▁T add esse ▁Tam rat , ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁Jan ▁Se y um ▁and ▁brother ▁of ▁K ed us ▁Har be . ▁Perhaps ▁the ▁most ▁well - known ▁of ▁the ▁Zag we ▁monarch s , ▁the ▁names ake ▁mon ol ith ic ▁churches ▁of ▁L al ib ela ▁are ▁attributed ▁to ▁his ▁reign , ▁although ▁recent ▁scholar ship ▁has ▁suggested ▁orig ins ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁the ▁late ▁A ks um ite ▁period , ▁with ▁the ▁complex ▁reaching ▁its ▁present ▁form ▁during ▁his ▁time . ▁He ▁is ▁v ener ated ▁as ▁a ▁saint ▁by ▁the ▁Orth odox ▁T ew ah edo ▁churches . ▁ ▁King ▁L al ib ela ▁was ▁born ▁at ▁either ▁A def a ▁or ▁R oh a ▁( it ▁was ▁later ▁named ▁L al ib ela ▁after ▁him ) ▁in ▁Bug na ▁in ▁ 1 1 6 2 ▁AD . ▁He ▁was ▁given ▁the ▁name ▁" L al ib ela ", ▁meaning ▁" the ▁be es ▁recogn ise ▁his ▁so vere ig nt y " ▁in ▁Old ▁Ag aw , ▁due ▁to ▁a ▁sw arm ▁of ▁be es ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁surrounded ▁him ▁at ▁his ▁birth , ▁which ▁his ▁mother ▁took ▁as ▁a ▁sign ▁of ▁his ▁future ▁reign ▁as ▁Emperor ▁of ▁Eth iop ia . ▁Trad ition ▁states ▁that ▁he ▁went ▁into ▁ex ile ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁host ility ▁of ▁his ▁uncle ▁Tat ad im ▁and ▁his ▁brother ▁king ▁K ed us ▁Har be , ▁and ▁was ▁almost ▁poison ed ▁to ▁death ▁by ▁his ▁half - s ister .