King Lalibela
King Lalibela was the 12th-13th century ruler of the Zagwe dynasty of Ethiopia, renowned as a saint and visionary builder of the eleven monolithic rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Born with a swarm of bees around him (meaning his name: 'the bees recognize his sovereignty'), Lalibela made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and when Jerusalem fell to Muslim forces, received a divine vision commanding him to build a New Jerusalem in Ethiopia. He gathered thousands of workers who carved eleven churches directly from solid volcanic rock, working from the top down. Angels wo