The Ethiopian pilgrim who was expelled from the Church (of the Resurrection) in Jerusalem during the Easter services received a heavenly light.
CONTENT INFORMATION
Story Type: Miracle of Mary
Story Theme(s): Pilgrims & Pilgrimages
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
Earliest Attested Instance of the Story: 1508 - 1535
Earliest Manuscripts in which Story Appears: EMML (HMML) 2275; EMML (HMML) 642; EMML (HMML) 6598; EMML (HMML) 6794; EMML (HMML) 730
Total Manuscripts in which Story Appears: 26
Total Incipits in the ITool: 15
Incipit(s): ስምዑኬ፡ መንክረ፡ ወመድምመ፡ ኀይለ፡ ተአምሪሃ፡ ለእግዝእትነ፡ ቅድስት፡ ድንግል፡ በክልኤ፡ ታቦተ፡ መንፈስ፡ ቅዱስ፡ ማርያም፡ ዘበዕብራይስጢ፡ ማሪሃም፡ ዘገብረት፡ ተአምረ፡ በኢየሩሳሌም፡ ቅድስት፡ ሀገረ፡ እግዚአብሔር። ወበውእቱ፡ መዋዕል፡ ሶበ፡ ገብሩ፡ ሀከከ፡ ወቀትለ፡ በላዕለ፡ ክርስቲያን፡ ተፀርዓ፡ ፍኖተ፡ ነጋድያን፡ እምፀብዓ፡ ፈያት፡ እኩያን።, from EMML (HMML) 2275, f. 200v
ID Numbers: PEMM Theme ID 193; PEMM ID 349; Macomber ID 349; Beta maṣāḥǝft ID LIT5310MiraclePilgrim; Clavis ID CAe 5310
Translations & editions of this story
Amharic: Täsfa Giyorgis. 1931. From TG (EOTC) 1924-1931, p. 121.
Amharic: Täsfa Gäbrä Śəllase. 1971. From TGS (EOTC) 1983-1990, p. 415-418.
Amharic: Täsfa Gäbrä Śəllase. 1994. From TGS (EOTC) 1986-1994, p. 154.
Amharic: Täsfa Gäbrä Śəllase. 1996. From TGS (EOTC) 1988-1996, p. 415.
Amharic: Täsfa Gäbrä Śəllase. 2014. From TGS (EOTC) 2004-2011, p. 379-382.
French: Gérard Colin. 2004. From TGS (EOTC) 1988-1996, p. 415.
Italian: Enrico Cerulli. 1943. From TG (EOTC) 1924-1931, p. 166-170.
Manuscripts in which story appears:
1500s: EMML (HMML) 2275, f. 200v
1800s: EMML (HMML) 6794, f. 107v; EMML (HMML) 642, s. 109; EMML (HMML) 6598, f. 74r
1900s: EMML (HMML) 228, f. 60r; EMIP (EMIP) 982, f. 57v; EMML (HMML) 544, f. 123r; EMML (HMML) 665, f. 63v;...
2000s: TGS (EOTC) 2004-2011, s. 193b
This story, with the short title "The Expelled Ethiopian Pilgrim," is old: the earliest PEMM manuscript* in which this story appears is from around 1522.
It appears in 26 out of 709 PEMM manuscripts (4%).
This story is not illustrated in PEMM manuscripts.
It is a post-life miracle: it does not take place during Our Lady Mary's lifetime, but after it.
This story was originally composed in Ethiopia, Africa (probably).
It is available in the following languages: French, Italian, Geʿez, Amharic, English.
If you think any of the information on this page is incorrect (e.g., the date, manuscripts, translation), please use our PEMM Feedback Form to let us know. We depend on users like you to improve the site.
* A "PEMM manuscript" is defined as any Geʿez Marian manuscript or book that PEMM has catalogued. For more information, see Using the Site.
Summary
Pilgrims from various parts of Christendom gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate Easter. However, because it was a time when the way to the holy city was made difficult due to bandits, only one pilgrim from Ethiopia was present. When the Egyptian pilgrims identified the Ethiopian, they spurned the faith of his people and cast him out of the celebrations. The Ethiopian then went to the place where Mary observed the Crucifixion, and he prayed to the Holy Virgin. As he prayed, a miraculous light descended upon him. The Ethiopian didn’t notice at first, but nearby Jews marveled at the sight. When other Christian pilgrims gathered, they marveled as well, and, recognizing the orthodoxy of the Ethiopians’ faith, the Egyptians venerated the Ethiopian pilgrim.
Translation
Translated by Mehari Worku from EMML (HMML) 2275, f. 200v, in 2024.
An edited English translation of this story is not yet available. The following is a rough draft.
Our Lady Mary’s miracle. May her supplications and blessings be with us forever and ever. Amen.
Listen to this wonder and marvel by Our Lady Mary, Holy Twofold Virgin, the Ark of the Holy Spirit, Mariham in Hebrew, in Jerusalem, the holy city of God.
During that time, because bandits troubled and killed the Christians, the way to Jerusalem was blocked. Due to the wicked bandits, pilgrimage to the holy city ceased. On the holy Easter day, on the very day of the Holy Fire,1 there were no pilgrims except for one Ethiopian.
Then the Romans, Persians, Greeks, Armenians, Syrians, Galatians, and Alexandrians who were there gathered with their bishops and patriarchs to celebrate the Easter holiday, each according to their rite. It was a very crowded gathering.
