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Ff. 37a-38a: On the heresy of those who say that the exist- ence of the Holy Spirit is after the baptism of Christ. (For the 3rd of Temqat [ba-siiles temqat menbiib]). ( •.. Newatteneke zalafiihomu la-ella yeblu: Lafe em-temqata Krestos kawwiinehu [?] la-Manfas Qeddus ••• ) Ff. 38a-41b: Refutation [tagiibe'o] of the canons of the Council of Chalcedon. Zotenberg, no. 113, 2e, p. 130. 10 canons are refuted. (For 28th of Terr). (Zelfat wa-tagiibe'ot ba~[nta] za-Kelqedon za-ser'a~kama yii'emeru ella yanbebewwo kama wa-imentani kiile' te'eziiz enta Kelqedon sinodos za'enbala za-Nesteros mennuna ser'iita yequm ••. ) This refutation is different from the one that L. Guerrier and S. Grebaut translated in Aetbiops, vol. 3 (1930), 1-4 and 17-20. (10) Ff. 41b-44b: Homily on Our Lady Mary a s the Virgin Mother of Christ ent itled, "The White Bird with Silver Wings and Golden Torso." (For the feastday of Simeon, the old man). The homily is anonymous, but the style is that of Emperor Zar'a Yii'eqob (1434-1468). (Krestos AmlBkiya wa-tasfiiya, wa-'e~a Masqalu batra hiiymiinoteya ••• Dersan ba'enta ~e'dut 'of kenafihii ba-berur za-gebur ••• ) (ll) Ff. 45a- 53b: On the heresy of Bitu or Betu. (For Dabra Zayt). The style and approach of the author, espec ially in the int roduction, are very different from his manner with the other heresies, perhaps because Bitu was a contemporary heretic or because the treatise has been reworked at a later date by another author. (Krestos AmlBkiya wa-tasfiiya, wa-sema Abuhu gerii madganiteya, wa-sema Manfas Qeddus naq'a qeddesiiteya Wa-ye'ezeni nenger zalafiihu la-Bitu, za-yekeDed me~'ata Ab wa-yebe: Yema~~e' Wald enbala Ab .•• ) (12) Ff. 53b-5 6a: Against the Antidicomarianites. ( ••. Ne~Daf enka zalafii ebadomu la-Antidiqomiireyiitos, ellu emmuntu ~ara Miiryiim, ella yeblu: Em-debra waladatto la- Madbanina, tadammarat mesla Yosef .•. ) (13 ) Ff. 56a-62a: Homily by the "Orthodox" [Retu'a HiiymanotJ, to strengthen the faithful in their belief in Jesus Christ. (For Palm Sunday). EMML Pr. No. 1831, cont. (Ba-sema Ab •.• Nazrawiyan, 'amda haymanotena za-iyye~ennen / I §arwe ~amarena za-iyyetanatten / ••. Dersan za-darasa em-retu'ana haymanot za-bo ye~anne' ~en~a §eganomu la- mahayyemnan ba- 'amina I" K", qala taganeyo za-yetnabbab ..• Yebe: Lessan yedakkemanni la-nabib •.• ) (14 ) Ff. 62a-65b: Homily by an "Orthodox" [Retu'a Haymanot] from Ethiopia, on the washing of the feet. (For Maundy Thursday). (Ba-sema Eg" •.• Dersan za-darasa I retu'a haymanot za-be~era Iteyoppeya. Wa-nagara ma~e~afessa za-yenagger za-kama ~a~aba egra arda'ihu Egzi'ena ba-beta Al'azar za-~agara Bitaneya, wa-yebe wangelawi ... ) (15 ) Ff. 65b-73a: On the heresy of Eutyches [Awtii.ke]. (For matins of [Good] Friday: [ba-carb naghJ). (Ba-sema E~" •.• Nengereke zalafahomu [sic] la-Awtii.ke Celew za-yebe: Segahu la-Krestos ikona kama segana dekuma wa- i~amma ... ) (16 ) Ff. 73a-76a: On the heresy of Sawiros, Bishop of Hendii.kiya, and Tadoseyos of Alexandria. (For tierce [of Good Friday]). (Ba-sema Eg" ••• Netaneke zalafahomu la-rasican, za-we'etomu Sawiros, pappas za-Hendii.kiya [also Hendekeya: f. 76a], wa- TBdoseyos za-Ela-skendereya, za-yebelo [sic]: ~amma ba-kwerh Walda Eg" wa-mota za'enbala faqBdu .