The Ethiopian Bible is the oldest and most complete bible on earth.Written in Ge'ez an ancient dead language of Ethiopia it's nearly 800 years older than the King James Version and contains over 100 books compared to 66 of the Protestant Bible. The Ethiopian Bible includes the Books of Enoch, Esdras, Buruch and all 3 Books of Meqabyan (Maccabees), and a host of others that were excommunicated from the KJV. Books of the Ethiopian Bible features 20 of these books that are not included in the Protestant Bible.
Traditionally Ethiopia has formed a bridge between civilizations, with Jerusalem as vital as Aksum in the national consciousness of the Ethiopians. In this volume, Professor Ullendorff investigates the relationship of Ethiopia to the Bible. He considers the historical background, translations of the Bible into Ethiopian languages, and the impact of the Old Testament, which goes beyond anything experienced in the other Oriental Christian Churches. The book concludes with an examination of the story of the Queen of Sheba, based on the Biblical account of the queen's visit to King Solomon. It shows how this account has undergone extensive Arabian, Ethiopian, Jewish and other elaborations, to become the subject of one of the most ubiquitous and fertile cycles of legends in the Near East.
The Ethiopic version provides a window into the state of the Greek Bible as it circulated in East Africa at the end of the fourth century. It is, therefore, an extremely important witness to the Bible's early transmission history, yet its testimony has typically been ignored or misunderstood by text critics. This study examines the history of the book of Acts in Ethiopia and reconstructs its earliest attainable text, which then is assessed using the latest text-critical methods. It therefore provides a solid base for interpreting the data of this key witness and lays the groundwork for future text-critical work in Ethiopic and other early versions.
This book explores the biblical interpretation of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church (EOTC). In doing so, it illuminates the interpretation of the Bible in a particular historical and cultural context and presents a compelling example of the contextual nature of biblical interpretation. Those who visit Ethiopia experience its unique spirituality, which is significantly informed by the presence of the EOTC. The EOTC has existed from earliest years of the Christian church. It has also developed and maintained its own ecclesiastic tradition in the Ethiopian context and has its own distinctive way of reading the Bible. It is noteworthy, particularly in the African context, that it has its own commentaries on the Scriptures, which continue to serve as a vital tradition in the EOTC's interpretation of the Bible. This is evident in the contemporary hermeneutics and sermons of EOTC preachers. In its comprehensive consideration of the EOTC's past and present, this book examines the interplay between tradition and context in biblical interpretation and contributes to current biblical scholarship.
"The objective of this study is to provide a critical edition of the andәmta, or the commentary, of the biblical Book of Genesis. . .Ethiopia has developed and established its own tradition of interpretation of biblical and other religious texts. This tradition, known as andәmta, is a unique and valuable legacy of the ancient Ethiopian Orthodox Täwah̩edo Church" -- p.1.
The three Garima Gospels are the earliest surviving Ethiopian gospel books. They provide glimpses of lost late antique luxury gospel books and art of the fifth to seventh centuries, in the Aksumite kingdom of Ethiopia as well as in the Christian East. As this work shows, their artwork is closely related to Syriac, Armenian, Greek, and Georgian gospel books and to the art of late antique (Coptic) Egypt, Nubia, and Himyar (Yemen). Like most gospel manuscripts, the Garima Gospels contain ornately decorated canon tables which function as concordances of the different versions of the same material in the gospels. Analysis of these tables of numbered parallel passages, devised by Eusebius of Caesarea, contributes significantly to our understanding of the early development of the canonical four gospel collection. The origins and meanings of the decorated frames, portraits of the evangelists, Alexandrian circular pavilion, and unique image of the Jerusalem Temple are elucidated. The Garima texts and decoration demonstrate how a distinctive Christian culture developed in Aksumite Ethiopia, while also belonging to the mainstream late antique Mediterranean world. Lavishly illustrated in colour, this volume presents all of the Garima illuminated pages for the first time and extensive comparative material. It will be an essential resource for those studying late antique art and history, Ethiopia, eastern Christianity, New Testament textual criticism, and illuminated books.
This book provides information from Church history concerning the recognition of the canonical status of the several books of the New Testament. Canonization was a long and gradual process of sifting among scores of gospels, epistles, and other books that enjoyed local and temporary authority - some of which have only recently come to light among the discoveries of Nag Hammadi. After discussing the external pressures that led to the fixing of the limits of the canon, the author gives sustained attention to Patristic evidence that bears on the development of the canon not only in the West but also among the Eastern Churches, including the Syrian, Armenian, Georgian, Coptic, and Ethiopian. Besides considering differences as to the sequence of the books in the New Testament, Dr Metzger takes up such questions as which form of text is to be regarded as canonical; whether the canon is open or closed; to what extent a canon should be sought within the canon; and whether the canon is a collection of authoritative books or an authoritative collection of books.
The Mystery of Melchizedek Who was this strange Priest/King that received tithes from Abraham? (…and administered bread and wine to him?)How is Melchizedek relevant to the Messiah of Israel?Did Melchizedek have a temple that predated Solomon’s?Is the Jewish Kingdom as portrayed in the Old Testament simply an intermediate parenthesis within a larger expanse?Why are the distinctives so divergent from the enforced separation of the kingship and priesthood under David?Were the bread and wine served by Melchizedek eschatological? Did they embrace the Cross? (They, too, echo across the pages of the OT)Was the Lord’s Communion anticipated in Gen. 14? Deriving from some very recent discoveries in Jerusalem (although some are yet to be confirmed) these studies may challenge many of the comfortable traditions that have shaped our classic Biblical perspectives. Join us as we explore some fascinating challenges to our previous understandings of things that shape our ultimate destiny…
