The Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion in Axum, Ethiopia. Credit: Jialiang Gao via Wikimedia At least 750 people are reported dead after an attack on an Oriental Orthodox church in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, according to a European watch-group.
Lost ark
On January 9, the Europe External Programme with Africa reported that the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion in Axum, about 80 miles west of Adigrat, had been attacked, and that hundreds of people who hid inside were brought out to the front square and shot to death.
According to Church Times UK, the attack was carried out by Ethiopian government troops and Amhara militia from central Ethiopia. At least 1,000 people were estimated to be hiding in the church at the time of the attack.
Locals have said they believe the church was targeted by raiders of the lost ark. The church is thought to contain the original Ark of the Covenant, a sacred golden chest first mentioned in the book of Exodus that carried the ten Commandments, parts of Sacred Scripture, Aaron’s rod, and a pot of manna.
They believed the attackers wanted to steal the Ark of the Covenant and take it to the capital city of Addis Ababa, the Church Times reported. Whether it is really the true Ark has been debated by historians for centuries.
Orthodox Church
The church belongs to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, an Oriental Orthodox Church that is estimated to have about 36 million members. Tigray has been the site of the Tigray War since November of last year.
Thousands of people are estimated to have been killed on both sides of the conflict. Each side blames the other for the conflict, and it is difficult to confirm their claims, the Associated Press has said. Tigray’s communications have been almost completely cut off, and journalists were reportedly not allowed in the area where the church attack took place.
Peace and dialogue
Pope Francis and the Catholic bishops of the region called for peace and dialogue as the conflict worsened in November. According to the UN, tens of thousands have fled the Tigray region for Sudan after the outbreak of the war.