Why did some Ethiopian religious writers challenge the Zagwe dynasty’s claim to legitimacy?

Religious writers and ecclesiastical texts challenged the Zagwe dynasty’s legitimacy primarily because the dynasty was not of "Solomonic" stock. According to tradition, legitimate Ethiopian emperors were required to be descendants of the union between Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.123

Because the Zagwe kings were descended from the Agau people rather than this legendary lineage, their rule was viewed by some as illegitimate. This ideological opposition gained significant momentum among the Semitic-speaking elite of Tigray and the Amhara people. In 1270, this focus on "Solomonic" legitimacy provided the necessary support for Yekuno Amlak to rebel against the Zagwe, with influential monastic churchmen legitimizing his claim to the throne and his descent from Solomon. This narrative was later solidified in the 14th-century work Kebra Negast, which served to unify the state under the new Solomonid dynasty.4123