The Holy Scriptures are one of the two great

foundations of the faith and here is what our church

holds and teaches concerning it. The word of God is
not contained in the Bible alone, it is to be found in
tradition as well. The Sacred Scriptures are the
written word of God who is the author of the Old
and New Testaments containing nothing but perfect
truth in faith and morals. But God’s word is not
contained only in them, there is an unwritten word of
God also, which we call apostolic tradition. We
receive the one and other with equal veneration.
 
The canon of the Ethiopic Bible differs both in the
Old and New Testament from that of any other
churches.
List all books. As a whole, books written in the Geez
language and on parchment are numerous. The
Ethiopian Orthodox Church has 46 books of the Old
Testament and 35 books of the New Testament that
will bring the total of canonized books of the Bible
to 81.
 
These are the following
A. The Holy Books of the Old Testament
1. Genesis
2. Exodus
3. Leviticus
4. Numbers
5. Deuteronomy
6. Joshua
7. Judges
8. Ruth
9. I and II Samuel
10. I and II Kings
11. I Chronicles
12. II Chronicles
13. Jublee
14. Enoch
15. Ezra and Nehemia
16. Ezra (2nd) and Ezra Sutuel
17. Tobit
18. Judith
19. Esther
20. I Maccabees
21. II and III Maccabees
22. Job
23. Psalms
24. Proverbs
25. Tegsats (Reproof)
26. Metsihafe Tibeb (the books of wisdom)
27. Ecclesiastes
28. The Song of Songs
29. Isaiah
30. Jeremiah
31. Ezekiel
32. Daniel
33. Hosea
34. Amos
35. Micah
36. Joel
37. Obadiah
38. Jonah
39. Nahum
40. Habakkuk
41. Zephaniah
42. Haggai
43. Zechariah
44. Malachi
45. Book of Joshua the son of Sirac
46. The Book of Josephas the Son of Bengorion
 
B. The holy books of the New Testament
1. Matthew
2. Mark
3. Luke
4. John
5. The Acts
6. Romans
7. I Corinthians
8. II Corinthians
9. Galatians
10. Ephesians
11. Philippians
12. Colossians
13. I Thessalonians
14. II Thessalonians
15. I Timothy
16. II Timothy
17. Titus
18. Philemon
19. Hebrews
20. I Peter
21. II Peter
22. I John
23. II John
24. III John
25. James
26. Jude
27. Revelation
28. Sirate Tsion (the book of order)
29. Tizaz (the book of Herald)
30. Gitsew
31. Abtilis
32. The I book of Dominos
33. The II book of Dominos
34. The book of Clement
35. Didascalia
 
The Ethiopic version of the Old and New Testament
was made from the Septuagint. It includes the book
of Enoch, Baruch, and the third and fourth Esdras. In
the international Bible studies there are certain
books belonging to the class usually designated
pseudepigraphic. The whole Christendom and
whole-learned world owes a debt of gratitude to the
church of Ethiopia for the preservation of those
documents.
 
Among these books is the book of Enoch which
throws so much light on Jewish thought on various
points during the centuries immediately preceding
the Christian era. The book of Jubilee (Kufale, i.e.
Division) otherwise known as the Little Genesis has
also been preserved entire only in the Ethiopic
version. The preservation of yet one more book in its
entity, namely, the Ascension of Isaiah, is to be
remembered to the credit of the Ethiopic Church.
 
But books, which should be considered for higher
education and could be prepared carefully in order to
suit modern thinking, are the following.
 
1. Theological books such as the following
- Haymanote Abew or the Faith of the Fathers in
which other writings of the Apostolic Fathers and
also of the Eastern Orthodox Church fathers are to
be found.
- Works of St. Cyril and many other writers.
- The exegesis of the letter to the Hebrews by St.
John Chrysostom.
- The pastoral work of St. John Chrysostom.
- Severious of Asmunage – a collection of twelve
exegetical works, which prove the teaching
concerning God.
- A book that proves the existence of God Hilawae –
Melekote
- The book of Hawi, which proves the teaching
concerning God.
- Book of the mystery by Abba Georgis containing
arguments and evidence about the mysteries.
- Religious documentary book by Jacob of
Elbaredia.
- The true faith (written during the reign of Zera
Yacob)
- The five pillars of the Sacraments (as Catechism).

MEILAD
2. Books that have the orders of the church
- The liturgical book with the 14 Anaphora
- Ghitsacwa –Lectionaries or a list of annual reading
of the scriptures during the liturgical service and
other prayer hours.
- The book of the Sacrament of Matrimony
(Metsehafe Teklil)
- The book of Baptism
- The book of Ordination
- The book of Covenant
- The prayer book for the dead
- The prayer book of the Incense
- The book of Canon
- The prayer book of purification

3. Books on Church administration and on

counseling
- A big book on the Synod of the Apostles in four
parts
- The Didache and Abthulis
- The book on the Synod of Nicea
- The book on the Synod of Galatia
- The book on the Synod of Antioch
- The book on the Synod of Lethokia
- The book on the Synod of Kerthica
- The book on the Synod of Esrskousia
- The book on the Synod of Srethia
- The book of Fetha Negast
- Spiritual Medicine (Fewse Menfsawi)
- Exegesis on the meeting of clergy (Tikbe Kahenat)
4. Scared books
Most of these books are written in sections or parts
for bindings, these are
- The old & The New Testaments
- The Books of the scholars of the Church
- Metsehafe Menequsat (book of the Monks)
 
5. Hymn books, mostly by St. Yared
- Digua
- Thesome Digua
- Mieraf
- Zimare
- Mewasiet
- Zik
- Mezmur
- Liturgy (Kedasie)
- Saatat (of ABBA Giorgis)
 
