Antique Ethiopian Coptic Christian Manuscript Hand Written Vellum Bible Codex 18

Description

This is a very rare Ethiopian Coptic Christian handwritten Bible Manuscript which is a Psalter. This Codex measures 7 inches long by 5 inches wide and is 2.5 inches thick.
This Coptic Bible has been researched by Steve Delamarter and Melaku Terefe - please see below for more information.
This Bible has two hand carved wooden covers on the front and back through which very fine holes are drilled and strung with string which goes through all the pages to make a very simple yet effective binding. Both the front and the back wooden covers are broken into three pieces each and have been strung back together with string. The pages are made of goat skin called vellum that has an amazing parchment like texture. The writing is in black and red paint or ink (red usually being reserved for the names of God, Saints and the Holy Family) made from plant juices and is in Ethiopic (Ge'ez) a language no longer used today except by the Ethiopian
Orthodox Church for religious purposes.
Ge'ez which is the country's earliest language and which has been referred to as the 'Latin of Ethiopia' and is used today only in the liturgy of the Ethiopian Church. Please see 'Ethiopian Magic Scrolls' by Jacques Mercier and 'The coinage of Ethiopia, Eritrea and Italian Somalia' by Dennis Gill for more information. Very sturdy and in great although slight worn condition from past use by previous owners.
This Coptic Bible has been researched by Steve Delamarter and Melaku Terefe and the following information has been recorded for this specimen. Images of this Bible have also been donated to the Ethiopic Manuscript Imaging Project so as to be available for scholarly study.
Marwick Codex 18 (SGD 22)
Psalter, ê*|"
Parchment, 175 x 125 x 55 mm, four Coptic chain stitches attached with bridle attachments to rough-hewn boards, protection quire + 14 full quires, quires 1-13 numbered, i + 110 folios, 173 x 122 mm folio, top margin 12-15 mm, bottom margin 35-40 mm, fore edge margin 7-10 mm, gutter margin 7-9 mm, ff. 1r-100v one column, ff. 100v-110r two columns, Gə‘əz, 23-24 lines, 20th cent.
Quire descriptions: quires 1, 2, 7-11, 13, 14 balanced; quire 5 adjusted balanced; quires 3, 4, 6, 12 unbalanced. Navigation system: green string sewn into corners of folios 42, 66, 76, 81, 85, 100, 102 to mark content divisions.
Ff. 1r-110r: Psalter [Dawit].
Cf. SGD 1.
1. Ff. 1r-86r: Psalms of David.
2. Ff. 86r-95r: Biblical Canticles.
3. Ff. 95r-100v: Song of Songs.
4. Ff. 100v-107r: Praises of Mary [Wəddase Maryam].
Arranged for the days of the week (Monday, f. 100v; Tuesday, f. 101r; Wednesday, f. 102v; Thursday, f. 103v; Friday, f. 105r; Saturday, f. 105v; Sunday, f. 106v).
5. Ff. 107r-110r: Gate of Light [Anqää Bərhan].
Miniatures:
1.
F. 110: drawing of Jesus Christ in black and red, with uplifted hands and an unfinished head.
Varia:
1. F. Iv: Hymn to the Archangel Michael, in pencil in a crude hand; insufficiently legible.
Decorative designs: ff. 1r, 25v, 32r, 36v, 42v, 50v, 56r, 59v, 67r, 77r, 86r, 100v (haräg using black and red); ff. 6r, 11v, 36v, 37r, 47r, 81v, 102v (small haräg using black and/or red drawn next to or over text); ff. 11v, 17v, 75r, 95r, 107r (dotted line using alternating black and red); f. 75r (additional drawing in black and red).
Ff. Ii and 110v blank save for some scrawl.
Columetric layout of text: ff. 85v-86r (Ps. 150) and 92r-93r (tenth biblical canticle).
This bible would be an excellent addition to any Ethiopian Christian collection.
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