The Ethiopian Canon: Enoch, Jubilees etc.

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Niemand
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The Ethiopian Canon: Enoch, Jubilees etc.

Post by Niemand »

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Page from the Garima Gospels written between c. 300-c. 500

Intro
Is there such a thong an Ethiopian Bible canon? Their canon is probably the largest of any ancient church, and doesn't seem to be a closed one. It also includes a number of books which don't appear elsewhere.

The Book of Enoch is still canon to the Ethiopians.

Summary
So I've just finished the entire Roman Catholic Apocrypha and the Eastern Orthodox canon. Just to confuse everybody, the Oriental Orthodox split off the Eastern Orthodox a long time ago for theological reasons too complex to go into here.

The Oriental Orthodox churches include the Copts, the native church of Egypt, and the Ethiopians, one of the few sub-Saharan churches that predate European colonisation. It also managed to escape being fully swallowed up by the Vatican or the Constantinople Patriarchate at any point. All the Oriental Orthodox churches have had to fight for their survival in the face of Islamic invasion.

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Ethiopia is to Christianity what Tibet is to Buddhism, a romantic isolated land, with its own books and traditions and little known to the outside world. Rastafarianism is a cargo cult version of Ethiopian Christianity although they do get some things right such as the prohibition on pork. Jamaicans are not of Ethiopian descent despite all these claims. There are also wilder stories that the Knights Templar moved to Ethiopia and the Ark of the Covenant is hidden there.
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I don't know much about the Ethiopians but I do know that some of their illuminated Bibles are among the oldest ones to survive. The art in them is often very childlike and brightly coloured. They have also preserved some books like Enoch and Jubilees which i'll try and write about later. It's very hard to find much on English about Ethiopian Christianity.

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Many of these Bibles are written in a language called Ge'ez which AFAIK is no longer spoken in the region. It joins Latin, Koine Greek, Church Slavonic and Coptic as one of a series of semi-dead liturgical languages.

https://www.britannica.com/place/Ethiopia/Religion
Christianity was introduced to Ethiopia in the 4th century, and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church (called Tewahdo in Ethiopia) is one of the oldest organized Christian bodies in the world. The church has long enjoyed a dominant role in the culture and politics of Ethiopia, having served as the official religion of the ruling elite until the demise of the monarchy in 1974. It also has served as the repository of Ethiopia’s literary tradition and its visual arts. The core area of Christianity is in the highlands of northern Ethiopia, but its influence is felt in the entire country. More than two-fifths of Ethiopians follow the teachings of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. An additional one-fifth adhere to other Christian faiths, the vast majority of which are Protestant.
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Sinodos
Synod(s)?

https://www.islamic-awareness.org/bible ... ethiopican
Sinodos is a collection of material attributed to the apostles and early church councils. Fetha Nägäst, the canon law, specifically cites Sinodos as its source in its section on the canon, and so has the same list...
Ethiopian Clement
Same link
Clement (Qälëmentos) is a book in seven parts, communicated by Peter to Clement.[13] It is not the Roman or Corinthian correspondence, nor one of the parts of Sinodos, (namely Te'ezaz, Gessew or Abtelis, which are sometimes called 1, 2 and 3 Clement), nor part of the Syriac Octateuch of Clement.
Ethiopian Covenant
Same link
The Book of the Covenant (Mäshafä Kidan) is counted as 2 parts, firstly sections 1-60, mostly about Church order, and secondly section 61, a discourse of our Lord to his disciples in Galilee after his resurrection.
Didascalia
Same link
The Ethiopian Didascalia (Didesqelya), a book of Church order in 43 chapters, distinct from the Didascalia Apostolorum, but similar to books I-VII of the so-called Apostolic Constitutions
Book list
Wikipedia lists the following books as part of the Ethiopian Canon. The ones which are starred do not appear in most western Bibles. Those which have crosses next to them do not appear in the Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox canon either. Some of the books are subdivided differently.

Old Testament
Their OT is much meatier but with some curious additions.

