Chapter 13 The third labyrinth-3

On January 18 and 19, 1770, the Scottish adventurer James Bruce quietly visited the Epiphany celebration in Axum.As I said in Chapter 7 of this book, he did this in order to see the ark as close as possible. Exactly 220 years later, on January 18 and 19, 1990, I visited the Epiphany in the city of Gondar, north of Lake Tana.More than that, although my real feelings were not the same as those of Richard Pankhurst and Shmelis Mazenga, I saw the trip as a key to the investigation. I'm immersed in a great historical mystery that connects the Ark of the Covenant with Ethiopia.One thing is already clear to me: sooner or later, for better or for worse, I will return to Axum.

I had planned to go on that adventure trip in January 1990, and I also planned to try to get the support of the rebels if necessary to complete the expedition.Therefore, I regard the trip to Gondar as a crucial "exercise"-in the area still controlled by the government, Gondar is the closest place to the city of Axum. Like Axum, Gondar was once the capital of Ethiopia, an important historical site and a center of religious training.Against this background, I think, I should prepare myself mentally and psychologically for the real test that lies ahead, to gain insight into every aspect of those ancient ceremonies (which Bruce must have witnessed in 1770 A.D. ), to try my best to collect this information, so as to speed up the progress of my investigation.

However, there is more than one voice in my heart.I have other, less firm thoughts, and I can foresee a very different outcome.For example, if I found something in Gondar that seriously challenged the legend that "Ethiopia is the final resting place of the Ark of the Covenant", would I have to give up my plan to go to Axum in 1991 with a good conscience? ? Although the thought disturbed me, I couldn't get rid of it.As the date of the trip to Gondar approached, I found myself drawn more and more to the idea.However, the visit was once problematic—in fact, it was not until January 8, 1990 that I received a final fax from Schmelis confirming that the necessary approval had been obtained from the military authorities.

unsolved mystery I knew that I was going to see the central scene of the Epiphany ceremony being the lifting of Talbot to the ceremony.Talbot is a symbol or replica of the Ark of the Covenant, which is usually kept in the nave of every church in Ethiopia.Of course, I couldn't see the real ark of the covenant that the Ethiopians said in Gondar (because there is no evidence that it is in Gondar).However, the event I will see is, after all, considered the most important festival on the Ethiopian Orthodox calendar. I've long known that the Ethiopian word "Timkat" means "Epiphany," a holy day that Western churches associate with Christ's apparition to the pagans.But in the eyes of Eastern Christians, the meaning of Epiphany is quite different. They think that Epiphany is to commemorate the baptism of Christ.

I have confirmed that the Ethiopians, like the rest of the Eastern Church, fully subscribe to the latter interpretation of the Epiphany, although they differ greatly from other nations as to what ceremonies will be celebrated then.Specifically, only Ethiopian Christians use tapote, and no other cultures use it, not even the Egyptian Presbyterian Church in Alexandria, Egypt (starting with the conversion of the kingdom of Axum to Christianity in 331 AD , the Presbyterian Church sent bishops to Ethiopia until the country's ecclesiastical autonomy in 1959). Against this background, I thought that a closer look at the Epiphany ceremony and Talbot's role in it would help me to explain a seemingly paradoxical phenomenon - which I had long seen as Ethiopian Christianity The contradiction at the heart of this is that a pre-Christian relic should infiltrate and dominate Ethiopian Christianity, and that relic is the Ark of the Covenant.

However, this was not the only purpose of my trip to Gondar.When I get there, I plan to interview the Falasha people who live on the outskirts of the city. I have spoken to Schmelis about my intentions, and he has no objection, for a simple reason: since my visit in 1983, the situation in the region has changed.We were driving north from Gondar into the Himeon mountains, and official policy made it almost impossible for us to do any serious work among these black Jews—their villages were so dilapidated that we had no chance to see them Customs, also unable to conduct normal interviews. In 1989, this repression was swept away.That year, Addis Ababa and Jerusalem resumed diplomatic relations after a 16-year hiatus.The core content of the restoration agreement includes a promise from Ethiopia to allow the Farasa (all Farasa) to immigrate to Israel.At that time, the number of Falasha was very small, probably at most 15,000.

By January 1990, these immigration operations had drastically reduced the number of Ethiopian Jews.Within three months after the resumption of diplomatic relations between Egypt and Israel, about 3,000 Falasha left Ethiopia.More people left their villages and flocked to Addis Ababa, hoping to board the plane going abroad as soon as possible. This modern exodus, determined and unstoppable, is moving faster and faster.It is foreseeable that there will soon be no Falasha left in Ethiopia.After that, it is still possible for me to go to Israel to interview them and study their folklore and traditions.However, 1990 was likely to be the last year to have the opportunity to witness scenes of the Farasha living a traditional life in their traditional environment.

I am determined not to miss this opportunity.Why do Jews (real black Jews) exist in the heart of Ethiopia?This mystery is closely related to the mystery of the Ark of the Covenant.I felt that by uncovering one of them, the other would be solved. My interest in the Gondar region is not limited to the Falasha race.A week before leaving England, I had done some research and came across an interesting account of another people in the area.That people are called the Guermantes, and in the only anthropological study of them the author calls them "the heathens of the Hebrews."The paper was published in 1969 by American scholar Frederick Gamester.According to this obscure paper:

This Hebrew belief of the Guermantes, in its extremely ancient form, has not been affected by the religious changes of the Hebrews over the past 2,000 years.This Hebrew belief predominates in the religion of the Farasha; the Farasha are neighbors of the Guermantes...sometimes referred to as "the black Jews of Ethiopia". Hitherto I had paid no attention to the Guermantes, and therefore Gamster's statement that there was an ancient "Hebrew" element in their religion; this aroused my great interest.It seems to me that this clearly adds to the merits of further examination of the Guermantes, as it may help to explain why the influence of Judaism in Ethiopia was so ancient and so widespread.

The One and Only God and the God Tree Limster said in his thesis on the Guermantes that he once befriended a religious leader who was of great help during his fieldwork with the Guermantes in the 1960s. I know that this eminent monk is named Muruna Masha, and his title is "Wambar", which means "high priest" in Guermante.My time was limited, so I thought the best thing to do would be to find this eminent monk (who supplied most of Guamster's information) and interview him about the religion of the Guermantes.It's just that I don't know if he's still alive after all these years.I don't even know if I can find Guermantes who still adhere to the traditional Hebrew pagan beliefs, because at the time of Camest's inspection, their number was already less than 500.

