{"slug":"LIT2870RepCh151","id":"ethiopic:betmas:LIT2870RepCh151","title":"Image of John / Image of Yoḥannǝs I","author":"Anonymous","genre":"poetry","date":"","tradition":"ethiopic","coverage":"not-located","coverage_claim":{"status":"not-located","text":"No English translation was located by an automated check of the source corpus and one library catalogue. That is not evidence that none exists: the check matches English title words, so works catalogued under a Latin or original-language title are missed."},"publication":{"status":"machine-draft","reviewed_by":null,"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","generated":"2026-11-15T00:59:05Z","cost_usd":0.002328},"source":{"registry_id":"ethiopic:betmas:LIT2870RepCh151","work_id":"LIT2870RepCh151","edition":"betmas","language":"","license":"CC BY-SA 4.0 (per file); site footer states NC-SA - treat as NC","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT2870RepCh151"},"stats":{"passages":3,"english_words":631,"coptic_letters":0,"commentary_units":18,"commentary_kinds":7,"derived_notes":0,"ambiguities":6,"work_notes":5,"external_links":3,"timeline":4},"summary":{"work":"LIT2870RepCh151","abstract":"The Image of John / Image of Yoḥannǝs I is an anonymous Geʿez poetic encomium of John the Evangelist, composed in acrostic and rhythmic parallelism typical of Ethiopian hymnography. The sole known witness is the manuscript edited in betmas:LIT2870RepCh151, with no other copies recorded. The poem is attributed to Yoḥannǝs I, but the edition provides no external evidence for this attribution, and the date of composition is unstated. The work is not cited in the dossier of Coptic or Latin apocrypha, suggesting limited influence outside Ethiopic tradition. The edition lacks a critical apparatus, and variant readings are not recorded.","historical_context":"The work belongs to the Ethiopic Christian tradition, likely composed in the Geʿez language within the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. The genre of malkǝʾ (image) poetry, which praises saints through acrostic salutations to body parts, flourished in Ethiopia from the late first millennium CE onward, but the precise date of this encomium is unknown. The sole witness is a manuscript held in a collection cataloged in betmas:LIT2870RepCh151, with no other copies recorded in the cited Hollis records. The poem's attribution to Yoḥannǝs I is unsubstantiated, and the text shows no clear connection to Coptic or Latin apocryphal traditions, indicating a primarily local Ethiopian circulation. The edition lacks a critical apparatus, and the basis for the Geʿez text is not described, limiting historical analysis.","significance":"This encomium exemplifies the Ethiopic malkǝʾ genre, offering insight into local devotional practices and poetic forms. Its limited transmission and lack of external attestation highlight the challenges of studying Ethiopian hymnography. The work's attribution to Yoḥannǝs I, though uncertain, may reflect a tradition of associating John the Evangelist with Ethiopian monastic ideals.","timeline":[{"date":"Unknown","event":"Composition of the Geʿez poetic encomium, possibly within the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church."},{"date":"Unknown","event":"Attribution to Yoḥannǝs I, with no external evidence."},{"date":"Unknown","event":"Manuscript witness copied, later edited in betmas:LIT2870RepCh151."},{"date":"Unknown","event":"No other copies recorded in Hollis records."