Menelik I was the son of Makeda, Queen of Sheba and King Solomon of Israel. He was the founder of the Solomonic Dynasty in Ethiopia, and is said to be the first monarch to use the title of King of Kings of Ethiopia. Makeda, according to the Kebre Negest, returned from her biblical visit to Jerusalem pregnant with Solomon's son, as did one of her servants. (The Zagwe dynasty would later claim to be the decendents of the servant). When her son was born, she raised him as her heir, and then sent him to meet his father in Jerusalem when he came of age. After meeting his father, Menelik returned to his homeland. When Menelik returned, Solomon arranged for a copy of the Ark of the Covenant to be made for him to take with him, and ordered the eldest sons of all his nobels and priests to go with Menelik. The son of Zadok the High Priest, apparently reluctant to go off to a strange land with just a copy of the Ark, snuck into the temple and exchanged the replica with the real Ark, and brought the Ark of the Covenant to Ethiopia. It is kept at the Cathedral of St. Mary of Zion to this day, in a special sanctuary Chapel that only one guardian monk is permited to enter.

Ezana was the son of Emperor Ella Amida. During his fathers reign, two Syrian youths were shipwrecked on the Red Sea Coast and brought to the Imperial Court. One of them, Adesius, became the trusted cup bearer and food taster for the Emperor, while the other, Fermentius, became his secretary. Upon the death of the Emperor Ella Amida, the widowed Empress begged the two Syrian Christians to remain in the country and help her rule until her son came of age. Fermentius remained, and assisted the Empress as well as becoming the tutor to the young boy Emperor. Fermentius converted Emperor Ezana to Christianity, and when the Emperor came of age, he replaced his coins that bore an emblem of the sun and moon along with his image, with new coins that bore the Holy Cross. They are the first coins in the world to bear the Christian emblem. Fermentius went to Alexandira to request that the Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, who at the time was St. Athnathius himself, to appoint the first Bishop of Ethiopia. Patriarch Athnathius sent Fermentius himself back as the first Bishop, with the new name of Abune Selamma. This bishop is known to the west as St. Fermentius of the Ethiopians. Ever since this event in the fourth century, Ethiopia has been identified as a Christian state in Africa, and one of the oldest Christian states in the world. Ethiopian tradition maintains that Ezana's brother Shezana also served as a co-ruler with his brother, and the brothers are known in Ethiopia commonly as Abraha and Atsbeha. The brothers recieved a letter from the Byzantine Emperor Constantius that instructed them to expell the bishop Abune Salamma as he did not subscribe to the Arian doctrine supported by the Byzantine Emperor, and was a supporter of St. Athenathius, Patriarch of Alexandria who was the leading opponent of Arianism. The Ethiopian monarchs refused, and heald fast to the Orthodox doctrine supported by St. Athnathius. Ezana was a significantly successful soldier, whose military vicories are recorded in numerous inscriptions at Axum. He is also credited with having brought the Ark of the Covenant from the island of Tana Kirkos in lake Tana, to the Cathedral of St. Mary of Zion which he built, removing it from the custody of the Bete Israel Jews (Falashas) and placing it in the hands of Ethiopias Christians.

During the reign of this monarch, St. Yared developed and composed the liturgical music and chants of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, as well as a unique 5 note system and notation system for Ethiopian music. Emperor Gebre Meskel is said to have been so mesmerized by Yared's music, that he accidentally pierced St. Yared's food with his spear while listening to a recital by Yared. Gebre Meskel was a particularly pious Emperor who was himself eventually declaired a saint of the Ethiopian Church

The Emperor Armah is the Ethiopian monarch who was the first ruler to give sanctuary to the first moslems. Soon after the Prophet Mohammed began his teaching in Arabia, the Kings of the region began to ruthlessly supress and persecute his followers. Many fled across the Red Sea to the Axumite Empire, including members of the Prophet's family. When the pagan Arab kings heard that many moslem refugees had fled to Ethiopia, they sent messengers to Armah offering a large bounty for the return of these fugitives to them. The Axumite Emperor, hesitant and unsure of the nature of these exiles had them investigated by his officials, and was told that they were simple people who believed in one God, and were mostly poor women and children who had thrown themselves at his mercy. After seeing this for himself, he is said to have replied to the Arab Kings, "Even if you were to pay me a mountain of gold, I could not in good conscience betray these people and send them to you." This act was possibly a key event in the survival of the young Islamic religion, and the Prophet deeply appreciated this act of compassion. He explicitly instructed his followers to leave the Ethiopians in peace, and exempted Ethiopia from Jihad. This in turn allowed Ethiopian Christianity to survive intact as the Nubian Christian kingdoms and the Christians in Egypt succumbed to Moslem conquest. When news that Emperor Armah died reached the Prophet Mohammed in Mecca, it is said that he wept and mourned for him. Moslems and Christians have lived side by side in Ethiopia ever since.

