{"slug":"LIT4310Prayer","id":"ethiopic:betmas:LIT4310Prayer","title":"Protective prayers containing divine names","author":"Anonymous","genre":"prayer","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":"2026-11-15T00:59:10Z","cost_usd":0.002863},"source":{"registry_id":"ethiopic:betmas:LIT4310Prayer","work_id":"LIT4310Prayer","edition":"betmas","language":"","license":"CC BY-SA 4.0 (per file); site footer states NC-SA - treat as NC","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4310Prayer"},"stats":{"passages":4,"english_words":653,"coptic_letters":0,"commentary_units":23,"commentary_kinds":6,"derived_notes":1,"ambiguities":9,"work_notes":4,"external_links":2,"timeline":3},"summary":{"work":"LIT4310Prayer","abstract":"This anonymous Ethiopic protective prayer invokes divine names, many derived from Hebrew letters and epithets like ʾAdonāy, for apotropaic purposes. Surviving in fluid manuscript tradition, it is often appended to amulets or liturgical rolls. The prayer lacks a fixed date but likely originates in the later Solomonic period (15th–17th c.). Its incipit and seven numbered prayers open with the double invocation ኦእግዚኦ፡ እግዚኦ፡, while later prayers use the formula 'O my Lord, my Lord' and the phrase 'I have taken refuge in these names of Yours.' The Geʿez verb 'tamaḥṣänku' signals reliance on divine names for safety. The prayer is cited in modern scholarship as an example of Ethiopic protective magic, with no known liturgical use in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.","historical_context":"The prayer survives in Ethiopic manuscripts as a protective text invoking divine names, often appended to amulets or liturgical rolls. Its transmission is anonymous and fluid, with no single authoritative recension. No firm date can be assigned; the prayer likely originates in the later Solomonic period (15th–17th c.), but the manuscript tradition is poorly documented, and attribution to a specific century remains conjectural. The prayer is cited in modern scholarship as an example of Ethiopic protective magic, but it has no known liturgical use in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. Its reception is primarily academic and folkloric. The edition (betmas) does not provide a critical apparatus or collation of variant manuscripts, so readers cannot assess textual stability or the extent of scribal intervention in the transmission of divine names. The names listed are largely derived from Hebrew letters and divine epithets, reflecting a syncretic tradition of invoking Hebrew-script-derived names for apotropaic purposes.","significance":"This prayer exemplifies the syncretic blending of Hebrew letter-names and divine epithets within Ethiopic protective magic, illustrating how non-canonical texts circulated alongside liturgical rolls. Its fluid transmission and lack of liturgical use highlight the distinction between official church practice and popular apotropaic traditions. The prayer also provides insight into the reception of Hebrew elements in Christian Ethiopia.","timeline":[{"date":"15th–17th c.","event":"Probable origin of the prayer in the later Solomonic period, though no firm date can be assigned."},{"date":"Undated","event":"Manuscript transmission as anonymous, fluid protective text appended to amulets or liturgical rolls."},{"date":"Modern","event":"Cited in scholarship as an example of Ethiopic protective magic; no known liturgical use in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church."}],"relations":[{"work":"Ethiopic Psalter","relation":"Parallels the plea 'Save me, as You have saved' in prayer 9, echoing Psalm 118 (LXX 117) and similar supplications.