As soon as I arrived in Gondar on Wednesday, January 17, I told the local officials who picked me up at the airport about my concerns.There are still very few Guermantes, mostly elderly, who still adhere to the ancient religion, they say.Then, they contacted around and radioed some workers' party cadres in remote areas to inquire about the eminent monk. On Thursday, the 18th, I got the good news: the high priest was still alive.His village was obviously not accessible by road, but it was said that it was possible to persuade him to meet us at an intermediate station.That place is called Ekel, and it takes about two hours to drive west from the city of Gondar.Not only that, but they were almost certain that the road was safe—the rebels had been driven back after the last few battles, and the west we were going to was said to be safe during the day. For the remainder of the two days, Thursday and Friday, my attention was devoted to the Epiphany ceremony (described later in this chapter). On January 20th, Saturday, just after noon, I finally had time to go to Eker Village in a "Toyota" off-road vehicle provided by the Workers' Party.In addition to the driver, I was accompanied by an enthusiastic young officer, Regis Desta, who was my interpreter.There were also two stern-faced soldiers, both armed with Kalashnikovs. We bumped along bumpy, sloping roads, through dazzling fields and golden hills.I pored over the Michelan Atlas of the Horn of Africa—I now carry it with me wherever I go. I discovered with great interest that our destination was not far from the source of the Atbara River.That river originates about 50 miles northwest of Lake Tana, from where it flows into Sudan, where it joins the Tekze River and finally joins the Nile just before the fifth cataract. The Tekze River flows very close to the island of Tana Cheeks, and "King's Glory" specifically mentions this river, so I still think that the Ark of the Covenant is most likely along this river route into Ethiopia.However, it can also be seen from the map that the traveler can reach the same vast area if he follows the Atbara River.I pondered the implications, and wrote in my notebook: These rivers are the roads in the desert.In Ethiopia, all these "roads", whether the Tekeze River, or the Atbara River, or the Blue Nile, all seem to lead to Lake Tana.The Farasa (and their relatives, the "Hebrew heathens" Gemantes) have always happened to inhabit this area, and are all true Ethiopians, the native inhabitants of the country.Their Judaism (or "the religion of the Hebrews," as Garmister called it) was an alien element in the culture of the country, so it is a reasonable inference that this religion must have come along these rivers. imported into Ethiopia. When we entered the village of Eker, we were greeted by a group of local officials from the Workers' Party.They told us that the High Priest Muruna Masha had arrived for a while and was waiting for us. We were led into a large round shed.The roof is high, in the shape of a beehive, and the room is cool and dimly lit.Thin beams of sunlight shot into the house through the gaps in the muddy branches of the trees, illuminating the dust hanging in the air.The ground had just been cleared and smelled of loam, mixed with a touch of sandalwood. Unsurprisingly, the High Priest was very old.It appears that he had changed his clothes especially for the meeting, as he wore a white turban, a white ceremonial robe, and a beautiful black cloak.He was sitting on one of the chairs that stood in front of the walls around the shed.The High Priest rose graciously as we entered.After the necessary introductions, he shook my hand warmly. Then he immediately asked me through the interpreter: "Are you a colleague of Mr. Gamester?" I have to admit I am not. "However," I said, "I've read what he wrote about your people. That's why I'm here. I'm interested in learning about your religion." The high priest smiled wryly.That's when I noticed that one of his teeth was unusually long, protruding from the upper left corner of his mouth, and bent backwards like an elephant's trunk. "Our religion," he said, "is a thing of the past. Hardly anyone believes in it anymore. The Guermantes are Christians now." "But you are not a Christian yourself?" "I'm not. I'm the High Priest, and I play by the old rules." "Is there anyone else like you?" "There's not much left." He smiled wryly again.Then, slyly and perplexedly, he said: "Even those who call themselves Christians have not completely renounced their former beliefs. Our sacred grove is still tended ... and we celebrate burnt offerings." He stopped and thought for a while, then shook his gray hair, and sighed: "But, after all, things have changed...everything is always changing..." "What do you mean by the sacred forest?" "Our sacraments are supposed to be in the open air. However, we prefer to do them in the woods. For this purpose we planted