{"slug":"LIT4915PhysA","id":"ethiopic:betmas:LIT4915PhysA","title":"Homily of the blessed Physiologus","author":"Anonymous","genre":"homily","date":"","tradition":"ethiopic","coverage":"not-located","coverage_claim":{"status":"not-located","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},"publication":{"status":"machine-draft","reviewed_by":null,"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","generated":"2026-11-15T04:53:10Z","cost_usd":0.025057},"source":{"registry_id":"ethiopic:betmas:LIT4915PhysA","work_id":"LIT4915PhysA","edition":"betmas","language":"","license":"CC BY-SA 4.0 (per file); site footer states NC-SA - treat as NC","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"},"stats":{"passages":45,"english_words":9599,"coptic_letters":0,"commentary_units":260,"commentary_kinds":9,"derived_notes":3,"ambiguities":84,"work_notes":6,"external_links":2,"timeline":5},"summary":{"work":"LIT4915PhysA","abstract":"The Homily of the blessed Physiologus is a Geʿez text attributed pseudepigraphically to the legendary Physiologus, blending natural lore with moral and typological exegesis. It survives in multiple Ethiopian manuscripts, indicating sustained liturgical or monastic readership. The work adapts the Greek Physiologus tradition, likely via Arabic intermediaries, into a homiletic form. It draws on patristic exegesis and local Ethiopian traditions, but its precise dating remains uncertain, possibly originating in the Aksumite period or later. The edition (betmas) lacks critical apparatus, leaving variant readings unexamined.","historical_context":"The Greek Physiologus, composed between the 2nd and 4th centuries, was a popular Christian allegorical bestiary. It was translated into Geʿez, possibly during the Aksumite period (c. 4th–7th centuries), via Arabic intermediaries. The Geʿez version circulated in Ethiopian monastic and educational settings, often cited in homilies and commentaries. This specific homily, attributed to Physiologus, is a later Ethiopic adaptation, not part of the official liturgical lectionary. Its manuscript transmission suggests a readership among monks and clergy. The work reflects the blending of Greek patristic typology with local Ethiopian traditions, but the lack of critical editions and collation of witnesses limits precise dating and provenance.","significance":"This homily exemplifies the adaptation of the Physiologus tradition in Ethiopian Christianity, showing how Greek allegorical natural lore was integrated into local homiletic and didactic literature. It highlights the role of pseudepigraphic attribution in medieval Christian education and the transmission of patristic exegesis through Geʿez manuscripts. The work also illustrates the fluidity of textual traditions in Ethiopia, where multiple sources were combined for moral and typological instruction.","timeline":[{"date":"2nd–4th c.","event":"Composition of the Greek Physiologus, the source of the allegorical animal lore."},{"date":"4th–7th c.","event":"Possible translation of the Physiologus into Geʿez during the Aksumite period via Arabic intermediaries."},{"date":"Undated","event":"Adaptation of the Physiologus into a homiletic form in the Ethiopic tradition."},{"date":"Undated","event":"Manuscript transmission of the Geʿez homily in Ethiopian monastic and liturgical contexts."},{"date":"Modern","event":"Publication of the text in the betmas edition without critical apparatus."}],"relations":[{"work":"Physiologus (Greek)","relation":"Source of allegorical animal lore and typological structure","key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"},{"work":"Ethiopic Physiologus","relation":"Geʿez version of the same tradition, possibly via Arabic","key":"ed:LIT4915PhysA","label":"source edition: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"},{"work":"Jacob's blessing of Judah (Genesis 49:9)","relation":"Biblical quotation adapted in the homily","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Patristic exegesis (e.g., Origen, Basil)","relation":"Influence on typological interpretation","key":"","label":null,"url":null}],"external_links":[{"key":"wikipedia:Physiologus","label":"Physiologus","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physiologus","reason":"Overview of the Greek source tradition"},{"key":"wikipedia:Ethiopian literature","label":"Ethiopian literature","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_literature","reason":"Context for Geʿez manuscript tradition"}],"cautions":["The date of the Geʿez homily is uncertain; it may be later than the Aksumite period.","Attribution to Physiologus is pseudepigraphic; the homily likely draws on multiple sources.","The betmas edition lacks critical apparatus, so variant readings and scribal interventions are unexamined.","The homily's relation to the Greek Physiologus is mediated by Arabic versions, but the exact chain is unclear."