ETHIOPIA: Again the Lion

Guests of Ethiopia on a festal day almost two decades ago still remember what happened as they prepared to dress: the entire water supply of the capital city of Addis Ababa had been shut off without warning. Distinguished visitors, protesting the loss of their baths, were told in hushed tones that His Majesty the King of Kings, Conquering Lion of Judah, Elect of God and Light of the World, and his Queen of Queens needed the water themselves for a ceremonial bath prior to their coronation. Next day, after the bath and an all-night vigil on his knees before...