In today's world Bob Marley is a household name. For even more than 40 years after his death, the Tuff Gong's legend continues to live on. Due to Bob's universal popularity the message of “One Love” as well as the mystical tenets of the Rastafarian movement have managed to successfully circumnavigate the globe several times over. However, what is not so commonly known about Bob is how he was baptized into the Ethiopian Orthodox Church shortly before his untimely departure from our physical plain of existence on May 11, 1981. For it would be on November 4, 1980 that Robert Nesta Marley was officially baptized as an Ethiopian Orthodox Christian taking the name Berhane Selassie, meaning, “Light of the Trinity.” The attempt of this presentation will be to showcase the events surrounding Bob Marely's baptism into the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, as taken from sources which have not been so widely publicized, while at the same time functioning as a concise overview of the story of Bob Marley drawn from accounts which are indeed more generally well known.
Before converting to the Ethiopian branch of Orthodox Christianity, Bob was a Rastafarian. However, even before making the conscious decision to embrace the faith of Rastafari as a young man, Bob was raised as a Catholic from early childhood. For Bob's mother, Cedella Booker, was a Christian and had him baptized into the Catholic Church when he was an infant. It could also be argued that the form of Catholicism Bob Marley was brought up in was a part of the greater Afro-Christian tradition. Now the term “Afro-Christian tradition” encompasses the bulk of Christian teachings incorporated with traditional elements of African spirituality, cultural practices, and philosophies which the indigenous peoples of Africa retained and brought with them across the Atlantic, even after their acceptance of Jesus Christ. Thus the New World would give rise to a unique form of Christian worship, theology, and religious expression. One which reflected the experiences and struggles of people of African descent living in the Western Hemisphere. Eventually, the relatively small Caribbean island of Jamaica would become the world's largest concentration of the adherents to the Afro-spiritual movement of Rastafari, with Bob Marley serving as its primary ambassador and prophet.
The Rastafarian movement originated in Jamaica during the 1930s as a spiritual and social uprising among the descendants of the African slaves, who were first brought to the island by white colonialists within just a couple decades following the “discovery” the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492. These individuals sought to establish their own identity and achieve empowerment and liberation from oppression. The roots of the Rastafarian movement can be traced back to the Nile Valley in Africa, specifically the territories of Egypt in the north and Ethiopia in the south. Rastafarian beliefs encompass a variety of religious elements primarily derived from the Christian faith, with an emphasis on reading from the Old Testament. Additionally, Rastafarian spirituality draws some of its inspiration from the ancient Egyptian mysteries. Rastafarians also assert that Jesus Christ has returned in the form of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I, the last king of Ethiopia. The speeches of Marcus Garvey, a Jamaican-born Pan-Africanist leader, played a significant role in fueling the Rastafarian movement. Garvey's prophecy, "Look to the east for the crowning of a black king," prompted many Black Jamaicans to associate this phrase with the coronation of the Ethiopian monarch Ras Tafari to the throne of the East African kingdom of Ethiopia in 1930. Upon his enthronement, Ras Tafari adopted the name Haile Selassie, which means "Power of the Trinity," along with titles such as "King of Kings," "Lord of Lords," and "Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah." Due to these titles, which are found written in the Bible, this convinced the Rastas in Jamaica that Haile Selassie really was the second coming, or second incarnation of Jesus Christ.
When Haile Selassie I ascended to the imperial throne of the Orthodox Christian Kingdom of Ethiopia on November 2, 1930, he strengthened the legitimacy of his royal lineage by asserting that he was the 225th descendant of the union between the Israelite King Solomon and the Ethiopian Queen of Sheba. This claim perpetuated Ethiopia's ancient and renowned Solomonic Dynasty. For according to the Bible, the Queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, and traveled to Jerusalem to meet him and to challenge Solomon with hard questions in order to test his wisdom (I Kings 10:1). Solomon successfully answered all her inquiries, leaving the Queen astonished by his wisdom. In addition to being dumbstruck by Solomon's keen intelect, the Queen of Sheba was also deeply impressed by the opulence and richness of Solomon's kingdom. The Bible further relates how Solomon gave the Queen all of her desires from out of his abundant royal bounty. However, legend suggests that Solomon bestowed something else upon the Queen before her departure back to Ethiopia. The Ethiopian holy book, and national epic, the Kebra Nagast, narrates a story of how Solomon seduced the Queen and fathered a child with her. This child, named Menelik I, who was born as a result of Solomon and Sheba's royal love affair would grow up to become the first king in a lineage of Solomonic rulers, spanning across the rich dynastic history of Ethiopia. The seeds of Israelite royalty were planted in Ethiopia, and along with it, the religion of the One True God of Israel also took root. This establishment of the Jewish faith in Ethiopia has created a lasting Jewish presence that stretches back to ancient times and continues to the present day. Even prior to Christianity becoming the official religion of Ethiopia, Judaism was widely practiced in the region. There are even rumors suggesting that the Biblical and legendary Ark of the Covenant finds its resting place in Ethiopia's holy city of Axum.
