Saga za Ab more commonly known in Europe as Sagazabo or Zaga Zabo, was an ambassador from Ethiopia who came to Europe in 1527-1533.
He was sent by Lebna Dengel, the Ethiopian king to Portugal in 1527. He was part of a Portuguese mission to Ethiopia that was headed by Francisco Álvares, who had been sent by the king of Portugal in 1520 following a plea for help by Queen Eleni of Ethiopia against the Muslims in the Red Sea. The mission returned to Portugal in 1527.
Saga za Ab faced a lot of discrimination and ill-treatment from the Iberian religious authorities about Ethiopian religious practices. They alleged that the Ethiopians had deviated from the Christian faith and that the Ethiopians were being Judaeos and Mahometanos.
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Saga za Ab, didn’t fall prey to the allegations and his faith didn’t waver. He defended his practices and went on to write a book on the Christian religion in Ethiopia. It was published in 1540 by Damião de Góis with the title, Fides, Religio Moresque Aethiopium.
An excerpt from the essay reads:
…The Gospel and Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ were first preached among us by Philip the Apostle. If you would know the name of our Emperor, it is always Precious John, and not Presbyter John, as it is here falsely reported to be in our Language: It is John Belul, and in the Chaldee, John Encoo, or Precious or High John: Neither is he ever called, as Matthew falsely reported, Emperor of the Habassins, but of the Ethiopians; for he being an Armenian did not thoroughly understand our Affairs, and least of all those relating to our Faith; which made him report several things to the wise King Emanuel of happy Memory, that were false; which was not done by him with an intention to deceive; for he was an honest Man, but because he was not well Instructed in the Matters of our Religion.
Some of the other Ethiopian embassies to Europe are more popular like the 1481 embassy to Pope Sixtus IV by Antonio, the Ethiopian chaplain of the Emperor of Ethiopia and many others.
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