•. ) - - (17 ) Ff. 76b-80a: On the heresy of Aboreyos or Abors (Apollinarius ?). (For sext [ of Good Friday]). (Ba-sema Eg" .•. Nastafat;eneke zalafanu la-Abors, za-yebe: Albottu nafsa wa-lebba la-tesbe'ta Krestos ••• ) . (18) Ff. 80a-90b: On the heresy of Aftikis (Eutychius ?) . (For none of [Good] Friday). (Ba-sema Eg" ... Ne~haqeke wa-inethakkayeke ba'enta nagara zalafanomu la-Aftikis wa-la-ella yemasselewwomu, ella yeblu: Segahu la-Krestos waradat em-samay ••• ) (19) Ff. 90b - 94a: On the heresy of Manichaeus. (Ba-sema Eg" •.. Nengerke zalafanu la-Mankeyon za-yebe: Methat we'etu §eganu la-Krestos, wa-akko §ega 'egWala ema~eyaw •.. ) (20) Ff. 94a-107b: On the heretics who teach that Christ went to Sheol in soul and flesh. (For compline [ of Good Friday]). (Ba-sema Eg" ••. Nan§e' re 'esana em-newam [sic] haket, kama nenger zalafahomu la-arsis wa-la-manafeqan ella yeblu: Ba-nafs wa-ba-§ega warada westa Si'ol ... ) (21) Ff. 108a-122a: On the heresy of Leo, whose letter, the Tomus Leonis, orders Christ to be worshipped in two natures. (For Easter [menbab za-Fasika]). (Ba-sema Eg" ..• Nanqeh re 'esana em~newama haket wa-ne~~aw ema [sic] 'enhaze sekar zankolala gigay, kama nenger zalafahu 288 EMML Pr. No. l83l, cont. la-Leyon, liqa rappasat za-Qwestenteneya. Abeyata krestiyanat za-Romeya, beke ya] la'ela QWestenteneya, esma wadqat ..• ) (22) Ff. l23a-l30a: On the heresy of Origen. (Reading for [Easter] Thursdll¥). See EMML ll9l (25). (Ba-sema Eg" ••• Ne~haqeke la-anse'o mawaged la' ela Argenos, esma we 'etu qadam anae'o mawaged ... Wa-' adimma yebe: A'edala za-albasomu Eg" la-Addam wa-la-tlewan, ama 'elata bal'u em-'e~a ibali', lebsa anada we'etu sega za-ba-la'elena, wa- akko lebsa a'edal za-em-ensesa ••• ) (23 ) Ff. 130a-l39a: Against those who do not believe in the trans- formation of the bread and wine. (For Easter Fridll¥). (Ba-sema Eg" .•. Negba'eke zalafahomu la-ella yebelu: Iyyewarred bll¥l baba Beta Krestiyan, wa-bebesteni iyyetmayyat la-kawina segahu la-Krestos wa-~ewwa'a wayneni la-kawina damu ••• ) (24) Ff. l39b-l57b: Homily on the Ten Commandments. (For [Easter] Saturday). The title of this homily is deceptive. Its main objective is actually to show that observing the Saturday Sabbath is a com- mandment of God that no man can invalidate. See also Taddesse Tamrat, Church and State in Ethiopia l270-l527, Oxford (l972), p. 224. (Ba-sema Eg" ••. Ne~tJ.ew em-newama sekar za-wayna tJ.agWl, esma newBmu la-sekur iyyaba~e~ •.. ) (25 ) Ff. 158a-172b: Against those who believe that the soul dies with the flesh. (For Easter week [ba-samuna Fasika]). (Ba-sema Eg" ... Nezennuke zalafahu la-za-yebe: Temawwes [sic] nafs mesla segaha, wa-ama tensa'e mewwetan tetnassa' mesleha ... ) (26) Ff. 172b-176a: On the heresy of Felbeyanos (Flavian of Con- stantinople ?). (For the Ascension [ba'ala arbe'a]). (Ba-sema Eg" ••• Nayde' eke zalafahu la-Felbeyanos za-yebe: Kel'ettu ga~~a malakot wa-tesbe'tu la-Madganina ••• ) (27) Ff. l77a-186b: On the heresy of Macedonius [Maqdoneyos]. (For Pentecost [ba'ala 50]). (Ba- sema Eg" •.• Netanike [for: netaneke] zalafahu la- Maqdoneyos, za-katJ.do [for: za-kehdo] la-Manfas Qeddus, wa-Manfas Qedduseni kahdo •.