a grove and called it degegna." I asked a few more questions about this, and it became clear that the Guermantes actually had two sacred groves.Some sacred groves (ie degegna) are used for various ceremonies throughout the year and were planted in ancient times.At that time, the religious founder of the Guermantes received divine revelation in a dream and knew where the sacred grove was planted.There is also a much smaller type of sanctuary called a "qole", usually consisting of only one tree, believed to be inhabited by exceptionally powerful spirits.These "qoles" are generally grown on high ground.The high priest said that there is a tree outside the village of Ekel, and we can go and see it if we want. Next, I asked him if the Farasa also worshiped the holy grove. "No," he replied, "they don't." "Is it fair to say that their religion is like yours?" The high priest nodded wisely: "Yes, we have a lot in common." Without waiting for me to ask, he added: "The founder of the religion of the Guermantes is called Anayel. He came a long time ago Arrived in Ethiopia. His country is far away from here. After seven years of famine, he came here with his wife and children. On the way, he met the religious founder of the Falasha people, who also came with his wife and children Here. The two groups have discussed marrying, but without success." "Are the founders of the Anayel and Falasha religions from the same country?" "Yes. But they are independent, they are not married." "Even so, were they still born in the same country?" "good. "Where is that country?" "Far away... in the Middle East." "Do you know the name of this country?" "It is the land of Canaan. Anayer is the grandson of Canaan, Canaan is the son of Ham, and Ham is the son of Noah." This genealogy, this hazy memory of the ancestors of immigrants from the Middle East, makes me very interested .This memory also means that the religions of the Farasa and Guermantes arose from the same place.As for whether the "Land of Canaan" mentioned by the high priest is the land promised by God in the Bible, I couldn't get him to confirm it.Indeed, although he was familiar with names such as "Ham" and "Noah," he still claimed to have never read the Bible. I believe that he has not read the "Bible", but at the same time, I have no doubt that there must be some kind of scriptures as the basis for what he just said.For example, his words seem to have echoes of the arduous trek experienced by Abram, the chief of Israel, and his wife Sarai, who fled to Canaan and "gradually migrated to the southern land" because "there was a famine in that land" (" Old Testament Genesis, chapter 12, verses 9 and 10).At that time, like Egypt in "Genesis", the country from which Anayel came was also suffering from a seven-year famine ("that country" refers to Egypt, see "Genesis" Chapter 41 Section 27 Thur Dream Interpretation for Pharaoh——Translator’s Note). "Tell me more about your religion," I said to the High Priest. "Just now you mentioned elves, elves that live in trees. But what about God? Do you believe in one God, or many gods?" "We believe in one God, one God. However, there are many angels supporting him." The High Priest listed a series of names for the angels: Jakaranti, Qibowa, Adelaiki, Chidisti, Mezgani, Shemani, Anzatatra.Angels, he said, have their own definite place in the country. "In the heyday of our religion, all Guermantes went to these places to pray to the angels to act as intermediaries between them and God. The most revered angels were Jacaranti and then Mezgani and Anza Tatra." "Where is God?" I asked. "Where is the God of the Guermantes? Does he have a name?" "Of course. His name is Teadara." "Where does he live?" "He's everywhere." So the Guermantes believed in one God, and one God everywhere.I have begun to understand why Gumste called the Guermantes "the heathens of the Hebrews."In my long discussions with the high priest in the village of Ekel, almost everything he said reinforced my impression.I recorded this discussion in detail, and when I got back to Addis Ababa, I studied his answers carefully and compared them with the Bible.It was only after I made this laborious comparison that I really understood how strong and ancient the Judaism in the religion of the Guermantes was. For example, the High Priest told me that the Guermantes forbid eating all non-cloven-hoofed animals and do not eat ruminants.He also said that, among other things, camels and pigs are considered unclean animals and are strictly forbidden to eat.These commandments are exactly the same as those prescribed to the Jews in Chapter 11 of the Old Testament Leviticus. The high priest also said that among the Guermantes even "clean" animals were not allowed to eat unless they had been properly killed."The throats of these animals must be cut first and the blood drained," he explained, adding that all animals that had died of natural causes were also