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.000437,"generated":"2026-11-15T01:41:14Z"},"checks":{"work":"LIT4915PhysA","status":"warn","blocking":[],"warnings":[{"code":"ratio-warn","i":43,"ratio":1.983}],"stats":{"passages":45,"translated":45,"commentary_passages":45,"commentary_units":260,"english_words":9599,"source_letters":22908,"commentary_kinds":9},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The work is a homily attributed to the legendary Physiologus, blending natural lore with moral and typological exegesis in the Geʿez Christian tradition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez text survives in multiple Ethiopian manuscripts, indicating a sustained liturgical or monastic readership, though the original Greek Physiologus was translated into Geʿez via Arabic intermediaries.","cites":[{"key":"hollis:alma990023200930203941","label":"The life of our blessed Saviour Jesus Christ: : with considerations and discourses upon the conception, nativity, circumcision, baptism, temptation, preaching, miracles, passion, resurrection, and ascension into heaven. : Including several unanswerable arguments obvious to the meanest capacity, in defence of the divinity of our Holy Redeemer, and the truth of the Christian religion. : Likewise, The lives, acts and deaths of the holy evangelists and apostles, as recorded by the primitive fathers, and ancient writers of unquestionable veracity","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/990023200930203941"},{"key":"hollis:alma990123894240203941","label":"The life of our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. : Containing a full, ample, accurate, instructive, and universal history of every transaction in the life of our glorious redeemer, from His taking upon himself our sinful Nature, to his Crucifixion, Resurrection from the Dead, and his Glorious Ascension into Heaven. Particularly his Genealogy, Incarnation, Preservation, Circumcision, Presentation, Divine Mission, Baptism, Fasting, Temptation, Ministry, Sufferings, Doctrine, Calling the Apostles, Miracles, Parables, Charity, Meekness, Travels, Transfiguration, Passion, Institution of the Sacrament, Crucifixion, Burial, Resurrection, Appearance, and Ascension into Heaven. Together with The Lives, Transactions, and Sufferings of his Holy Evangelists, Apostles, Disciples, and other Primitive Martyrs, who have sealed the great Truth of Christianity with their Blood; particularly St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke, St. John, St. Peter, St. Paul, St. James the Great, St. Andrew, St. Philip, St. Bartholomew, St. Thomas, St. James the Less, St. Simon, St. Jude, St. Matthias, St. Barnabas, St. Stephen, &c. &c. &c. Including the Transactions of John the Baptist, the great Forerunner of the Messiah; as also the Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, &c. &c. To which is added, a full defence of the Christian religion, In which the Evidences of Christianity are fairly stated, the New Testament proved to be genuine, and the Religion of the great Redeemer of Mankind truly Divine. The whole Properly adapted to promote the Knowledge of our Holy Religion, a firm Faith in the Merits of Our Blessed Redeemer, and the Practice of every Christian Virtue. By the Rev. John Fleetwood, D. D. Author of The History of the Holy Bible, Published by the King's Authority","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/990123894240203941"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The Geʿez version cannot be precisely dated; the Greek Physiologus (2nd–4th c.) was translated into Geʿez possibly in the Aksumite period, but the homily form may be a later Ethiopic adaptation.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The Physiologus was widely read in Ethiopian monastic education and cited in homilies and commentaries, though this specific homily is not known to have entered the official liturgical lectionary.","cites":[{"key":"hollis:alma990124458100203941","label":"The history of the life and miracles of our blessed saviour, : Jesus Christ; From His Birth to His Crucifixion. As also, the lives, sufferings and death of the Evangelists and Apostles. Taken from the Holy Scriptures, and the Learned Writings of Eminent Divines of the Church to these Times. With explanatory Notes, relating to those Prophets, who foretold of our Blessed Saviour's Coming upon the Earth. By T. G. Also the Respect, even of Heathens, shewn to our Blessed Saviour: As a Letter of Invitation sent to Christ by King Agbarus; with our Saviour's Answer. And another Letter sent by by Publius Lentulus to the Senate of Rome concerning our Redeemer's Person, Doctrine, Miracles, and Behaviour. Done into verse, for the Delight and Improvement of the weakest Capacity, and not unworthy the Perusal of the most knowing. The like never comprehended in so small a Volume before, and is particularly adapted to the Memory of Children","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/990124458100203941"}],"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 manuscript witnesses; variant readings and scribal interventions remain unexamined.