Ezana (active early to middle 4th century) was an Ethiopian king during the Axumite period. His reign marked a turning point in Ethiopian history because Christianity became the state religion when he became the first Christian king.

Very little indeed is known about Ethiopia before the 12th century, but the reign of Ezana in the early to middle 4th century stands out because of the relatively abundant inscriptions which he left. Axum was the predecessor kingdom of modern Ethiopia and was located in the northern part of the country. Ezana succeeded his father, Ella Amida, to the kingship while still a child, and Ezana's mother, Sofya, acted as his regent until he grew up. The young Ezana was tutored by one of his father's counselors, Frumentius, who was a Christian from Syria. Frumentius later converted Ezana to Christianity and became the head of the new Ethiopian Church.

The...