The Ethiopic (Ge'ez) Text of ʾArbāʿtuʾEnsēsā (፬ቱ እንስሳ): A Philological Edition

Abstract

This manuscript presents a philological edition of the Ethiopic (Ge'ez) text of ʾArbāʿtuʾEnsēsā, commonly translated as "The Four Living Creatures." This significant religious and liturgical text, central to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, details the celestial beings described in Ezekiel's vision and Revelation, playing a crucial role in Ethiopian Christian cosmology and worship. Despite its prominence, a comprehensive critical edition based on a wide array of manuscripts remains largely absent in international scholarship. This study aims to fill this lacuna by providing a detailed methodology for establishing a critical text, identifying significant textual variants, and discussing their implications for understanding the work's transmission history, theological development, and linguistic features. The edition collates readings from diverse manuscript traditions, assesses their historical and linguistic value, and offers a reconstructed Ge'ez text alongside a critical apparatus. This philological undertaking sheds light on the dynamic textual life of ʾArbāʿtuʾEnsēsā, offering insights into scribal practices, theological interpretations, and the enduring vitality of Ethiopic literary heritage.