EMML 1762, fol. 120a — Miniatures

F. 120a: Jesus Ben Sirach in prayer before the Temple (?). (5 1) F. 121a: Ezra praying for the forgiveness of the sins of Israel. (52) F. 122a: Madonna and Child enthroned. (53) F. 122b: St . George slaying the dragon. (54) F. 122b: st. Ephrem (?) before the Madonna and Child enthroned. (55 ) F. 123a: St. Andrew the Apostle teaching the people. (56) F. 123b: st. James teaching the people. (57) F. 124a: st . John teaching the people. 213 EMML Pr. No. 1762, cont. (58 ) F. 124a: St. Nathanael teaching the people. (59) F. 124b: st. Matthew teaching the people. (60) F. 125a: St. Thaddeus teaching the people. (61) F. 125a: st. Bartholomew teaching the people. (62) F. 125b: st. Philip teaching the people. (63 ) F. 126a: st. Matthias teaching the people. (64) F. 126a: st. James teaching the people. (65 ) F. 126b: Sts. Peter and Paul standing before Our Lady Mary. (66) F. 127a: Two dogs licking the wounds of St. Alexius. (67) F. 127a: Christ giving the Pact of Mercy to his mother, while the cherubs look on . (68) F. 127b: The cows pulling the Ark of the Covenant from the land of the Philistines. (69 ) F. 127b: King David dancing before the Ark at the gates of Jerusalem; Michol observes him from her window (?) . (70) F. 128a: The angel s laying the army of Sennacherib while mur- derers slay the King. (71) F. 128b: The Dormition of Our Lady Mary, while her Son descends from heaven. (72) F. 129a: Our Lady Mary blessing St. Ephrem with a hand cross; she is sheltered by a parasol. (73 ) F. 129b: Eve, observed by God from heaven, offers the forbidden fruit to Adam. (74) F. 129b: Diptych: (a) God pronouncing sentence on Adam, Eve and the serpent; (b) Adam and Eve sitting clothed under the tree. (75 ) F. 130a: Diptych: (a) King David playing the harp; (b) the angel announcing the birth of Christ to the shepherds. (76) F. 130b : The shepherds, the ox and the ass, worshipping the newborn Christ Child. (77) F. 131a: Christ visiting the souls imprisoned in Sheol. (78 ) F. 131b: Our Lady Mary ascending to heaven after appearing to St. Ephrem; King Sahla Sellase l ying prostrate beneath . (79 ) F. 132b: Moses receiving the tablets of the Commandments on Mount Sinai. (80) F. 133b: Madonna and Child enthroned attended by angels. (81) F. 134a: Our Lady Mary ascending to heaven after appearing to St . Ephrem. (82) F. 134b: Our Lady Mary blessing St. Ephrem with angels looking on (caption: How the angels called Our Lady Mary blessed). (83 ) F. 136b: Christ conversing with men on earth; beside the men a demon enveloped in flames is shown. (84) F. 136b: Our Lady Mary ascending to heaven after appearing to St. Ephrem. (85) F. 137a: Eve giving Adam the forbidden fruit with Satan as a serpent looking on. (86) F. 138a: The Magi offering their gifts; they have an armed escort. 214 .EMML Pr. No. 1762, cont. (87) F. 138b: God the Father forming Eve from the side of Adam. (88 ) F. 139b: David pouring out the water that his men brought from Bethlehem. (89) F. 140a: Our Lady Mary ascending to heaven after appearing to st. Ephrem. (90) F. 140a: Our Lady Mary, accompanied by five virgins, blessing st. Ephrem. (9 1 ) F. 141a: Crucifixion and piercing with the lance. (92) F. 141b: Christ visiting the souls imprisoned in Sheol. (93 ) F. 142a: Our Lady Mary being served by angels while living in the Temple. (94) F. 142b: Annunciation. (95 ) F. 142b: Our Lady Mary appearing to St. Ephrem. (96) F. 143a: Madonna and Child enthroned attended by archangels with St. Ephrem contemplating. (97) F. 143b: Jacob's Ladder with the angels ascending and descend- ing. (98 ) F. 144a: Our Lady Mary ascending to heaven after appearing to st. Ephrem. (99) F. 144b: Our Lady Mary awakening st. Ephrem. (100) F. 144b: st. Ephrem reminding Our Lady Mary that it is the sabbath. ( 101) F. 145a: Our Lady Mary blessing st. Ephrem. (102) F. 145a: St. Ephrem at the door of his shop preparing to praise Mary. (103) F. 145b: Our Lady Mary enthroned flanked by two archangels; st. Ephrem stands in her presence. (104 ) F. 