Frumentius

Frumentius (also Feremenatus; * in Tyre, Syria / Lebanon, † 383 ) Apostles of Ethiopia, first Bishop of Axum, saint and founder of the Ethiopian Church.

Rufinus cites Frumentius ' brother Aedesius as ( to 316) accompanied her uncle Meropius as children to Ethiopia. Your ship was hijacked in the Red Sea and killed the crew, sold the boy the king of Axum as slaves.

The two boys earned the confidence of the king, the Aedesius as cupbearer, Frumentius began as treasurer and gave them the freedom before his death. The widowed queen made ​​Frumentius to the tutor of the heir Ezana. This spread by Christian merchants Christianity in the country. When Ezana had reached the maturity, Frumentius Aedesius accompanied on his return journey to Tyre to Alexandria, where he asked Athanasius, Patriarch of Alexandria, to send a bishop and priests to Ethiopia.

Athanasius saw in Frumentius the right person for this job and consecrated him bishop 343. Frumentius returned to Ethiopia, was Bishop of Axum, and baptized Ezana, who had become king, built numerous churches and spread Christianity in Ethiopia.

The Ethiopians gave the name of Frumentius Abuna (Our Father ) or Abba Salama the title ( Father of Peace), which plays also traditionally the head of the Ethiopian Church. In a letter to King Ezana and his brother Emperor Constantius Saizanas demanded in vain to replace Frumentius by the Arian bishop Theophilus.

The Evangelical Church in Germany on October 26 reminds of Frumentius, the Roman Catholic Church celebrates his feast on 17 October, the Orthodox on 30 November and the Copts on 18 December.

According to Ethiopian tradition Frumentius created the first translation of the New Testament from Koine in the Ethiopian church language Geez.