The Book of Angels - መጽሐፍ ፡ መላእከት ።

A text identified as part of the Beta Israel Secondary Canon by Dr. Steven Kaplan.
A Beta Israel reworking of the third section of the Ge'ez Christian work "Dersāna Sanbat" attributed to Jacob of Serug.

Canonical Versions

Version Modern or critical edition Selected manuscript/s

Maṣḥafa Malā’ekt
(The Book of Angels)
- in Ge'ez		መጽሐፍ ፡ መላእከት ።
ዐይን: Joseph Halévy		 Faitlovitch Ms. 27 [p: 54];
Faitlovitch Ms. 28 ([p: 46]

Related Non-Canonical Text: Dersāna Sanbat - ድርሳነ ፡ ሰንበት ።

The entirety of Maṣḥafa Malā’ekt is based on the third section of Dersāna Sanbat.
Note: the page numbers indicated with the manuscripts are for the beginning of Dersāna Sanbat, not for the relevant section.

Version Modern or critical edition Selected manuscript/s

Dersāna Sanbat
(Homily on the Sabbath Attributed to Jacob of Serug)
An anonymous Ethiopian Christian text composed in Ge'ez.
- in Ge'ez
Note: "Dersāna Sanbat" is a generic title, also used for other works such as this one.		ድርሳነ ፡ ሰንበት ፡ (ዘደረሰ ፡ አባ ፡ ያዕቆብ ፡ ዘሥሩግ) ።
A printed edition exists, but is not available online.
A French translation by Max Wurmbrand is available in "snippet view" only.		 EMML 3200 (17th c., pages out of order.);
IES 440 (18th c., not all pages together.);
EMML 3341 (18th c.) [p: 51];
EMML 4017 (18th c.) [p: 127];
EMML 2392 (18th-19th c.) [p: 256];
EMML 4435 (19th c. Section divisions indicated.) [p: 212];
EMML 4362 (19th c.);
EMML 3034 (18th-20th c.) [p: 93];
EMML 1672 (20th c.) [p: 7];
IES 780 (20th c.);
EMML 378 (20th c.);
EMML 2323 (20th c.);
EMML 1099 (20th c.);
EMML 885 (20th c.);
Faitlovitch Ms. 34 [p: 7].

Significantly related biblical texts:

The Te’ezāza Sanbat partially corresponds to a different section of the Dersāna Sanbat.

According to Leslau, the Apocalypse of Gorgorios is also closely related to the Book of Angels.


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