• ) (28 ) Ff. l87a-202a: Against those who follow the teaching of the Sadducees who do not believe in the resurrection of the dead • . (For the Transfiguration [Dabra Tabor]). (Ba-sema Eg" ••. Ne~tJ.aw enka em-hedmata be~aw kebud, za- yankollelo la-demab kama sete kerdad ••. ella yetkatJ.adu tensa'e mewwetan ba-matlewa temhertomu la-Saduqaweyan) EMML Pr. No. 1831, cont. (29) Ff. 203a-208a: A letter from Timothy, Patriarch of Alexandria, against those who do not believe in the equality of the Son with us in flesh and with the Father in existence, sent from Gangra to Alexandria. Zotenberg, no. 113, 2, pp. 129-131. (Ma~e~afa Timotewos, liqa ~a~~asat za-Ela-skendreya, enta ta~e~fat em-Gangera la-Eskendereya gaba retu'ana haymanot, ba'enta 'elewan ella iyya'ammenu kama Krestos 'eruya fetrat we'etu lana za-kona ba-sega, wa-'eruya malakot we'etu mesla helluna Ab. Wa-kama-ze ~~afa enza yebl: Timotewos la- faraheyana Eg" wa-mamlakiyan •.• fesse~a wa-salam. Qeddus ~awareya za-Eg" ne~~a taqanya ••• ) In this letter "Timothy" quotes (?) other Church Fathers: (a) From the letter (?) of Athanasius to the Arians, f. 205a. (Za-be~u' Atnasis la-nab a A[rlwayasan: Qal enka, la-emma Qal we 'etu, albo za-kama-ze, esma I Wald enka sab' kawina ••. ) - (b) Testimony of Julius, Patriarch of Rome, regarding the Incarnation, f. 205a. Textually, this is not the anathema found in the Haymanota abaw, (EMML 1173, f. 115a). However, that anathema, too, is said to have been taken from a book by Timothy [za-kona sem'a Timotewos ba-westa ma~e~aful. (Za-be~u' Yuleyos, liqa ~a~~asat za-Rome, pa'enta tasaggewo Qal: Wa-imentani haba walleto hellawe malakot ... ) - (c) Anathema of Vitalianus [Wetoleyosl, Bishop of Rome, as found in the Fiayrmanota abaw (EMML 1173, f. 155b), but with a significant textual variation, f. 205b. (Za-Wetoleyos, liqa pa~~asat za-Rome, ba'enta haymanota Qal; wa-hallo enka nagaru westa Kebra nagast [probably for: Haymanota abawl ~e~uf, wa-za-be~u' Qerelos, wa-'adi ba'enta sega rade'et za-Madgen ... ) The following is taken from the Haymanota abaw for textual comparison: (Qala gezat em-dersan za-nababa batti Natalis, Liqa ~appasat za-Rome, ba'enta haymanot enta ~~afa be~u' Qerelos, Liqa •.• naba nagast, za-tanagara batti ba'enta Krestos ..• wa-ba'enta ser'ata madOanina ba-sega •.• ) EMML 1399, f. 202a. The form of the name of the bishop, which is preserved here as Witoleyos , is closer to Vitalius than any of the forms known so far, Natalis or Natalis, Wright (B.M.) CCCXLIV, 12, p. 233; and EMML 1173, f. 155b, where Anastasius is erroneously suggested. (d) Testimony of Ambrosius [Emberoseyusl, Bishop of Milan [Madyolinul (12 lines), f. 205b. (Za-Emberoseyus, e~pis qoPpos za-Madyo!inu, emenna Sinos sama't: Lalihu yetnaggar, wa-akko ba-l ge'z za- yetnaggar .•• ) - 290 EMML Pr. No. 1.831, cont. (e) Testimony o~ Basil [Baslis] (3 lines), ~. 205b. (~) Testimony o~ Gregory (4 lines), ~. 206a. (g) Testimony o~ Yopannes (17 lines), ~. 206a. (Za-be~uc Yopannes, ba'enta Ab: Abba, la-emma yetkahalakka, apleffa ••. ) Title o~ the author is not given, but see EMML 1763 (65) and 1878, ~. 87b. (h) Testimony o~ Theophilus, Patriarch o~ Alexandria, "~rom (his) sixth homily ~or Easter," (13 lines), ~. 