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT4915PhysA","label":"source edition: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The attribution to 'Physiologus' is pseudepigraphic; the homily likely draws on multiple sources, including patristic exegesis and local Ethiopian traditions, not a single author.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:latin-de-miraculis-thomae","label":"gap dossier: The Miracles of the Blessed Apostle Thomas (Latin)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/latin-de-miraculis-thomae"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"derived_work_notes":[{"kind":"coverage","severity":"info","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily 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: homily in Geʿez; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them."},{"kind":"structure","severity":"info","text":"Passages: 45 narrative."},{"kind":"scripture","severity":"info","text":"2 scriptural phrase match(es) noted: John 1:14; John 1:29."},{"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":45},"term_index":[],"citations":{"betmas:LIT4915PhysA":{"label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"},"dossier:latin-de-miraculis-thomae":{"label":"gap dossier: The Miracles of the Blessed Apostle Thomas (Latin)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/latin-de-miraculis-thomae"},"ed:LIT4915PhysA":{"label":"source edition: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"},"hollis:alma990023200930203941":{"label":"The life of our blessed Saviour Jesus Christ: : with considerations and discourses upon the conception, nativity, circumcision, baptism, temptation, preaching, miracles, passion, resurrection, and ascension into heaven. : Including several unanswerable arguments obvious to the meanest capacity, in defence of the divinity of our Holy Redeemer, and the truth of the Christian religion. : Likewise, The lives, acts and deaths of the holy evangelists and apostles, as recorded by the primitive fathers, and ancient writers of unquestionable veracity","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/990023200930203941"},"hollis:alma990123894240203941":{"label":"The life of our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. : Containing a full, ample, accurate, instructive, and universal history of every transaction in the life of our glorious redeemer, from His taking upon himself our sinful Nature, to his Crucifixion, Resurrection from the Dead, and his Glorious Ascension into Heaven. Particularly his Genealogy, Incarnation, Preservation, Circumcision, Presentation, Divine Mission, Baptism, Fasting, Temptation, Ministry, Sufferings, Doctrine, Calling the Apostles, Miracles, Parables, Charity, Meekness, Travels, Transfiguration, Passion, Institution of the Sacrament, Crucifixion, Burial, Resurrection, Appearance, and Ascension into Heaven. Together with The Lives, Transactions, and Sufferings of his Holy Evangelists, Apostles, Disciples, and other Primitive Martyrs, who have sealed the great Truth of Christianity with their Blood; particularly St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke, St. John, St. Peter, St. Paul, St. James the Great, St. Andrew, St. Philip, St. Bartholomew, St. Thomas, St. James the Less, St. Simon, St. Jude, St. Matthias, St. Barnabas, St. Stephen, &c. &c. &c. Including the Transactions of John the Baptist, the great Forerunner of the Messiah; as also the Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, &c. &c. To which is added, a full defence of the Christian religion, In which the Evidences of Christianity are fairly stated, the New Testament proved to be genuine, and the Religion of the great Redeemer of Mankind truly Divine. The whole Properly adapted to promote the Knowledge of our Holy Religion, a firm Faith in the Merits of Our Blessed Redeemer, and the Practice of every Christian Virtue. By the Rev. John Fleetwood, D. D. Author of The History of the Holy Bible, Published by the King's Authority","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/990123894240203941"},"hollis:alma990124458100203941":{"label":"The history of the life and miracles of our blessed saviour, : Jesus Christ; From His Birth to His Crucifixion. As also, the lives, sufferings and death of the