banned for consumption for the same reason.I found that these two provisions are in perfect agreement with the provisions of the Talmud. Still on the subject of food, the High Priest told me: "The Guermante religion allows both meat and dairy products to be eaten at meals." But he added that eating the meat of the same animal cooked in its milk was considered a pity.I know that orthodox kosher forbids mixing meat and milk in the same dish.However, when researching the background of this particular kosher commandment in Judaism, I found that its authority comes from the Old Testament and Deuteronomy, because they both declare: "You shall not boil a goat in its mother's milk. "(Chapter 23, Section 19, "Deuteronomy" Chapter 14, Section 1) This is also the commandment that the Guermantes generally obey. Another topic we focused on was the Sabbath.The Guermantes, like the Jews, observe the Sabbath on Saturday.The High Priest told me: "Work is prohibited that day. Fires are prohibited on Saturdays. If a field accidentally catches fire on the Sabbath, we will not use it again." These commandments, and others like them, are all in accordance with the provisions of the Bible.This makes me more and more convinced that the foundation of the religion of the Guermantes is indeed paved with the deep soil of the truly ancient Judaism.What finally convinced me of this, however, was an activity described to me by the high priest.It sounds nothing like a Jewish activity, which is the worship of the "sacred grove". When I interviewed the High Priest, he told me that there was a "qole" outside the village of Ekel, in which lived a powerful elf, and that I could go and see it. I actually went to see it.It turned out that it was a huge locust tree with luxuriant branches and leaves.I stood on a small plateau to the west of the village and looked out; the ground gradually declined in the distance, extending hundreds of miles away, and then suddenly dipped to the Sudanese border.The afternoon breeze, carrying the rich aroma of distant forests, blew from the deep tawny valleys below my feet, circled the ravines and hills, and blew to the highest point of the cliffs. This acacia tree is so thick and thick with its roots that it is easy to believe that it has been standing here for at least hundreds of years, perhaps even thousands of years.There is a wall around it, and various offerings are placed on the ground in between. There is a can of oil, a pile of millet, a small pile of roasted coffee beans, and a chicken that has been tied up for the Pan offering.Each of these sacrifices enhanced the character of the place in their own way: they were all grotesque, and while by no means terrifying, they were equally strange. The large tree is about six feet high, and each branch is tied with woven tassels and strips of colorful cloth.These braided ropes and ribbons rustled in the wind, as if whispering, as if about to reveal something.I remember thinking at the time that if I could understand that message, I would be able to uncover many secret things. This sight multiplies the unearthly effect, and makes this sacred grove of the Guermantes distinct from other sanctuaries I have seen in my previous travels.With a superstitious mind, I touched this living old tree, felt its age, and then returned to my companions who were waiting for me at the foot of the mountain. Later, when I returned to Addis Ababa, I compared the Guermante religion with other similarities between the Judaism in the Old Testament, and checked the Bible and biblical archaeological works as usual. , want to find the records about the sacred forest. I hadn't expected to find it.But to my surprise, I found a record in it saying that in the initial stage of the development of Judaism, there was indeed a sacred grove specially planted according to God's will.I also confirmed another point: these sacred groves were indeed used as sanctuaries at that time.For example, Chapter 21 of the "Old Testament Genesis" says: "Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba, and there he called on the name of Jehovah, the living God." How these sacred groves are used, what they look like, what ceremonies are held in the sacred groves, and what offerings are placed there, there are very few records of all this.The reason for this is that the high priests of later biblical times were very opposed to all this, felled and burned these sacred trees, and overthrew the "masseboth" (short altars - Translator's Note).It was these same monks who edited and revised the Bible, so it is not surprising that they have left us no clear record of the function and appearance of the sacred grove.What's more, the only record that can arouse any imagination is regarded as a mystery by scholars who study the "Bible".That record can be found in "Old Testament 2 Kings", and it talks about a place, "the house where women weave tassels for the sacred