Rastafarian Children of Solomon : The Legacy of the Kebra Nagast and the Path to Peace and Understanding

Shares the spiritual wisdom of Rastafari through the stories, teachings, and traditions of practicing Rastas in Jamaica • Includes the author’s interviews with bush doctors, healers, and Rastafarians gathered during his 15 years of living in Jamaica • Reveals the old ways of the Rastafarians and how their beliefs form an unbroken lineage tracing back to King Solomon • Explains the connection of Rasta beliefs to important biblical passages Tracing their lineage back to King Solomon—the wisest man who ever lived—Rastafarians follow a spiritual tradition of peace and meditation that is more a way of life than an organized religion. During his 15 years living in Jamaica, Gerald Hausman developed deep friendships with Rastafarians and rootsmen, enabling him to experience firsthand the beliefs and traditions of these followers of the Kebra Nagast—the African gospel excised from the King James version of the Bible. He met bush doctors, Rasta preachers, members of the Marley family, and respected elders who knew Marcus Garvey, prophet of the Rasta movement and vocal proponent of the Pan-African movement in America. He also met elders who were present when Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia and descendant of the House of David, came to Jamaica in the 1960s. Through interviews with fishermen, mystics, and wise men, as well as direct encounters with spirits and the spiritual, the author reveals the deep wisdom that underlies the “old ways” of the Rastas. He connects their stories, lives, and teachings with important biblical passages as well as reggae songs. He shares their views on the medicinal and meditative powers of cannabis—the sacred herb of Solomon—and explains that while Rastas believe it to be “the opener of the door,” they maintain that peace and understanding must be found within. Illustrating the unwavering faith and hope of the Rastafari of Jamaica, Hausman shows them to be a people who, above all, emphasize equality, because the Holy Spirit within each of us makes us all one and the same. 'Day by day, the elders who formed the foundation of Rasta in the 1920s and '30s are passing. Within these pages you will meet a man who knew Marcus Garvey and an elder who met Haile Selassie I when he came to Jamaica. You will also meet younger rootsmen whose faith is constant and true. This book goes straight to the heart with truths that are seldom written but often said in my home country.'--(Cedella Marley, author of the bestselling children's books 'One Love' and 'Every Little Thing') Tracing their lineage back to King Solomon--the wisest man who ever lived--Rastafarians follow a spiritual tradition of peace and meditation that is more a way of life than an organized religion. During his 15 years living in Jamaica, Gerald Hausman developed deep friendships with Rastafarians and rootsmen, enabling him to experience firsthand the beliefs and traditions of these followers of the Kebra Nagast--the African gospel excised from the King James version of the Bible. He met bush doctors, Rasta preachers, members of the Marley family, and respected elders who knew Marcus Garvey, prophet of the Rasta movement and vocal proponent of the Pan-African movement in America. Hausman also met elders who were present when Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia and descendant of the House of David, came to Jamaica in the 1960s. Through interviews with fishermen, mystics, and wise men as well as direct encounters with spirits and the spiritual, the author reveals the deep wisdom that underlies the 'old ways' of the Rastas. He connects their stories, lives, and teachings with important biblical passages as well as reggae songs. He shares their views on the medicinal and meditative powers of cannabis--the sacred herb of Solomon--and explains that while Rastas believe it to be 'the opener of the door,' they maintain that peace and understanding must be found within. Illustrating the unwavering faith and hope of the Rastafarians of Jamaica, Hausman shows them to be a people who, above all, emphasize equality, because the Holy Spirit within each of us makes us all one and the same. GERALD HAUSMAN is a renowned storyteller and award-winning author of more than 70 books about Native America, animals, mythology, and West Indian culture, including 'The Kebra Nagast', introduced by Ziggy Marley. He has presented stories throughout the United States and Europe as well as on NPR and the History Channel and for the Kennedy Center and the American Library Association. He lives in Bokeelia, Florida This book is about people. A particular group of people who are as much misunderstood now as they were in the 1930s when they appeared on the scene with surprising vehemence, urging social and spiritual change in an indifferent and antithetical world. Perhaps it began with the St. Ann revolutionary Marcus Garvey who stated clearly what the Bible had already said: “Look to Africa, when a black King shall be crowned for the day of deliverance is near.” He might very well have said that the king was Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia and that he was not only a king but a deity, descended from the House of David.Singularly, the most important thing was that this king would bring forth a new day on earth. That his ancestral lineage included Jesus of Nazareth was perhaps less important than his direct familial connection to King Solomon, author of Ecclesiastes and considered by Rastafarians to be the wisest man who ever lived.The children of Solomon are the children of Africans. And so it is said, as well, that “God come black.” Haile Selassie was, according to Rastafarians we know, a black man and they ask: “Was not Jesus also black? And all of the Biblical Fathers of the Old Testament?” Tracing their lineage back to King Solomon, Rastafarians follow a spiritual tradition of peace and meditation that is more a way of life than an organized religion. During his 15 years living in Jamaica, Hausman experienced firsthand the beliefs and traditions of these followers of the Kebra Nagast, the African gospel excised from the King James version of the Bible. He shares their views on the medicinal and meditative powers of cannabis, the sacred herb of Solomon, and explains that while Rastas believe it to be "the opener of the door," they maintain that peace and understanding must be found within