|
Shelfmark |
Fondo Orientale, Crypt Aet. 13 |
|
Owning institution |
Biblioteca statale del Monumento nazionale di Grottaferrata |
|
Typology |
Codex |
|
Copying date |
19th or more probably 20th century, dated on a paleographical basis. |
|
Title |
Ṣälotä ʿǝṭan (“Prayer of the incense”) |
|
Subject |
Prayer |
|
Language |
Gǝʿǝz |
|
Short description of the content |
Ff. 1ra–61ra: Ṣälotä ʿǝṭan (“Prayer of the incense”) Incipit: በስመ ... ጸሎተ፡ ዕጣን፡ ዘይትነበብ፡ ጊዜ፡ ቦአ፡ ቤተ፡ መቅደስ፡ ወለግብአቱ። አፍአ፡ መንጦላዕት፡ ቀዊሞ፡ ይበል፡ እኂዞ። በእዴሁ፡ ልብስ፡ አሌፍ፡ ብፁአን፡ እለ፡ ብፁሐን፡ በፍኖቶሙ። |
|
Writing material |
Sheep parchment |
|
Outer size (included the binding) |
150 x 110 x 45 mm |
|
Outer size of the textblock |
152 x 110 mm |
|
Number of folia |
64 |
|
Blank folia |
1v, 2v, 61v–63v, 64v. |
|
Binding |
Two wooden boards. The spine is uncovered. Four sewing stations. |
|
Sewing |
Two S-twisted threads (each thread is Z-twisted) of vegetal origin. |
|
Sewing pattern |
Bozzacchi C |
|
Slip case (maḫdär) |
– |
|
Quires |
10 (1 initial protective quire + 8 + 1 final protective quires) |
|
Quire marks |
– |
|
Layout |
2 columns. |
|
Number of lines per column |
16–17 |
|
Ruling |
Blind ruling, from outside to inside. Lines are written above the ruling (pattern Nosnitsin 1). |
|
Ruling pattern |
1-1-11/0/0/C. |
|
Scribe |
Aläqa Zärʿa Yoḥannǝs (f. 61rb). |
|
Colophon |
– |
|
Additional notes |
1. F. 61rb: concluding note, written in the main hand below the main text: ገብረ፡ ማርያም፡ ወለተ፡ ተክለ፡ ሃይማኖት፡ ገብረ፡ ሚአኬል፡ ወለተ፡ ሥላሴ፡ ጸሓፊሑ፡ ሃለቃ፡ ዘርአ፡ ዮሐንስ። The note mentions the following individuals: Gäbrä Maryam, Wälättä Täklä Haymanot, Gäbrä Mikaʾel, Wälättä Śǝllase, and Aläqa Zärʿa Yoḥannǝs (indicated as the scribe of the book). 2. F. 62va: Donation note written in the main hand: ዝመጽሐፍ፡ ዘአቶ፡ ገብረ፡ ማርያም፡ ወብእሲቱ፡ ወለተ፡ ተክለ፡ ሃይማኖት፡ ወደቂቁ፡ ገብረ፡ ሚካኤል፡ ወለተ፡ ጻድቃን፡ ዘወሀቦ፡ ለታቦተ፡ ፬እን<ስ>ሳ፡ ከመ፡ ይኩኖ፡ መርሃ፡ ለመንግሥተ፡ ሰማያት፡ ውጉዘ፡ ለይኩን፡ ዘሰረቆ፡ ወዘፈሐቆ፡ ዘባር፡ ለመቃ፡ ፬እንስሳ። The note states that the book belonged to Ato Gäbrä Maryam, his wife Wälättä Täklä Haymanot, their son Gäbrä Mikaʾel and daughter Wälättä Ṣadǝqan, and that they donated it to the tabot, i.e. the church, of the Four Beasts. |
|
Decoration |
1. F. 2r: Jesus Christ blessing, inscribed inside a mandorla. Colours: red, yellow, green, blue. Caption on top of the mandorla: ሥዕለ፡ […] 2. F. 3r: ornamental band (ḥaräg) with interlaces; executed in black and red ink. 3. F. 64r: an Archangel, executed in a fine style. Colours: yellow, red, blue. |
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State of preservation of the binding |
Discrete. |
|
State of preservation of the textblock |
Discrete. |
|
Provenance and history |
According to the notes on ff. 61rb and 62vb, the book was written by Aläqa Zärʿa Yoḥannǝs and belonged to Ato Gäbrä Maryam and his relatives (his wife Wälättä Täklä Haymanot, their son Gäbrä Mikaʾel and daughter Wälättä Ṣadǝqan). They donated the book to the church of the Four Beasts (Arbaʿtu Ǝnsəsa). It is not known when the manuscript was acquired by the abbey library, possibly at some time between 1967 (year of death of Father Lorenzo Tardo) and 1991, when it was reported for the first time by Osvaldo Raineri (cp. Raineri O., 1991, ‘Rec. S. Uhlig, Introduction to Ethiopian Palaeography’. Orientalia Christiana Periodica, 58 (1991), 215–16). |