forest". When I read this sentence, the memory of the scene was still fresh in my mind: colorful tassels woven with cloth were hung on every branch of the sacred tree outside the village of Ekel.It seemed to me then (and I do now) that there was nothing mysterious about this line in Shahnameh.However, it remains to be explained how the Guermantes in the heart of Africa were able to acquire the traditions of the Canaanites of the Jewish state as old as this sacred tree. aswan and moro Although the Guermantes religion is strongly Jewish, no one has ever said that the Guermantes are actually Jews—they are too pagan and animist to be considered Jewish. The Farasa, however, are quite different.They were generally regarded as true Jews from the early 19th century, but it was not until 1973 that Rabbi Sefadi of Jerusalem officially recognized them as Jews.Two years later, Rabbi Ashkenazi also recognized the Farasa, thus opening a channel for the Israeli Ministry of the Interior to declare: According to the terms of the "Law of Return", the Farasa are automatically eligible to become Israeli citizens. Ironically, the major rabbis in Israel have been slow to recognize the Farashas as Jews. The main reason is that the Falasha religion has obvious characteristics of the Old Testament, and it is not included in the Talmud ( The authoritative text of Jewish law and customs from 200 BC to 500 AD), nor does it refer to the Talmud.This has alienated many Jews in Israel and other countries from the Falashah. However, scholars later believed that the Falasha religion did not conform to the laws of the Talmud. This phenomenon can only explain one point: the branch of Judaism in Ethiopia must have been cut off from the main body of the evolution of Judaism in the world long ago. contact.This isolated state has also made the Falasha people stick to the sacrificial ceremonies that have long been banned by the rabbis, especially the burnt offering ceremonies (see Chapter 6 of this book). After the Farasha were finally officially recognized as Jews in the 1970s, one key issue became even more important: the social and religious activities of the Farasha fully conformed to the ("Old Testament") "First Five Books of Scripture". (Torah) teaching, this is very clear and unequivocal. Not only that, but the Farashahs, like the pre-Talmud Jews (who had a really ancient religion), showed the utmost respect for the Pentateuch in the Pentateuch. The Pentateuch is considered by orthodox scholars to be written by Moses himself, including Genesis, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Typical of this "fundamentalism" of the Falasha religion is their strict adherence to the clean food rules enumerated in Leviticus and Deuteronomy, and their refusal to eat any animal slaughtered by pagans , whether "clean" or not. I also know that the people of Farasa still adhere to the laws of cleanliness and chastity in the Law of Moses.For example, they built special thatched huts for those tribesmen who were considered temporarily unclean to participate in the ritual, including menstruating women.According to the precepts in the Book of Leviticus, menstruating women are quarantined for seven days. The circumcision ceremony of the Falasha people is also in line with the tradition. It is held on the eighth day after the birth of the baby boy, and strictly abides by the regulations in the "Five Books of Moses".Similarly, their activities on the Sabbath are also extremely orthodox: put out all fires before sunset on Friday, do no work on the Sabbath day, do not draw water, do not light a fire, do not make coffee, and only eat cold food, but drinking water is allowed. During my visit to the city of Gondar in January 1990, I visited several Farasha settlements and witnessed all of the above.My purpose was to reach out to some religious leaders and check a few questions with them. Due to the large number of Ethiopian Jews immigrating to Israel, my work was not easy to complete-many Falasha abandoned their homes, all the furniture and sundries were taken away, the doors were not bolted, and the people in the houses were all gone.Nevertheless, in the country about twenty miles from Gondar, I found a village that seemed to be still inhabited.This village called Ambobor is scattered on a hillside in the rolling mountains. There are almost only women and children in the village. Most of the men have left there for Israel. The Falashas have neither synagogues nor rabbis.Their sanctuary is called "mesgid" and their religious officials are called "kahenat" (the singular is kahen, meaning "priest").My interpreter, Regis Desta, and I walked up the hill towards the village, soon followed by a group of naughty children, and more and more.We walked towards the sanctuary of the village, which is marked by the "Star of David" on the roof.I very much hoped to find their curate there. This time I was not disappointed.In that