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Sultan Sayyid Said gave him a permit to start a missionary station at the coastal city of Mombasa. Most of the East African coastline was then part of the Zanzibar sultanate. From there he set off for East Africa hoping to reach the Oromo from what is now the Kenyan coast. Krapf spent some time in Alexandria, Egypt, where he married. He revised Abu Rumi's Bible translations into Amharic for BFBS.
In association with his colleague, Carl Wilhelm Isenberg, he published a memoir of his time in Ethiopia, Journals of Isenberg and Krapf in 1843. While 1842 saw Krapf receive a doctorate from Tübingen University for his research into the Ethiopian languages, it also witnessed the expulsion of all Western missionaries from Ethiopia, which ended his work there. He learned their language and started translating parts of the New Testament into it. Thus he centered his interest on the Oromo people of southern Ethiopia, in his time known as the Galla, who then were largely believers in a traditional religion. Krapf managed to effect his escape with his servants, and made his way to Massawa supported by the reluctant charity of the local inhabitants. When he departed Shewa in 1842, he found his way to Gondar blocked by the aftermath of the Battle of Debre Tabor, retraced his steps to the court of Adara Bille, a chieftain of the Wollo Oromo who then robbed him.
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Krapf's pietist background did not help him much to understand and appreciate traditional Ethiopian Christianity, especially their emphasis on saints, liturgy and use of Ge'ez, a language no longer spoken. Landing at Tadjura, Krapf followed the trade route to Shewa where he presented himself to its ruler, Meridazmach Sahle Selassie, and later accompanied the Meridazmach on a military campaign in southern Shewa. He prepared himself by learning ancient Ge'ez and the Amharic language of the highlands. Basel Mission seconded him to the Anglicans and from 1837-1842 he worked in this ancient Christian land. In 1836 he was invited by the Anglican Church Missionary Society (CMS) to join their work in Ethiopia. While working as an assistant village pastor, he met a Basel missionary who encouraged him to resume his missionary vocation. He read theology at Tübingen University and graduated in 1834. After finishing school he joined the Basel Mission Seminary at age 17 but discontinued his studies as he had doubts about his missionary vocation. More languages were to follow throughout his life. He initially studied Latin, Greek, French and Italian. From his school days onward he developed his gift for languages. Krapf was born into a Lutheran family of farmers in southwest Germany. Krapf also played a key role in exploring the East African coastline. They were the first Europeans to see Mount Kenya and Kilimanjaro. Krapf played an important role in exploring East Africa with Johannes Rebmann. Johann Ludwig Krapf (11 January 1810 – 26 November 1881) was a German missionary in East Africa, as well as an explorer, linguist, and traveler.