ኅዳር ጽዮን “Hedar tsion” is one of the biggest feast celebrations in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. It is celebrated for many reasons some of which we will touch upon.

During Hedar tsion we remember the story about how the ark of the covenant was taken by the Philistines but because of the power of God, it destroyed the Philistines’ idols and was returned back to Israel. The whole story can be found in 1 Samuel chapters 4-6.

It is also a day to remember the time the ark of the covenant came to Ethiopia during the reign of Menelik I (king Solomon and Queen Sheba’s son).

We also remember the day that the Jewish temple Zion, located in Axum, was converted to the church called Zion of Mary. This is the church where the ark of the covenant is kept.to

Zion has a special significance when it comes to the bible. It is found numerous times throughout the bible and means many things. For example Zion is the name of a fortress which King David captured. 2 Samuel 5:7. It is also a name used to describe a holy mountain. Psalms 2:6 and in general the people and city of God. Isaiah 60:14.

Above all these Zion is name reserved for two special things; the church and the Mother of God.

Isaiah 35:10
And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Hebrews 12:22-24
But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

Here Mount Zion is referring to the church. The church is where we come together and worship God joyfully as the angels do. It is where God dwells and the spirits of the righteous (the saints) lives on. Most of all it is where the blood and body of Jesus Christ is given out to the congregation.

Psalm 132: 13-14
For the Lord has chosen Zion, he has desired it for his dwelling, saying, “This is my resting place for ever and ever; here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it.

Here Zion is referred to as the Lord’s dwelling place for ever and ever. This is referring to the Virgin Mary. You might ask; wait a second he only dwelt in her for 9 months just like any other child. But here dwelling refers to not the time spent in her womb but rather the amount of time he spent in her flesh. As the bible tells us in Heb 2:16 “For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham”. Mary was the seed of Abraham from which the Lord Jesus took his human nature from. And the Lord Jesus ascended into heaven and stands on the right hand of the father with his human nature/flesh (the tomb is still empty for anyone that wants to check). This is why it was said “here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it”.