Gebre Meskel

Background According to one source, Gebre Meskel had a high administrative position in the Shewa region during the reign of his father. Oral tradition claims his seat was in the mountains of Menagesha.

Most Axumite regnal lists name Gebre Meskel as the direct successor of his father Kaleb. Lists that include reign lengths state he ruled for 14 years. A regnal list quoted by Carlo Conti Rossini stated this king reigned for 40 years. Some lists place Gebre Meskel after his brother Israel, who reigned for 8 months. The 1922 regnal list of Ethiopia, as quoted by then Prince Regent Tafari Makonnen, stated this king reigned for 14 years and succeeded king Za Israel, who apparently only reigned for one month according to this list. The 1922 regnal list gave his regnal dates as 523–537 E.C.

To date, no Axumite coinage has been discovered bearing the name of this king.

Most regnal lists name Kostantinos as Gebre Meskel's successor. However, outside of Ethiopia events were less peaceful. The territory of south Arabia, conquered by his father Kaleb, was likely lost during the reign of Gebre Meskel and the Persians annexed the territory by c. 575.

Legacy The name "Gebre Meskel" or "Gabra Maskal" has been used as a regnal name by at least three Ethiopian emperors: Lalibela (r. 1181–1221) Amda Seyon I (r. 1314–1344) Yeshaq (r. 1414–1429)

Traditional regnal lists Both August Dillmann and Carlo Conti Rossini studied surviving Abyssinian regnal lists and grouped them into three (lists A–C) and eight (lists A–H) types respectively. Gebre Meskel appears on the following lists: +Gebre Meskel on traditional Ethiopian and Eritrean regnal listsListPredecessorSuccessorStatements and NotesRef.Dillmann List A / Rossini List CBeta Esrael–Reigned for 14 years.Last name on this list.Dillmann List B / Rossini List BKalebConstantinosDillmann List C / Rossini List ARossini List DRossini List EYeshaqReigned for 40 years.Rossini List FMa'eda KalaReigned for 37 years.Rossini List GConstantinos