Summer has arrived and once again visitors from the United States and from Ethiopia are coming to view and study the Gə‘əz manuscripts at CUA. These 241 Christian codices and 4 sets of codex quires are part of a larger collection of 836 materials, including 377 healing or magic scrolls as well as 218 Islamic Arabic manuscripts from Ethiopia. Almost all of this collection has been donated to CUA by Gerald and Barbara Weiner.
On Saturday June 25, 2022 Mr. Michael Tizale led a group of 20 students and parents from Debre Tabor Egziabher Ab Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church in Durham, North Carolina ደብረ ታቦር ቅዱስ እግዚአብሔር አብ የኢትዮጵያ ኦርቶዶክስ ተዋሕዶ ቤተክርስትያን on a field trip to see the Christian Ethiopic manuscripts in this library. Other recent visits have been made by members of the Ethiopian diaspora communities in Los Angeles, California and Columbus, Ohio, as well as the Washington Metropolitan area.
[Image 1: Mr. Tizale with Weiner Codex 446 (EMIP 2734) Acts of Gäbrä Mänfäs Qəddus, ገድለ፡ ገብረ፡ መንፈስ፡ ቅዱስ፡ Gädlä Gäbrä Mänfäs Qəddus; Homily of Gäbrä Mänfäs Qəddus, ድርሳነ፡ ገብረ፡ መንፈስ፡ ቅዱስ፡ Dərsanä Gäbrä Mänfäs Qəddus; Miracles of Gäbrä Mänfäs Qəddus, ተአምረ፡ ገብረ፡ መንፈስ፡ ቅዱስ፡ Tä’ämmǝrä Gäbrä Mänfäs Qəddus early 20th c. The codex is open to f.132v : image of Aba Samuel and a lion]
On July 2, 2022 Dr. Rodas Tadese Abebe and his sister Asegedech visited the collections with CUA alumnus Kessis-Netsereabe Taye. [Image 2: Dr. Rodas holding Weiner Codex 358 (EMIP 2393) Miracles of ’Äbunä Zär’ä Buruk, ተአምረ፡ አቡነ፡ ዘርአ፡ ቡሩክ፡ Tä’ämmǝrä ’Äbunä Zär’ä Buruk.1697]
While he was here Dr. Rodas filmed another presentation on the Gə‘əz manuscripts in the ICOR collections for audiences in Ethiopia and the United States [Image 3]. Dr. Rodas has done much to draw attention to these materials.
The Semitics/ICOR Library regularly receives requests to visit the collections. The library’s rooms house the Department of Semitic and Egyptian Languages and Literatures. Visits can be scheduled for Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Weekday afternoon hours also can be arranged. Please contact the curator by email or phone to schedule a visit.
Dr. Monica Blanchard
Curator, Semitics/ICOR Library
035 Mullen Library
The Catholic University of America
620 Michigan Ave., N.E. Washington, DC 20064
email: blanchard@cua.edu
phone: 202-319-4532