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Holy water in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church

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Holy water (Amharic: ፀበል) is a deeply rooted practice in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, believed to have the power to exorcise demons and cure illnesses. It can be poured onto people or consumed by drinking. Various monasteries are renowned for their holy water, and many Ethiopian Christians make pilgrimages to these sites to acquire it. Additionally, holy water plays a significant role in the Timkat (Epiphany) celebration, where priests bless it to baptize Christians, with the purpose of "purifying souls from sins."[1]

Timkat ceremony at Fasilides Bath, 2011

Purposes

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The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church believes that holy water can heal people from demonic afflictions and illnesses. The water is also consumed to remove "harmful things inside the stomach."[2][3] Studies show that the majority of Ethiopians prefer traditional healing methods, such as holy water, over biomedical services for major illnesses, particularly for mental health issues.[4] Approximately 98% of first encounters for mental health problems involve traditional healing methods using holy water.[5]

Holy water is also associated with the treatment of HIV AIDS, particularly when used alongside antiretroviral therapy (ART), though this practice remains controversial among research participants.[6] Many people visit holy water sites, such as monasteries, for treatment, with some sites receiving up to 5,000 pilgrims daily. The process of using holy water includes prayer, consumption, and bathing.[7][8] Visitors often fill bottles or jerrycans with holy water to consume at home.[9][10][11] In Lalibela, the use of traditional healing methods is common.[12] An estimated 5,000 people moved to the Entoto Church, where holy water is also found, with many flocking to the renowned Tsadkane Mariam Monastery.[13][8][14]

In celebration

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Holy water is often used during public holidays such as Timkat (Epiphany), when Christians gather around a small water pool prepared by priests on Ketera, the eve of Timkat.[15][16] After priests and deacons pray over and bless the water, it is sprayed onto the people "for the purification of their souls from sins committed." Most of these events take place at Jan Meda Square.[1]

In Gondar, the Fasilides Bath symbolizes the Jordan River. On the eve of Timkat, local people flock to the city and gather at the bath, with eight of the forty-four tabots arriving from all directions.[17]

References

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  1. ^ a b Fortune, Addis (25 January 2015). "Holy Water Shower". addisfortune.net. Archived from the original on 2015-07-03. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
  2. ^ "Church endorses 'holy water' and ARVs as people flock to miracle mountain". The New Humanitarian. 2007-05-25. Archived from the original on 2022-07-14. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
  3. ^ "HIV Prevention and Counseling at Holy Water Sites in Ethiopia". globalhealth.washington.edu. 2015-09-28. Archived from the original on 2022-07-14. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
  4. ^ Tadesse, Zelalem (14 July 2022). The Practice of Holy Water Therapy for Mental Disorders (Thesis). Addis Ababa University. Archived from the original on 16 September 2019. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  5. ^ Baheretibeb, Yonas; Wondimagegn, Dawit; Law, Samuel (2021-05-05). "Holy water and biomedicine: a descriptive study of active collaboration between religious traditional healers and biomedical psychiatry in Ethiopia". BJPsych Open. 7 (3): e92. doi:10.1192/bjo.2021.56. ISSN 2056-4724. PMC 8142542. PMID 33947496.
  6. ^ Berhanu, Zena (2010-08-31). "Holy Water as an Intervention for HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia". Journal of HIV/AIDS & Social Services. 9 (3): 240–260. doi:10.1080/15381501.2010.502802. ISSN 1538-1501. S2CID 71081016.
  7. ^ "Holy water in Ethiopia". 14 July 2022. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.966.8407.
  8. ^ a b itechadmin (2014-09-08). "Stories of Success from Ethiopia: The Tsadkane Holy Water Well". I-TECH. Archived from the original on 2021-11-19. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
  9. ^ "Thousands of Ethiopian pilgrims flocking to religious sites". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 2020-11-22. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
  10. ^ Drum: A Magazine of Africa for Africa. African Drum Publications. 1999. Archived from the original on 2022-07-14. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
  11. ^ Hannig, Anita (2013). "The Pure and the Pious: Corporeality, Flow, and Transgression in Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity". Journal of Religion in Africa. 43 (3): 297–328. doi:10.1163/15700666-12341254. ISSN 0022-4200. Archived from the original on 2022-07-14. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
  12. ^ "Faith as a Means of Healing: Traditional Medicine and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church In and Around Lalibela". 14 July 2022. Archived from the original on 26 June 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  13. ^ "'Holy water cures even HIV' - ICIJ". 2006-11-30. Archived from the original on 2021-06-24. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
  14. ^ "Journey to Entoto Mariam Church | Global Impressions". 8 March 2017. Archived from the original on 2021-06-10. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
  15. ^ Fuller, Linda K. (2004). National Days/national Ways: Historical, Political, and Religious Celebrations Around the World. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-275-97270-7. Archived from the original on 2022-07-14. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
  16. ^ Bierbaum, Bernd (2011). In Ethiopia. BoD – Books on Demand. ISBN 978-3-8448-5884-6. Archived from the original on 2022-07-14. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
  17. ^ Hoh, Anchi (2022-01-19). "Epiphany and Timkat in Ethiopia: The City of Gondar Hosts Annual Epiphany Celebrations | 4 Corners of the World: International Collections and Studies at the Library of Congress". blogs.loc.gov. Archived from the original on 2022-02-18. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
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