}],"relations":[{"work":"betmas:LIT2870RepCh151","relation":"Sole known witness of the work","key":"betmas:LIT2870RepCh151","label":"betmas: Image of John / Image of Yoḥannǝs I","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT2870RepCh151"},{"work":"dossier:coptic-anon-life-john-chrysostom-legend","relation":"Not cited, suggesting limited influence","key":"dossier:coptic-anon-life-john-chrysostom-legend","label":"gap dossier: Coptic Life (legend) of John Chrysostom","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/coptic-anon-life-john-chrysostom-legend"},{"work":"dossier:latin-acta-ioannis-latina","relation":"Not cited, suggesting limited influence","key":"dossier:latin-acta-ioannis-latina","label":"gap dossier: The Acts of John (Latin recension)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/latin-acta-ioannis-latina"}],"external_links":[{"key":"betmas:LIT2870RepCh151","label":"Edition of the sole witness","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT2870RepCh151","reason":"Primary source for the work"},{"key":"hollis:alma990006018390203941","label":"Hollis record for related manuscript","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/990006018390203941","reason":"Potential contextual manuscript"},{"key":"hollis:alma990007437950203941","label":"Hollis record for related manuscript","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/990007437950203941","reason":"Potential contextual manuscript"}],"cautions":["Date of composition is unknown; no century can be assigned.","Attribution to Yoḥannǝs I is unsubstantiated by external evidence.","The sole witness lacks a critical apparatus; variant readings are not recorded.","Limited transmission may indicate a narrow regional circulation."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.000413,"generated":"2026-11-15T00:29:06Z"},"checks":{"work":"LIT2870RepCh151","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":3,"translated":3,"commentary_passages":3,"commentary_units":18,"english_words":631,"source_letters":1428,"commentary_kinds":7},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The work is a Geʿez poetic encomium of John the Evangelist, employing acrostic and rhythmic parallelism typical of Ethiopian hymnography.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT2870RepCh151","label":"betmas: Image of John / Image of Yoḥannǝs I","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT2870RepCh151"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The sole known witness is the manuscript edited in betmas:LIT2870RepCh151; no other copies are recorded in the cited Hollis records.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT2870RepCh151","label":"betmas: Image of John / Image of Yoḥannǝs I","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT2870RepCh151"},{"key":"hollis:alma990006018390203941","label":"John Updike papers, 1940-2018","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/990006018390203941"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The poem is attributed to Yoḥannǝs I, but the edition provides no external evidence for this attribution; the date of composition is unstated.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT2870RepCh151","label":"betmas: Image of John / Image of Yoḥannǝs I","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT2870RepCh151"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The work is not cited in the dossier of Coptic or Latin apocrypha listed among allowed sources, suggesting limited influence outside Ethiopic tradition.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:coptic-anon-life-john-chrysostom-legend","label":"gap dossier: Coptic Life (legend) of John Chrysostom","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/coptic-anon-life-john-chrysostom-legend"},{"key":"dossier:latin-acta-ioannis-latina","label":"gap dossier: The Acts of John (Latin recension)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/latin-acta-ioannis-latina"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The edition lacks a critical apparatus; variant readings, if any, are not recorded, and the basis for the Geʿez text is not described.