Old and New Testaments—including the claim that Jesus was Black—which is why it was suppressed, banned in many Caribbean nations, and excluded from Western Bibles[citation:1].
In this episode, we uncover six powerful secrets this text reveals about Black people that most Christians have never heard:
1. The Queen of Sheba (Makeda) was an African monarch—not a foreign visitor. The Kebra Nagast claims her as an Ethiopian queen who ruled with wisdom and power[citation:2][citation:4].
2. The Ark of the Covenant is not lost. According to the text, it was brought to Ethiopia by Menelik I, the son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, and rests in Axum to this day[citation:3][citation:6].
3. Ethiopia became God's new "chosen people" through the Solomonic bloodline—a radical claim that repositions African people at the center of salvation history[citation:2][citation:3].
4. The text rejects the "curse of Ham" entirely. Instead of justifying slavery, it elevates African kingship and priesthood as blessed by God[citation:1][citation:10].
5. Menelik I was not a passive heir. He chose to return to Africa, bringing the divine presence with him—symbolizing Black self-determination and spiritual independence[citation:3][citation:6].
6. The Kebra Nagast directly inspired Rastafarianism and Bob Marley's message of Black liberation. Leonard Barrett notes it became "the cornerstone of Rastafarian belief" in Jamaica[citation:1][citation:10].
Scholar Jillian Stinchcomb explains that unlike earlier texts that "othered" Black people, the Kebra Nagast "positively claims the Queen of Sheba as an African monarch"[citation:4]. Miguel F. Brooks, who translated the text, confirms that these pages "were excised by royal decree" from the King James Bible[citation:7][citation:9].
Why was this hidden? Modern scholarship notes the Kebra Nagast was created to legitimize Ethiopian kings—but for centuries, it has served a deeper purpose: preserving an African biblical identity that colonialism tried to erase[citation:6].
Press play for the truth they didn't want you to read.