After Eritrea became an independent country, the Tewahedo Church granted autocephaly in turn to the Eritrean Orthodox Church.
It claims its origins from Philip the Evangelist (Acts of the Apostles Chapter 8). It became the established church under Emperor Axone in the 4th Century. Its liturgy is based on the Ge'ez language.
The Church in Axum claims to possess the Ark of the Covenant.