How did Christianity first reach the area that became Eritrea?

Christianity first reached the area that became Eritrea in the 4th century CE. During this period, the religion was established on the coast and subsequently spread to the plateau, where it was adopted by the local highlanders.1

This expansion was closely tied to the Kingdom of Aksum, a regional power that dominated parts of modern-day Eritrea. The conversion of the Aksumite court, led by King Ezana, was facilitated by St. Frumentius, a Syrian missionary who was later consecrated as the first bishop of Aksum by the bishop of Alexandria. Following the king's baptism, Christianity became the official state religion of the Aksumite kingdom. Over the next two centuries, the faith penetrated the broader population as monks traveled through the interior, establishing churches and monasteries.234