The three Garima Gospels are the earliest surviving Ethiopian gospel books. They provide glimpses of lost late antique luxury gospel books and art of the fifth to seventh centuries, from the Aksumite kingdom of Ethiopia. This book reproduces all of the Garima illuminated pages for the first time, and presents extensive comparative material. It will be an essential resource for those studying late antique art and history, Ethiopia, eastern Christianity, New Testament textual criticism, and illuminated books. 316 colour illustrations.
Like most gospel manuscripts, the Garima Gospels contain ornately decorated canon tables which function as concordances of the different versions of the same material in the gospels. Analysis of these tables of numbered parallel passages, devised by Eusebius of Caesarea, contributes significantly to our understanding of the early development of the canonical four gospel collection. The origins and meanings of the decorated frames, portraits of the evangelists, Alexandrian circular pavilion, and the unique image of the Jerusalem Temple are explored.
Table of Contents:
Preface by Michael Gervers
Acknowledgements by Judith McKenzie
Abbreviations
Maps
GENERAL INTRODUCTION by Judith McKenzie
Translation of Biblical Texts
Illustrated Biblical Manuscripts
The Four Gospel Collection and the Eusebian Canon Tables
The Present Study Summary
PART I THE GARIMA GOSPEL BOOKS
1. THE WORLD OF THE GARIMA GOSPELS by Judith McKenzie and Miranda Williams
Ethiopian Trade and Technological Developments
Arrival of Christianity in Ethiopia
Construction of Churches
The Aksumite Kingdom as a Regional Power
Ethiopians in Jerusalem and Palestine
Alexandria and Late Antique Egyptian Art
Conclusion
2. THE DISCOVERY AND STUDY OF THE GARIMA GOSPELS by Judith McKenzie
The Garima Gospel Codices
The Discovery and Publication of the Illuminated Pages
Documentation and Analysis of the Texts of the Garima Gospels
A Re-evaluation of the Chronology and the Carbon-14 Dates
3. THE MANUSCRIPTS by Judith McKenzie
Bindings
Covers
Determining Which Illuminated Pages Belong to Which Manuscript
Abba Garima I Illuminated Pages
Abba Garima III Position and Order of the Decorated Pages
Distribution of the Canon Tables
Production of the Illuminated Pages and Texts
Place of Production
PART II IMAGES, ORIGINS, AND MEANINGS by Judith McKenzie
4. THE PORTRAITS OF THE EVANGELISTS
Mark
Standing Evangelists (Matthew, Luke, and John) and a Saint (?Eusebius)
Conclusion
5. ILLUMINATED FRAMES
Origins of Canon Table Frames
Abba Garima III Frames
Abba Garima I Frames
Birds, Plants, and Fruit Bowls
Abba Garima I and III: Two Schools of Painting
Abba Garima II: A Third School of Painting
Relationship of the Abba Garima I and III Frames to Other Frames
Later Ethiopian Frames and the Legacy of the Schools of Abba Garima I and III
Conclusions
Additional Note: The Garima Birds by Linda Macaulay
6. BUILDINGS: ORIGINS AND MEANINGS
The Jerusalem Temple Image in Abba Garima III
Circular Pavilion (Tholos) in Abba Garima I
Tholoi in Carolingian, Greek, Armenian, and Georgian Gospel Books
Tholoi in Later Ethiopian Manuscripts and Their Meaning
Meaning of the Decoration on the Frames
Conclusion
Plates
PART III TEXT AND IMAGE by Francis Watson
7. EUSEBIUS TRANSFORMED
The Eusebian Canons
The Eusebius Portrait
The Preface On the Agreement of the Four Gospels
The Letter to Carpianus: Abba Garima I
The Letter to Carpianus: Abba Garima II and III
8. THE CANON TABLE SEQUENCE
Pages One and Two: Canons III
Page Three: Canons IIIIV
Pages Four and Five: Canons VVII
Pages Six to Eight: Canons VIIX
The Four Pillared Structure (Tholos)
The Renewed Temple
The Ring
9. THE FOUR EVANGELISTS: TEXTS AND PORTRAITS
The Enumerated Text
Chapters and Titles
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
10. TEXT, TRANSLATION, AND DATE
The Textual History of the Geez Gospels
On Text-forms and Time-frames
The Textual Milieu
Parallel Translations
Appendix I. The Foliation and Content of the Garima Gospels by Matthew Crawford
Appendix II. John Chrysostom and the Preface of Ps-Ammonius, translations by Francis Watson
Appendix III. Eusebius Letter to Carpianus: Greek and Geez, translations by Francis Watson
Glossary
Bibliography
Illustration Credits
Index