shabby building, a sickly old man was sitting at a poorly made wooden table, studying a copy of the First Five Books (the Jezewen on it was beautiful, and the pages were parchment parchment). .Regis first explained our purpose of coming, and then asked the old monk if he would answer a few questions of mine.The old monk argued with him for a long time before he agreed to the request and introduced himself as Solomon Alem.He said he was 78 years old.He has been the parish priest of the village of Amberbor since almost 30 years ago. We spent the next few hours talking about many aspects of the Falasha's beliefs and rituals.All of Father Solomon's answers attested to the purely Old Testament character of their religion, and most of them corresponded with what I had learned during my investigation. In this case, I urged him to talk about the ritual of burnt offering, to see why the Falashas still practice it, while the rest of the world's Jews abandoned it 2,000 years ago. He replied confidently: "We believe that God is watching these ceremonies from his throne, and is very pleased." This sentence is very similar to the verse in Leviticus that describes the burnt offering, and Father Solomon may know this, Maybe you don't know it, but that passage is: "Offer an offering by fire as a sweet fragrance to the Lord." ("Leviticus" chapter 1, verse 9) Naturally, Father Solomon seemed very wise and well-read.Yet when I praised his learning, he emphasized (without false modesty) that he understood far less of the Jewish traditions of the Farashas than his father.His father, he said, was far less knowledgeable in this area than his grandfather, who was also the parish priest of the village of Amber Bol."We are forgetting our past. We are forgetting our history day by day," he said mournfully. I took up the conversation and asked Solomon if he knew how many centuries the Jewish people had been in Ethiopia. He replied, "We came to Ethiopia a long, long time ago...long before Christianity came to Ethiopia. Christians are much later than I am." Then, he told me the story of the abduction of the Queen of Sheba, Menelik and the Ark of the Covenant that I was already familiar with.This is how the Jewish faith arrived in Ethiopia, he said. I asked by the way: "Do you know which route Menelik and his party took to return to Ethiopia?" He replied: "According to our legend, they passed from Jerusalem through Egypt and Sudan, and finally reached Ethiopia." This answer surprised me at the time, but I now accept it with satisfaction. I asked tirelessly: "Maybe most of their journeys were along the Nile River?" The old monk nodded: "Yes, that's what our legend says." Then he added two details that were completely new to me. "On the way," he said, "they rested in Aswan and Moro." As far as I know, Aswan was in Upper Egypt (near the modern day Aswan Dam) and was an important place in the time of the pharaohs because that's where the granite for the pyramids came from.Moro, the ancient capital of the Nubian state, lay farther south in what is today the Sudanese Republic. Enthusiastically, I encouraged Father Solomon to tell some more of the Farasa legends connected with these two places.However, he kept saying that he only knew so much.He sighed and said, "I heard these two place names from the stories my grandfather told. He was very wise...but he is dead...we will all die soon." cupboard at ceremony Everything I learned during my stay in Gondar further confirmed my belief that in ancient times the Jewish faith was brought into Ethiopia and it was this region that first arrived.The Farasa are Jewish through and through, and this is their home.Their close neighbors, the Guermantes, also show some convincing signs that they, too, were influenced by ancient and deeply rooted Judaism. This influence is not limited to the Farasa and Guermantes.On the contrary, in Gondar, and throughout Ethiopia, many of the customs and beliefs of the Christians who are considered "Orthodox" undoubtedly have their roots in Judaism. I know that they, like the people of Farasa, circumcised the baby boy on the eighth day after his birth, which is in full compliance with the provisions of the Book of Leviticus—the only people in the world who still abide by this provision are the Jews and Ethiopians.Similarly, in the 20th century, millions of Christians in Ethiopia still observe the Jewish Sabbath, but they do not use it to replace the Sunday Sabbath that Christians in other countries have always adhered to, but as a supplement to the Sunday Sabbath.This is a striking example of the phenomenon known as the "confluence of religions". There are also some festivals that, although superficially Christian, are clearly derived from Judaism.For example, I learned that the Ethiopian New Year's Day (Enkutatsh) is very similar to the Jewish New Year's Day (Roth Ha-shanah).They are both in September, and both are followed by another festival (called "Maskal" in Ethiopia and "Kippur" in Israel) a few weeks later.Not only that, in these two cultures, after the second festival, after a period of "atonement", New Year's is also celebrated. Ethiopian Christians also strictly abide by the laws of cleanliness and chastity in the Torah, for example: men and wives are not allowed to enter the church after having sex; they are not allowed to have sex before touching any holy things; they are not allowed to have sex during fasting; sexual intercourse.