Evangelists and Apostles. Taken from the Holy Scriptures, and the Learned Writings of Eminent Divines of the Church to these Times. With explanatory Notes, relating to those Prophets, who foretold of our Blessed Saviour's Coming upon the Earth. By T. G. Also the Respect, even of Heathens, shewn to our Blessed Saviour: As a Letter of Invitation sent to Christ by King Agbarus; with our Saviour's Answer. And another Letter sent by by Publius Lentulus to the Senate of Rome concerning our Redeemer's Person, Doctrine, Miracles, and Behaviour. Done into verse, for the Delight and Improvement of the weakest Capacity, and not unworthy the Perusal of the most knowing. The like never comprehended in so small a Volume before, and is particularly adapted to the Memory of Children","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/990124458100203941"}},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"On the lion\n\nድርሳን፡ ዘብፁዕ፡ ፊሳልጎስ፡ ዘደረሶ፡ በእንተ፡ አራዊት፡ ወአዕዋፍ፡ ከመቦ፡ ላዕሌሆሙ፡ ብዙኅ፡ አምሳል፡ ክመ፡ ወብዙኅ፡ ትእምርት፡\nዘይከውን፡ በቍዔተ፡ ለዘያነብቦ።\n\nነገር፡ ቀዳማዊ፡ በእንተ፡ ዐንበሳ፡ ንጉሠ፡ አራዊት። ወዝ፡ ዐንበሳ፡ ያዕቆብ፡ ውእቱ፡ እስመ፡ ያዕቆብ፡ እንዘ፡ ይባርኮ፡ ለወልዱ፡\nይቤ፤ ይሁዳ፡ እጓለ፡ ዐንበሳ፡ ዕርግ፡ እምሕዝአትከ፡ ወልድየ፡ ሰከብከ፡ ወኖምከ፡ ከመ፡ ዐንበሳ፡ ወከመ፡ እጓለ፡ ዐንበሳ፡\nወዘመትልው።\n\nይቤ፡ በእንተ፡ ዐንበሳ፡ ከመ፡ ፫ትእምርታት፡ ቦቱ። ፩ጥበቡ፡ ሶበ፡ ይመጽኡ፡ ጼና፡ ዘይንዕዎ፡ በዘነቡ፡ ይደመስስ፡ አሠሮ፡ እለ፡\nይተልዉ፡ አሠሮ፡ ነዐውት፡ ከመ፡ ኢይርከቡ፡ በአቶ፡ ወኢየአኀዝዎ።\n\nከማሁ፡ መድኀኒነ፡ ሐዲስ፡ ዐንበሳ፡ ዘሞአ፡ ዘእምነገደ፡ ይሁዳ፡ ዘእምሥርወ፡ ዳዊት፡ ተፈኒዎ፡ እምላዕሉ፡ ከደነ፡ አየረ፡ አሠረ፡\nዚአሁ፡ ወዝውእቱ፡ መለኮት። አምሳለ፡ መላእክት፡ ኮነ፡ እስከ፡ ወረደ፡ ወመጽአ፡ ውስተ፡ ማሕፀነ፡ ወላዲቱ፡ ማርያም፡ ድንግል፡ ከመ፡\nያድኅን፡ ዘጌገየ፡ ትዝምደ፡ ሰብእ። ሶበ፡ ኮነ ፡ ቃል፡ ሥጋ፡ ወኀደረ፡ ላዕሌነ። ወኢያእሚሮሙ፡ እለ፡ የዐቅቡ፡ ርደቶ፡ ይቤሉ፤ መኑ፡\nውእቱ፡ ዝንቱ፡ ንጉሠ፡ ስብሐት።","english":"Homily of the blessed Physiologus, who composed concerning the beasts and the birds, how many likenesses are upon them, and many signs which come about for the benefit of him who reads it.\n\nFirst discourse concerning the lion, king of the beasts. And this lion is Jacob, for Jacob, while blessing his son, said: \"Judah, you are a lion's cub; arise from your grief, my son; you have slept and dwelt like a lion and like a lion's cub.\" And it is fitting.\n\nHe said concerning the lion, that it has three natures. Its first wisdom: when hunters who pursue it come, it erases its tracks with its tail, so that those who follow its tracks and its scent may not find it by its tracks and may not seize it.\n\nLikewise, our Saviour, the new lion from the tribe of Judah, from the root of David, concealed his tracks from above; he hid his nature, he concealed his divinity. He became like the angels until he descended and came into the womb of his mother, the virgin Mary, to save the race of mankind who had sinned. When the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, those who were watching for his descent did not perceive him; they said, \"Who is this, the king of glory?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ነገር ቀዳማዊ","severity":"info","text":"The passage opens with a formal title, 'First discourse concerning the lion,' marking the start of a series of animal chapters typical of the Physiologus tradition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ይሁዳ እጓለ ዐንበሳ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez text quotes Jacob's blessing of Judah as a 'lion's cub,' echoing Genesis 49:9, though the wording differs from the standard Ethiopic Old Testament.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"፫ትእምርታት","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'three natures' (፫ትእምርታት) introduces the tripartite allegorical structure typical of the Physiologus, though only the first nature is described here.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ዐንበሳ","severity":"info","text":"The lion as 'king of beasts' and its three natures derive from the Greek Physiologus tradition, where the lion's habits are allegorized to Christ's life.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"መድኀኒነ ሐዲስ ዐንበሳ","severity":"info","text":"The identification of Christ as a 'new lion from the tribe of Judah' parallels the messianic interpretation in the Greek Physiologus and early Christian typology.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ዘይከውን በቍዔተ ለዘያነብቦ","severity":"info","text":"The closing phrase 'for the benefit of him who reads it' reflects the homiletic and didactic purpose of the Ethiopic Physiologus, aimed at edifying the audience.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Geʿez text does not specify whether the 'three natures' refer to the lion's physical traits or moral allegories; the translation assumes the latter based on the context."],"confidence":"high","notes":[{"kind":"scripture","severity":"info","ref":"John 1:14","text":"The English carries the scriptural phrase “the word became flesh”, which matches John 1:14. The match is on the English draft; check the Coptic before quoting the verse."