This story from the Kebra Negast seems to me to be making Ethiopia into another Israel or holy land. I don't know the story of how Israel became the promise land and was chosen/given to people by god, how it became Zion, but this story is sort of doing the same for Ethiopia. I know we talked a bit about this in class already with New Jerusalem, but I think that the creation of a town referred to as New Jerusalem further demonstrates that an "Israel status" is what Ethiopia is trying to achieve. In the story this status change happens on page 35 when Solomon has a dream that the sun moves from Israel to Ethiopia. The dream even makes it sound as though Ethiopia will be a better place than Israel. "And He [the Sun] paid no heed whatsoever to Israel, and He ascended his former throne." I interpret this to mean the the Sun, or god's power maybe, now resides in Ethiopia, which is much better that Israel because the text states it has ascended its former throne. This story/dream also from my perspective is giving the Ethiopians some guidelines on behavior. When the Sun leaves Israel, the Israelites become angry, and they fight to destroy the Sun. Their actions further strengthen the Sun decision to leave I think, and so this serve as a lesson to Ethiopians that one they are worthy enough to be the throne for the Sun now and two that even when unfortunate things happen they must still behave in accordance with gods rules unlike Israel did. On a side note, that passage about what Israel did to the Sun reminds me a bit of the crucifixion of christ, but I could by reading too much into things.
Also another tangent apparently Kebra Negast means Glory of the Kings in Amharic. We talked in class about how the monarchy in ethiopia was extremely strong, and it has just donned on me that this story not only establishes Ethiopia's status that I mentioned earlier but also is the background story of the monarchy. The new Israel status and the monarchy are a self-perpetuating system. The monarchy's power and Ethiopia's status are both supported by the other and their connection through this story.
I think that Ethiopia achieves "New Israel Status" as long as it has believers in the Kebra Negast, and that the Bible want-to-be says that Ethiopia is the new Jerusalem. There is definitely a transfer of God's power, as you say, to a powerful Ethiopian monarchy.
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