▁the ▁female ▁activ ist ▁Wal atta ▁Pet ros , ▁whose ▁bi ography ▁was ▁written ▁ 1 6 7 2 . ▁ ▁Biography ▁ ▁Y ac ob ▁ ▁was ▁born ▁into ▁a ▁far mer ▁family ▁near ▁A ks um ▁in ▁northern ▁Eth iop ia , ▁the ▁former ▁capital ▁of ▁Eth iop ia ▁under ▁the ▁ancient ▁kingdom ▁of ▁A ks um . ▁Y ac ob ' s ▁name ▁means ▁" The ▁Se ed ▁of ▁Jacob " ▁(" Z ar " ▁is ▁the ▁Ge ' ez ▁word ▁for ▁" seed "). ▁Although ▁his ▁father ▁was ▁poor , ▁he ▁supported ▁Y ac ob ' s ▁attend ance ▁of ▁traditional ▁schools , ▁where ▁he ▁became ▁acquaint ed ▁with ▁the ▁Ps al ms ▁of ▁David ▁and ▁educated ▁in ▁the ▁Eth iop ian ▁Orth odox ▁Christian ▁faith . ▁He ▁was ▁den ounced ▁before ▁Emperor ▁Sus eny os ▁( r . ▁ 1 6 0 7 - 1 6 3 2 ), ▁who ▁had ▁turned ▁to ▁the ▁Roman ▁Catholic ▁faith ▁and ▁ordered ▁his ▁subjects ▁to ▁follow ▁his ▁own ▁example . ▁ ▁Ref using ▁to ▁adopt ▁the ▁Catholic ▁faith , ▁Y ac ob ▁fled ▁into ▁ex ile ▁with ▁some ▁gold ▁and ▁the ▁Book ▁of ▁Ps al ms . ▁On ▁the ▁road ▁to ▁She wa ▁in ▁the ▁south , ▁he ▁found ▁a ▁cave ▁at ▁the ▁foot ▁of ▁the ▁Te ke z é ▁River ▁and ▁lived ▁in ▁it ▁as ▁a ▁herm it ▁for ▁two ▁years , ▁pray ing ▁and ▁developing ▁his ▁philosophy . ▁He ▁wrote ▁of ▁his ▁experience , ▁" I ▁have ▁lear nt