Hormuzd Rassam, the First Professional Archeologist from the Middle East, Details the Customs of the Abyssinians (today Ethiopians) and Mentions His Own Captor, King Theodor

Hormuzd Rassam is known for making a number of important archaeological discoveries, including the clay tablets that contained the Epic of Gilgamesh, the world’s oldest notable literature. He is widely believed to be the first-known Middle Eastern and Assyrian archaeologist from the Ottoman Empire. He emigrated to the United Kingdom, where he was naturalized as a British citizen, settling in Brighton.

When Emperor Theodor claimed the Ethiopian crown, he fashioned himself alongside the other European royalty, including Queen Victoria, as his companions in monarchy. In 1862, he found himself in dire straits. Much of his own nation had risen up against him. Only the heart of imperial power, from Lake Tana to his fortress of Magdala remained loyal. He found himself in a game of whack-a-mole, constantly engaged in armed conflict with an array of rebel forces. Abyssinia was also under threat from Muslim encroachment. Ottoman Turks and Egyptians threatened Abyssinia from Sudan and the Red Sea, while the Muslim Oromo tribe expanded. Desperate, Theodor begged the imperial powers of Europe for help.

The Emperor’s letter to Queen Victoria appealed to Christian solidarity in the face of Muslim expansion in the region, but this appeal had no effect. The British had myriad interests across the region, and to them the Ottomans represented a valuable hedge against Russian expansion in Asia. The Suez Canal also motivated cooperation with Egypt and Sudan, as it represented the life-line connecting Britain to India, the jewel in her imperial crown.

In the face of rejection and the increasing hopelessness of his situation, Theodor lashed out and kidnapped a number of Englishmen in his Kingdom.

Victoria sent Rassam, who was multilingual and seemed to be well connected. He was the official representative to Theodor and for a while things seemed to go well. However, another man arrived around this time, named C.T. Beke. He came bearing letters from the hostages’ families to Theodor, begging for their release. Beke’s actions seemed to tip the unstable emperor towards a more hostile path. Rassam stated in his memoirs that “I date the change in the King’s conduct towards me, and the misfortunes which eventually befell the members of the Mission and the old captives, from this day.”

Theodor at this point kidnapped Rassam himself, and his treatment of all the hostages became far harsher. Kidnapping a diplomatic representative was considered a terrible breach of protocol and the British had enough. Victoria sent in the military, which defeated Theodor, who committed suicide rather than be captured.

Rassam returned home and wrote on his ordeal, also counseling those who sought more information about the Ethiopians.

Seven autograph letters signed, to Rev. FS May, close from of Rassam and leading religious figure in England. In them, he gives some information to the Reverend about the Abyssinians.

September 26, 1868. “If you write to my brother, address him to the care of Messrs Charles Hanson and Co., Constantinople, or better care of Messrs Smith Elder & Co, 45 Pall Mall SW.”

October 10, 1868. “With regard to your letter of the 7th instant, I beg to say for the information of your medical Syrian friend that I know of no one at present who requires an Arabic interpreter or one who desires to employ him in a literary capacity. As soon as I find that his services are required by any one I shall not fail to let you know immediately.”

May 8, 1869. “The Abyssinians baptize their children by immersion like all Eastern churches and believe likewise in the regeneration of Baptism.”

May 10 , 1869. “The Abyssinians belong to the Monophosite branch of the Church and believe that our saviour had one person and one nature contrary to the dogmas held by the Catholic and Nestorian churches.”

May 14, 1869. “As the Abyssinians do not keep a register of births, their ages are not accurately known. King Theodor’s age was believed to be, when he died, between 45 and 50.”

March 3, 1871. “Many thanks for your kind note and congratulations in which my wife joins. Thank God both mother and baby are well and for the first time I took them out driving today to Richmond Park. We hope that it will not be long before we shall have the pleasure of seeing you and Mrs. May in our humble domicile. Please let us know a day or two before you pay us a visit in order that I may not be away from home and I go up to town twice or three times a week. Pray thank Mr. May for his welcome note and say that I hope that we shall soon meet and then we can consult about what he wrote to me concerning the historians.”

February 21, 1871. “The week before last I wrote to you about a paper which I had left with Mrs. May at your house for your perusal and opinion with regard to its publication, and up to today I have received no answer. I fear that either my letter or your answer has been mislaid so I write again to ask you to be good enough to have the paper returned to me if you do not think it is worth publishing as I want to write to my brother about it if it cannot be published.”