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Igziabeher (Amharic: እግዚአብሔር; /əɡziˈɑːbəhɛr/) means literally "Lord of a nation" or "tribe", i.e. God, in the Ethiopic or Ge'ez language, as well as modern Ethio-semitic languages including Amharic.[1]
Igziabher in Ge'ez is composed of `əgzi (Lord or ruler attributed to the Son), plus a euphonic -'AB added to the vowel to signify the construct (i.e., "ruler of") attributed to the Father, followed by bihier sometimes attributed to ("nation, tribe) but in this case used in the alternate meaning bahari to signify the essence of the Father that is the Holy Sprit. This name addresses THE GOD in holy trinity. In Amharic, bihier, when directly translated into English, means ethnic group. Another, more generic Ethiopian/Eritrean word meaning "God" (including the deities of any other religion) is አምላክ (`amlak) which is descended from the Proto-Semitic term for "king" or "ruler."
Igziabher is also used within the Rastafari movement as a name of Jah (God). It can be heard in the roots reggae and dub reggae music of artists such as Peter Broggs and Peter Tosh (who recorded a song named "Igziabeher (Let Jah Be Praised)" on his album Legalize It), The Abyssinians, Third World and Midnite.
In the fourth century, King Ezana ruled a large part of modern-day Eritrea and Northern Ethiopia. People in his realm worshipped several gods, called Beher, Astar, and Maher. Igziabeher is possibly a variant of the name Beher.[2][3][4]
References
edit- ^ AmharicDictionary. "God". SelamSoft. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
- ^ Mokhtar, G (1990). Ancient Civilizations of Africa, page 376. California: University of California Press.
- ^ Milkias, P (2011). Ethiopia, page 170. ABC-CLIO: Westport, CT.
- ^ Phillipson, DW (2014). Foundations of an African Civilisation, page 96.New York: Boydell and Brewer, Ltd.