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Ethiopian Biblical Literature

Ethiopian Biblical Literature is a body of biblical and apocryphal texts preserved in Ge'ez (Ethiopic), the liturgical language of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. It includes a broader canon than any other Christian tradition.|||Ge'ez manuscripts, many dating from the medieval period. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church preserves a broader canon including 1 Enoch, Jubilees, and the Meqabyan.|||The Bible was first translated into Ge'ez in the 4th–5th centuries CE by Syrian missionaries. The canon expanded over the centuries.|||Canonical in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. The broader canon includes books not accepted by other traditions.|||The Ethiopian Bible is the most comprehensive biblical canon in Christianity, including 1 Enoch, Jubilees, the Meqabyan, and other texts. It preserves ancient traditions lost elsewhere.|||Ullendorff, E. Ethiopia and the Bible. Oxford University Press, 1968.|||Knibb, M. A. Translating the Bible: The Ethiopic Version. Oxford, 1999.|||Ethiopian Biblical Literature — Wikipedia|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_biblical_canon|Background and scholarly discussion.;; Ethiopian Bible — Internet Archive|https://archive.org/details/ethiopianbible|Full text and commentary.|||" The Ethiopian Bible is the most complete canon of Scripture in the world." — (paraphrase)

Collection: Other Ancient Religious Texts Canon: varies

Canon Status

Canonical in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. The broader canon includes books not accepted by other traditions.

Date & Provenance

The Bible was first translated into Ge'ez in the 4th–5th centuries CE by Syrian missionaries. The canon expanded over the centuries.

Language & Manuscripts

Ge'ez manuscripts, many dating from the medieval period. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church preserves a broader canon including 1 Enoch, Jubilees, and the Meqabyan.

Why It Matters for Study

The Ethiopian Bible is the most comprehensive biblical canon in Christianity, including 1 Enoch, Jubilees, the Meqabyan, and other texts. It preserves ancient traditions lost elsewhere.

" The Ethiopian Bible is the most complete canon of Scripture in the world." — (paraphrase)

Read the Text & External Resources

Public-domain translations and scholarly databases where the text can be read online or downloaded.

  • " The Ethiopian Bible is the most complete canon of Scripture in the world." — (paraphrase) " The Ethiopian Bible is the most complete canon of Scripture in the world." — (paraphrase)

External links open in a new tab. Sources are chosen for public-domain or open-access availability; always verify edition and translation when citing in academic work.

Further Reading

Ullendorff, E. Ethiopia and the Bible. Oxford University Press, 1968.
Knibb, M. A. Translating the Bible: The Ethiopic Version. Oxford, 1999.
Ethiopian Biblical Literature — Wikipedia|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_biblical_canon|Background and scholarly discussion.;; Ethiopian Bible — Internet Archive|https://archive.org/details/ethiopianbible|Full text and commentary.