Dancing in the Garden of Eden

Tuesday, January 10, 2023

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Today we saw Eve. Archeologists named her Lucy. Ethiopians call her Dinknesh, which means beautiful one. She is the oldest ancestor of humans who lived 3.2 millions years ago. Archeologists found her skeleton in Afar, Ethiopia in 1974. She is the modern mother of all human beings. She is Eve.

Genesis 2:13 in the Bible gives the boundaries of the Garden of Eden. "The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one that flows around the whole land of Cush (Ethiopia)." Part of the Garden of Eden encompassed Ethiopia. So whether one is an evolutionist who believes the universe is nearly 14 billion years old or a creationist who believes God created the world in six days, both must acknowledge that the mother of all humanity is an African woman, a Black woman, an Ethiopian.

We saw the skeleton of Lucy/Dinknesh/Eve at the National Museum of Ethiopia. This museum chronicles Ethiopian history including archaeological discoveries, regional customs, monarchs, religion, and industry.

We stood before the throne of the last Ethiopian Emperor, His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I, carved from one piece of wood. The throne measures 10' x 10' x 20', meaning that the tree used to carve the throne was massive. We saw stone carvings and statues from Ethiopia from the 7th Century B.C.E., around the time the biblical prophet Isaiah was writing his text.

Lunch was at a superb Italian restaurant called Mamma Mia's following our time in the museum. The pappardelle noodles were delicious.

Dinner was at Yod Abyssinia Cultural Restaurant for Ethiopian food and traditional dancing. Jemonde got the tej honey wine he likes. The place was packed to hear the traditional music and see the dancing. Our children are getting the hang of the Ethiopian Eskista shoulder dance!