Abstract:
Despite having a large number of manuscripts wealth and well advanced manuscript production history
in Ethiopia, only very few numbers of manuscripts have been catalogued so far. Nada St. Lalibäla and St.
Mary monastery is one of the ancient monasteries founded in the 13
th
c with more than 50 manuscript
treasures. However, in most of the monasteries and church archives the preservation of these precious
manuscripts is not satisfactory. The purpose of this study is to catalogue the Hagiographical and selected
manuscripts of Nada St. Lalibäla and St. Mary monastery. This Catalogue would be invaluable to make
the manuscripts accessible and expose them for academic investigation. In addition, it increases the
numbers of catalogued manuscripts in the country and save the written treasure from loss. Qualitative
study design with text analysis was employed particularly Analytic type of cataloging was used to conduct
the research. Twenty-four hagiographical manuscripts were catalogued; all of them were codices and
majority of them have medium size, written on parchment with black and red inks. Most of the
manuscripts are 20
th
c products with Cursive script type. Among these manuscripts, Homily of Elijah is a
unique manuscript written on paper in Gǝ‟ǝz language, scribed by a female scribe, comprised of vita and
homily in one circulation and three hands were participated alternatively in the writing process. Very
elegant and attractive Ḥärägat are seen with a characteristic features of Yäqǝl Šǝlmat or Yämosäbä wärq
Šǝlmat Ḥärägat‟, „Balä Śosǝt Näṭǝb Śälen Śǝra Ḥäräg‟, „Balä gämäd ḥäräg‟ and „Balä ˀärat Näṭǝb Śälen
Śǝra Ḥäräg‟. Purchase notes, colophon notes, and ownership notes are also indicated. Intensifying the
catalogue work on the remaining manuscripts and improving the preservation of the manuscripts would
be valuable to prevent these golden written treasures from damage