The Qemant are a small ethnic group in Northwestern Ethiopia. They are related to the Agaw people in Ethiopia. The Qemant people traditionally practiced an early Hebraic religion, however most members of the Qemant are followers of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Despite their historic relationship, they should not be confused with the Beta Israel. The ethnicity's population is reported to be 172,000, according to the 1994 national census; the latest available national census, the one performed in 2007, does not list them as a separate group. However, only 1,625 people still speak Qimant, and it is considered endangered, as most children speak Amharic; likewise, adherence to the traditional religion has dropped substantially, as most of the population has converted to Christianity. Converts often consider themselves to have become Amhara. Historically, there was a constant effort to assimilate the Qemant people to the Amhara people. This resulted in the alarming decrease of the number of people who speak the Qemant language. In the 2007 Ethiopian Census, the Qemant people were not counted as a separate ethnic group. This is one of the most extreme examples of the efforts to assimilate the Qemant to the Amhara, and thus deny the ethnic identity of the Qemant people. The Qemant live along an axis stretching from Ayikel in Chilgaworeda to Kirakir and north to Lake Tana in the woredas of Lay Armachiho. Most remaining speakers of the language are near Ayikel, about west of Gondar. They are mainly farmers. The Qemant are divided into two patrilineal moieties, the Keber and the Yetanti; the Keber is higher in rank. A traditional Qemant can only marry a member of the other moiety, so, while the moieties are exogamous, Qemant society as a whole is endogamous.
Religion
The Qemant traditionally practiced a religion which is often described as "Hebraic". According to the Americananthropologist Frederic C. Gamst, their "Hebraism is an ancient form and unaffected by Hebraic change of the past two millennia". A recent sociolinguistic survey notes that the Qemant religion is in a very precarious situation since very few people still adhere to it due to rapid assimilation. According to this study, the ratio of those who follow the Qemant religion vs. those who are baptized and converted to Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity is about 1% vs. 99%. Their religious observances include a literal reading of the 11th chapter of Leviticus. As with mainstream Judaism, even permitted animals can only be consumed if they are properly slaughtered. Their practices include continued animal sacrifices, and the tending of sacred groves. Worship is conducted outdoors, usually at a site near a sacred tree, wrapped in variously-colored strips of cloth. This appears to be a survival of a biblical tradition: and However, due to their dislike to being observed by the increasingly pervasive Christians, they eventually constructed a prayer-hall at Chelga. The Sabbath is observed on Saturday, when it is forbidden to light a fire. The extent as to which they observe other prohibitions often found in Judaism is unclear. The Qemant call their Deity Adara or Yeadara or Mezgana, which might to be a proper name. He is described as omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient, and anthropomorphic. He is approachable directly or through qedus which are angels or culture heroes. The highest political and religious leader among the Qemant is their High Priest, called the Wember, an Amharic term meaning "seat." There were formerly two superior wambars, at Karkar and at Chelga, with the first being senior, and a varying number of subordinate wambars in other parts of Qemantland. All wambars are chosen from certain lineages in the Keber moiety. The last wambar of Karkar died in 1955, and since then the only wambar has been Mulunah Marsha, Wambar of Chelga. Each wambar chose one or more delegates with the title of afaliq to represent him in judicial matters. These men traveled the countryside, settling disputes, seeing that the laws were obeyed, and punishing wrongdoing, usually with a fine. Each wambar also chose two stewards with different titles, one from each moiety, who served different elements of the sacred meals. There are two orders of priesthood, the kamazana, the higher, of the Keber moiety, and the abayegariya, the lower, of the Yetanti moiety. Each Qemant locality has at least one of each; they must work together to conduct the traditional sacrifices and other religious ceremonies. When offering a sacrifice, the abayegaria holds the legs of the victim and the kamazana wields the knife. The priests also have a subordinate judicial function.
History
The origins of the Qemant are unknown due to lack of a written history. According to the early 19th century missionary Samuel Gobat, their Amharic-speaking neighbors considered the Qemant boudas, or sorcerers, along with "the Falashas or Jews, most Mussulamns, and some Christians." Gobat knew little more about this "small Pagan people inhabiting the mountains in the vicinity of Gondar." The Qemant were especially subject to Ahmarization between 1889 and 1913 during the reign of Emperor Minilik II. Writing in 1967, US anthropologist F. Gamst said he expected total assimilation of the Qemant with the Amhara within three decades. However in the modern era, Qemant identity has resurfaced.
