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Princeton Ethiopian, Eritrean, and Egyptian Miracles of Mary (PEMM) project
Princeton Ethiopian, Eritrean, and Egyptian Miracles of Mary (PEMM) project

British Library, "Orient" Collection, Manuscript No. 643

This Geʿez language manuscript was created between 1716 and 1717. This date is precise, based on the scribe noting the date in the manuscript. The royal ruler's name mentioned in the manuscript is Dawit III.

This manuscript is held in the repository of British Library in their "Orient" Collection in London, UK. This manuscript's last known location in Ethiopia was South: taken from King Tewodros's royal library in Magdala.

To view the manuscript, go to the digital copy.

This manuscript has a very high number of Marian miracle stories: 313.

This manuscript has no paintings of Marian miracle stories, but it does have 2 paintings of Mary and events in her life. To see the paintings in this manuscript, go to its PEMM Paintings by Manuscript page.

This manuscript has a total of 236 folios. It has 3 columns per page and approximately 30–31 lines per column.

The stories in this manuscript were cataloged by Jeremy R. Brown. Assistance and/or typing of incipits by Bret Windhauser.

The PEMM abbreviation for this manuscript is BOr (BL) 643.

The Beta Maṣāḥǝft abbreviation for this manuscript is BLorient643. Other shelfmarks and/or abbreviations for this manuscript include British Library Orient 643; British Library Or 643.

Regarding this manuscript's repository:

The British Library collection of over 600 Ethiopian/Eritrean manuscripts is one of the largest and most studied collections outside of Ethiopia and Eritrea. The acquisition of manuscripts began under the auspices of the British Museum in 1753. The collection has over thirty Täˀammərä Maryam manuscripts. This collection includes 349 manuscripts looted by British forces from the Ethiopian stronghold at Magdala in 1868. Multiple catalogs of this large collection have been prepared, by August Dillmann (1847), William Wright (1870), and Stefan Strelcyn (1978). View more information about this collection.

For more information about understanding this table, see Using This Site. If you think any of the information on this page is incorrect (e.g., the location, date, folios, story IDs), please use our PEMM Feedback Form to let us know. We depend on users like you to improve the site.

BOr (BL) 643

Order in MS
Story Title
Location in MS
Paintings
Story Recension
Incipit
Other Aspects
Story ID
1Book of Ledata la-Maryam??: OldA: Part 01: Conception: The Virgin Mary is conceived and born (whole or opening)f. 6r-7r, col. 1, line 10---316-A
2Book of Ledata la-Maryam??: OldA: Part 01: Temple: The Virgin Mary stays in the Temple (315, 316-D, 447 similar)f. 7r-7v, col. 1, line 140---315
3Book of Ledata la-Maryam??: OldA: Part 02: Engagement: The Virgin Mary is espoused to Saint Joseph.f. 7v-8v, col. 1, line 230---317
4Book of Ledata la-Maryam??: OldJ: Part 01: Pregnancy: The Virgin Mary is found to be pregnant.f. 8v-9r, col. 1, line 40---530
5Book of Ledata la-Maryam??: OldD: Part 01: Nativity: How the Virgin Mary gave birth (see no. 299) (347, 445 similar)f. 9r-10r, col. 3, line 230---445
6Book of Ledata la-Maryam??: OldD: Part 02: Nativity: The shepherds and the magi come to worship Christ. (299, 446 similar)f. 10r-10v, col. 1, line 240---446
7Book of Vision of Theophilus of Alexandria: Part 1 or 1.1: Patriarch Theophilus of Alexandria has a vision of the Virgin Mary telling him about the Holy Family's flight to Egyptf. 10v-15v, col. 2, line 230---1-A
8Bishop Hildephonsus of Toledo who collected stories and compiled them into the Book of the Miracles of the Virgin Maryf. 15v-16v, col. 2, line 270---13
9Jesus asks the Virgin Mary what her greatest sorrow is and she replies saying these five sorrowsf. 16v-17r, col. 3, line 10---400
10The innocent Frenchman who was framed for theft by a spurned innkeeper’s daughter and was hanged but did not dief. 17r-20r, col. 1, line 250---5
11Sybil the prophetess saw a vision of the Virgin Mary holding her child within a circle around the sun and the Emperor of Rome erected an altar in his palacef. 20r-21r, col. 2, line 10---137
12Book of Nagara Maryam??: OldF: Part 05: Journey: The Holy Family hides from thieves in a sycamore tree at Dabra Metmaq. (321, 322, 325, 431 similar)f. 21r-21v, col. 1, line 140---325
13Book of Nagara Maryam: OldF: Part 01: Journey: The rich Egyptian woman who refused to give water to the Holy Family. (321, 322, 325, 431 similar)f. 21v-22v, col. 2, line 170---321
14Book of Nagara Maryam: OldF: Part 02: Journey: The people of an Egyptian town set fierce dogs on the Holy Family. (321, 322, 325, 431 similar)f. 22v-23r, col. 2, line 280---322
15Book of Nagara Maryam: OldI: Journey: The inhabitants of an Egyptian town who plot to hand Jesus over to King Herod are turned into animals. (321, 322, 325, 431 similar)f. 23r-23v, col. 3, line 210---431
16Book of Nagara Maryam ??: OldL: Journey: The king of Egypt asks the Virgin Mary to bless his land when she and the Holy Family travel theref. 23v-24v, col. 3, line 280---432
17Holy Family's Journey: The places in Egypt visited by the Holy Family.f. 24v-26r, col. 2, line 280-
ተአምር፡ ዘገብረት፡ ምስለ፡ ፍቁር፡ ወልዳ፡ ኀበ፡ ሀሎ፡ እግዚእ...
-133
18Dabra Sedeneya's Icon's Origin: Attributed to Cyril of Jerusalem, the story of how a good woman who hosted lodgers acquired the famous iconf. 26r-29r, col. 2, line 140---45
19A stream runs uphill after its neighbor had diverted it.f. 29r-29v, col. 3, line 300---311
20The laborer who complained to the Virgin Mary because she did not reply to his Hail Maryf. 29v-29v, col. 1, line 280BOr (BL) 520--187
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pricenton ethiopian eritrean & egyptian miracles of marry project

The Princeton Ethiopian, Eritrean, and Egyptian Miracles of Mary (PEMM) project is a comprehensive resource for the 1,000+ miracle stories written about and the 2,500+ images painted of the Virgin Mary in these African countries, and preserved in Geʿez between 1300 and the present.

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