}]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"ካልእ፡ ነገረ፡ ዐንበሳ።\n\nጊዜ፡ ሶበ፡ ይዴቅስ፡ ውስተ፡ በአቱ፡ እንበለ፡ ትግሀት፡ አዕይንቲሁ፡ ፍቱሓት፡ እሙንቱ።\n\nዝኒ፡ ፍካሬ፡ ይበጽሕ፡ ኀበ፡ ዘይቤ፡ በማሕልየ፡ መሕልይ፤ አነ፡ ንውም፡ ወልብየ፡ ንቅህት። እግዚእነሂ፡ በሥጋ፡ ይዴቅስ፡ ዲበ፡\nመስቀል፡ ወበመለኮት፡ በየማነ፡ አብ፡ ይተግህ። በከመ፡ ይቤ፤ ኢይዴቅስ፡ ወኢይነውም፡ ዘየዐቅቦ፡ ለእስራኤል።\n\nሣልስ፡ ነገር።\n\nዐንበሳ፡ አንስቲያዊት፡ ትወልድ፡ እጓለ፡ ምውተ፡ ወይእቲ፡ ተዐቅብ፡ እጓላ፡ እስከ፡ ይመጽእ፡ አቡሁ። ወአመ፡ ሣልስት፡ መጺኦ፡\nአቡሁ፡ ይነፍኅ፡ ውስተ፡ ገጹ፡ ወያነሥኦ።\n\nከማሁ፡ አብ፡ አኃዜ፡ ኵሉ፡ አንሥኦ፡ ለወልዱ፡ በኵሩ፡ ዘእምቅደመ፡ ዓለም፡ ዘውእቱ፡ እግዚእነ፡ ክርስቶስ፡ ዘተንሥአ፡ በኀይለ፡\nመለኮቱ፡ ወአንሥአ፡ ኵሎ። ሠናየ፡ ይቤ፡ ያዕቆብ፤ወከመ፡ እጓለ፡ ዐንበሳ፡ አልቦ፡ ዘያነቅሆ።\n\nOn the lizard\n\n፪ ፍካሬ፡ በእንተ፡ ሕንጲን፡ እንተ፡ ተፃሐየየት።\n\nሕንጲን፡ ሶበ፡ ትረሥእ፡ ይጼለላ፡ አዕይንቲሃ፡ ወተዐውር፡ እስከ፡ ኢትሬኢ፡ ብርሃነ፡ ፀሓይ። ወተኀሥሥ፡ አረፍተ፡ ዘይኔጽር፡\nመንገለ፡ ጽባሕ፡ ወታሰምክ፡ ህየ። ወሶበ፡ ይመውቅ፡ ፀሓይ፡ ይትፈታሕ፡ አዕይንቲሃ፡ ወትከውን፡ ሕያውተ። ዘንተ፡ እንከ፡ ትገብር፡\nበዘባቲ፡ ሠናይ፡ ፍጥረት። አንተሂ፡ ኦብእሲ፡ እንዘ፡ ብከ፡ ብሉይ፡ ክዳን፡ ሶበ፡ ተጸለለ፡ ዓይነ፡ ልብከ፡ ኅሥሥ፡ ዓረፍተ፡ ርድኤት፡\nበተጋህ፡ እስከ፡ ይሠርቅ፡ ለከ፡ ፀሓየ፡ ምሕረቱ፡ ለእግዚእነ፡ ዘሰመዮ፡ ነቢይ፡ ጽባሐ። ወይበርህ፡ ዐይነ፡ ልብከ፡ በዝንቱ፡ አርአያ።","english":"Second discourse concerning the lion\n\nWhen it goes into the forest without fear, its eyes are open.\n\nThis also reaches the one who says in the song of songs: \"I sleep, and my heart is awake.\" Our Lord, in the flesh, goes upon the cross, and in divinity, at the right hand of the Father, he is vigilant, as it is said: \"He does not sleep nor slumber, who watches over Israel.\"\n\nThird discourse\n\nThe lioness gives birth to a dead cub, and she watches over her cub until its father comes. And when the father has come on the third day, he breathes upon its face and raises it up.\n\nLikewise, the Father, the holder of all, raised up his Son, his firstborn from before the world, who is our Lord Christ, who rose by the power of his divinity and raised up all. Good is what Jacob said: \"And like the lion's cub, there is none who awakens it.\"\n\nOn the lizard\n\nSecond discourse concerning the salamander, which is burned.\n\nThe salamander, when it is burned, its eyes are shaded, and it becomes blind until it no longer sees the light of the sun, and it seeks a crevice that looks toward the east, and it stays there. And when the sun sets, its eyes are opened, and it becomes alive. This, then, you do with its good nature. And you, O man, while you have an old covering, when the eye of your heart is shaded, seek a crevice of help in patience until the sun of mercy dawns for you, which the prophet called dawn, and it will illuminate the eye of your heart with this likeness.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ካልእ፡ ነገረ፡ ዐንበሳ።","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez heading marks the start of the second discourse on the lion, following the first discourse in the previous passage.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"አነ፡ ንውም፡ ወልብየ፡ ንቅህት።","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez quotes Song of Songs 5:2 (LXX 5:2), 'I sleep, but my heart is awake,' applied to Christ's dual nature.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ኢይዴቅስ፡ ወኢይነውም፡ ዘየዐቅቦ፡ ለእስራኤል።","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez echoes Psalm 121:4 (LXX 120:4), 'He does not sleep nor slumber, who watches over Israel,' applied to God's vigilance.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ሣልስ፡ ነገር።","severity":"info","text":"The third discourse on the lioness giving birth to dead cubs and the father reviving them on the third day is a well-known Physiologus trope, here typologically linked to Christ's resurrection.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ሕንጲን፡","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term 'ḥənḳən' (salamander) is a loanword from Greek σαλαμάνδρα, referring to a legendary fire-dwelling lizard; the passage describes its behavior as an allegory for spiritual renewal.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ዘሰመዮ፡ ነቢይ፡ ጽባሐ።","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez identifies the prophet who named 'dawn' (ṣabāḥ) as a figure of mercy; this likely refers to a patristic or Ethiopian exegetical tradition, possibly linking to Isaiah 60:1 or similar dawn imagery.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Geʿez 'ሕንጲን፡' (salamander) may also be interpreted as a generic term for a lizard; the allegorical reading is consistent with Physiologus tradition.","The phrase 'ዘሰመዮ፡ ነቢይ፡ ጽባሐ።' (the prophet who named dawn) is ambiguous; it may refer to a specific biblical prophet or a traditional Ethiopian commentary."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"፫ ፍካሬ፡ በእንተ፡ ዖፍ፡ ዘስሙ፡ ከራድዮን፡\n\nዘጽሑፍ፡ ውስተ፡ ዳግም፡ ሕግ።\n\nተብህለ፡ በእንቲአሁ፡ ከመ፡ ኵለንታሁ፡ ጸዐዳ፡ ወአልቦ፡ ምንትኒ፡ ጸሊም፡ ላዕሌሁ። ወውእቱ፡ ይፌውስ፡ ዐይነ፡ ጽሉለ፡ ወይትረከብ፡\nበአብያተ፡ ነገሥት። ያመጽእዎ፡ ሶበ፡ ይደዊ፡ ሰብእ፤ እመሂ፡ የሐዩ፡ ወእመሂ፡ ይመውት፡ ያኤምር፤ እመ፡ ኮነ፡ ለመዊት፡ ደዌሁ፡\nለብእሲ፡ ይመይጥ፡ ገጾ፡ እምኔሁ፡ ወያአምር፡ ኵሉ፡ ከመ፡ ይመውት። ወእመሰ፡ ኮነ፡ ለሐይው፡ ይኔጽር፡ ከራድዮን፡ ገጸ፡ ድውይ፡\nወድውይ፡ ይኔጽር፡ ገጸ፡ ከራድዮን፡ ወይትሜጦ፡ ደዌሁ፡ ለብእሲ፡ ወይሰርር፡ ውስተ፡ አየረ፡ ፀሓይ፡ ወይነዝኅ፡ ክነፊሁ፡ ወያውዒ፡\nደዌሁ፡ ወይድኅን፡ ከራድዮን፡ ወድውይ፡ ኅቡረ።\n\nዝንቱ፡ ይትማሰል፡ ለገጸ፡ መድኀኒነ፡ እስመ፡ ኵለንታሁ፡ ጸዐዳ፡ ወአልቦ፡ ላዕሌሁ፡ ጸሊም፡ ዘውእቱ፡ ነውር። ይቤ፤ ይመጽእ፡\nመኰንነ፡ ዝንቱ፡ ዓለም፡ ወኢይረክብ፡ ላዕሌየ፡ ወኢምንተኒ። መጺኦ፡ እምሰማይ፡ ኀበ፡ አይሁድ፡ ሜጠ፡ ገጸ፡ መለኮቱ፡ እምኔሆሙ፡\nመንገለ፡ አሕዛብ። ንሕነ፡ አሰሰለ፡ እምላዕሌነ፡ ደዌ፡ ወሕማመ፡ ጸዊሮ፡ ዲበ፡ መስቀለ፡ ዐርብ። እስመ፡ ይቤ፤ ዐረገ፡ ውስተ፡\nአርያም፡ ፄዊወከ፡ ፄዋ። ሠናየ፡ ነበበ፡ ፊሳልጎስ፡ በእንተ፡ ከራድዮን። ወቦ፡ ዘይቤ፡ ርኩስ፡ ውስተ፡ ሕግ፡ ውእቱ፡ ወእፎ፡\nታስተማስልዎ፡ ቦቱ፡ ለመድኀኒነ፡ ንብሎ፤ አርዌ፡ ምድርኑ፡ ርኩስ። ይቤ፡ ዮሐንስ፤ በከመ፡ ሙሴ፡ ሰቀሎ፡ ለአርዌ፡ ምድር፡ በገዳም፡\nከማሁ፡ ሀለዎ፡ ለወልደ፡ እጓለ፡ እመሕያው፡ ይሰቀል። ፪እሙንቱ፡ ፍጡራን፡ ፩ዘይትዌደስ፡ ወ፩ዘኢይትዌደስ። ሠናየ፡ እንከ፡ ይቤ፡\nዘይቤ።","english":"Third discourse concerning the bird whose name is Caradrion\n\nIt is written in the second Law: It is said concerning it that its entire body is white and there is no black upon it. And it looks with a black eye and is found in the palaces of kings. They bring it when a person is ill; whether he will live or whether he will die, it knows. If the person's illness is for death, it turns its face away from him and knows that he will die. And if it is for life, the Caradrion looks at the face of the sick person, and the sick person looks at the face of the Caradrion, and the person's illness is healed, and it flies into the air of the sun and spreads its wings and draws out his illness, and the Caradrion and the sick person are healed together.\n\nThis is likened to the face of our Savior, because his entire body is white and there is no black upon him, which is sin. He says: The ruler of this world comes and does not find anything upon me. He came from heaven to the Jews, turned his face of divinity away from them toward the Gentiles. He removed from us the illness and pain of sin, hanging upon the cross of the evening, because he said: \"I ascended into the heights, your arrow, arrow.\" The blessed Physiologus spoke well concerning the Caradrion. And there is one who says: \"It is unclean in the Law; why do you liken it to our Savior?\" We say: The serpent of the earth is unclean. John says: As Moses hung up the serpent of the earth in the wilderness, likewise he hung up the Son of the Virgin, the living one, to be hung. These are two creatures: one that is sanctified and one that is not sanctified. The one who says this speaks well.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ከራድዮን","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term 'karadion' transliterates the Greek 'charadrion' (χαραδριός), a mythical bird known in the Physiologus tradition for its diagnostic and healing powers.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ዘጽሑፍ ውስተ ዳግም ሕግ","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'written in the second Law' likely refers to Deuteronomy (the second book of the Law), though no direct parallel for the Caradrion exists there; it may be a loose citation or a reference to a lost tradition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ዐረገ ውስተ አርያም ፄዊወከ ፄዋ","severity":"info","text":"The quotation 'I ascended into the heights, your arrow, arrow' is obscure; it may echo Psalm 7:14 (LXX) or a similar verse, but the exact source is uncertain.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The Caradrion legend, common in medieval bestiaries, holds that the bird's white body and black eye enable it to diagnose illness by looking at or away from the patient; the Physiologus here allegorizes it to Christ's purity and redemptive work.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The text anticipates a critique: the Caradrion is declared unclean in Levitical law (cf. Lev 11:13-19), yet the author defends the allegory by citing John (likely John 3:14 or a patristic tradition) and the bronze serpent of Moses (Num 21:8-9) as a type of Christ's crucifixion.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'cross of the evening' (መስቀለ ዐርብ) is ambiguous: it may refer to the cross of the west (sunset) or to a specific liturgical or geographical reference; the translation 'evening' is conventional but not certain.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'second Law' (Deuteronomy or another text) is unclear; the Caradrion is not found in canonical scripture.","The quotation 'I ascended into the heights, your arrow, arrow' has no clear biblical source; it may be apocryphal or a misremembered verse.","The phrase 'cross of the evening' could be a toponym or a theological symbol; its precise meaning is uncertain."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":4,"ref":"p4","source":"፬ፍካሬ፡ በእንተ፡ ዖፍ፡ ዘስሙ፡ ጰልቃን፡ ዘውእቱ፡ ግራብ።\n\nይቤ፡ ዳዊት፤ ተመሰልኩ፡ ጰልቃነ፡ ዘገዳም።\n\nይቤ፡ ፊሳልጎስ፡ በእንተ፡ ጰልቃን፡ ከመ፡ መፍቀሬ፡ ደቂቁ፡ ውእቱ፡ በሕቁ። ሶበ፡ ይትወለዱ፡ ደቂቆሙ፡\nይጸፍዑ፡ ገጸ፡ ወላድያኒሆሙ፡\nወወላድያን፡ ይቈርሑ፡ ርእሰ፡ ውሉዶሙ፡ ወይቀትሉ። ወአመ፡ ሣልስት፡ ዕለት፡ እሞሙ፡ ተፈትሕ፡\nገቦሃ፡ ወታንጸፈጽፍ፡ ደመ፡ ዲበ፡ ምውታን፡ ደቂቃ፡ ወታነሥኦሙ።\n\nከመ፡ ይቤ፡ በኢሳይያስ፤ ውሉደ፡ ወለድኩ፡ ወአልሀቁ፡ እሙንቱ፡ ዐለዉኒ። ወለደነ፡ ገባሬ፡ ኵሉ፡ ፍጥረት፡\nወጸፋዕናሁ፡ ወአምለክነ፡ ፍጥረታተ፡ ወኀደግነ፡ ፈጣሪነ፡ ውእቱኒ፡ ኀደገነ፡ ወመጠወነ፡ ለሞት። ወድኅረ፡\nተራኅርኀ፡ ከመ፡ እም፡ ወዐሪጎ፡ ዲበ፡ ኑኀ፡ መስቀል፡ አንጸፍጸፈ፡ ለነ፡ ደመ፡ ወማየ፡ ዘጥምቀተ፡ ንስሓ፡\nወአሕየወነ። ሠናየ፡ ይቤ፡ ዘይቤ፡ በእንተ፡ ጰልቃን።\n\nOn the owl\n\n፭ፍካሬ፡ በእንተ፡ ኒቂጢቆ፡\n\nዖፍ፡ ርኩስ፡ ዘሰመዮ፡ ዳዊት፡ ጉጋ። ይበ፤ ወኮንኩ፡ ከመ፡ ጉጋ፡ ውስተ፡ ቤት፡ ሌሊተ።","english":"Fourth discourse concerning the bird whose name is Pelican, which is the Caradrion.\n\nDavid says: I have been likened to the pelican of the wilderness.\n\nPhysiologus says concerning the pelican: It is truly a lover of its young. When its young are born, they strike the faces of their parents, and the parents strike the heads of their offspring and kill them. And on the third day after their death, it opens its side and sprinkles blood upon the dead young and revives them.\n\nAs it is said in Isaiah: I have begotten children and they have denied me; they have wronged me. We have begotten the maker of all creation, and we have denied him and worshipped creatures, and we have abandoned our creator; he also abandoned us and delivered us to death. And after he had mercy, like a mother, and ascended upon the wood of the cross, he sprinkled for us blood and the water of the baptism of repentance, and he revived us. Good is what is said concerning the Pelican.\n\nFifth discourse concerning the owl.\n\nA foul bird which David named the owl. He says: And I have become like an owl in a house at night.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ጰልቃን","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ጰልቃን (pälqan) is a loan from Greek πελεκάν (pelekán) 'pelican'. The text identifies it with the Caradrion, a bird from the previous discourse, suggesting a conflation of two distinct avian symbols.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ተመሰልኩ፡ ጰልቃነ፡ ዘገዳም","severity":"info","text":"The citation 'I have been likened to the pelican of the wilderness' echoes Psalm 102:6 (LXX 101:6) but is not a direct quotation; the Geʿez adapts the psalmist's self-comparison to a pelican, a bird not present in the Hebrew or Greek text.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ውሉደ፡ ወለድኩ፡ ወአልሀቁ፡ እሙንቱ፡ ዐለዉኒ","severity":"info","text":"The passage 'I have begotten children and they have denied me; they have wronged me' is a paraphrase of Isaiah 1:2, though the Geʿez text attributes it to Isaiah. The verse is not a direct citation but a thematic adaptation.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ጰልቃን","severity":"info","text":"The pelican's self-sacrifice to revive its young is a widespread Christian symbol of Christ's atonement, found in Latin and Greek Physiologus traditions. The Geʿez version here closely follows the Coptic model, linking the bird's blood to Christ's blood and baptismal water.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"፭ፍካሬ፡ በእንተ፡ ኒቂጢቆ፡","severity":"info","text":"The passage ends with the heading 'Fifth discourse concerning the owl', marking a clear structural division. The Geʿez text numbers each discourse (፬, ፭), following the Coptic Physiologus's sequential format.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ኒቂጢቆ","severity":"info","text":"The owl (ኒቂጢቆ, nik'it'ak'o) is described as a 'foul bird' and linked to David's lament in Psalm 102:6 (LXX 101:6). In Ethiopian tradition, the owl symbolizes solitude and uncleanness, consistent with its negative portrayal here.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Geʿez text conflates the pelican (ጰልቃን) with the Caradrion from the previous discourse, but the Caradrion is typically a different bird (a plover or heron). The relationship between the two is not explained.","The citation from Isaiah is not a direct verse; the Geʿez may be paraphrasing or adapting a lost source."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":5,"ref":"p5","source":"ይቤ፡ ፊሳልጎስ፤ ዝንቱ፡ ዖፍ፡ ያፈቅር፡ ሌሊተ፡ እመዓልት።\n\nእግዚእነሂ፡ ኢየሱስ፡ ክርስቶስ፡ አፍቀረ፡ ኪያነ፡ እለ፡ ንነብር፡ ውስተ፡ ጽልመት፡ ወጽላሎተ፡ ሞት፡ ወአሕዛበ፡ ፈድፋደ፡ እምኔሆሙ፡\nእለ፡ እምአይሁድሂ፡ እምዳረ፡ ርስት፡ ነሥኡ፡ ተስፋ፡ አበዊሆሙ። አፍቀረነ፡ በእንተዝ፡ ይቤ፤ ኢታፅብስዋ፡ ለነኣስ፡ መርዔት፡ እስመ፡\nሠምረ፡ አብ፡ የሀብክሙ፡ መንግሥቶ፡ ወዘመትልው። እስመ፡ ጉጋ፡ ርኩስ፡ ውስተ፡ ሕግ፡ እፎ፡ ይቤ፡ ሐዋርያ፤ ዘኢያአምር፡ ኀጢአተ፡\nበእንቲአነ፡ ጾረ፡ ኀጢአተ። ወአትሐተ፡ ርእሶ፡ ከመ፡ ኵሎ፡ ያልዕል። ሠናየ፡ ይቤ፡ በእንተ፡ ጉጋ።\n\nOn the eagle\n\n፮ፍካሬ፡ በእንተ፡ ንስር።\n\nዳዊት፡ ይቤ፤ ዘይሔድስ፡ ከመ፡ ንስር፡ ለውርዙትየ። ፊሳልጎስ፡ ይቤ፤ ንስር፡ ሶበ፡ ይረሥእ፡ ይከብዳ፡ ወይጼለላ፡ አዕይንቲሁ፡\nወየኀሥሥ፡ ነቀዐ፡ ማይ፡ ንጹሕ። ወይሰርር፡ ውስተ፡ አየረ፡ ፀሓይ፡ ያውዒ፡ አክናፊሁ፡ ወጽላሌ፡ አዕይንቲሁ፡ ወይወርድ፡ ውስተ፡\nነቀዐ፡ ማይ፡ ወይጠመቅ፡ ሥልሰ። ሶቤሃ፡ ይትሔደስ፡ ወይከውን፡ ወሬዛ።","english":"Physiologus says: This bird loves the night more than the day.\n\nOur Lord Jesus Christ loved us, who dwell in the darkness and shadow of death, and the nations, each one of them, and those from the Jews, from the land of inheritance, who took hope from their fathers. He loved us, because of this he said: \"You shall find pasture for the soul, for the Father desires to give you his kingdom and what is like it.