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Protective prayers containing divine names","relation":"Part of a broader genre of Ethiopic protective magic invoking divine names.","key":"betmas:LIT4310Prayer","label":"betmas: Protective prayers containing divine names","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4310Prayer"}],"external_links":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4310Prayer","label":"Bet Mas edition of the prayer","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4310Prayer","reason":"Primary edition used for this dossier."},{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-hebrew-names","label":"Dossier on Ethiopic anonymous Hebrew names","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-hebrew-names","reason":"Contextualizes the syncretic tradition of Hebrew-derived divine names."}],"cautions":["No firm date can be assigned; the prayer likely originates in the later Solomonic period (15th–17th c.), but the manuscript tradition is poorly documented.","Attribution to a specific century remains conjectural.","The edition (betmas) does not provide a critical apparatus or collation of variant manuscripts, so textual stability and scribal intervention cannot be assessed."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.000418,"generated":"2026-11-15T00:33:22Z"},"checks":{"work":"LIT4310Prayer","status":"warn","blocking":[],"warnings":[{"code":"repetition-warn","i":2}],"stats":{"passages":4,"translated":4,"commentary_passages":4,"commentary_units":23,"english_words":653,"source_letters":1487,"commentary_kinds":6},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The prayer survives in Ethiopic manuscripts as a protective text invoking divine names, often appended to amulets or liturgical rolls. Its transmission is anonymous and fluid, with no single authoritative recension.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4310Prayer","label":"betmas: Protective prayers containing divine names","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4310Prayer"},{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-hebrew-names","label":"gap dossier: Ethiopic explanation of Hebrew names occurring in the Books of Kings","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-hebrew-names"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"No firm date can be assigned. The prayer likely originates in the later Solomonic period (15th–17th c.), but the manuscript tradition is poorly documented. Attribution to a specific century remains conjectural.","cites":[{"key":"hollis:alma99156787828103941","label":"What sounding alike sounded like : understanding sound similarity as seen through close consonance in biblical Hebrew poetics","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/99156787828103941"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The prayer is cited in modern scholarship as an example of Ethiopic protective magic, but it has no known liturgical use in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. Its reception is primarily academic and folkloric.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT4310Prayer","label":"source edition: Protective prayers containing divine names","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4310Prayer"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The edition (betmas) does not provide a critical apparatus or collation of variant manuscripts. Readers cannot assess textual stability or the extent of scribal intervention in the transmission of divine names.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4310Prayer","label":"betmas: Protective prayers containing divine names","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4310Prayer"}],"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: prayer in Geʿez; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them."