-Who is like something that is very big?There is a mystical timeless quality to Lake Tana. The lake is home to dozens of island monasteries1, guardians of Ethiopia's unique religious history. This is a land of myth and legend. It's said to be home to the Queen of Hebrew and King Solomon's mines. For centuries, tales and treasure on these islands drew explorers and fortune hunters. I'd arrived at the 700-year-old monastery of ***.

-Oh, my goodness! Look at this!

Inside, vivid wall paintings tell the story of Ethiopia's spectacular heritage. Christianity was declared the state religion here in the fourth century.

-This isn't a religion that was imposed on Ethiopia by missionaries. This is home-grown Christianity. Lone before it was the religion of the Roman Empire. It was the religion here in Ethiopia. Ethiopia was the first Christian kingdom in the world.