Genesis

Exodus

Leviticus

Numbers

Deuteronomy

Joshua

Judges

Ruth

I Samuel

II Samuel

I Kings

II Kings

I Chronicles

II Chronicles (incl. the Prayer of Manasseh*( Discussed here -> viewtopic.php?t=69263))

+ Jubilees (viewtopic.php?t=69548 )

+ Enoch (viewtopic.php?p=1349784)

I Ezra (The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah combined)

II Ezra * (1 Esdras -viewtopic.php?p=1343974)

Ezra Sutuel * (2 Esdras - viewtopic.php?p=1344302)

Tobit * (viewtopic.php?p=1341501)

Judith * (viewtopic.php?t=69402)

Esther (including *additions? viewtopic.php?p=1343414)

+ I Meqabyan (Similarly named, but not the same as the four Greek Books of the Maccabees. I may try and write something on these)

+ II Meqabyan (see above)

+ III Meqabyan (see above)

Job

Psalms (Poss. inc. other psalms?* )

Messalë (Proverbs ch 1–24)

Tägsas (Proverbs ch 25–31)

Wisdom of Solomon * (viewtopic.php?t=69469)

Ecclesiastes

Song of Songs

Isaiah

Jeremiah (incl. Baruch (viewtopic.php?t=69433),* Lamentations, Letter of Jeremiah (viewtopic.php?t=69433),* and 4 Baruch/Paralipomena of Jeremiah+)

Ezekiel

Daniel (including some of the additions? * viewtopic.php?t=69261 &viewtopic.php?t=69386 & viewtopic.php?p=1341611)

Hosea

Amos

Micah

Joel

Obadiah

Jonah

Nahum (or Nahium)

Habakkuk

Zephaniah

Haggai

Zechariah

Malachi

Sirach * (viewtopic.php?t=69412)

+ Josippon (Pseudo-Josephus writing attributed to Josephus) aka the Book of Josephas the Son of Bengorion

New Testament
Curious lack of Apocryphal NT here. There seems to be a few ecclesiastical tracts added on the end. Will look into this.

Matthew

Mark

Luke

John

Acts

Romans

I Corinthians

II Corinthians

Galatians

Ephesians

Philippians

Colossians

I Thessalonians

II Thessalonians

I Timothy

II Timothy

Titus

Philemon

Hebrews

I Peter

II Peter

I John

II John

III John

James

Jude

Revelation

The Ethiopian New Testament canon then takes another turn:

+ Sinodos (presumably this means "synod' - see note.)

+ Ser`atä Seyon (30 canons) or Sirate Tsion (the book of order)

+ Te'ezaz (71 canons) or Tizaz (the book of Heralds)

+ Gessew (56 canons) or Gitsew

+ Abtelis (81 canons) or Abtilis

+ I Covenant ?or I Dominos?

+ II Covenant ?or II Dominos?

+ Ethiopic Clement

+ Ethiopic Didascalia

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Last edited by Niemand on February 5th, 2023, 9:49 am, edited 2 times in total.

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Niemand
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Re: The Ethiopian Canon: Enoch, Jubilees etc.

Post by Niemand »

A book of Enoch thread.

viewtopic.php?t=66600

--
This is part of my ongoing series on Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical works:


Some of these are already linked above (so apologies for reduplication)
1 Esdras inc. audiobook link
viewtopic.php?p=1343974

2 Esdras (the most relevant book in the Apocrypha?) inc. audiobook link
viewtopic.php?p=1344302

1 Maccabees
viewtopic.php?t=69454

2 Maccabees
viewtopic.php?t=69468

3 Maccabees
viewtopic.php?t=69496

4 Maccabees
viewtopic.php?t=69515

Book of Baruch and the Epistle of Jeremy/Jeremiah
viewtopic.php?t=69433

Book of Tobit inc. audiobook link
viewtopic.php?p=1341501

Apocryphal additions to Esther inc. audiobook link
viewtopic.php?p=1343414

Bel and the Dragon (quoted in full, KJV; inc audiobook link)
viewtopic.php?t=69261

Prayer of Azarias and Hymn of the Three Children (quoted in full KJV, inc. audiobook link)
viewtopic.php?p=1341611