},{"kind":"structure","severity":"info","text":"Passages: 4 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":4},"term_index":[],"citations":{"betmas:LIT4310Prayer":{"label":"betmas: Protective prayers containing divine names","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4310Prayer"},"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-hebrew-names":{"label":"gap dossier: Ethiopic explanation of Hebrew names occurring in the Books of Kings","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-hebrew-names"},"hollis:alma99156787828103941":{"label":"What sounding alike sounded like : understanding sound similarity as seen through close consonance in biblical Hebrew poetics","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/99156787828103941"},"ed:LIT4310Prayer":{"label":"source edition: Protective prayers containing divine names","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4310Prayer"}},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"The following incipits of the work and its single prayers are taken from\nor 183 .\n\nSupplication\nበስመ፡ ስብሓት፡ ወጸሎ ተ ፡ ወወድሶ፡ ወመለኮት፨ ወተማኅፅኖ፡\nበአስማ ተ ፡ ለስርየተ፡ ኃጢአት።\n\n1st prayer\nኦእግዚኦ፡ እግዚኦ፡ አነኒ፡ ተማኅፀንኩ፡ በዝንቱ፡ ዘዚአከ፡ አስማት፡ አአሌፍ። ካፍ።\n\n2nd prayer\nኦእግዚኦ፡ እግዚኦ፡ ዕቀበኒ፡ እመሥገርቱ፡\n\n3rd prayer\nኦእግዚኦ፡ እግዚኦ፡ አነኒ፡ ተማኅፀንኩ፡ በስምከ። አሌፍ።\n\n4th prayer\nኦእግዚኦ፡ እግዚኦ፡ ለሊከ፡ በቃልከ፡ ትቤ፡ ሰማይ፡ ወምድር፡\n\n5th prayer\nኦእግዚኦ፡ እግዚኦ፡ አነኒ፡ ተማኅፀንኩ፡ ዘዚአከ፡ አስማት። ቤት፡ ቀዳሚት፡ ዘሳረረ፡ ኵሉ፡ ዓለም፡\n\n6th prayer\nኦእግዚኦ፡ እግዚኦ፡ ደምረነ፡ ምስለ፡ ቡሩካን፡ ክህንት፡\n\n7th prayer\nኦእግዚኦ፡ እግዚኦ፡ አድኅነኒ፡ ተማኅፀንኩ፡ ዘዚአስማት። ጋሜል፡ ኤል። ኤልኤል። መንፈስ፡ ቅዱስ፡ ዲቤየ፡ ይጽልል፡","english":"Supplication\n\nIn the name of praise, prayer, glorification, and kingdom, and the supplication by the names for the remission of sins.\n\n1st prayer\nO my Lord, my Lord, I have supplicated by means of these names of Yours: Alef, Kaf.\n\n2nd prayer\nO my Lord, my Lord, protect me from the sorceries.\n\n3rd prayer\nO my Lord, my Lord, I have supplicated by Your name: Alef.\n\n4th prayer\nO my Lord, my Lord, to You, by Your word, You said: Heaven and Earth.\n\n5th prayer\nO my Lord, my Lord, I have supplicated by these names of Yours: the first house which encompassed the whole world.\n\n6th prayer\nO my Lord, my Lord, join us with the blessed priests.\n\n7th prayer\nO my Lord, my Lord, save me; I have supplicated by these names: Gamel, El, El-El, Holy Spirit, may He overshadow me.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"በስመ፡ ስብሓት፡ ወጸሎ ተ ፡ ወወድሶ፡ ወመለኮት፨ ወተማኅፅኖ፡ በአስማ ተ ፡ ለስርየተ፡ ኃጢአት።","severity":"info","text":"The incipit is a single supplication heading, followed by seven numbered prayers, each beginning with the double invocation ኦእግዚኦ፡ እግዚኦ፡.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4310Prayer","label":"betmas: Protective prayers containing divine names","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4310Prayer"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"አስማት","severity":"info","text":"አስማት (ʾasmāt) is the plural of ስም (səm, 'name'), here referring to divine names used as protective invocations.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-hebrew-names","label":"gap dossier: Ethiopic explanation of Hebrew names occurring in the Books of Kings","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-hebrew-names"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"external","lemma":"አሌፍ። ካፍ።","severity":"info","text":"Alef and Kaf are the first and eleventh letters of the Geʿez alphabet, here used as divine name elements, a common practice in Ethiopic protective prayers.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-hebrew-names","label":"gap dossier: Ethiopic explanation of Hebrew names occurring in the Books of Kings","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-hebrew-names"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"external","lemma":"ጋሜል፡ ኤል። ኤልኤል።","severity":"info","text":"The names Gamel, El, and El-El echo Hebrew angelic or divine epithets (e.g., גמליאל, אל), typical of syncretic protective formulae in Ethiopic magic.