146b: Aaron the High Priest with a censer before the Tabernacle. (105 ) F. 147a: Our Lady Mary giving her (reward?) to st. Ephrem. (106) F. 147b: Our Lady Mary ascending to heaven. (107) F. 147b: Sts. James of Nisibis and Basil of Caesarea visiting St. Ephrem, who is lying in bed or in a coffin. (lOS) F. 148a: A man contemplating fruit in trees being consumed by birds. This miniature lacks a caption and does not have an obvious relation to the adjacent text. It is perhaps a vision (symbolic) granted to St. Ephrem. (109 ) F. 148a: King SBhla Sellase seated on his throne and surrounded by retainers. Four are named: Abeto Gadl, Abeto Berqe, Abeto Baymot and Abeto ~essegu. (llO) F. 148b: St. Yared with sistrum and prayer staff before King Gabra Masqal. (lll) F. 150a: Madonna and Child attended by two archangels with swords drawn. The Christ Child has a staff surmounted by a cross in his hand. (112) F. 153a: God appearing to Moses in the Burning Bush. (ll3) F. 154a: The Holy Family (Jesus, Mary, Joseph and Salome) guarded by cherubs during their flight into Egypt. Our Lady Mary and Salome carry parasols and st. Joseph a staff. 215 EMML Pr. No. 1762, cont. (1l4) F. 154b: sts. Joachim and Anne bringing Our Lady Mary to the Temple, while cherubs contemplate. (1l5) F. 160a: The Trinity with the Four Living Creatures. (1l6) F. 160b: Triptych: ( a) God in heaven attended by two cherubs; (b) a man seated on the ground with his arms crossed in an atti- tude of reverence; ( c) a horned demon. (1l7) F. 161a: Diptych: (a) God ( the Father) in heaven; (b) Christ being baptized in the Jordan by John, with the Paraclete hover- ing over his head. ( u 8) F. 161b: A bull standing outside a church in which there is a bishop carrying a censer and a believer carrying a lighted candle; God the Father and four cherubs watch from above. ( U9) F. 162a: Diptych: ( a) Moses (?) receiving from God the t ablets of the Commandments; (b) a teacher (Moses) teaching the people. (120 ) F. 163b : Abraham about to sacrifice Isaac, while God supplies a ram. (121) F. 164a: The disciples strewing their garments in the road before Christ. (122) F. 185b: Diptych : ( a) the Madonna suckling her child; (b) an ox carrying the Ark of the Covenant with a repres ent ation of a mouse on its back, while two cherubs contemplate. (123 ) F. 186a: The Holy Family encountering an unidentified man. (124 ) F. 187a: The Madonna suckling her Child, attended by two arch- angels with swords drawn. The Christ Child is carrying a small branch or perhaps a flower in either hand. (125 ) F. 188a : Our Lady Mary leaning down from heaven and holding up the hand of a devotee who appears to be King Sahla Sellase. ( 126) F. 189b: Noah in prayer in the Ark. (127) F. 190a : Christ raising Lazarus from the dead. ( 128) F. 191a : Christ curing a blind man with his spittle. (129) F. 198b: St. George r escuing Birutawit from the dragon. (130) F. 200b : A saint, undoubtedly st . George, in heaven attended by two cherubs. (131) F. 202a: st. Takla Haymanot in prayer. ( 132) F. 203a : A bishop seated under a parasol and blessing a King (Sabla Sellase? Yekunno Amlak?) or priest (Takla Haymanot?) with his hand cross. ( 133 ) F. 203b: St. Takla Haymanot in prayer, with his right foot broken off. (134) F. 204b: Triptych: ( a ) King Sahla SeUase (?) enthroned; (b) King Sahla Se Uase with his Psalter; (c) King Sahla SeUase with prayer beads prostrate in prayer. ( 135 ) F. 205a: st . Gabra Manfas Qeddus standing in prayer amid lions, while a bird plucks out his eye . Decorative cros s , f . 2a. 216 EMML Fr. No. l762, cont. Colophon, f. l53b: (Ze-ma~epaf za-SShla Sellase, neguSa ~awa, wa-abawihu Walda Giyorgis Was an Saggad, re'esa ~awa, Tewoderos mafqare haymanot, . wa-emmu Iyyasemer Zannama Warq, wa-~apafihu Takla Ab FantShunailli) • ' Note of donation of the MS. by King ~Shla Sellase, f. 3b: (Zentu Dawit, za-tafannaw em-gaba negus SShla Sellase, yeb~ap gaba abaweya manakosat za-Dabra ~ayq ene dahna nann abbatocce ennata [sic] dahna naccehu yehenn Dawit ... ) -