Ethiopian Texts

Biblical & Apocryphal Texts

  1. The Ethiopian Bible (Mashafa Qedus) – The Ethiopian Orthodox Bible, which is the largest biblical canon in Christianity, containing 81 books, including several texts not found in Western Bibles.
  2. The Book of Enoch (1 Enoch) – An apocalyptic text describing visions of heaven, fallen angels, and prophecies; considered canonical in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church but apocryphal elsewhere.
    Enoch – Book 1 – The Watchers
    Book of Enoch PDF
  3. The Book of Jubilees – A retelling of Genesis and Exodus with additional angelic and mystical elements; part of the Ethiopian biblical canon.
  4. The Ascension of Isaiah – A visionary text describing Isaiah’s journey through the heavens and prophecies concerning Jesus Christ.
  5. The Apocalypse of Peter – A description of heaven and hell, influential in early Christianity and included in the Ethiopian biblical tradition.

Historical & Royal Texts

  1. Kebra Nagast (Glory of Kings) – A legendary history of Ethiopian rulers, linking them to King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba and establishing the divine right of Ethiopian emperors.
  2. The Fetha Nagast (Law of the Kings) – A legal and moral code used in Ethiopia, combining Christian law and Byzantine legal traditions.
  3. The Chronicle of Axum – A historical account of the ancient kingdom of Axum, one of the great civilizations of the ancient world.
  4. The Ethiopian Synaxarium (Senksar) – A collection of Ethiopian Orthodox Christian saints’ lives and religious events.

Liturgical & Mystical Texts

  1. Ardīt (The Book of the Disciples) – A text describing how angels taught secret knowledge to humans.
  2. The Book of the Mysteries of Heaven and Earth – A mystical text containing theological teachings and secret knowledge about divine realms.
  3. The Miracles of Mary (Tä’ammrä Maryam) – A collection of stories describing miraculous interventions by the Virgin Mary, widely read in Ethiopian Christianity.
  4. The Homilies of the Ethiopian Church – Sermons and theological writings that provide moral guidance and interpretations of scripture.

Gnostic & Esoteric Texts

  1. The Testament of Our Lord (Didascalia) – A text containing teachings attributed to Jesus and early Christian apostles.
  2. The Bandlet of Righteousness (Kǝrǝtēyānē) – A protective magical text used as an amulet against evil.

Indigenous & Oral Traditions

The Story of Arwe, the Serpent King – A mythological tale about Ethiopia’s ancient past before the Solomonic dynasty.

The Zena Eskender (History of Alexander the Great) – An Ethiopian version of the Alexander Romance, blending Greek and Ethiopian storytelling.

The History of Lalibela – Accounts of the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, attributed to divine inspiration and Ethiopian kingship.

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