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-hebrew-names","label":"gap dossier: Ethiopic explanation of Hebrew names occurring in the Books of Kings","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-hebrew-names"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"ኦእግዚኦ፡ እግዚኦ፡","severity":"info","text":"The double invocation 'O my Lord, my Lord' is a standard opening in Ethiopic protective prayers, reflecting liturgical influence from the Anaphora.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4310Prayer","label":"betmas: Protective prayers containing divine names","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4310Prayer"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ተማኅፀንኩ፡ ዘዚአስማት።","severity":"caution","text":"In the 7th prayer, ዘዚአስማት appears to be a scribal error for ዘዚአከ አስማት ('these names of Yours'), as seen in the 1st and 5th prayers.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4310Prayer","label":"betmas: Protective prayers containing divine names","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4310Prayer"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase ዘሳረረ፡ ኵሉ፡ ዓለም፡ ('which encompassed the whole world') in the 5th prayer may refer to a cosmic house or a divine attribute; the exact referent is unclear.","The sequence ቤት፡ ቀዳሚት፡ ('first house') in the 5th prayer could be a divine name or a cosmological term; the text does not specify."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"8th prayer\nኦእግዚኦ፡ ዘዚአከ፡ ሣህል፡ እስመ፡ በኀቤከ፡ ኵሎ፡ ይትከሀልከ፡\n\n9th prayer\nኦእግዚኦ፡ እግዚኦ፡ አድኅነኒ፡ ተማኅፀንኩ፡ በዝንቱ፡ ዘዚአከ፡ አስማት። ዳሌጥ፡ ወሄት። አድኅነኒ፡ ዘአድኀንኮ፡\n\n10th prayer\nኦእግዚኦ፡ እግዚኦ፡ ግብርከ፡ ወምግባርከ፡\n\n11th prayer\nኦእግዚኦ፡ እግዚኦ፡ አነኒ፡ ተማኅፀንኩ፡ በዝንቱ፡ ዘዚአከ፡ አስማት፡ ሄ፡ ለሄ። ወለላሄ። እንዘ፡ ሥልጣንሰ፡ ምሉእ፡\n\n12th prayer\nኦእግዚኦ፡ እግዚኦ፡ አነኒ፡ ተማኅፀንኩ፡ በዝንቱ፡ ዘዚአከ፡ አስማት፡ ኢያሄ፡ ሱራሄ፡ ድምናሄ፡ ለፍኖተ፡ ሀገርከ፡\n\n13th prayer\nኦእግዚኦ፡ እግዚኦ፡ አነኒ፡ ተማኅፀንኩ፡ በዝንቱ፡ ዘዚአከ፡ አስማት፡ ዋው፡ ያው፡ ታው፡ ወሕያው፡ ሣህልከ፡ ወምሕረትከ፡ ዲቤነ፡ ከዐው፡ አሰረ፡ ዚአከ፡\n\n14th prayer\nኦእግዚኦ፡ እግዚኦ፡ አነኒ፡ ተማኅፀንኩ፡ በዝንቱ፡ ዘዚአከ፡ አስማት፡ ዛይ፡ አዶናይ፡ ፈጣሪሁ፡ ለሰማይ።\n\n15th prayer\nኦእግዚኦ፡ እግዚኦ፡ አነኒ፡ ተማኅፀንኩ፡ በዝንቱ፡ ዘዚአከ፡ አስማት፡ ጤት፡ ወሔት፡ ወሳምኬት፡ ለምንተ፡ ገደፍከኒ፡ አድኅነኒ፡ እምተ፡ ከንት፡ ዕስየኒ፡ ፍሥሓ፡ ወሐሤት፡","english":"8th prayer\nO my Lord, of Yours is mercy, for in Your presence all things are possible for You.\n\n9th prayer\nO my Lord, my Lord, save me; I have taken refuge in these names of Yours: Dāleṯ and Hēt. Save me, as You have saved.\n\n10th prayer\nO my Lord, my Lord, Your deed and Your work.\n\n11th prayer\nO my Lord, my Lord, I have taken refuge in these names of Yours: Hē, leHē, and lalāHē, while authority is full.\n\n12th prayer\nO my Lord, my Lord, I have taken refuge in these names of Yours: ʿUyāHē, SūrāHē, DumnāHē, for the path of Your land.\n\n13th prayer\nO my Lord, my Lord, I have taken refuge in these names of Yours: Wāw, Yāw, Tāw, and Ḥeyāw. Your mercy and Your compassion upon us cover; bind Yours.\n\n14th prayer\nO my Lord, my Lord, I have taken refuge in these names of Yours: Zāy, ʾAdonāy, the Creator of the sky.\n\n15th prayer\nO my Lord, my Lord, I have taken refuge in these names of Yours: Ṭēt and Ḥēt and Sāmket. Why have You cast me down? Save me from the snare; grant me joy and gladness.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"8th prayer … 15th prayer","severity":"info","text":"The passage comprises prayers 8–15, each opening with the formulaic invocation 'O my Lord, my Lord' and, from prayer 9 onward, the phrase 'I have taken refuge in these names of Yours' followed by a list of divine names.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4310Prayer","label":"betmas: Protective prayers containing divine names","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4310Prayer"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ተማኅፀንኩ (tamaḥṣänku)","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez verb 'tamaḥṣänku' means 'I have taken refuge' or 'I have sought protection,' a key term in protective prayers indicating the supplicant’s reliance on the divine names for safety.