IN 1897, a group of London Society missionaries embarked on a missionaryjour-ney to Dämbəya and Säqqält(Däbtära Wandem Huning Negoosie 1898). AtFänǧa, they attempted to preach to the BetäƎsraʾel community, but were instructed to discuss their dogmawith the High Priest, for the laity were not qualified to rule on suchreligious mat-ters. They then proceeded to visit the High Priest:“After a day's march we reached Amba Qualit[Gwalit], the large village of the High Priest; inhabited only byFalasha priests. There are no females, as all priests are unmarried. Havingpassed the night at a Christian village, two hours’ distance, thenext day, their Sabbath, we made our appearance, after they had finishedwith their synagogue ceremonies.” This mention of unmarriedBetä Ǝsraʾel priests seems to indicate that the site inquestion was a Betä Ǝsraʾel monastic centre, sinceBetä Ǝsraʾel priests were required to marry as aprerequisite of initiation. The mention of a high priest seems to supportthis, since many monastic leaders are commonly referred to as such.

The village of Amba Gwalit is extensively mentioned in latersources, which make no mention of a monastic centre there. London societyaccounts published in 1903, 1907, and 1908 mention a lay community andpriests as residing in the village (DäbtäraWandem Huning Negoosie and Däbtära Beleta1907, 170; Däbtära Wandem Huning Negoosie andGoschu Beleta 1903, 107; Däbtära WandemHuning Negoosie and Däbtära Meherat 1908). Inthe latter description, the name of the village appears as“Anbaquabeet,” which seems to be a corrupted form of“Amba Gwalit.” The Jewish emissary JacquesFaitlovitch (1910, 66–83, 94–104) resided in the village forthree months in 1908 and wrote extensively about his stay there. He does notmention a monastic community, but rather twenty-three BetäƎsraʾel families, and writes: “The community has alarge mesgid, and is famous due to its scholars, the debteras”(Faitlovitch 1910, 66). During the time of his visit and in later years, themonastic centre of the region was in the relatively nearby village ofGuraba, which we shall discuss in detail below. Our informants in AmbaGwalit had not heard of Betä Ǝsraʾelmonks living in the village, though they were famil-iar with the BetäƎsraʾel monastic centre in Guraba and mentioned the names of afew Betä Ǝsraʾel monks.