Abba Giyorgis

Giyorgis of Segla
Late 17th century portrait of Giyorgis of Segla by Baselyos
Nebura'ed (abbot) of Debre Damo
Born	c. 1365
Residence	Abyssinia
Died	1 July 1425
Venerated in	Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
Feast	14 July / 7 Hamle (Abib)
Controversy	Sabbath in Christianity
Major works	Hours and Book of Mystery

Giyorgis of Segla (c. 1365 – c. 1 July 1425), also known as Giyorgis of Gesecha and Abba Giyorgis, was an Ethiopian Oriental Orthodox monk, saint, and author of religious books.

Giyorgis' work has had great influence on Ethiopian monastic calendars, hymns and Ge'ez literature. He is considered one of the most important Ge'ez writers in fifteenth-century Ethiopia.

Giyorgis was involved in a controversy concerning Sabbath in Christianity and consequentially fell into disfavor of emperor Dawit I. He managed to continue his work later in life, under the reigns of Tewodros I and Yeshaq I.

It is possible that two or three prominent religious figures have been mixed into the same figure in Ethiopian Church tradition, and Giyorgis' identity remains uncertain. One theory is that Abba Giyorgis of Dabra Bahrey and Giyorgis of Segla (or Gesecha) are separate persons who lived in the mid-14th century. Abba Giyorgis of Dabra Bahrey may have flourished during the reign of emperor Amda Seyon I (1314–1344). He would have been the disciple of saint Iyasus Mo'a at the monastery of Hayq. Giyorgis of Segla (died between 1424 and 1426) would have been the writer, the preacher and the musician. A single remaining copy of his Gadl is being kept in the monastery of Hayq.Gadl (Saint's Life) is a traditional form of Ge'ez hagiography written by disciples of the saints after their demise.

Giyorgis' parents were of noble descent. Giyorgis' father was Hezba Tseyon, a court chaplain of emperor Dawit I. His father was known by his contemporaries as "a comprehender of the Scriptures like Salathiel" (Salathiel refers to Ezra the Scribe). His mother was Emmena Seyon from Wollo. Giyorgis is among the monks who are claimed to have been students of Ethiopian saint and monastic leader Iyasus Mo'a at Lake Hayq's prominent monastery, which had become a place of pilgrimage already during Iyasus Mo'a's lifetime. The beginning of Giyorgis' career was not without hardship. He was so slow in learning that his teacher had lost hope at one point. Ethiopian education of the time relied heavily on memorization, and without showing ability one would not get very far in studies where knowledge was preserved orally. It has been told that: