Uniform for deqiqe Lemba Beta Esrael

Selam Lemba Beta Esrael Selam Hzb Yaman Esrael.Blessed be our Amlak , the Amlak of all Spirit and all Flesh.Selam to His Majesty King Binyam Selamun, King of Lemba Beta Esrael.Selam to Her Majesty The Queen Mother of lemba Beta Esrael Queen Lehuma Selamun Selam to the High Priest and Chief of the Priests Abune ZaAgazeto Tsiyon of Lemba Beta Esrael.Selam to the Crown princes and princesses of lemba Beta Esrael.Selam to the Royal Supreme Courts of Lemba Beta Esrael Sandton, South Africa, the promised land.Selam to the Royal Executive Council of Lemba Beta Esrael.Selam to all Deqiqe Lemba Beta Esrael in the four corners of the earth.Be it known that as from the first light of the 29th day of our moon Nehase and year 7092 in lemba beta Esrael lunar calendar, the uniform, tunic and or traditional wear for all deqiqe Lemba Beta Esrael Kingdom { children of Esrael or offspring of Esrael}, shall be as outlined in the images and descriptions attached to this Royal Message.The Lemba Beta Esrael Royal Supreme Courts, in the name of His Majesty The King who speaks through Royal Messages and by upholding the articles of the Royal Constitution here constitutes The Uniform of Lemba Beta Esrael people as legal and official uniform. Temesgen . We are thankful.Lemba Beta Esrael Royal Executive endeavors to organize, manage how the uniform would reach the deqiqe Lemba Beta Esrael. This would obviously be done through the Kingdom’s store called Malakat Store.Selam Hzb Lemba Beta Esrael Selam Betasab

Netela (ነጠላ) is a scarf like cloth made of cotton very thin and delicate, with the texture of a gauze, worn by all women in Lemba Beta Esrael.
The netela has only two layers and is quite big, measuring about 63 x 102 inches. It is white with a colorful border (tibeb) between 1 to 2 inches at each end with two variations, one has only one color and the second can have many colors and patterns

The netela can be worn in different ways. For general wear, the netela covers back and shoulders and the border are folded up over the right shoulder, but for temple activities the two layers of the netela are opened and the border goes over both shoulders. When the border is worn around the face or shoulders, it is a sign of mourning, but for recreation or resting the border goes over the left shoulder.

There are other textiles like the netela. There is one called fota, that is much more colorful with a dimension of 58 x 105 inches. It usually has a checkerboard design and it is a medium-weight textile that is worn simply wrapped around the shoulders or over the head as a shawl.

These textiles are woven by hand in handmade looms. Weaving is a traditional male job and is held in remarkably high regards.

Another kind of textile we have is The Habesha Kemis (also written as Yehabesha Qemis). It is considered the traditional dress of Ethiopia, as well as, a cultural dress in Eritrea. The Habesha Kemis is a white hand-woven cotton clothing that is made from shemma. This is a cloth made by sewing together long strips of woven fabric. Approximately 75cm wide, the shemma is hand-woven by traditional weavers known as Shemane. Hand-made patterns known as Tibeb (ጢቤቤ) are made using woven shiny threads and are added to the Kemis on the waistband and edges.

However, the way the Kemis is presented can differ by community and ethnicity, for instance we have Shewa and Gondar ways or versions of presenting the Kemis. The Shewa version can choose to place the embroidery on the bottom, cuffs, or waist of the dress. Sometimes, it will feature on all three places. In Lemba Beta Esrael our version is  the Gondar version  which positions the embroidery on the bottom hem, only at the back of the dress. Traditionally, the Kemis is ankle-length and uses a white shemma. Nevertheless, you can also find modern versions which have adopted different structures and styles. Below is our Gondar version:

The Shewa version is shown below:

It can take up to three weeks to finish one dress. The Kemis is soften worn during ceremonies and special events. But it is not uncommon to see them at casual occasions as well. Women will often wear the dress with Netela This too will have tibeb added to its edges, which often matches the design on the Kemis.  The tibeb can either be made up on one color or have multiple colors and patterns. It is common for the Kemis to be paired with two shawls, one to cover her shoulders and another for her head

The Netela is not the only textile women wear to accompany their Kemis. There’s a lengthy cotton sash, known as the Doncho (ዶነጮ), which can be 26 feet long. This textile is reserved for married women only and comes with colored border.

Another type of textile, equivalent to the netela but only worn by men is the Gabi (ጋቢ).
Instead of just two layers like the netela, the gabi has four and it is warmer and heavier, much like a light blanket. Gabi is perfect for the night-time or colder seasons.

For warmer temperatures, men will cover their heads with a thin shawl known as Kuta

Kaba, an integral part of Ethiopian culture, is a robe worn by kingdom royals since BC. Kabas are now worn during traditional Ethiopian and Eritrean wedding celebrations. Although kabas are recognized as a cultural symbol of royalty, they too embody our kingdom identity as lemba Beta Esrael or heirs to the kingdom

In Lemba Beta Esrael tradition, the Kaba royal gowns bear the symbol of the pomegranate fruit {with all its six parts}, exactly like a typical star {kokeb} and the symbol of the ear of wheat or barley is also embroidered.  These symbols are derived from the way of life of Lemba Beta Esrael people as an agricultural people that produce fruits like pomegranate and grain crops like wheat and barley.  The star is depicted to symbolize the Lemba Beta Esrael people’s knowledge of astronomy. The pomegranates, the star and the ear of wheat or barley symbols that we use, are not derived from the religion of Judaism as practiced by the Jews. NO! The symbols mentioned are entrenched in our way of life and culture as Lemba Beta Esrael.Be it known. Below are the images of pomegranate and ear of wheat: