The Kebra Negast: The Lost Bible of Rastafarian Wisdom and Faith from Ethiopia and Jamaica [Hardcover]

Gerald Hausman (Editor), Ziggy Marley (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 1997

The Lost Bible of Rastafarian Wisdom and Faith from Ethiopia and Jamaica.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

What did Jamaican reggae singer Bob Marley and Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia have in common? A love for the Kebra Negast, holy book of Ethiopian Christians and Jamaican Rastafarians. Contemporary scholars date the Kebra Negast to the 14th century, but it retells the stories of much earlier Biblical times, one very important story in particular. According to the Kebra Negast, the Israelites' Ark of the Covenant was spirited away to the ancient kingdom of Ethiopia by wise King Solomon's own son, offspring of the union between Solomon and the exotic Queen Makeda of Ethiopia (a.k.a. the Queen of Sheba). Gerald Hausman, a consummate storyteller of native traditions, presents the core narrative of the Kebra Negast, from Adam to the rise of the Ethiopian Solomonid dynasty. On top of this, he injects his own encounters with Rastafarians during his travels in Jamaica--dreadlocked Rastas as modern-day Samsons, their unwavering faith in Jah, and a rare outsider's glimpse at the Nyabinghi ceremony. The combination of ancient tale and modern belief give Hausman's Kebra Negast the rich flavor of enduring truth. --Brian Bruya

From Library Journal

Folklorist and author Hausman has combined ten years of informal study in Jamaica, the 1922 version of "The Queen of Sheba and Her Only Son Menyelek" (translated by E.A. Wallis Budge), the Koran, the King James Bible, and the words of reggae great Bob Marley into a new version of the Kebra Negast ("the glory of the Kings"). This "lost bible," the core of Rastafarian wisdom and faith, has survived through oral tradition in many Caribbean nations, even though it has been banned because of its African glory themes. Hausman effectively puts the Kebra Negast into the words of the Rastafarian community, presenting the core?that "we must learn to live by the laws of compassion rather than judgment"?through anecdotes from the author's travels in the Rasta community. A recommended introduction to the Kebra Negast.?L. Kriz, West Des Moines Lib., Iowa
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press; 1st edition (October 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312167938
• ISBN-13: 978-0312167936
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #80,942 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #1 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Other Practices > Rastafari
  • #27 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Other Practices > Tribal & Ethnic

More About the Author

I am an inveterate storyteller, which is to say: I love to do it, am helpless not to do it, and I do it all the time, even when I am by myself there is an inner monologue going on in my head. This habit of privately roving around in the land of legends is something I've done for as long as I can remember. My mom worried about me when she saw that I spent too much time by myself. I would creep into a closet and close the door and in the silence of the darkness I would spin tales of all kinds. I was never lonely as a kid because I had the imagination of a wild thing, and I was content to play in the fields and valleys and secret caves of that imaginary world.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

141 of 148 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Let the reader beware, September 12, 2001

By 

Andre M. "brnn64" (Mt. Pleasant, SC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Kebra Negast: The Lost Bible of Rastafarian Wisdom and Faith from Ethiopia and Jamaica (Hardcover)

This version is not to be confused with the classic text of Ethiopian religion/mythology of the same name. This version contains excerpts from the classical ancient text and combines it with anecdotes and sayings of rasafarianism, which is itself a recent concept dating back to the days of Selassie's coronation in 1930 (another story altogther). Basically, this version tries to connect the classic text with modern rastafarianism. If you're interested in rastafarianism, you can go ahead with this. But if you're interested in an English translation of the actual Kebra Nagast (Glory of Kings), see the E.A. Wallace Budge translation or the Miguel Brooks translation.

31 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very informative book with great stories and history, December 5, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Kebra Negast: The Lost Bible of Rastafarian Wisdom and Faith from Ethiopia and Jamaica (Hardcover)

I consider this one of the best books I have ever written. The Kebra Nagast tells us the biblical background of the Rastafari culture and faith. When I read this book , I was very moved by it and it taught me many things about the Rasta beliefs. It contains great tales of wisdom by Rastas and information of what the Rastas believe in. This book contains information passed down from many generations. I strongly recommend this book to any Rasta or person who is intersted in the Rastafari faith.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Caution Encouraged, March 23, 2008

By 

Sis BonnyAsher (NZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Kebra Negast: The Lost Bible of Rastafarian Wisdom and Faith from Ethiopia and Jamaica (Hardcover)

Greetings.
I have an edition of the Kebra Negast (The Book of Kings). The edition I have is not referenced or added to. As far as I have researched my edition contains the original translated words and nothing else. In my spiritual walk I have experienced confusion as a result of other peoples' interpretations and opinions as far as the Bible and other related writings go. I believe it is important to search the truth for ones' self, allowing the Lord to guide you and Christ teachings to be your standard. In this way your own truth becomes aligned with the spritual truth of The Most High, The Lord God of Israel. This edition contains some reasonings from other sources. Whilst I believe that to reason with others is a good and pleasant thing, I encourage caution when others opinions is presented as a truth for many. I myself am of The Orthodox Ethiopian Faith, commonly referred to as 'Rastafarianism'. I encourage others in their search to read the original Kebra Negast first.
Give Thanks in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ. Sis BonnyAsher.