In the name of Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit one God Amen.

“ O virgin you were not conceived through lust, but you
were born in lawful marriage from Hannah and Eliakim. ”

/ From St. Mary's anaphora of the Ethiopic Church /

Hannah and Eliakim

According to the Ethiopian Protoevangelium, the great Grand parents of the Holy Virgin Mary are called Tekta and Betrika. They were very rich couples but lived without any children of their own. Once up on a time Tekta went to his treasure and observe the magnituted of his possession. Then he asked his wife “we are both unable to beget a child; who do you think will inherit all our possession. ” She replied, “the problem of infertility may be from me, so why don ’t you try from some one else. ” Tekta did not agree with her idea and he reacted “The God of Israel knows every thing I will not try this. ” And they saddened with their status of being childless.

Soon they saw a vision that a white calf came out of their corral, then she gave birth to another calf until the six generations, then the sixth one begot a moon and the moon preceded a sun. Having this in their mind they went to tell to someone in their village that is able to interpret vision. He interpreted the vision and told them they will beget good child and will have similar offspring's until the sixth generation. But the moon, which came after, refers to a wonderful daughter that can be above all creatures; he was unable to speak about the sun, which proceeds from the moon. “That might be a king or I don ’t know ” he said. They left him saying let the time reveals it.

And then, Betrika conceived and gave birth to Heamen, (Which was to mean I have received my vow), Heamen begot Derden, Derden begot Tona, Tona begot Hermela, Hermela begot Hannah who got married to Eliakim, a man from the house of Judah. But unfortunately, Hannah, like her great grandma, was not able to have an offspring.

This was a very unsatisfactory life for Hannah. Once Hannah wanted to go to the house of God (synagogue), and she was looking for clean dresses to put on. While she did not succeed to find what she wanted, her neighbor, who was a prostitute proposed to lend Hannah clothes. But Hannah refused to accept thinking that she was not supposed to go to the house of God having the stuff of the prostitute, a sinner. And Hannah told the prostitute “God is pure, and He loves us to be pure. But your dresses are bought from the benefit of sin. ” Then the women with reproach and insult responded “I was often thinking about why you are infertile but, now it is clear for me, it is a result of your awful thinking; it is such kind of evil idea that has made you barren. ” Hannah, though she was saddened by the response she did not cease to praise and hope in God.

On the other day, when Eliakim and Hannah went to offer sacrifice to the house of God the priest rejected their gift considering their childlessness as a curse. Protoevangelium puts this awful marginalization like this:

"It happened one day that Eliakim, who was wealthy and highly regarded in Israel, met reproach due to his sterility. Feeling unhappy, he left his wife Hannah and isolated himself to the desert to pray and fast. At the same time Hannah also, now she was alone, cried and lamented before the lord, complaining of her life without her spouse and her childlessness, which she took as a chastisement from God. Finally, the prayers of both spouses did set an answer. An angel appeared to Hannah and announced that she would conceive and bear a child who would become famous allover the world. Hanna therefore, promised to offer the fruit of her womb the child, to the temple of God (synagogue). At the same time, Eliakim in the desert, had a similar vision. Happily, he returned home. When his wife was told of his coming she went out to meet him at the city gate. At the sight of Eliakim, she ran and embraced him. “Now I know, ” she said, “that the Lord has wondrously heard my prayer. I, who was a widow, am no longer so. I, who was once barren have conceived."

Then, they as usual started to talk about the visions they have recently learnt, Hannah told Eliakim hers. that is, when people fasten belt around his wrest, his stuff becomes green and feeds many."

similarly, Eliakim reveals what he saw in favor of Hannah a White dove came from the heaven, and sat upon Hannah, entered through her right ear and was conceived in her womb.

They went to the interpreter and he deciphered from their visions a news so wonderful. The holy Virgin that was the hope of the fathers, the prophecy of all prophets, the Mother of the Messiah of Israel has been conceived in the womb of Hanna, that was not from carnal lust but from their blessed marriage (Heb 13:4); with perseverance, prayer and vow. Looking forward to the will and mercy of God, hence, Her conception was significant for herself for she came from non existence to existence carying a very especial mission (the mission of salvation), her conception was Very significant to remove the insult of her family; her conception was significant for the world for it is through her that salvation enters into the world. Hanna conceived and did several miracles, she cured the sick, resurrect the dead.

Truly, her pregnancy was important and exceptional. Sarah, the wife of Abraham, received annunciation from God before she conceived Issac, which was a great joy for all since it was through Isaac that the blessing of all generations would be conveyed. (Gen.18:10). Manuel and his wife were announced by the Holy Angel of God about Samson ’s birth. Everyone rejoiced for it was through him that the freedom of Israel from Palestine would come true; Hanna, Mother of Samuel rejoiced for she was told from God that she would conceive a child who is chosen to be great and she said “I will not go up until the child be weaned and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord and there he shall abide for ever." (1Sam1:15-23)

In the same way, Hanna, Mother of St. Mary, promised to give her baby to the house of God, for she rejoiced a lot.

The coming of the Holy Virgin was not as that of Isaac to offer blessing only for the house of Israel but it was to transmit the eternal blessing to the entire human race through her Child, the Son of God; the coming of the Holy Virgin is not as Samson to set free Israel from carnal bondage of Palestine but to redeem the whole generation from the yoke of sin, (from the terror of the devil) through her son, the Savior; the coming of mother of God was not as Samuel to Judge and lead Israel just earthly but to be a doorway to bring the true and eternal judgment which the righteous and the sinners duly deserve.

Her conception, according to the Ethiopian scholar St. Abba Giorgis of Gassicha, is the establishment of the house of God. He says in his book Arganon Wudassie (The Praise of harp for St. Mary). “Blessed is the day on which you were conceived for in you the Lord will reside for ever and you will be the eternal house of God. Blessed are Hannah and Eliakim for they have begotten the Zion chosen of God for his eternal residence. (Ps 86: 5)

And then, when the Jews learned about the continuing miraculous deed they became so envious and persecuted Hannah and Eliakim. However, the angel of God directed them to Mount Lebanon and Hanna gave birth to St. Mary there on the first day of Ginbot (9 th of May). Up on her birth her family called her Mary, a name to which Neger-Mariam attributes the virtues of mothering divinity, unspeakable kindness, hope to creation and many others.

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church celebrates the conception of Mary every year on 7 Nehassie (1 st August) and the feast of Hannah and Eliakim on the 11 th day of every month and the annual celebration is commemorated" Hidar 11 (20 th November). There are also lots of churches dedicated for the commemorations of Hannah and Eliakim. In fact, the first church dedicated to them in the history of the christian church was established in 5 th century during the Byzantine empire.

The faithful of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church commemorate the event out doors to bring to mind the birth of Holy Mary outside her house. Food and drinks of the day are served only outside. There are also special hymns, prayers and chants related to the date, i.e., the birth of St. Mary

Prepared by :
Dn. Daniel S/ Michael

References :

Anaphora of St. Mary

Holy Bible(English) King James version
Negere Mariam (Geez)

Protoevangelium(Geez)

Protoevangelium which is a book written between the years 170-180 AD. The book is extremely important not only due to its antiquity but also because it is distributed widely, mentioned in many classical literatures, and diffused in early Christendom. It offers very important information about the early life of the Holy Virgin. It has several versions in early Christian translations and has been preserved for over one and half millennium in original classical Greek, Syrian, Coptic, Armenian, Ethiopic (Geez), Latin, Arabic, Gregorian and old Slavonic.