Book of Judith and the Book of Mormon, inc. audiobook link
viewtopic.php?t=69402

Book of Susanna inc. audiobook link
viewtopic.php?t=69386

Wisdom of Solomon
viewtopic.php?t=69469

Book of Sirach or Ecclesiasticus
viewtopic.php?t=69412

Prayer of Mannases (aka Mannaseh; quoted in full KJV, inc. audiobook link)
viewtopic.php?t=69263

Psalm 151 (quoted in full, NRSV)
viewtopic.php?t=63875

Book of Jubilees aka the Little Genesis or Leptogenesis - Cain, Moses, Enoch, Nephilim
viewtopic.php?t=69548

Epistle to the Laodiceans (NT, quoted in full Wycliffe's translation, )
viewtopic.php?t=64025

The Book of Odes - this is an Eastern Orthodox work of limited interest, but included for the sake of completeness.
viewtopic.php?t=69470

Book of Jubilees aka Little Genesis
viewtopic.php?p=1348962

3 Corinthians (Armenian canon)
viewtopic.php?t=69567

And also
Antilegomena: the books which barely made it into the Bible - Revelation, the Song of Solomon, Jude, Esther etc.
viewtopic.php?t=69609

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Niemand
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Posts: 13997

Re: The Ethiopian Canon: Enoch, Jubilees etc.

Post by Niemand »

Just added:
1 Meqabyan – another lost book from the Ethiopian Canon, aka Ethiopian Maccabees.
viewtopic.php?p=1357418

2 Meqabyan (Ethiopian canon)- the return of Tsirutsaydan
viewtopic.php?p=1360311

Latest Apocrypha
The Samaritans, their canon and its significance
viewtopic.php?t=69905

The Shepherd of Hermas - inspired literature or pagan trash?
viewtopic.php?t=69650

The Epistle of Barnabas (NT Apocrypha) - link between OT and NT, or not?
viewtopic.php?t=69679

The Didache or Teachings of the Apostles
viewtopic.php?t=69698

Is Q canonical? How about the Gospel of Thomas? The answer's more complicated than you think.
viewtopic.php?t=69715

The LDS Bible Dictionary on Lost Books and non-canonical works referred to in the Bible.
viewtopic.php?t=69805

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Niemand
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Re: The Ethiopian Canon: Enoch, Jubilees etc.

Post by Niemand »

Just added, a new post on 3 Meqabyan or III Meqabyan, which is part of the Ethiopian canon.
viewtopic.php?t=1367649

Latest Apocrypha
Other works I've covered.

Four Apocryphal Psalms - 152, 153, 154, 155
viewtopic.php?t=69985

The Gospel of Nicodemus or Acts of Pilate, as tested on Mennonites
viewtopic.php?t=69760

1 Clement: Papist propaganda or a window into the early church?
viewtopic.php?p=1368842

2 Clement – inclement Gnosticism?
viewtopic.php?t=70327

My thread about the Koran, and its use of figures from the Bible, the Apocrypha and extracanonical material. How useful a source is the Koran itself? Does it have any real extra information on Biblical figures? This is something of work in progress. Some of the Koranic stories find parallels in Ethiopian works.
viewtopic.php?t=70169

Was Zoroaster/Zarathustra a lost prophet of God? Some surprising links between this largely forgotten figure and Judaism, plus the Gathas.
viewtopic.php?t=65938

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Niemand
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Posts: 13997

Re: The Ethiopian Canon: Enoch, Jubilees etc.

Post by Niemand »

The Three Apocalypses of Peter: Guides to the universe or sadism? This post discusses three separate books including some material which makes up some of the Book of Qälëmentos or Ethiopian Clement which is mentioned above:
viewtopic.php?t=70682

I'm still trying to source material on the other Ethiopian books mentioned above. Pseudo-Josephus or Josippon is probably the most likely to be dealt with. It is hard to find most of the Ethiopian books in English, let alone online.

Latest Apocrypha
A post on the Restored Branch, an English LDS microsect and its canon which includes works from the Nag Hammadi and Gnostic texts: these are the Gospel of Peter, the Gospel of Mary, the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Phillip, the Gospel of Truth (sic), the Letter of the Apostle Paul, the Sophia (Wisdom) of Jesus the Christ, the Acts of Peter and the Twelve Apostles and the Letter of Peter which he sent to Philip.
viewtopic.php?t=70413

My thread on a bizarre Middle Eastern sect and their beliefs. Are the Yezidis of the Middle East an ancient Satanist group or a lost Jewish tribe? And what is the connection between their religion and today's rainbow flag? Is this strange group simply misunderstood?
viewtopic.php?t=70625

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Niemand
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Posts: 13997

Re: The Ethiopian Canon: Enoch, Jubilees etc.