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-hebrew-names","label":"gap dossier: Ethiopic explanation of Hebrew names occurring in the Books of Kings","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-hebrew-names"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Dāleṯ, Hēt, Hē, leHē, lalāHē, ʿUyāHē, SūrāHē, DumnāHē, Wāw, Yāw, Tāw, Ḥeyāw, Zāy, ʾAdonāy, Ṭēt, Ḥēt, Sāmket","severity":"info","text":"The names listed are largely derived from Hebrew letters (e.g., Dāleṯ, Hē, Wāw, Zāy, Ṭēt) and divine epithets (e.g., ʾAdonāy 'my Lord'), reflecting a syncretic tradition of invoking Hebrew-script-derived names for apotropaic purposes in Ethiopic Christianity.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-hebrew-names","label":"gap dossier: Ethiopic explanation of Hebrew names occurring in the Books of Kings","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-hebrew-names"},{"key":"hollis:alma99156787828103941","label":"What sounding alike sounded like : understanding sound similarity as seen through close consonance in biblical Hebrew poetics","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/99156787828103941"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"አድኅነኒ (ʾadḫänäni) … ዘአድኀንኮ (za-ʾadḫänko)","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'Save me, as You have saved' in prayer 9 echoes a common biblical and liturgical plea for divine protection, paralleling Psalm 118 (LXX 117) and similar supplications in the Ethiopic Psalter.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4310Prayer","label":"betmas: Protective prayers containing divine names","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4310Prayer"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"15th prayer … ሳምኬት (Sāmket)","severity":"info","text":"The name 'Sāmket' likely derives from the Hebrew letter Samekh, used here as a protective name. The prayer’s plea 'Why have You cast me down? Save me from the snare' reflects a personal, urgent tone typical of protective prayers in the Ethiopic tradition.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT4310Prayer","label":"source edition: Protective prayers containing divine names","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4310Prayer"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The exact vocalization and meaning of some names (e.g., 'lalāHē', 'DumnāHē') are uncertain; they may be corruptions or adaptations of Hebrew or Aramaic forms.","The phrase 'bind Yours' in prayer 13 is ambiguous; it may be a request for the divine names to bind or secure the supplicant’s protection."],"confidence":"high","notes":[{"kind":"check","severity":"caution","code":"repetition-warn","text":"Automatic check flagged formulaic repetition. Coptic homiletic style repeats by design, so this records the pattern rather than correcting it."}]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"16th prayer\nኦእግዚኦ፡ እግዚኦ፡ አነኒ፡ ተማኅፀንኩ፡ ዘዚአከ፡ አስማት፡ ዮድ፡ ሄድ፡ ወላሜድ፡ ፈሪትከ፡ ውስተ፡ ሥጋየ፡\n\n17th prayer\nኦእግዚኦ፡ እግዚኦ፡ አነኒ፡ ተማኅፀንኩ፡ በዝንቱ፡ ዘዚአከ፡ አስማት። ኦአኃዊየ፡ ንዑ፡ ትስምዑ፡ ዘይትነገር፡ መድምም፡ ዕበዩ፡ ለሜም።\n\n18th prayer\nኦእግዚኦ፡ እግዚኦ፡ አነኒ፡ ተማኅፀንኩ፡ በዝንቱ፡ ዘዚአከ፡ አስማት። ኖን። አፍርዮን። ምክራድዮን። እምነቅዐ፡ ሕይወት፡ ከመ፡ ንርወዮን።\n\n19th prayer\nኦእግዚኦ፡ እግዚኦ፡ አነኒ፡ ተማኅፀንኩ፡ በዝንቱ፡ ዘዚአከ፡ አስማት፡ ሜ፡ ተኖሜ፡ ዘከለልኮ፡ ለታቦር፡ በጊሜ፡ ተማኅፀንኩ፡ በደብረ፡ ቍስቋም፡ በዘ፡ ነበርከ፡ ምስለ፡ እምከ፡ ቀዳሚ፡\nበአሣእኒከ፡ ዘጾረት፡ ሰሎሜ።\n\n20th prayer\nኦእግዚኦ፡ እግዚኦ፡ ለከ፡ ኦዋሕድ፡ ዘቆመ፡ ቅድመ፡ ጲላጦስ፡\n\n21st prayer\nኦእግዚኦ፡ እግዚኦ፡ አነኒ፡ ተማኅፀንኩ፡ በስምከ፡ ዔ፡ ጥናዔ። ጰናዔ፡ ዘሰአልነ፡ ኀቤከ፡ ኩን፡ ሰማዔ።","english":"16th prayer O my Lord, my Lord, I have taken refuge in these names of Yours: Yōd, Hēt, and Lāmed. Place Your fear within my flesh.\n\n17th prayer O my Lord, my Lord, I have taken refuge in these names of Yours. O my brothers, come, let us hear what is spoken: the greatness of Mēm is great.\n\n18th prayer O my Lord, my Lord, I have taken refuge in these names of Yours: Nōn, Afəryōn, Məkradəyōn. From the sting of life, as Nərwəyōn.\n\n19th prayer O my Lord, my Lord, I have taken refuge in these names of Yours: Mē, Tenōme, who surrounded Tābōr with Gīme. I have taken refuge in Mount Qəsəqwām, in the place where You were with Your mother from the beginning, at Your right hand, the shield of Salome.