基督教传统并没有规定这些严格戒律，但《摩西五经》却做了严格的规定，尤其是在和《利未记》里。 埃塞俄比亚基督教徒还有个类似的做法：他们遵守《旧约》里规定的食物戒律，严格避免食用"不洁净的"鸟肉和哺乳动物肉（尤其禁食猪肉），甚至严格遵守这些戒律的细枝末节，例如《创世记》第32章里规定禁食的"大腿窝的筋"（第32节）。我可以证实，埃塞俄比亚的所有基督教徒都不吃"大腿窝的筋"，它在杰泽古语里被称作"禁食之肌"。 研究这个题目时，我还发现了另一个使我很感兴趣的情况：埃塞俄比亚僧侣的法衣似乎是古代以色列祭司那种特定服饰的翻版。他们的腰带（kenat）如同以色列大祭司的束腰；他们的筒帽（koba）很像后者的主教法冠；他们的坎肩（askema）则酷似后者的胸牌——第28章第4节里说得很清楚，这种胸牌上镶有12颗宝石，缀成4行，每行3颗。 总之，我因此很难不赞同大卫·麦修斯大主教的观点，因为他在1974年曾说："埃塞俄比亚的全套宗教表现方式都十分古老，都符合仪礼，并且蕴藏着犹太教仪礼的潜流"。不过，直到1990年1月18日和19日我参观了基督教的主显节，才真正领略了这种潜流是何等压倒一切，何等强大有力。 1月18日，星期四，下午三四点钟，我穿过那些万分激动的人群，走上台阶，来到了"梅德哈尼·阿莱姆"（意思是"世界救星"）教堂外廊里。这时，主显节的准备活动早已经开始了。教堂位于贡德尔城里最古老的地区，是座巨大的圆形建筑，具有传统的布局结构（如果俯视它，它的布局很像个圆环靶心），其内殿（makdas）外面环绕着一层又一层同心圆回廊。 我已经知道，这种具有鲜明的埃塞俄比亚特征的布局，不但在圆形教堂建筑中使用，在长方形和椭圆形教堂建筑中也使用，只是略有变化。学者们认为，这种布局来自"希伯来圣殿的三重分割法式"。伦敦大学埃塞俄比亚研究的首席教授爱德华·乌伦多夫曾说： 阿比西尼亚教堂同心圆三重厅堂的外廊叫作"kene mahlet"，意即"唱诗之地"，相当于耶路撒冷所罗门圣殿的"ulam"（外廊）。第二圈厅堂叫作"keddest"（外围圣所），是会众领圣餐的地方。最里面的部分叫作"makdas"（内殿），里面放着塔波特，只有祭司才能进去……阿比西尼亚的所有教堂都具有这种三重厅堂的建筑结构，即使最小的教堂也是如此。因此，阿比西尼亚人显然选中了希伯来人圣所的形式为样本去建造教堂，并没有采用古罗马的长方形会堂做样本，而后者却为其他国家的早期基督教徒所接受。 阿比西尼亚人为什么要选择一种基督教诞生以前的样本，去建造他们的基督教堂呢？乌伦多夫教授没有对此做出推测。 然而，当我走进梅德哈尼·阿莱姆教堂的第一重回廊时，这个问题的答案便似乎很明显了：叙利亚的传教者弗鲁门提乌斯曾使阿克苏姆王国皈依基督教，并在公元331年被亚历山大城的埃及基督教长老会委任为驻埃塞俄比亚的第一位大主教。他想必是有意让作为新信仰的基督教制度，去适应这个国家以前已经存在的犹太教传统。不仅如此，乌伦多夫教授还承认： 很显然，公元4世纪基督教传入阿比西尼亚以前很久，这些传统以及其他一些传说，尤其是"约柜就在阿克苏姆城"的传说，必定早已成了阿比西尼亚民族遗产的组成部分，因为一个最近刚放弃异教信仰、改信基督教的民族（使他们改变信仰的不是一个信奉基督教的犹太人，而是叙利亚的传教士弗鲁门提乌斯），后来居然会自诩为犹太教的后裔，并开始坚持以色列人的风俗和制度，这是不可想象的。 我脱了鞋，穿着袜子走在外廊里（在埃塞俄比亚的所有教堂里穿鞋，都被视为读神）。我在那里走了一圈，仔细观看墙上那些褪了色的圣徒和圣者的画像。 我正在一幅描绘示巴女王去耶路撒冷的画前沉思，忽然听到了一阵徐缓低沉的鼓声。那鼓名叫"科比罗"（kebero），是一种椭圆形的大鼓，用母牛皮绷在木框上做成。那鼓声的特点很像埃塞俄比亚东正教堂里的音乐。在这串蛮野的鼓声里，现在又加进了杰泽语赞美诗的合唱声，接着是一阵"塞斯特拉"铃神秘的叮当响声。 我感到很好奇，便在回廊里走了一圈。终于，在通向里面"外围圣所"的过道里，我看见了正围在鼓手周围的一群僧侣和执事。那鼓手盘腿坐在地上，身子弯向"科比罗"大鼓。 这个场景非常奇特，也十分古老，其中没有任何属于现代世界的东西。我望着它，感到自己正乘着这种音乐的奇异节奏，穿越时间，回到了遥远的古代。听上去，这种音乐既不是非洲的，也不是基督教的，而是另外某个地方的音乐，并且属于一种比基督教古老得多的信仰。 教堂执事们身穿传统袍服和黑白两色的短披风，手拄长长的祷杖，摇摆着身体，口唱赞美歌，沉浸在舞蹈的第一节音乐里。他们每人手里都拿着一件哗朗棒般的银制乐器。鼓点间歇时，他们上下摇动那种乐器，它便哗啦啦地发出清脆悦耳的声音。 赞美歌是轮唱形式的，一组歌者唱出一段后，另一组便来应和，歌词与合唱的对话在歌者之间来回传递，使赞美歌不断重复，越来越响亮。我知道，在《旧约》时代，犹太人的礼拜仪式中曾很盛行这种唱法。 我正在思索这个巧合，忽然从"外围圣所"敞开的门里冒出了一团焚香的浓烟。我凑到前边，朝外围圣所里看，只见一个人正在里面旋转着跳舞。他身上的绿袍绣着金丝线。此人像梦里的人物一样，既像巫师，又像祭司，闭着眼睛，不停地旋转着。 他周围还有一群人，服装和他近似，每人都用一条漂亮的银链提着冒烟的香炉。我瞪大眼睛，透过烟雾和幽暗，竭力朝这些人后面望。我依稀地看到：外围圣所正中就是内殿的人口，外面挂着一道帘幕。 我知道，那道厚厚的市幕后面就放着约柜的象征——塔波特，它既备受崇敬又神秘莫测，被迷信守护着，被秘密隐藏在它的圣所里。我想起来，在古代的以色列，大祭司必须先焚烧大量焚香，待浓烟完全遮没约柜后，才能接近约柜。据说，要保护大祭司的性命，浓烟是不可或缺的，必须确保这一点，正如《利未记》里那句颇为令人胆寒的经文所说，"免得他死亡"。（第16章第13节） 我迈进内殿，想看看里面究竟发生了什么事，但几乎马上就被赶回到外围圣所里。这时，执事们的歌声停了，鼓声也停了，教堂里突然出现了片刻的寂静。 我感到了一种无法言喻的紧迫气氛，就像闪电的巨大能量正在雨云中酝酿。众人骚动起来，纷纷向四外散开。这时，一个神甫微笑着抓住了我的胳膊，动作虽轻，但很坚决，把我领出外围圣所，穿过外廊，一直带到教堂的大门口。 下午的灿烂阳光使我睁不开眼。我站在门口，对这种似乎打乱了仪式进程的情绪突变感到吃惊。 我刚到这里的时候，已经有很多的人了，而现在的人数已经成倍增加。梅德哈尼·阿莱姆教堂前的宽阔广场上已经挤满了人，人群一直延伸到我眼前公路的尽头。男男女女，老老少少，残疾人，病势沉重的人，濒临死亡的人，欢乐的健康人，仿佛埃塞俄比亚的一半人口全都聚到了这里。许多人紧攥着各式各样的乐器：铙钹，喇叭，笛子，提琴，七弦琴，还有《圣经》上说的那种竖琴。 我从教堂出来不久，一群身穿华丽长袍的神甫也出来了。他们就是刚才内殿帘幕前浓烟里的那些人，不过，其中一个的头上却顶着塔波特，它外面裹着昂贵的红色和金色锦缎。这个头顶塔波特的神甫身材细长，留着胡须，面容俊雅，两眼深陷。 人群里立即爆发出狂热的叫喊声和跺脚声。女人们尖叫着，发出一连串热烈的颤音。我知道，不止一位学者都证明，"这种颤音是模仿古希伯来人祭祀时发出的乐音（希伯来语称为"hallel"，埃塞俄比亚语称为"elel"）……这种颤音的样式就是把el－lel这个声音反复多次，即发出"ellellellellellell"的声音……而"哈利路亚"（Halleluyah）的确切意思，大概就是向耶和华高唱hallel或ellel。" 神甫们在教堂门口站了几分钟，万分激动的人群不断增加。接着，神甫们转身绕着外廊走了一周，然后走下台阶，来到了广场上。他们的脚刚落到广场的地面上，人群便在他们前面分开，为他们让出了一条道。高喊声，尖叫声，喇叭声，笛子的呼哨声，七弦琴的刮奏声，小铃鼓的哗啦声，混合成了一片震耳欲聋的喧嚣，令人惊诧不已。 我壮着胆子，尽量紧跟着那群神甫，感受着人们的激越和喧嚣。我两边各有上百个人，其中许多或者陶醉于米酒，或者陶醉于喧嚣。我不断被人挤撞，不止一次几乎跌倒。尽管如此，我却没有感到片刻的畏惧和惊恐。 我们在古城里游行，时而在狭窄的小巷里穿行，时而在空地上散开成大块方阵，时而不知原由地停下来，时而快步前进，时而缓慢蠕动，一路奏乐欢歌。我始终竭力紧盯着那个裹着塔波特的红色和金色锦缎包，此刻它在我前面很远的地方。 一支新的狂欢者队伍从旁边的大街上汇入了我们的队伍，我有片刻完全看不见了那个神圣的锦缎包。我踮起脚尖，伸长脖子，找到了目标，便急忙追上去。我决心再也不让它离开我的视线，便爬上了一面长满青草的河岸，在上面飞跑起来，超过了一个二三千人的方队，又超过了那些神甫，再从河岸上慢慢走下来，回到路上，站在了人群前二十码左右的地方。 在这里，我找到了人群奇怪地走走停停、时快时慢的原因。原来，在塔波特前面的空间里已经自动聚起了几支即兴舞蹈队，其中一些有男有女，一些只有男人，另一些只有女人。有的舞者穿着日常的衣服，有的穿着上教堂的衣服。每个舞蹈队中央都有个鼓手。鼓手们把"科比罗"大鼓挂在脖子上，敲出古老而疯狂的鼓点，旋转着，蹦跳着，扭动着，喊叫着。周围的人也精力勃发，高声大喊，不停地转动身子，拼命鼓掌，敲着小铃鼓和铙钹，飞快地蹦跳旋转，大汗淋漓。 现在，在喇叭声、喊声、十弦琴的刮奏声以及一支牧笛的难忘曲调声的催促下，一个身穿传统自棉布袍的年轻男子跳起了疯狂的独舞。神甫们原地站定，阻挡着身后急切的人群，还把神圣的塔波特高高顶在头上。 那青年身体灵活矫健，舞姿优美，用全力展示高超的技巧，仿佛陷入了狂喜境界。众人都在盯着他，他围着一面正在敲击的"科比罗"大鼓，用脚尖旋转，摆动身体，还耸动双肩，上下摆头，忘情于自己内心的节奏，用肢体的每个部分，用自己的每一分气力，用身体的每个细胞，赞美着上帝。我当时想，想必这就像3000年前耶路撒冷城门外的情景一样： 大卫和以色列的全家在耶和华面前，用松木制造的各样乐器和琴、瑟、鼓、钹、锣作乐跳舞……大卫……在耶和华面前极力跳舞。（《旧约·撒母耳记下》第6章第5节和14节） 狂舞正酣，那青年突然倒在了地上，昏了过去。几个旁观者把他扶起来，抬到路边歇息。然后，游行的人群又像方才那样涌上前去，新舞者不断地替换着那些精疲力竭的舞者。 情况不久便发生了变化。游行的人群穿过最后一条小街后，便在一个露天广场上散开了。我看见，另外三个方向也各有一支游行队伍正涌进广场，每支队伍的人数都和我们这支差不多，每支队伍中央都有一群抬着塔波特的神甫，游行者仿佛都沉浸在同样的狂喜迷醉当中。 此刻，这四支队伍就像四条河流，汇合在了一起。从梅德哈尼·阿莱姆教堂抬出塔波特的那个神甫（到现在为止，我一直忠实地跟随着他），和来自贡德尔另外三个主要教堂的抬塔波特的神甫站成了一排。