Now, after the first several years following the birth of the Rastafarian movement, this new Black liberating faith started gaining in popularity. An increasing number of the poor and oppressed masses of Jamaica accepted this inspiring message in the hopes of empowerment. The Rastafarians believed that their ancestors' enslavement and exile in the West Indies, away from their African homeland, paralleled the story of the Babylonian Captivity of the Jews as written in the Bible. According to the Rastas, their life in the West was akin to being trapped in hell, while Africa, primarily Ethiopia, represented heaven on earth. The idea of Ethiopia as a true promised land for Blacks in the diaspora was further reinforced by an act of kindness from Selassie. For in 1948, His Majesty granted 500 acres of land in an area of Ethiopia called Shashamane to be set aside for the repatriation of people of African descent, primarily from the Caribbean. This benevolent gesture made by Selassie was interpreted by the Rastafarians as confirmation that Ethiopia was indeed their spiritual homeland. With Rastas looking to Ethiopia as the Biblical Mount Zion and coupled with the generosity of His Imperial Majesty's land grant, these profound elements would ultimately result in the establishment of a Rastafarian community in Ethiopia: the land of their fathers.
Over the years, as the Rastafarian movement continued to grow, news of Selassie being the Black Messiah reached the ears of Selassie himself, which led to His Majesty's decision to visit Jamaica on April 21, 1966. When he arrived, he addressed the Rastafarian community and told them that he was not God. This, however, only led the Rastas to reason among themselves and conclude that God must be so humble that He doesn't know He is God! At the time of Selassie's visit to Jamaica, Bob Marley was in America visiting his mother who had immigrated to Wilmington, Delaware. Bob left behind in Jamaica his wife Rita, whom he had just recently married in February 1966. Rita was a Christian herself and initially didn't believe that Selassie was the Christ. However, she claimed that if she could see the nail print in Selassie's hand, she would believe, as the Bible states that when Christ returns, He will return in the flesh. It was during the procession of the motorcade with Selassie passing by when his Majesty waved in Rita's direction and gave a nod. At that moment, she perceived to see the nail print of the crucifixion in Selassie's hand and was instantly converted, embracing Rastafari: the belief that Haile Selassie I was indeed the return of Jesus Christ as prophesied in the Bible.
As a result of the spiritual and religious movement in Jamaica, where the inhabitants held a strong attachment to Ethiopian traditions, Emperor Selassie believed that his own faith and that of his nation should be introduced to the people of Jamaica, who were seeking a more spiritually fulfilling way of life. Being a devout Christian himself and a staunch supporter of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Selassie dispatched the Ethiopian cleric, Archbishop Yesehaq, to Jamaica with the purpose of educating the Rastafarians on Church doctrine, with the hope that they would choose to be baptized into the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Through Archbishop Yesehaq's efforts, over 20,000 Jamaicans were eventually baptized into the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. However, disagreements arose later on regarding the Church's doctrine, including Selassie's divinity, and the use of ganja. Unfortunately, these disagreements led many baptized Rastafarians to leave the Church. On the other hand, Bob Marley fully embraced the teachings of the Church and genuinely repented for his extramarital affairs. According to Archbishop Yesehaq, Bob Marley had great respect for the Ethiopian clergy and opted to be baptized in a private ceremony with only his immediate family in attendance. Thus, on November 4, 1980, Nesta Robert Marley was officially baptized into the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, taking the name Berhane Selassie, which means "Light of the Trinity." Abuna Yesehaq also commented that Bob cried for about 30 minutes after his baptism, a sign of holiness and the visitation of divine grace.
Bob Marley was truly a natural mystic. Since childhood, Berhane (Bob Marley) was a devout believer, displaying a disciplined spirit, a wise mind, and demonstrated genuine brotherly love towards people of all nationalities and skin colors. He spread the message of "One Love" to a global audience, putting Jamaica on the map. Even now, more than four decades after his passing, Bob's legacy and legend continues to live on. Despite humble beginnings, he rose to fame and fortune without allowing success or stardom to affect his humility. As a Rastaman, Bob practiced what he preached, and I believe that he did indeed achieve his soul's salvation. For in Orthodox Christianity, we believe in the intercession of the saints, and Berhane Selassie may be counted among those blessed souls in heaven who have overcome this fallen world and now pray for us sinners here on earth, as we go about the struggle after our own emancipation from metal slavery. Bob was not just a troubadour of the ghetto; he was also a conqueror of demons. The positive and uplifting vibes in his music originated from a heart filled with the love of JAH and a deep desire to see all of mankind united in harmony and in goodwill. Even though Bob may no longer be with us here in our physical plain of existence, yet the presence of his spirit is still profoundly felt by all those who have responded to his spiritually uplifting message. Who knows, maybe Bob is now listening to each one of us here in this present time as we triumphantly walk through the roads of creation while singing our own redemption songs.
References:
Archbishop Yesehaq. The Ethiopian Tewahedo Church. (Nashville, Tennessee: James C. Winston Publishing Company, Inc., 1997).
Barrett, L.E. The Rastafarians. (Boston, MA: Beacon Press, 1997).
Boot, A. Bob Marley: Songs of Freedom. (New York, NY: Viking Studio Books, 1995).
White, T. Catch a Fire: The Life of Bob Marley. (New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company, LLC., 1983).
