W`ZB

Who is W`ZB?

W`ZB or Ella Gabaz was a king of Axum. He uses the name "Ella Gabaz" on his coinage, but calls himself W`ZB in an inscription where he states he is the "son of Ella Atsbeha", or king Kaleb.

In his discussion of this king, Munro-Hay draws on material from the story of Abba Libanos, the "Apostle of Eritrea", in which a king named "Za-Gabaza Aksum" is mentioned, to suggest that Ella Gabaz and Za-Gabaza might be epithets W`ZB adopted, and indicate that he did some important construction on Mariam Syon in Axum.