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT2870RepCh151","label":"betmas: Image of John / Image of Yoḥannǝs I","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT2870RepCh151"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"derived_work_notes":[{"kind":"coverage","severity":"info","text":"No English translation was located by an automated check of the source corpus and one library catalogue. That is not evidence that none exists: the check matches English title words, so works catalogued under a Latin or original-language title are missed."},{"kind":"limit","severity":"caution","text":"The English is a machine draft produced passage by passage from the transcribed Coptic; no human has verified it. The commentary is model-written and cites only keys the pipeline could resolve."},{"kind":"register","severity":"info","text":"Register: poetry in Geʿez; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them."},{"kind":"structure","severity":"info","text":"Passages: 3 narrative."},{"kind":"source","severity":"info","text":"Source edition: betmas — CC BY-SA 4.0 (per file); site footer states NC-SA - treat as NC"}],"derived_structure":{"narrative":3},"term_index":[],"citations":{"betmas:LIT2870RepCh151":{"label":"betmas: Image of John / Image of Yoḥannǝs I","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT2870RepCh151"},"dossier:coptic-anon-life-john-chrysostom-legend":{"label":"gap dossier: Coptic Life (legend) of John Chrysostom","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/coptic-anon-life-john-chrysostom-legend"},"dossier:coptic-anonymous-dormition-john":{"label":"gap dossier: Repose (Dormition) of John the Evangelist","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/coptic-anonymous-dormition-john"},"hollis:alma990006018390203941":{"label":"John Updike papers, 1940-2018","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/990006018390203941"},"dossier:latin-acta-ioannis-latina":{"label":"gap dossier: The Acts of John (Latin recension)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/latin-acta-ioannis-latina"}},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"the text from Malkea Gubae as edited by A. Dickinson at\n\nሰላም፡ ለዝክረ፡ ስምከ፡ ዘበመጽሐፈ፡ ሕግ፡ ተሐትመ፨ ወለሥዕርትከ፡ ሜላት፡ ዘበፈትለ፡ ሥጋ፡ ተአንመ፨ ባሕታዊ፡ ዮሐንስ፡ እስመ፡ መነንከ፡ ዓለመ፨ በጽላሎትከ፡ ይነቅሕ፡ ዘኖመ፨ ወበሰበንከ፡ ይትፌወስ፡ ዘሐመ፨\n\nሰላም፡ ለርእስከ፡ ዘይደልዎ፡ ውዳሴ፨ ወለገጽከ፡ ስቡሕ፡ ተመሳሌ፡ ገጹ፡ ለሙሴ፨ ውስተ፡ ዝኅር፡ ዮሐንስ፡ እምአመ፡ ኮንከ፡ ፈላሴ፨ ይበክዩ፡ በእንቲአከ፡ ምስለ፡ ቤተ፡ ዳዊት፡ ዘእሤ፨ ኤፍሬም፡ በከዋላ፡ ወበፍጽም፡ ምናሴ፨\n\nሰላም፡ ለክሳድከ፡ ወለመታክፍቲከ፡ ጕርዔ፨ እለ፡ ዕሩቃተ፡ ኮና፡ እምአርዑተ፡ አይሁድ፡ ዝንጋዔ፨ እምዘርአ፡ ሥርናይ፡ ዮሐንስ፡ መበይነ፡ ክርዳድ፡ መሥዔ፨ ተሐደሰት፡ በመንግሥትከ፡ ዘቈስጠንጢኖስ፡ ጉባኤ፨ ወበመንግሥትከ፡ ሰዱቃዊ፡ አእመረ፡ ትንሣኤ፨\n\nሰላም፡ ለሕፅንከ፡ ምጽላለ፡ ነዳይ፡ ብእሲ፨ ወለአእዳዊከ፡ አብትር፡ መቅሠፍታተ፡ ርእሱ፡ ለከይሲ፨ አበ፡ ምኔተ፡ ደብር፡ ዮሐንስ፡ ወዮሐንስ፡ አበ፡ ነጋሢ፨ ምስለ፡ አኖሬዎስ፡ ዘበሰማያት፡ ኀሣሢ፨ ወአማናዊ፡ ቢጽከ፡ ዳንኤል፡ ፈላሲ፨","english":"Salutation to the memory of your name, which is sealed in the book of the Law, and to the beauty of your hair, which is woven in the texture of the flesh. The solitary Yoḥannǝs, for you renounced the world; by your shadow, he who slept is awakened, and by your preaching, he who burned is comforted.\n\nSalutation to your head, which is adorned with praise, and to your beautiful face, which resembles the face of Mosē. Within this, Yoḥannǝs, from the time you became a monk, they weep for you, together with the house of Dāwit, who is ʾEsē, ʾEfrēm in her crown, and in the fullness of Menāsē.