这排最神圣的队列后面是更多的神甫和执事，他们后面是聚集起来的群众，人数众多，不下万人。 四支游行队伍刚汇合在一起，人群马上又开始移动，涌出广场，上了一条又陡又宽的公路，那几只塔波特仍在众人前方。不时有几个孩子被挤到我身边，怯生生地拉起我的手，跟着我走上一会儿，然后才松开手……一个老婆子凑到我面前，用阿姆哈拉语说了一大段话，她笑的时候，我看到她嘴里的牙已经全掉光了……两个十几岁的小姑娘咯咯地笑着，带着几分紧张，怀着幻想般的好奇，用手碰了一下我的金发，然后跑开了……就这样，我完全被游行的欢悦和力量所陶醉，听任自己被周围的人挤来挤去，忘掉了那个下午的时光流逝。 公路转了个弯，出现了一片绿草茵茵的树林。我们突然看见林间有一片带围墙的建筑群，像是从传说故事里出来的那样。我隐约看见，围墙后面显出了一座巨大城堡上的几个塔楼——它们很高，"气势威严地排列着"。 在我的埃塞俄比亚之旅中，这已经不是第一次让我想到沃尔夫拉姆·冯·埃森巴赫笔下那座奇迹般的圣杯圣堂了。他描述圣杯圣堂时写道，它是一座"攻不破的要塞"，"尖塔林立，宫殿众多"，矗立在"Munsalvaesche"（拯救之山）地区的一个神秘的湖畔。 那圈围墙中央有条带窄拱门的通道，我前面的人群现在开始沿着通道，向拱门里面涌去。我也身不由己，被裹挟过去。这股人流力量无比，无法抗拒，我们仿佛手足无措地正被卷进漩涡里。 我被挤到了拱门下面，人们的身体胡乱地挤撞着我。我被挤到了粗糙的石头上，手表也挤掉了。我身后一个不知姓名的人几乎马上就把表从地上捡了起来，交到我手里。我来不及道谢，来不及问他的名字，就被挤过了那个瓶颈般的拱门，来到了建筑群内的一个大草坪上。我的头微微有些晕眩。此刻，我心中巨大的拘束感和压迫感突然消失了，我体验到了一种微妙的自由感…… 这个建筑群呈长方形排列，占地面积有四个街区那么大。大草坪中央还有一道围墙，直径大约是第一道围墙的三分之一。第二道围墙里有座带塔楼的高大城堡，方才我在远处已经朦胧地见到了它。城堡后面是一个人工湖，湖里有一半的水。这座城堡是法悉里达斯皇帝在公元17世纪建造的。看样子，只有通过架在一道深堑壕上的窄石桥，才能进入城堡。石桥直通城堡正面一个巨大的木头门廊。 我注意到，众人还在涌进我刚刚被挤进的那道窄拱门。人们在草坪上漫无目的地走来走去，兴高采烈地吵嚷着，敦厚地彼此致意。在我右前方，一大群神甫和执事已经聚在了城堡前，我看见他们一共抬了七个塔波特。我由此推断：下午在城里那个主要广场汇合的四支游行队伍到这里来的路上，肯定还有贡德尔城另外三个教堂的游行队伍加入了进来。 头顶裹着锦缎的塔波特的神甫并肩站成了一行。他们后面还有更多的神甫，举着色彩鲜艳的仪式华盖，华盖上挂着流苏，还绣着十字、星星、太阳、新月和其他一些奇异的东西。左边五米以外还站着两行神甫，脸对着脸，手持长祷杖和银制塞斯特拉铃。两行神甫之间的地面上坐着一名鼓手，正把身子弯向"科比罗"大鼓。 我凑到前面，想看得更清楚一些。两行脸对脸的神甫开始在塔波特前面缓缓摆动身子，跳起了舞。这舞蹈合着一种催眠般的节奏，合着一支赞美轮唱的节奏，我刚才在梅德哈尼·阿莱姆教堂听到的，就是这支轮唱曲。 过了一会儿，舞蹈戛然而止，像它开始时一样突然。舞蹈者散开来，顶着七只塔波特的神甫们神态庄严，走上了堑壕上那座通向城堡的石桥。他们在桥上停了一会儿，落日的温暖光线照在他们身上。人群中的女人发出了更响亮的颤音尖叫。接着，城堡的沉重木门（合页已经上了油）无声地敞开了。我隐隐约约地望见了城堡幽暗的内部，塔波特被抬进了大门里。 聚集在草坪上的几千人纷纷坐在了园子周围，动作都很轻。有些人带着毯子，还有些人带着棉布披巾以及更厚一点的斗篷。然而，所有的人却都像是整个主显节期间都打算在这里露营，都显得心情泰然。经过令人筋疲力尽的游行和喧嚣，人们现在已经平静下来，正在准备当晚的守夜。 晚上9点钟，人们点起了许多簧火。围着跳动的火苗，人们裹着披巾和毯子，蜷身坐着，悄声交谈。他们用埃塞俄比亚的古代闪米特语言说话，呼出的气体形成了冷雾。 置身于非洲寒冷的高山空气中，我的心情非常畅快。我坐在草地上，又躺了下来，双手枕在脑后，仰望夜空，欣然地望着天上密集的星星。我任思绪漫游了片刻，忽然听到湖上传来一阵持续的溅水声，那个湖高我坐的地方很近。几乎与此同时，从古堡里传来了柔和的合唱声和鼓声。这歌声非常和谐，令人心生敬畏，心跳停止，它最初十分微弱，使我几乎不能听清。 我站了起来，走到离石桥更近的地方。我并不打算过桥（我想我不会被允许过桥），而只想找个更有利的地方，把那支古老乐曲听得更清楚些。可是，不知道为什么，我发觉有不少只手把我推向前去——推得虽轻，但很坚决。不一会儿，我就不知不觉站在了石桥上。桥上的一个孩子把我领到城堡门口，推开大门，然后笑着示意我进去。 我相当胆怯，迈过门槛，走进了一间屋子里。这个方形大厅的穹顶很高，弥漫着焚香的气味，粗糙石墙的壁龛里点着十几支蜡烛。我关上了背后的门，一股冷风从门底的缝隙钻了进来。寒冷的气流穿过石头大厅四处的缝隙涌进来，使小小的烛焰淌着蜡滴，光亮变暗。 光线若明若暗，十分可怕，我看见有大约五十个穿长袍、戴头巾的人站成了两圈。这个圆圈只是在我站的门口才有个缺口。尽管很难，我还是看出这些人全都是男人，其中大多数或者是神甫，或者是执事，因为他们都在唱杰泽语的赞美诗，其旋律令人感伤，使我后颈的汗毛耸立，不觉地站直了身子。在我正前方有个石墩，铺着一块刚刚切割出来的玻璃板，上面坐着一个戴着白披巾的鼓手，在绷紧的"科比罗"鼓面上轻轻敲出持续的鼓点。 此刻，合唱者中有几个人向我点头，但没有打乱唱诗的速度。我觉得自己被推进了他们的圈子，被亲切地接纳，成了圈子的一部分。我的右手里被塞进了一个哗朗棒，左手里被塞进了一柄祷杖。唱诗在继续，歌者们左右摇摆着身体，动作非常轻缓。 我也情不自禁地随着节奏摆动起身体来了。我紧盯着其他人，摆脱了所有的自我意识，在鼓点间歇时，上下晃动手中的哗朗棒，那件古代乐器上的小金属圆片发出没有音调的哗啦声。据我目前所知，这种难以抗拒的奇特响声比所罗门圣殿还要古老，甚至比金字塔还要古老，因为此类塞斯特拉铃最早是在前王朝时期的古埃及就被使用，从那里经过法老时代的祭司，传到了以色列的礼拜仪式上。 这种庄严的仪式非常奇特，而更奇特的是：我竟然被允许参与其中，就在这里，就在埃塞俄比亚高原的腹地，就在这个圣湖旁边。我突然意识到，我周围展开的场景里绝对没有属于20世纪的东西，半点也没有。 想到这一点，我激动地战栗了一下。我很容易把自己当成公元10世纪这个古老仪式的一个见证人，目睹上帝的约柜被所罗门放在内殿的"浓重黑暗"里，同时， 那些祭司们都穿细麻布衣服，站在坛的东边敲钹、鼓瑟、弹琴……吹号的、歌唱的都一齐发声，声合为一，赞美感谢耶和华。吹号、敲拔，用各种乐器，扬声赞美耶和华说："耶和华本为善，他的慈爱永远长存！"（《旧约·历代志下》第5章第12、13节，参见《旧约·列王纪上》第8章前11节） 此刻，埃塞俄比亚的神甫们（我也站在他们当中），难道不是正以同样的方式赞美耶和华吗？他们不是也以同样的狂热和信念感谢耶和华的慈爱，赞颂他不可言说的名吗？他们唱道： Arise, Lord God, 和你有能力的约桓同入安息之所。 Yahweh God, may your priests be clothed with salvation, 愿你的圣民蒙福欢乐。 ——《旧约·历代志下》第6章第41节 这个夜晚，我是在一种梦幻般的感觉中度过的，其中，真实的和不可能发生的事情杂乱地混合在了一起。我有一瞬间产生了幻觉，以为这座古堡里的什么地方就藏着真正的约柜。但我心里也很清楚，我还没有到达旅程的终点，约柜并不在贡德尔城，即使希望能接近约柜，也还必须走很长的路，花很多的时间。至于眼前，我也只能满足于见到古堡里藏的那些塔波特了，它们一共有7只，被裹在锦缎里，而在过去的24小时中，盲目信仰的点金术已经毫不费力地把它们变成了具有无比重大的象征意义的圣物。 黎明前，神甫们把我领出了古堡，领到了那座狭窄的石桥上。天空曙光初现时，我用了大约一个小时，在这个建筑群各处查看。 昨晚这里大约有一千人守夜，此刻的人数也几乎并没见少。有些人在三三两两地散步聊天，另一些人则成群地站在一起，还有一些人仍在将尽的火堆的苍白火苗旁边取暖。我再次隐约感觉到了一种期待的情绪，一种急迫不安的期盼气氛，而这正是前一天下午塔波特被抬出梅德哈尼·阿莱姆教堂以前的那种氛围。 我在古堡和湖周围的内层建筑群里转了一圈。在它的尽头，我爬到了围墙上，望着下面那片美丽而奇异的景致。我下面是个上坝，大约五英尺宽，环绕着平静闪光的湖面。在这圈土坝上，在土坝每一平方英寸的面积上，站满了观望的人。他们似乎在等待什么事情发生，初升的太阳在湖面上映出了他们微微发亮的倒影。 城堡后面有个突出的阳台，此刻，一群身穿红色和绿色华丽长袍的神甫从焚香的烟雾中来到了阳台上。人群里发出了响亮的颤音尖叫。接着，阳台上举行了一个简短的仪式——我后来了解到，它是为了祝福这个湖，将它圣化。接着，众人突然纷纷跳进了湖里，速度惊人，并且显然不顾清晨的寒冷。 我从围墙上下来，急忙朝古堡前的草坪跑了过去。置身这番令人眼花缘乱的场景中，我想做的事情就是再到古堡里去一趟。那些塔波特此刻并没在它们昨天夜里（当时我在唱诗和舞蹈）的地方。where are they以后会发生什么事情呢？ 几乎处于歇斯底里状态的众人并没有注意到我。我走过壕沟上的那座石桥，推开城堡的大门，走了进去。这时，我看见那个大厅的地面上还铺着玻璃板，墙壁已经被蜡烛烟熏黑了。现在是早晨7点钟，明亮的阳光射了进来，照在了聚集在里面的一群执事身上。我对面就是挂在拱门外的那道帘幕，昨夜我没有看见那座拱门。帘幕后面走出一个神甫，先是疑惑地打量我，然后脸上露出了微笑，似乎在表示欢迎。 我走到他面前，示意想到帘幕后面去。但他使劲摇着头，用英语小声说："不行，不行，这根本不可能。塔波特在里面。"说着，他又回到帘幕后面去了。我似乎听见帘幕后面有悉索声和脚步声。 我喊了一声，想引起某个主事人的注意，但没有得到回应。于是，我冒冒失失地把手放在了帘幕上，打算把它拉开。这时，站在我身后的三个执事立即向我扑了过来，抓住我的胳膊，把我按在了地上，使我被严重地擦伤了几处。 我一边咒骂一边挣扎，头脑有些混乱，只是感到茫然和震惊——几个小时前我还感到这里宾至如归，而此刻我却正在遭到痛打。 我费了些气力，甩开打我的人，从地上站了起来。他们以为我又想去揭那道帘幕，便用拳头猛打我，另外几个执事还挡住了我的去路。其中一个指着帘幕后面，警告我说："不准进去，只有神甫才能进去。"他又指着我说："你这个人很坏。" 我被毫不客气地架出了古堡大门，被粗暴地扔在了那座狭窄的石桥上，面对着几千名眉头紧锁的群众。我想，我只是试图进入一间放着塔波特的屋子，就意来这么大麻烦，那么，我如果想在阿克苏姆城去看真的约柜，那又会怎样呢？ 我过了石桥，从人群中挤过去，站在了一小块空地上，身子有些摇晃，因为我血液里的肾上腺素在涌动。我定了定神，看见了湖里还有不少人，听见了那里的溅水声和喊叫声。只是现在大多数人已经上了岸，聚集在城堡前的大草坪上，纷纷巴望地探过身子，伸长了脖子。人们虽然很激动，却奇怪地保持着沉默。 后来，七个全副袍服的神甫从城堡的大门里走了出来，头上顶着锦缎包裹的塔波特。他们故意缓缓地走过了石桥，更多手擎仪式华盖的神甫跟在他们后面。与此同时，众人同时发出了一声响亮的叹息。紧接着这声出于敬畏和虔诚的叹息，女人们发出了我所熟悉的那种高调颤音尖叫。众人慌忙你推我搡，向后面退着，为正在前进的塔波特让出了一条路。 上午已经过去，太阳快升到天顶时，我又随着这支游行队伍穿过贡德尔的街道，回到了这座古城的主要广场上。众人在那里又开始跳起了大卫在约柜前的舞蹈，喊叫声、铃鼓声、铙钹声。喇叭声、塞斯特拉铃声和弦乐声，响成了一片。