\n\n20th prayer O my Lord, my Lord, to You, O Wāḥəde, who stood before Pilate.\n\n21st prayer O my Lord, my Lord, I have taken refuge in Your name: ʿĒ, Ṭənāʿe, Pənāʿe, which we asked of You. Be my heaven.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"Prayers 16–21 form a continuous sequence of short invocations, each opening with the formula 'O my Lord, my Lord, I have taken refuge in these names of Yours' (except prayer 20, which omits the refuge clause).","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4310Prayer","label":"betmas: Protective prayers containing divine names","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4310Prayer"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ዮድ፡ ሄድ፡ ወላሜድ፡","severity":"info","text":"The names Yōd, Hēt, and Lāmed in prayer 16 are Hebrew letter-names, here used as divine names. Their sequence does not follow the Hebrew alphabet order, suggesting a magical or protective function.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-hebrew-names","label":"gap dossier: Ethiopic explanation of Hebrew names occurring in the Books of Kings","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-hebrew-names"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ኖን። አፍርዮን። ምክራድዮን።","severity":"info","text":"In prayer 18, Nōn is a Hebrew letter-name; Afəryōn, Məkradəyōn, and Nərwəyōn are obscure, likely invented or corrupted names, possibly derived from Greek or Coptic magical traditions.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-hebrew-names","label":"gap dossier: Ethiopic explanation of Hebrew names occurring in the Books of Kings","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-hebrew-names"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ታቦር፡","severity":"info","text":"Tābōr (Mount Tabor) is a biblical site in Galilee, traditionally associated with the Transfiguration. Its mention in prayer 19, along with 'the shield of Salome,' suggests a protective invocation linked to holy geography.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ጲላጦስ፡","severity":"info","text":"Pilate (Pontius Pilate) appears in prayer 20, referencing the trial of Christ. The name Wāḥəde (likely 'the One') is invoked as having stood before Pilate, a rare Christological epithet in this corpus.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ሜ፡ ተኖሜ፡","severity":"caution","text":"The names Mē and Tenōme in prayer 19 are uncertain; Tenōme may be a corruption or variant of a known divine name. The phrase 'who surrounded Tābōr with Gīme' is obscure, possibly a scribal error or a lost reference.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity and meaning of several divine names (Afəryōn, Məkradəyōn, Nərwəyōn, Tenōme, Gīme) are uncertain; they may be corruptions or inventions.","The phrase 'from the sting of life, as Nərwəyōn' in prayer 18 is syntactically unclear; Nərwəyōn may be a name or a corrupted verb.","The reference to 'the shield of Salome' in prayer 19 is ambiguous; Salome could be a biblical figure or a protective entity."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":4,"ref":"p4","source":"22nd prayer\nኦእግዚኦ፡ እግዚኦ፡ አነኒ፡ ተማኅፀንኩ፡ በዝንቱ፡ ስምከ። ፌ። መንፈስከ፡ ቅዱስ፡ ፈኑ፡ ዲቤየ፡\n\n23rd prayer\nኦእግዚኦ፡ እግዚኦ፡ አነኒ፡ ተማኅፀንኩ፡ በዝንቱ፡ ስምከ፡ ሬሲ፡ ትስእለከ፡ ዘዚኣየ፡ ነፍስ፡ አበሳየ፡ ደምስስ፡ እንተ፡ ጽንዕት፡ ነፍሰ፡ በጠለ፡ ምሕረትከ፡ አርሕስ።\n\n24th prayer\nኦእግዚኦ፡ እግዚኦ፡ አድኅ ኒ ኒ፡ ተማኅፀንኩ፡ ዘዚአከ፡ አስማት፡ ሳን። ኑን፡ ፍኑን። ዝንቱ፡ ዘተብህለ፡ እብን፡ ምኑን፡ ውስተ፡ ርእሰ፡ ማእዝንት፡\n\n25th prayer\nኦእግዚኦ፡ ነጽር፡ ውስተ፡ ረዲኦትየ፡ እግዚኦ፡ አፍጥን፡ ረዲኦትየ፡ ይትኃፈሩ፡ ወይኅሠሩ፡ ኵሎሙ፡ ጸላእትየ፡ ለይግብኡ፡ ድኅሬሆሙ፡ ወይትኃፈሩ፡ እለ፡ መከሩ፡\nእኩየ፡ ላዕሌየ፡","english":"22nd prayer\n\nO my Lord, my Lord, I have taken refuge in this name of Yours: Fē. Send Your Holy Spirit upon me.\n\n23rd prayer\n\nO my Lord, my Lord, I have taken refuge in this name of Yours: Rēs. I ask of You: erase the sin of my soul, which is strong; cover my soul with the dew of Your mercy.\n\n24th prayer\n\nO my Lord, my Lord, save me. I have taken refuge in Your names: Sān, Nūn, and Fnūn. This is what is called the stone of Mənun within the head of the altar.\n\n25th prayer\n\nO my Lord, look upon my help. O my Lord, hasten my help. Let all my enemies be ashamed and be silent, so that they may not approach me; let them be ashamed, those who plotted evil against me.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage comprises four prayers (22nd–25th), each opening with the formulaic invocation 'O my Lord, my Lord, I have taken refuge in this name of Yours' or a variant, followed by a petition. This pattern is consistent with the preceding prayers in the sequence.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4310Prayer","label":"betmas: Protective prayers containing divine names","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4310Prayer"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"Fē","severity":"info","text":"The name 'Fē' (ፌ) is a Geʿez letter name, likely used here as a divine name or a magical syllable. Its inclusion among protective names reflects the tradition of employing alphabetic letters in apotropaic contexts.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-hebrew-names","label":"gap dossier: Ethiopic explanation of Hebrew names occurring in the Books of Kings","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-hebrew-names"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"Rēs","severity":"info","text":"The name 'Rēs' (ረሲ) is another Geʿez letter name, functioning as a divine name in this prayer. The petition to erase sin and cover the soul with mercy echoes penitential themes common in Ethiopic prayers.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-hebrew-names","label":"gap dossier: Ethiopic explanation of Hebrew names occurring in the Books of Kings","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-hebrew-names"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"stone of Mənun within the head of the altar","severity":"info","text":"The 'stone of Mənun' (እብን ምኑን) within the head of the altar likely refers to a ritual object or a symbolic stone associated with the altar in Ethiopian church tradition. The phrase may allude to a specific liturgical or protective practice.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4310Prayer","label":"betmas: Protective prayers containing divine names","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4310Prayer"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The 25th prayer's request for enemies to be ashamed and silent parallels similar imprecatory petitions in other Ethiopic protective prayers, such as those found in the 'Prayer of the Cross' or 'Prayer of the Covenant'.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT4310Prayer","label":"source edition: Protective prayers containing divine names","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4310Prayer"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Sān, Nūn, and Fnūn","severity":"caution","text":"The names 'Sān', 'Nūn', and 'Fnūn' in the 24th prayer are obscure; 'Fnūn' may be a variant or corruption of a known divine name. The text's transmission may have introduced scribal errors or alternative spellings.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-hebrew-names","label":"gap dossier: Ethiopic explanation of Hebrew names occurring in the Books of Kings","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-hebrew-names"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity and meaning of the names 'Sān', 'Nūn', and 'Fnūn' in the 24th prayer are uncertain; 'Fnūn' may be a scribal variant or a unique formation.","The phrase 'stone of Mənun within the head of the altar' is ambiguous; it may refer to a specific liturgical object or a symbolic concept whose exact referent is unclear."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]}]}