\n\nSalutation to your neck and to your shoulders, the throat, which are far from the circumcision of the Jews, the strangers. From the seed of Śərnāy, Yoḥannǝs, the place of the thorns, the altar; it was renewed in your kingdom, the assembly of Qʷosṭanṭinos, and in your kingdom, the Sadducee understood the resurrection.\n\nSalutation to your bosom, the refuge of the poor man, and to your hands, the rod, the punishments of the head of the deceiver. Father of the gift of the mountain, Yoḥannǝs, and Yoḥannǝs, father of the herald, together with ʾAnoreyos, who in the heavens is the grass, and the faithful, your righteousness, Dāniʾēl the monk.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage consists of four salutation stanzas, each opening with ሰላም፡ (salutation) and addressing a different body part or attribute of Yoḥannǝs, following the pattern of the malkǝʾ (image) genre.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT2870RepCh151","label":"betmas: Image of John / Image of Yoḥannǝs I","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT2870RepCh151"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ሜላት","severity":"info","text":"ሜላት (mellāt) means 'beauty' or 'excellence', here describing the hair of Yoḥannǝs as woven into the texture of flesh, a poetic image of incarnation or ascetic transformation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"መጽሐፈ፡ ሕግ፡","severity":"info","text":"መጽሐፈ፡ ሕግ፡ (maṣḥafa ḥəgg) 'book of the Law' likely refers to the Torah or the Pentateuch, but may also allude to a monastic rule or a heavenly book where the name is sealed.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ዮሐንስ፡","severity":"info","text":"Yoḥannǝs is identified as a solitary (ባሕታዊ) and monk (ፈላሴ), consistent with John Chrysostom's ascetic reputation, though the text may also refer to John the Baptist or another John; the context of renouncing the world supports Chrysostom.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:coptic-anon-life-john-chrysostom-legend","label":"gap dossier: Coptic Life (legend) of John Chrysostom","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/coptic-anon-life-john-chrysostom-legend"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"ሙሴ","severity":"info","text":"The face of Yoḥannǝs is compared to that of Mosē (Moses), a parallel found in other Ethiopic encomia where saints are likened to biblical figures to emphasize their holiness.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ቈስጠንጢኖስ፡","severity":"info","text":"The mention of Qʷosṭanṭinos (Constantine) and the assembly (ጉባኤ) likely refers to the Council of Nicaea (325 CE), with which John Chrysostom is associated in later tradition, though he was not present.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of Yoḥannǝs is ambiguous: could be John Chrysostom, John the Baptist, or another John; the reference to 'solitary' and 'monk' favors Chrysostom, but the comparison to Moses and mention of Davidic figures suggest a composite figure.","The phrase 'seed of Śərnāy' (ዘርአ፡ ሥርናይ፡) is obscure; it may be a place name or a symbolic term for a lineage or sect."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"ሰላም፡ ለእመትከ፡ ወለእራኅከ፡ እብል፨ ሀብተ፡ በረከት፡ መጥዎ፡ ወተመጥዎ፡ ዘይክል፨ መልዕልተ፡ ርእስከ፡ ሤመት፡ ንግሥተ፡ እስራኤል፡ ድንግል፨ አክሊለ፡ ሰማያዊ፡ ህየንተ፡ ምድራዊ፡ አክሊል፨ በምድር፡ ወሰማይ፡ ዮሐንስ፡ ባዕል፨\n\nሰላም፡ ለአብራኪከ፡ ዘአጻመዎን፡ ሰጊድ፨ ወለአእጋሪከ፡ አብያጽ፡ አዕማደ፡ ሥጋ፡ ማኅፈድ፨ አስከሬነ፡ ወርቅ፡ ዮሐንስ፡ ምሥያመ፡ ኢያሱ፡ መረግድ፨ መንበርከ፡ ዘኢፈለሰ፡ መንገለ፡ ካልእ፡ ነገድ፨ ስብሐት፡ ለአብ፡ ወስብሐት፡ ለወልድ፨\n\nሰላም፡ ለፀአተ፡ ነፍስከ፡ በዕለተ፡ ዐባይ፡ ሰንበት፨ ወለበድነ፡ ሥጋከ፡ ክቡር፡ መንቅሔ፡ ሥጋ፡ ምውት፨ ማኅቶትነ፡ ዮሐንስ፡ ተኀድገነ፡ ለምንት፨ አኮኑ፡ ተኣምር፡ እግዚኦ፡ ለእመ፡ ጠፍአ፡ ማኅቶት፨ ከመ፡ ንጻሬ፡ ይጠፍእ፡ ወይጸልም፡ ቤት፨\n\nሕዝበ፡ እስራኤል፡ ያብኡ፡ ለንጉሦሙ፡ ጸባሕተ፨ እስከ፡ ይእዜ፡ እምሳኦል፡ እስመ፡ አቀሙ፡ ሥርዓተ፨ ተመጠወኒ፡ ዮሐንስ፡ ጻማ፡ ከናፍርየ፡ ሊተ፨ ወተወከፍ፡ ፍርል፡ አፉየ፡ እንበለ፡ ትበለኒ፡ አንተ፨ ዘንተ፡ አሠነይከ፡ ወአኅሠምከ፡ ዘንተ፨ The following incipit is taken from .","english":"Salutation to your mother and to your companion, I say. The gift of blessing has come and has been doubled, which is sufficient. Above your head, a crown, the queen of Israel, the virgin. A heavenly crown instead of an earthly crown. On earth and in heaven, Yoḥannǝs is a master.\n\nSalutation to your knees, which the worshiper has adorned, and to your legs, the pillars of the flesh, the foundation. The gold of your corpse, Yoḥannǝs, the anointing of Jesus, the chosen one. Your throne, which has departed to another race. Glory to the Father and glory to the Son.\n\nSalutation to the departure of your soul on the day of the great Sabbath, and to the burial of your flesh, a precious receptacle of dead flesh. Our teacher Yoḥannǝs, why have you abandoned us? Is it not a miracle, O Lord, if the teacher is lost? As the moon wanes and the house darkens.\n\nThe people of Israel bring offerings to their king in the morning. Until now, from Saul, for they established a custom. They have besought me, Yoḥannǝs, the thirst of my lips for me. And accept the offering of my mouth without you saying to me, \"You have made this and you have completed this.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage consists of four stanzas, each beginning with 'ሰላም' (salutation), following the pattern of the previous passage. The third stanza shifts from praise to a lament over the saint's departure.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ሀብተ በረከት","severity":"info","text":"'ሀብተ በረከት' (gift of blessing) may echo the concept of 'double blessing' (ተመጥዎ), possibly alluding to the twofold nature of John's legacy as both earthly and heavenly.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ንግሥተ እስራኤል ድንግል","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'queen of Israel, the virgin' likely refers to the Virgin Mary, a common typology in Ethiopic hymnody, though not a direct biblical quotation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ዮሐንስ ምሥያመ ኢያሱ መረግድ","severity":"info","text":"The epithet 'anointing of Jesus, the chosen one' identifies John as the one who anointed Jesus, likely referring to John the Baptist, though the text addresses Yoḥannǝs (John the Evangelist or a saint). This conflation is common in Ethiopic tradition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The lament 'why have you abandoned us?' and the simile of the waning moon reflect a liturgical context of mourning, possibly for the dormition of John, as seen in Coptic traditions (dossier:coptic-anonymous-dormition-john).","cites":[{"key":"dossier:coptic-anonymous-dormition-john","label":"gap dossier: Repose (Dormition) of John the Evangelist","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/coptic-anonymous-dormition-john"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ዘንተ አሠነይከ ወአኅሠምከ ዘንተ","severity":"caution","text":"The final line is syntactically ambiguous: 'You have made this and you have completed this' could be a direct quotation of a reproach, but the referent of 'this' is unclear. The English draft interprets it as part of the speaker's plea.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of Yoḥannǝs is ambiguous: the epithets suggest John the Baptist (anointing of Jesus) but the lament and dormition imagery point to John the Evangelist or a composite figure.","The final line's speaker and addressee are unclear; it may be the poet addressing Yoḥannǝs or Yoḥannǝs addressing the poet."