Axum's Queen Gudit and the Fall of the Kingdom

Around 960 AD, the ancient Kingdom of Axum faced a devastating blow from an unexpected source: a queen named Gudit. Was she a foreign invader, a Jewish usurper, an Ethiopian Joan of Arc, or all of the above? In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the shadowy figure of Gudit — also known as Yodit or Judith — who axed the Axumite dynasty, burned churches, and left a wound so deep that it echoed in Ethiopian lore for centuries. Drawing on medieval hagiographies, the Kebra Nagast, and Arabic accounts from the historian Ibn Hawqal, they piece together what might have happened. They discuss Gudit's possible origins among the Jewish Beta Israel community, her alliance with the Agaw people, and the mysterious 'Palace of Yodit' in Lalibela. They also examine the aftermath: how the Zagwe dynasty rose from the chaos, and why Axum never fully recovered. If you've heard of the Queen of Sheba and King Ezana, this is their forgotten nemesis — the queen who reshaped Ethiopian history without leaving a single inscription. #Gudit #Yodit #Axum #AksumiteEmpire #BetaIsrael #EthiopianHistory #MedievalAfrica #QueenGudit #ZagweDynasty #KebraNagast #IbnHawqal #Agaw #Lalibela #ChurchBurning #EthiopianJudaism #History #AfricanHistory #FexingoHistory #KingdomOfAxum #Ezana Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo