JANUARY 1622
The construction of Genneta Yesus (“Paradise of Jesus”) was finished and the church was dedicated to Emperor Susenyos (1607-1632) on January 1622. The stone church was built by the Portuguese Jesuit Pero Pais. In his 19 years stay in Ethiopia, he learned Ge’ez and Amharic, mastered Ethiopian customs, helped to the excommunication of Ethiopia by the Abuna, converted Emperors Za Dengel and Susenyos to Catholics, and established a Jesuit center in Gorgora. Upon Susenyos’ death, the emperor was buried in Genneta Yesus (Henze 2000, 96-99).
21 JANUARY, 1871
Although Tewodros was still king of Ethiopia in 1867, honored by European nations, he actually only had controlled a small portion of Begemder and his army had been reduced to about 10,000. The British government launched a military expedition against Tewodros, upset at the imprisonment of British subjects. The British troops, consisting mostly of Indians, faced little resistance from Kassa Mercha, a noblemen of Endarta, who had than control of much of Tigray. Only after four days of fighting, the British had succeeded in dethroning Tewodros and as they departed, they rewarded Kassa Marcha, ‘for his cooperation by presenting him with six mortars, six howitzers, as well as 850 muskets and a goodly supply of ammunition.’ This might of a gift came in quiet useful for Kassa four years later when he defeated Wagshum Gobaze, Emperor Tekle Giyorgis of Gondar, the ruler of Amhara, Wag, and Lasta. And on 21 January, 1871, Kassa declared himself Emperor as Yohannes IV, after he had destroyed Gobaze’s army of 60,000 (Pankhurst 1998, 157-162):
"Kassa's coronation ... took place ... in Axum. ...On the eve of the ceremony there was a great parade in which almost 3,000 Ethiopian priests took part. ...the feasting lasted three whole days, with 400 men at a time entering to eat in the room in which the king sat. About 4,000 cows had been killed and about 150,000 bottles of hydromel prepared. Kassa wore an elegant robe of silk, entwined with gold thread; a white cotton garment, in the Ethiopian fashion, covered the royal robe - leaving the King's crown and eyes visible." (Gabre-Sellassie 1975, 34-5)