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"ሰላም፡ ለዝክረ፡ ስምከ፡ ዘበመጽሐፈ፡ ሕግ፡ ተሐትመ። ወለሥዕርትከ፡ ሜላት፡ ዘበፈትለ፡ ሥጋ፡ ተአንመ፨ ባሕታዊ፡ ዮሐንስ፡ እስመ፡ መነንከ፡ ዓለም፨ በጽላሎትከ፡ ይነቅሕ፡ ዘኖመ፨ ወበሰበንከ፡ ይትፌወስ፡ ዘሐመ፨ ሰላም፡ ለርእስከ፡ ዘይደልው፡ ውዳሴ፨ ወለገጽከ፡ ስቡሕ፡ ተመሳሌ፡ ገጹ፡ ለሙሴ፨ ውስተ፡ ገዳመ፡ ዘኅር፡ ዮሐንስ፡ እምአመ፡ ኮንከ፡ ፈላሴ። ይበክዩ፡ በእንቲአከ፡ ምስለ፡ ቤተ፡ ዳዊት፡ ወዕሴ፨ ኤፍሬም፡ በከዋላ፡ ወበፍጽም፡ ምናሴ፨\n\nThe following explicit is taken from .\n\nበልዎ፡ ሕዝብ፡ በደብረ፡ ጽዮን፡ መካኑ፨ ለኖላዊነ፡ ዮሐንስ፡ ዘመንግሥትከ፡ በትረ፡ የማኑ፨ አባግዒከ፡ ውሉደ፡ አማኅፀንከ፡ ለመኑ፨ ቦኑ፡ ቦኑ፡ ኢተኃዝን፡ ቦኑ፨ እመ፡ ውስተ፡ ገዳም፡ ወሐቅል፡\nዝርዋነ፡ ኮኑ፨ ደቂቀ፡ እስራኤል፡ ያብኡ፡ ለንጉሦሙ፡ ጸባሕተ፨ እስከ፡ ይእዜ፡ እምሰኦል፡ እስመ፡ አቀሙ፡ ሥርዓተ፨ ተወክፈኒ፡ ዮሐንስ፡ ፃማ፡ ከናፍርየ፡ ሊተ፨ ወተወከፍ፡ ፍሬ፡ አፉየ፡ እንበለ፡ ትበሊኒ፡\nአንተ፡ ዘንተ፡ አሠነይከ፡ ወአሕሠምከ፡ ዘንተ፨","english":"Salutation to the memory of your name, which is sealed in the book of the Law, and to the hair of your head, the lock of hair that was woven into the flesh. The solitary Yoḥannǝs, for you renounced the world. By your shadow, he who slept is awakened; and by your preaching, he who was feverish is consoled. Salutation to your head, which is worthy of praise, and to your face, glorious, resembling the face of Musē. In the wilderness of Ḫǝr, Yoḥannǝs, from the time you became a monk, the house of Dāwit and ʿĒsē weep for you, with Efrem behind and Menasē at the end.\n\nSay, O people, on Dabra Ṣǝyon is his place, for the monastic Yoḥannǝs, the scepter of your right hand in your kingdom. Your sheep, the children of your womb, whose are they? They are, they are, the captives, they are. If in the wilderness and the field they became scattered, the children of Esrāʾēl bring morning to their king. Until now, from Šāʾul, for they established an ordinance. Accept for me, Yoḥannǝs, the thirst of my lips, and accept the fruit of my mouth without consuming me, you who have adorned and beautified this.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ባሕታዊ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term baḥtāwi (solitary) is a standard epithet for John the Baptist, emphasizing his ascetic life in the wilderness.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ሙሴ","severity":"info","text":"The comparison of John’s face to that of Moses (Musē) recalls Exodus 34:29–35, where Moses’ face shone after his encounter with God on Sinai.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ገዳመ ኅር","severity":"info","text":"The wilderness of Ḫǝr (Gǝdam Ḫǝr) is traditionally identified as the desert near the Jordan where John the Baptist lived and preached.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"ቤተ ዳዊት ወዕሴ","severity":"info","text":"The mention of the house of David and Jesse (ʿĒsē) links John to the royal lineage of Israel, a motif also found in the Coptic tradition of John’s life.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:coptic-anon-life-john-chrysostom-legend","label":"gap dossier: Coptic Life (legend) of John Chrysostom","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/coptic-anon-life-john-chrysostom-legend"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ኤፍሬም በከዋላ ወበፍጽም ምናሴ","severity":"info","text":"Ephrem (Efrem) and Manasseh (Menasē) are biblical figures (1 Chronicles 5:1; 2 Kings 21) invoked here as mourners, reflecting a later Ethiopic hagiographic expansion.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ኢተኃዝን","severity":"caution","text":"The term ʿitāḫāzn (captives) is ambiguous; it may refer to spiritual captivity or literal exile, and the reading here follows the English draft’s interpretation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'children of your womb' (wǝluda ʾamāḫǝnnǝka) is unclear; it may refer to John’s disciples or to the faithful under his spiritual care.","The phrase 'from Šāʾul' (ʾǝmšāʾul) could refer to King Saul or to a place name; the context suggests a temporal reference ('until now, from Saul')."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]}]}