Abstract:
Abstract
The main purpose of this study was to analyze the content of “Mäṣḥafä Mädḫanit” of Däbrä Mäwi’ St. Mary Monastery. In achieving this goal the nature of Manuscript and its composition, the sources of the manuscript, different values of the manuscript and the contribution of the Manuscript for Ethiopian studies were studied. In this study, a qualitative methodology like- descriptive and narrative research design, both primary and secondary sources, analysis of the manuscript and interview tools were employed. Some relevant literatures related with the manuscript like- Mäsḥfä fäws mänfäsawi, Mäftǝḥe Śǝray , and Mäṣḥafä qed and Biblical references; as Old and New Testament, prayers, healing rituals; as ṣ äbäl, Mäsqäl, Ǝmnät and Qәb ‘ a Qәddus were reviewed and summarized in terms of its content with conceptual frame work of Philipp Marring components were identified and used. The manuscript was written in Gәᵓәz language with Gwulh typology. It is Parchment; Gәᵓәz; 30 x 20 cm; 132/ one hundred-thirty two/ folio/leaves (ff. 1r, 1v, 2v, and 135r.v, blank). It has three columns per folia and twenty-four lines per a column; It is composed by 14 / fourten/ folders/ quires/ and 272 pages including 2 guard leaves and 2 blank parchements and it wrote by black and red ink as well as its decoration; binding of two wooden boards covered with leather; margins: top 4.4; bottom 4.3; left 1.75; right 2.5and inter-column 1.2 (except guardian leaves).The Manuscript is a collection of 23 spiritual texts, with in the text,it has a variety of secret names and spiritual prayers. The contents of were composed from different sources. Sources of the manuscript are holy bible, Anaphora, covenants, prayers and different prayer texts of Ethiopian Orthodox Tewa ḥ әdo Church. the most common punctuations are two and nine points, these used to identify the words and statements respectively.As it is assured by its colophon, the owner of Manuscript is Haylä Mäsqäl.His name mentioned 272 times in the manuscript. The Manuscript also gives Healing from different kinds of diseases caused by Demons, Mental Illness, Possessing by Evil-Spirits and Internal and External Physical Illness. There are also literary features in the manuscript, among those features; poetic structure and metaphors (simile and personification) are mainly stated in it. In addition to this, the manuscript has doctrinal, social, cultural and historical values. And finally the finding indicates additional issues like emphasized contents, Translation of words/ phrases, and the significances of the manuscript for Ethiopian studies. As a result- the manuscript serve as a witness to cultivate indigenous knowledge of our own country. The text has unique roles to the societies especially, for the sick persons, to be healed by using prayers and secret names of the Lord. These include: to be more powerful, to protect oneself from evil, to defeat enemies, to cast out Satan and to guard the gates of a tomb against demons, etc. Generally, Mäṣḥafä Mädḫanit contains multi disciplinary contents with healing purposes, which all twenty three contents are our gift from the former church fathers by unpaid value and it gives healing both soul and physical body without coast.