A Brief history of each of the preceding monarchs is being worked on. During the long reign of Anbassa Widim, a Jewish (Falasha or Bete Israel) woman named Yodit led an uprising that swept much of the land and fought to eliminate Christian hegemony and regain custody of the Ark of the Covenant for the Ethiopian Jews. Upon the death of Yodit, Anbassa Widim was restored breifly, but following his death, the weakened dynasty fell, and were replaced by the Zagwe dynasty

Following the fall of the Solomonic Dynasty, the throne was assumed by a new royal house known as the Zagwe Dynasty, founded by Emperor Mara Tekle Haimanot. These Emperors were said to have been of Agew origin, and the name Zagwe is believed to be derived from the words Ze Agew (which means "of Agew"). Although what is known as Agew Midir (land of the Agews) is located in modern day Gojjam, the Agew are known to have occupied a much wider area in earlier times, and been a major ethnic group in the Empire. Over the centuries, they have assimilated more and more into the Amhara ethnicity which surrounded them and are now indistinguishable for the most part, except for the very few remaining Agew who still speak their distinct language. The new dynasty from it's origins had difficulties with establishing it's legitimacy. It is said to have claimed decent from King Solomon through the maid servant of the Queen of Sheba who according to the Kibre Negest was also impregnated by the Israelite king at the same time. They also claimed an even older lineage by claiming decent from Moses through his Ethiopian wife. None the less, they seem to have always suffered from a perception of a lack of legitimacy, especially since the Solomonic decendants of the Axumite Emperors continued in existance in Shewa. The Zagwe's moved the capital of the Empire from Axum to the south, into the district of Lasta, to a town called Roha. This town would be renamed for the greatest of the Zagwe Emperors, Lalibella, who would build the great rock hewn churches that are still in use today as places of worship and pilgrimage. Below is a list of the Zagwe Emperors, and the dates of their reigns. Several of them would later be canonized by the Coptic and Ethiopian Orthodox Churchs.

The Solomonic Dynasty was restored in 1270 when the founding Abbot of Debre Libanos Monastery, Saint Tekle Haimanot, convinced Harbe II to step aside and allow the Solomonic heir, Yekonu Amlak, to assume the Imperial Throne rather than face a humiliating military defeat. Legend states that Harbe II took religious vows and became a monk, and his heir was the one who recieved the settlement from the new Emperor and became the first Wagshum, with the district of Wag as his hereditary fief. The decendants of the Zagwe Emperors bore the title of Wagshum from the year 1270 right up to the revolution of 1974. The Abdication Settlement not only granted the district of Wag and the hereditary title of Wagshum, but also granted the Wagshums the right to be seated on a silver throne one step bellow the golden throne of the Emperor. They were entitled to have the great negarit drum beaten for them in salute on great occasions, and also during military campaigns just like the Emperor. They were also granted the privilege of being seated in the Imperial presence, so long as the Emperor was also seated. They were treated with princely deference by all, and deeply revered in Lasta and Wag. The Solomonic Emperors honored this agreement until the fall of the Ethiopian monarchy 804 years later.

In the year 1270 Ethiopia went through a monumental change. After a brief war, the last of the Zagwe Emperors, Harbe II, was convinced by St. Tekle Haimanot, the founder of Debre Libanos Monastery (thus the first Echege of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church) to relinquish the throne in favor of Yekonu Amlak, a direct decendent of the last Axumite Emperor Anbassa Widim. Yekonu Amlak had raised an ever increasing army, and large sections of the country were rallying to the Solomonic banner. The Church recognized the legitimacy of the Solomonic claimant, and yet did not want to see humiliation and harm come to the Zagwe Emperor. The Zagwes had been regarded as saintly and pious children of the Church, so the Church wished to protect them. Emperor Harbe II was convinced by St. Tekle Haimanot to relinquish the throne, and retired to a monastery. The Solomonic dynasty was thus restored. In the act of settlement, Yekonu Amlak agreed to grant the title of Wagshum and rule over the district of Wag to the heirs of the Zagwe Emperors. The Wagshums were guaranteed the right to be seated in the presence of the Emperor (provided he himself was seated), the right to have a silver throne a step below the Emperor's gold throne, and the right to have the negarit war drum beaten for them just as it was beaten for the Solomonic Emperor. Yekonu Amlak was crowned at Debre Birhan in Shewa, and was based there. His relationship with the Church was very close due to the role of Saint Tekle Haimanot in convincing Harbe II to abdicate in his favor. Yekonu Amlak handed over to the church, vast land holdings, starting a tradtion continued by his decendents that ended up making the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church the largest single land owner in the Empire. He consolidated his rule over the northern highlands and enforced Imperial hegemony over the emerging Islamic ministates in the Empire and the surrounding lowlands. Chief among these, he subjigated the Sultanate of Ifat. Yekonu Amlak died in 1285

Upon the death of Yekonu Amlak, he was succeeded by his son Yigba Tsion who speant much of his reign fighting various sons and grandsons of Yekonu Amlak for the succession. After a brief reign that ended with his death in 1294, the fighting intensified among his brothers and nephews untill 1300 or so when it was decided to return to the old custom of imprisoning all male heirs of the House of Solomon to prevent wars of succession. Instead of the old royal prison on Debre Damo monastery, they royal men were taken to the new monastery prison built on Amba Gishen.

Amde Tsion was crowned in 1313 and brought all the Christian distrincts of the northern highlands under his firm control. He expanded his power deeper into Shewa, Gojjam, Damot and Agew Midir. He established stronger control of the Lake Tana area, establishing a strong base on the Zegey penninsula where he built the beautiful St. Mary's church which still stands today with it's magnificent murals. He also expanded deep into the south into Hadiya, which is in modern Sidama (Sidamo), and spread Christianity throughout the south. He strengthened the monarchy and established a more stable system of government. Emperor Amde Tsion died in 1344