206a. (Za-be~uc Teyo~elos, liqa ~ar~asat za-Elaskendereya, em-sades dersan za-bacala Fasika: Dersan peyaw wa-za- yeradde' qala Eg" •.. ) (i) Testimony o~ Cyril o~ Alexandria (15 lines), ~. 206a. (Za-be~uc Qerelos, ba'enta tasab'o Qal: Wa-kama-ze aman kama Walda Eg" ••• ) (j) Letter o~ the same (i.e., Cyril) against the heretics [celwana naymanotj, written in Gangra, ~~. 206a-207a. (Za-zi'ahu ma~ep~ enta ta~e~at em-Gengera QWa~tan~inos valis, ba'enta celwana haymanot ella iyya'ammenu: cEruya ~e~rat lana za-kona sega, za-we'etu la-Ab Ceruya ••• ) (k) The 12 Anathemas o~ Cyril o~ Alexandria [Wright (B.M.), CCCXLIV, 12, p. 233] condensed, ~~. 207a-208a. (Za-Qerelos gezat: Emma-bo za-iyya'ammen kama Eg" we'etu ba-aman Amanu'el wa-ba'enta-ze waladita Eg" tasamyat ... ) (1) The interpretation o~ the Anathema, ~. 208a. Numbered 61, probably so numbered in the MS. ~rom which i t was c0E.ied. (bO wa-l. Fekkare gezat. KWellu qedmehomu we'etu la-ella yeblu wa-yelebbewu, retu C we ·' etu .•• ) These entries (a)-(l) could be treated as a collection o~ testimonies independent o~ each other i~ there were divisions that separated them ~rom one another. Section 29 (~~. 203a- 208a) is not, however, part o~ the Ma~ep~a mes~ir, as is clear when this MS. is compared with other texts o~ the work. Colophon, ~. 208ab: (T~a~~amat zatti ma~ep~, enta astagaba'naha em-qala Orit wa-nabiyat wa-em qala Wangel wa-~awareyat). The rest o~ the colophon is not s~~iciently legible. However, it is quite tempting to suggest that this work o~ Abba Giyorgis has undergone some changes, most probably at the court o~ Zar'a YaCeqob, be~ore it was adopted as a homiliary ~or the year ~ib]to be read publicly in the churches. Such an assumption may account ~or the similarity o~ the style with that o~ the writings o~ the Emperor in sections 10 (~~. 41b-44b), 11 (~~. 45a-53b) and 27 (~~. 177a-186b) and ~or the ~act that this 291 EMML Pr. No. 1831, cont. relatively old manuscript contains works that have never been ascribed thus far to Abba Giyorgis. Curiously, the Maiepafa mestir is ascribed to Abba Giyorgis ~d to Abba Ba~alota Mika'el by the author of the history of Abba Eleyas, nephew of Emperor Zar'a Ya'eqob, unless this is a case of a mere lack of precision in expression: (Wa-sem'a konu latti [i.e. la-Maryam] Ma~eQafa mestir za-Abba Giyorgis wa-Abba Ba~a1ota Mika'el qeddusan, mamQerana qeddest Beta Krestiyan .•. ) EMML 1126, f. 32b. The author, Abba Giyorgis of Sagla~agla, or Gase~~a, (spiritual) son of ~ezba Seyon (walda ~ezba Seyon, f. 34a), with the baptismal name (?) Walda ~awareyat ([wa-enbayna temqateyani Walda ~awareyatl, f. 13a and [la-Iyyasus Walda ~awareyatihu], f. 38a), must have been not only a writer, but also a musician (Giyorgis mageletay, f. 56a), as is also sug- gested in his gadl (EMML 1838).
Description transcribed from the printed EMML catalogue; the manuscript image is not redistributed.
- Source date
- 9th century
- Date evidence
- Date wording transcribed from the printed EMML catalogue.
- Holding institution
- Monastery of ~ay~ Es~ifanos, Ambassal, Wallo
- Shelfmark
- EMML 1827
- Folio
- 37a-38a
- Catalogue source
- Ethiopian Manuscript Microfilm Library (EMML) catalogues
- Source record
- EMML Catalogue, volume 5, PDF page 300