For this assignment, I researched Ge'ez, an ancient Semitic language dating to the first century CE in Ethiopia.  Although it was replaced as a spoken language by Amharic, numerous religious institutions continue to use this language for liturgical purposes and religious practices.  Specifically, the Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox Tewehedo Churches, the Eritrean & Ethiopian Catholic Churches, and Jewish groups in Ethiopia keep this language alive.  The oldest known artifacts with Ge'ez inscriptions date to the 3rd century and there are numerous inscriptions in Aksum dating from the 4th through the 9th centuries.  In the 5th and 7th centuries, the Bible was translated into Ge'ez.  Today, Amharic and Tigrayan have adapted Ge'ez syllabury for their written language.

Ge'ez illustrates the early global connections between Africa and other regions of the world.  Specifically, as a Semitic language, it demonstrates the heterogeneity and geographic expanse of early Judaism and Christianity.  This language also indicates the centrality of Aksum and eventually Ethiopia in Classical and medieval Trans-Saharan, Red Sea, and Indian Ocean trade routes.