6. Books on Calendar
- Book of Abushakir
- Sid, the Son of Batrik
- Mark son of Kenbar
- Leader of Blind – by Demetros
- Mathematics concerning calendar by the
Monastery of Bizen
 
7. Historical Books
- First writing on Zion
- Biography (Gedle) of Lalibela
- History of the Kings of Axum
- History of the Kings of Zagwe
- On the treasure of the kings
- On the honor of the Kings
- Tefut
- Biography (Gedle) of Tekla Haimanot
- George the son of Amid
- History of Alexander
- Works of the brothers – Part II
- Books on preaching
 
8. Compositions (works) on the virgins (celibates)
- Writings (compositions) on the woman who
anointed Jesus
- Compositions (writings) on the Samaritan woman
- Writings on the birth of Christ
- Writings on Epiphany
- Writings on the Resurrection etc.
 
9. Writings that describe the biography of the
martyrs
Biography and works of St. George
“ “ “ St. Kopnious
“ “ “ St. Irenaeus
“ “ “ St. Gelwdewos
“ “ “ Forty soldiers of Heaven
 
10. Different philosophical books
- Wogris the Wise (philosopher)
- Angare Felasfa (collections from philosophers)
- Thoughts and commentary of Zera Yacob of Axum
 
11. Books on the tradition and culture of the
country
- On old age and adolescence
- Customs and traditions of Ethiopia
 
12. Books on nature and science
- Books on nature and science Part II and I
- Aximaros
- Phisalgos on animals and others
 
13. Books, which show writings of compositions
- The composition or writing of one of the criminals
(outlaws), who was hanged with Jesus
- On the Miracles of St. Mary and many other
apocryphal books are to be found.
 
14. Ancient grammatical books
There are very many grammatical books written by
different people and found at different places in the
world. The above noted are but a very few examples
from among the different books numbered by the
thousands that the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido
Church has. In the past, at present and even in the
future either in the church or at the schools what the
church uses for educational services was and will not
be outside of these books.
 
In the past, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido
Church had not much opportunity to expand and
propagate the above, noted doctrine and orders of
the church inside and outside the nation; this is
because of the different circumstances prevailing in
the surroundings of the country. Because of the
advent of European Colonialism upon its
neighboring African countries and the great
monetary support that other religious groups
received to convert Africans. The Ethiopian
Orthodox Church had no other choice but to defend
on and preserve all here Christian legacy.
Henceforth, she was unable to raise her apostolic
voice louder among her African brothers and sisters.
Nevertheless, the sense of freedom that the
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church maintained
for centuries being, the torch of freedom to all Africa
has enabled Africans to be aware of their freedom.
 
In this 20th century, the Ethiopian Orthodox
Tewahido Church is conducting many apostolic
missions – that is organizing church councils and
founding clergy training programs within the
country; and carrying on her apostolic missionary
activities.

CANON LAW
The canons, regulations of Christian instruction and
worship of the Ethiopian Church, are contained in
the Sinodos and Didascalia, two compilations of
ancient church canons, dating from the second
period of Ethiopic literature. These canons are
closely associated with the New Testament.
 
The Sinodos, classed as part of Ethiopic New
Testament, is composed of various elements:
Constitutions of Apostles, the Statutes of the
Apostles, the Canons of the Apostles, the canons of
Various councils-Nicaea, Gangra, Sardica, Antioch,
New-Caesarca, Aneyra, Laodienea – and various
theological and pastoml treatises. Eight books make
up the Sinodos. Sinodos is the Corpus juris
Ecclesiastic of the Church. The various discourses
and treaties included in this Corpus are:
1. An exposition of the dialogue ascribed to St. John
Chrysostom.
2. On the Essence of the Holy Trinity.
3. On the fear of God.
4. On the ancient people and a refutation of the Jews.
5. A discourse of St. Gregory of Armenia against the
Jews.
6. Hortatory discourse to believers who desire to
walk in the paths of wisdom and knowledge.
7. Hortatory discourse to believers who desire to
walk in the paths of wisdom and knowledge.
8. The discourse of the Nicene Fathers on the Holy
Trinity.
9. The penitential canons of our Lord to Peter.
 
The Didascalia a document well known in the
Christian Church originally composed in Greek
probably in the middle of the third century, a
discourse on Church life and society. The whole
work was afterwards, somewhere in the fourth
century, incorporated in the Apostolic Constitutions.
It has Latin, Arabic and Syriac versions, which differ
among themselves and from the Ethiopic version
with regard to the subject matter. The Ethiopia
Didascalia contains the first seven books of the
Apostolic Constitutions and it represents a form
intermediate between the shorter Syriac Didascalia
and the complete work of Apostolic Constitutions.
 
Briefly the contents of the document are: Questions
of morality, the duty of studying the Scriptures and
observance of the Seventh Commandment, mutual
duties of husband and wife, offices and duties of
Christian ministers; the duties of widows; the
method of baptism, laymen not to baptize; vows of
virginity; the duties of the faithful towards the
martyrs; observance of Christmas, Epiphany, Lent,
Holy week and method of calculating the date of
Easter; warning against heresy; respect to be shown
to the faithful departed; prayers to be used on
specified and unspecified occasions.
 “Glory be to the Almighty God,” Amen.
Source
A short history, faith and order of the Ethiopian
Orthodox Tewahido Church, published by the
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church Holy Synod,
Addis Ababa 1983.
Edited by Aymero W and Joachim M., The
Ethiopian Orthodox Church, published by the
Ethiopian Orthodox mission, Addis Ababa 1970.
 
 
 
 
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©2003-Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Churc