Grottaferrata, Crypt. Aet. 13

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Grottaferrata, Crypt. Aet. 13

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

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፡ ፬እንሳ፡ 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

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)