Post by Niemand »

Here is yet another Ethiopian book which is in current use but doesn't appear on the list above. The unfortunately named Book of the Cock is used in Ethiopian worship around Lent and Easter time/Holy Week.
viewtopic.php?t=71338

The First and Second Books of Adam and Eve (the Conflict with Satan). These have had some currency in the ancient Ethiopian church but not the modern one.
viewtopic.php?t=70846

Latest Apocrypha etc
Underrated Bible stories #3: Habakkuk's Hair-raising Experience (from Bel & the Dragon in the KJV Apocrypha)
viewtopic.php?t=69509

The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs: are these lost books of the founders of each Tribe of Israel or a later forgery?
viewtopic.php?t=71314

Celtic legends about the Bible, including the visits of Biblical figures to western Europe, the Michael Line, Holy Grail/Arthurian legend, and Pontius Pilate. Discusses the Lost Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles (the Sonnini Manuscript), Magna Tabula Glastonia, writings of Nicephorus, Leabhar Gabhala/Lebor Gabála Érenn (Book of Settlements), the Mabinogion etc.
viewtopic.php?t=71061

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Niemand
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Posts: 13997

Re: The Ethiopian Canon: Enoch, Jubilees etc.

Post by Niemand »

Latest Apocrypha etc
Joseph and Asenath: a sweet tale of conversion
viewtopic.php?t=73595

Will the real Book of Jasher please stand up? At least a dozen works are claimed to be the Book of Jasher, but did it ever exist in the first place?
viewtopic.php?p=1438746

The Book of Gad the Seer, a work referred to in the Old Testament which may have been preserved by a small group of Jews in India. Some of its content is stunning including references to a sacrificed lamb who is sent by God and the future tribulation.
viewtopic.php?t=71421

The Ascension of Isaiah, visions of Christ and Antichrist
viewtopic.php?t=71598

The Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians, an early endorsement of Paul or a forgery?
viewtopic.php?p=1400884

The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus - a beautiful short epistle about the relations of Christians and non-Christians, and the Tree of Knowledge
viewtopic.php?p=1404032

End Times Prophecy in Apocrypha/Pseudepigrapha: A guide
Includes discussions of 2 Esdras, (1) Enoch, Nicodemus, Ascension of Isaiah, Gad the Seer and the Shepherd of Hermas
viewtopic.php?t=71659

New Age Bibles: Urantia, Oahspe, Kolbrin, Oera Linda, Crowley's Book of the Law, a Course in Miracles etc. These works, usually channelled, provide a very different take on spirituality yet are strangely similar to one another. How should we approach these new works and are they just demonic?
viewtopic.php?p=1433133

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SJR3t2
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Re: The Ethiopian Canon: Enoch, Jubilees etc.

Post by SJR3t2 »

JS's JST contradicts what is being called the book of Enoch today.

Going over Giants in Genesis (JST 8) (KJV 6). Sons is a Hebrew idiom for followers. Adam ate meat. Adam kept Torah from Alma 12. The Spirit is Torah. Giants are not connected to sons of God. The real Book Enoch has Elohim’s gospel in it. Melchizedek a mortal man in Alma 13. Melchizedek priests are to call repentance. Melchizedek was a peace maker. The message of Enoch in JST Genesis 6. Pray for the promises in Torah. Wicked men claim they are followers of Elohim while claiming true ones are followers of men. Repenting is returning to Torah. Praying for hours on your knees is from the occult. Noah is the one who was wishing men wasn’t created. Noah was perfect because he was sanctified not because no DNA problems. Sanctified by law / holy spirit [behavior]. When you do it right, people say that’s the spirit. Nephi saw Yeshua in 1 Nephi 11-14 not the Holy Spirit. John 14-16 Holy Spirit is IT in Greek and Hebrew.
https://seekingyhwh.org/scripture-study/2024-01-25/

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