Does the Bible mention Haile Selassie?

Lineage. Many Rastafarians trace Haile Selassie's lineage back to King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. They believe that the Queen of Sheba's visit to King Solomon found in the Book of Kings (1 Kings 10:1-13) provides further proof of the divinity of Haile Selassie I.

What is the link between Haile Selassie and Jesus?

By viewing Haile Selassie as Jesus, these Rastas also regard him as the messiah prophesied in the Old Testament, the manifestation of God in human form, and "the living God". Some perceive him as part of a Trinity, alongside God as Creator and the Holy Spirit, the latter referred to as "the Breath within the temple".

Do Rastafarians still worship Haile Selassie?

Today, Haile Selassie is worshipped as God incarnate among followers of the Rastafari movement (taken from Haile Selassie's pre-imperial name Ras—meaning Head, a title equivalent to Duke—Tafari Makonnen), which emerged in Jamaica during the 1930s under the influence of Marcus Garvey's "Pan Africanism" movement.

What bad things did Haile Selassie do?

He consolidated his power by weakening the provinces after Italy's defeat by the British in 1941. He was also harsh towards those Ethiopian patriots who fought against the Italians while he fled to Britain. For example, Belay Zeleke, a national war hero was hung on his orders.

Why is Haile Selassie so famous?

As emperor of Ethiopia (1930–74), Haile Selassie I was known for modernizing his country, for helping to establish the Organization of African Unity (now the African Union) in 1963, for his exile (1936–41), and for being overthrown in 1974. He was also regarded as the messiah of the African race by many Rastas.

Where is Haile Selassie in the Bible?

Why was Selassie deposed?

There was opposition to Haile Selassie. There was opposition because of the lack of compassion for people. There was a big famine during that time in the early '70s – and that was part of the reason why he was overthrown.

Why is Haile Selassie hated in Ethiopia?

Marcus Garvey was unimpressed after he fled Ethiopia in 1936 following the invasion of Benito Mussolini's troops a year earlier, describing Haile Selassie as a "coward" and calling him out for "the terrors of slavery". The practice was not outlawed in Ethiopia until 1942.

Did Haile Selassie perform miracles?

In addition, acknowledging a perception of Haile Selassie performing a miracle can justify belief that the emperor is divine by linking him to the Orthodox Christian tradition of reading the miracles of Mary as part of the church service.

Did Haile Selassie deny divinity?

Rastafarians worship Emperor Haile Selassie despite his many denials of being God. Listen to Emperor Haile Selassie's denial of deity in an interview in Canada in 1967 aboard the royal train.

Did Haile Selassie Have Lions?

His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Haile Selassie I, King of Kings, Lord of Lords and Conquering Lion of the tribe of Judah, Emperor of Ethiopia, with one of his 30 lions, who roamed freely arround his palace!

What holy book do Rastafarians read?

The Holy Bible is the most important book in Rastafari. This special edition Bible includes the Old and New Testament with corrections made to the King James Version. The books of Enoch, Jubilees, and the Kebra Nagast are also included, all sacred books in the Ethiopian Biblical Canon.

What do Rastas say before smoking?

The Ganja is always smoked in a ritual way. Before smoking the plant the Rasta will say a prayer to Jah (God) or to Haile Selassie I. The Rasta call them reasoning sessions when they use Ganja for Nyabinghi. A Nyabinghi session is much different from a casual marijuana smoking session that western people take part in.

How old was Haile Selassie when he died?

Haile Selassie, the last emperor in the 3,000‐year‐old Ethiopian monarchy, who ruled for half a century before he was deposed by military coup last September, died yesterday in a small apartment in his former palace. He was 83 years old.

How much was Haile Selassie worth?

The size of the former Emperor's fortune is not known. The Ethiopian press has spoken of a figure as high as $11‐billion, but Swiss sources put it much lower, although probably still in the hundreds of millions.

Was Haile Selassie a tyrant?

Amid all the preparations for a glorious state funeral, the Ethiopian government this week denounced Haile Selassie as "a despotic tyrant". The prime minister, Meles Zenawi, argued that the emperor presided over a feudal oligarchy that reduced farmers to "tenants and serfs on their own lands".

Did Marcus Garvey believe in Haile Selassie?

Marcus Garvey and Haile Selassie were not enemies; nor were they friends. Garvey was initially a very strong supporter of Selassie as hostilities between Italian and Ethiopian troops began at Wal Wal in December 1934, and events began to unfolded leading into the Italo-Ethiopian War.

Who dethroned Haile Selassie?

However, by the 1970s, Emperor Selassie's apparent indifference to a major famine in the country resulted in the loss of popular support. In 1974, he was dethroned in a military coup by his successor, Mengistu Haile Mariam.

Where is the Ethiopian royal family now?

Crown Prince Zera Yacob is regarded as head of the Imperial Family of Ethiopia. He lives in Addis Ababa.

Why do Rastafarians worship Selassie?

Rastafarians regard Haile Selassie I as God because Marcus Garvey's prophecy - "Look to Africa where a black king shall be crowned, he shall be the Redeemer" - was swiftly followed by the ascension of Haile Selassie as Emperor of Ethiopia. Haile Selassie I is regarded by Rastafarians as the God of the Black race.

Why do Rastafarians not eat pork?

Meat is considered dead and therefore works against Livity and the elevation of Life Energy. Most Rastas avoid eating pork as well as shellfish, as they are considered to be meat derived from scavengers. Many Rastas denounce the use of cigarettes as well as alcohol due to their harmful effects on one's health.

Do Rastas celebrate Christmas?

And so, it emerges that Rastafarians do celebrate the Birth of Christ, except that it's not called Christmas and it's not celebrated on the 25th of December. It is called Lidät, an Amharic word meaning “Birthday”.

Is there a Rasta Bible?

The Rastafari Bible is an edition of the Holy Bible for Rastas. The Jah International Version is a revision of the King James Version, which has a long history of use in Rastafari. The JIV restores the name of God JAH in both the Old and New Testaments.

Do Rastas follow the Bible?

Rastas believe that they can come to know the true meanings of biblical scriptures by cultivating a mystical consciousness of oneself with Jah, called “I-and-I.” Rastas read the Bible selectively, however, emphasizing passages from Leviticus that admonish the cutting of hair and beard and the eating of certain foods ...

Is Jah and Jehovah the same?

(religion) A shortened form of Yahweh or Jehovah, God's personal name in the Bible.