They searched for a pilgrim from Ethiopia, but they couldn’t find anyone except for one pilgrim.
They called him, made him stand before the entire gathering, and asked, “How are you doing here without your fellow Ethiopians? What do we have to do with you, evil face and ugly-looking man? Get out of our gathering!”
They cast that pilgrim outside, insulting and mocking him.
They[, that is, the Egyptians,] said to one another, “Today we will see the falsity of the Ethiopians’ boast, which belittles us! They say, ‘Unless Ethiopians are there, the resurrection light doesn’t descend from heaven for Egyptians.’”
They expelled and cast out that Ethiopian pilgrim.
As they expelled him, the Ethiopian pilgrim was crying, sobbing, and wailing greatly. He entered Mary’s Standing Place.2 He said to her, “Look at my persecution, abandonment, and expulsion from this great gathering! Was it not for the sake of your love and the love of your beloved son that I traveled in hunger, thirst, toil, and exhaustion?”
He said this and words like these as he stood and prayed in the Standing Place of Mary, in Hebrew Mariham, which was built on the front of Calvary. This place is called Mary’s Standing Place because Mary stood in that place witnessing her son’s crucifixion and crying over Our Lord. It was for this reason that the place was named Mary’s Standing Place. Every pilgrim who had some sadness and distress in them prays and supplicates at that spot, and their prayers are fulfilled immediately by Our Lady Mary Mariham.
For the same reason, the Ethiopian pilgrim went to that spot to pray and supplicate to Our Lady Mary, Holy Twofold Virgin, the Mother of God, the abode of the Holy Spirit, in Hebrew Mariham, about the injustice and persecution he suffered. [As he continued praying] at that spot, the [miraculous] light descended from heaven for the persecuted pilgrim, who was suffering injustice and being cast out from the congregation of many rich people.
The pilgrim, however, didn’t notice the light [that rested] on his hands and was flaming, for his heart was completely immersed in the prayer toward heaven and supplication to Our Lady Mary Mariham.
But Jews saw the light flaming on the Ethiopian pilgrim, and they were amazed and marveled. They said, “How wonderful and orthodox is the Ethiopians' faith? Look, the light has descended from heaven for this persecuted man!” They called out to him and said, “Man of God, don’t you see the light flaming on your holy hands?”
At that time, he became aware of his surroundings. When the Ethiopian pilgrim saw Our Lady Mary Mariham’s power of assistance through the descent of the light only for him because of the persecution he suffered, his sadness was swallowed by joy and happiness.
Those who despised the Ethiopian pilgrim earlier came together and saw. They were shamed and stunned. They said, “Truly the Ethiopians’ faith is orthodox and true.”
They immediately gathered at the spot where the light had descended and begged the Ethiopian pilgrim to forgive them for having despised and persecuted him. He forgave them. Love and peace reigned between the pilgrim and the congregation.
From that day onward, the Egyptians paid great respect and veneration to Ethiopians due to the light’s descent. The saying, “The light doesn’t descend for Egyptians without Ethiopians’ presence,” was proven true.
Ethiopians are orthodox and love Our Lady Mary. This happened due to the greatness of Our Lady Mary’s miracle, and due to the persecution the Ethiopian pilgrim suffered. May her prayer and blessings be with her servant Habte Iyasus forever and ever. Amen.
My dear Lady Mary
The mother of Jesus, Ebnodi,3
As you delighted this pilgrim’s heart by bringing the light down from heaven,
Also to me, your servant Habte Iyasus, who declares your praises,
Come down from heaven to visit me,
Surround me for nourishment,
Ablaze my limbs with your divine love,
And never be separated from me. Ever!
Amen. Amen. Amen.
Notes
1. This is a reference to a proposed annual miracle that is said to happen every year on Easter night at the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.
2. This spot is likely what is currently known as the Armenian Station of the Holy Women, where Mary and the other women are said to have stood and witnessed the Crucifixion.
3. A corrupted transliteration of the coptic word ⲫⲛⲟⲩϯ (Eph Nuti) to mean God.
TO CITE THIS TRANSLATION
Mehari Worku, trans. "ID 349: The Ethiopian pilgrim who was expelled from the Church (of the Resurrection) in Jerusalem during the Easter services received a heavenly light.." From EMML (HMML) 2275, f. 200v. Täˀammərä Maryam (Miracle of Mary) Stories, edited by Wendy Laura Belcher, Jeremy Brown, Mehari Worku, and Dawit Muluneh. Princeton: Princeton Ethiopian, Eritrean, and Egyptian Miracles of Mary project. https://pemm.princeton.edu/stories/349.
This story, with the short title "The Expelled Ethiopian Pilgrim," is old: the earliest PEMM manuscript* in which this story appears is from around 1522.
It appears in 26 out of 709 PEMM manuscripts (4%).
This story is not illustrated in PEMM manuscripts.
It is a post-life miracle: it does not take place during Our Lady Mary's lifetime, but after it.
This story was originally composed in Ethiopia, Africa (probably).
It is available in the following languages: French, Italian, Geʿez, Amharic, English.
If you think any of the information on this page is incorrect (e.g., the date, manuscripts, translation), please use our PEMM Feedback Form to let us know. We depend on users like you to improve the site.
* A "PEMM manuscript" is defined as any Geʿez Marian manuscript or book that PEMM has catalogued. For more information, see Using the Site.