According to my tour guide, Lalibela was born the brother of the incumbent king. As a young child he was covered by a swarm of bees, which his mother took as a sign that he would one day be king himself. The king was not pleased with this prophesy and he tried to poison the young boy but instead of dying Lalibela fell asleep for three days. While asleep, Lalibela was transported to heaven by an angel and shown a city of rock-hewn churches, which he was ordered to replicate. Another version of the legend tells of Lalibela going to Jerusalem in exile and was inspired by a vision to create a "new Jerusalem" of rock at Roha.
As soon as Lalibela was crowned king, he gathered the world's greatest craftsmen and artisans to carve the churches. The excavation of the churches is a bit of a mystery. They were carved downward into the rock by an estimated 40,000 people.
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