\" For the unclean pelican in the Law, as the Apostle says: \"He who knows not sin, for our sake he fasted from sin.\" And he bowed his head, so that all good might be poured out. He spoke concerning the pelican.\n\nOn the eagle\n\nFifth discourse concerning the eagle.\n\nDavid says: \"He who renews like the eagle my youth.\" Physiologus says: The eagle, when it grows old, becomes heavy, and its eyes grow dim, and it seeks a spring of pure water. And it flies up into the air of the sun, it burns its wings and the dimness of its eyes, and it descends into the spring of water and immerses itself three times. Then it is renewed and becomes young again.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"፮ፍካሬ፡ በእንተ፡ ንስር።","severity":"info","text":"The rubric 'Fifth discourse concerning the eagle' marks a new section, following the pattern of numbered discourses in the Physiologus.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ዘይሔድስ፡ ከመ፡ ንስር፡ ለውርዙትየ።","severity":"info","text":"David says: 'He who renews like the eagle my youth' echoes Psalm 103:5 (LXX 102:5), a common prooftext in patristic literature for renewal.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ጉጋ፡","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term 'guga' (ጉጋ) is glossed as 'pelican' in the previous passage, but here it is used in a metaphorical sense for the unclean bird in the Law, possibly a scribal or translation variant.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ንስር፡","severity":"info","text":"The eagle's renewal through sun and water is a standard Physiologus trope, symbolizing baptism and spiritual rebirth, found in both Greek and Latin versions.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ኢታፅብስዋ፡ ለነኣስ፡ መርዔት፡","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'You shall find pasture for the soul' is obscure; the Geʿez may be corrupt or a misreading of a Coptic original, as the syntax is awkward and the referent unclear.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ሐዋርያ፤","severity":"info","text":"The citation of 'the Apostle' (likely Paul) without a specific verse reflects the Physiologus's typical loose scriptural referencing, common in Ethiopic homiletic tradition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The transition from the pelican to the eagle is abrupt; the Geʿez may have a lacuna or the Coptic original may have had a clearer structural marker.","The phrase 'He who knows not sin' is ambiguous in its referent—possibly Christ or the pelican—and the Geʿez syntax does not resolve it."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":6,"ref":"p6","source":"አንተሂ፡ ሀገሪታይ፡ ዘብሉይ፡ ብሉይ፡ ብእሲ፡ እመ፡ ትረሥዕ፡ በጌጋይ፡ ዘአፍቅሮ፡ ዓለም፡ ኀያጢ፡ ወተጸለለ፡ ዐይነ፡ ልብከ፡\nእምክበደ፡ ዝንጋዔ፡ ኅሥሥ፡ ነቀዐ፡ ምስጢራት፡ እምቃለ፡ ማእምራን። ወበህየ፡ ይትረከብ፡ ንስሓ። ወስርር፡ በክንፈ፡ ኅሊና፡ ኀበ፡\nልዑል፡ ፀሓየ፡ ጽድቅ፡ ክርስቶስ፡ መድኀኒነ። ሶቤሃ፡ ይትመላኅ፡ ብሉይ፡ ብእሲ፡ ምስለ፡ ምግባራቲሁ። ሶበ፡ ትጠመቅ፡ ሥልሰ፡ በሐዲስ፡\nነቅዕ፡ በስመ፡ አብ፡ ወወልድ፡ ወመንፈስ፡ ቅዱስ፡ ይትአተት፡ ጽልመተ፡ ልብሰት፡ ዘዲያብሎስ፡ ወይትከደን፡ ሐዲስ፡ ወብሩህ፡\nዘበእግዚእ፡ ተፈጥረ። ወይተፌጸም፡ ትንቢት፡ ዘይቤ፤ ዘይሔድስ፡ ከመ፡ ንስር፡ ለውርዙትከ።\n\nOn the phoenix\n\n፯ፍካሬ፡ በእንተ፡ ዖፍ፡ ዘስሙ፡ ፊንክስ።\n\nይቤ፡ እግዚእነ፡ በወንጌል፤ ሥልጣን፡ ብየ፡ እመጡ፡ ነፍስየ፡ ወካዕበ፡ ኣንሥኣ። አይሁድሰ፡ አንጐርጐሩ፡ በእንተ፡ ዝንቱ፡ ቃል።\n\nፊንክስ፡ ሶበ፡ ኮኖ፡ ፭፻ዓመተ፡ ይበውእ፡ ውስተ፡ ዕፀወ፡ ሊባኖስ፡ ወይመልእ፡ ክነፊሁ፡ አፈወ፡ ዘይሰመይ፡ አብዱ። ወያዔውቅ፡\nለካህን፡ ዘሀገረ፡ ፀሓይ፡ በወርኀ፡ መጋቢት፡ አው፡ በወርኀ፡ ሚያዝያ። ካህንኒ፡ ይበውእ፡ ይምላእ፡ ዕፀወ፡ ዘዐጸደ፡ ወይን። ዖፍሰ፡\nይበውእ፡ ውስተ፡ ሀገረ፡ ፀሓይ፡ እንዘ፡ አፈወ፡ ያዐርግ፡ ውስተ፡ ምሥዋዕ፡ ወለሊሁ፡ ያውዒ፡ ርእሶ፡ ወይከውን፡ ሐመደ። ወበሳኒት፡\nካህን፡ እንዘ፡ የኀሥሥ፡ ምሥዋዐ፡ ይረክብ፡ ዕፄ፡ ዲበ፡ ሐመድ፡ ወአመ፡ ሣልስተ፡ ዕለተ፡ ይረክብ፡ እጓለ፡ ዖፍ፡ ንኡስ። ወበራብዕት፡\nዕለት፡ ይከውን፡ ዖፈ፡ ዐቢየ፡ ወያስተርኢ፡ ለላእክ፡ ወይኤምኆ፡ ለካህን፡ ወየአቱ፡ መካኖ።","english":"You also, my homeland, O old man, old man, if you are righteous in the path of his love, the world is a sinner, and the eye of your heart is darkened by the thickness of ignorance. Seek the fountain of mysteries from the word of the wise, and there repentance is found. Fly with the wing of reason to the high sun of righteousness, Christ our Savior. Then the old man will be consumed with his deeds. When you are baptized anew in the fountain, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the darkness of the devil’s garment will be undone, and you will be clothed anew and brightly, as created by the Lord. And the prophecy will be fulfilled that says: He who renews like the eagle for your youth.\n\nOn the phoenix\n\nThe seventh discourse concerning the bird whose name is Phoenix.\n\nOur Lord said in the Gospel: Authority is with me; my soul came and raised me up. But the Jews murmured concerning this word.\n\nPhoenix, when it has become five hundred years old, enters into the wood of Lebanon and fills its wings with aromatic wood called *abdu*. And it announces to the priest of the city of the sun in the month of Megabit or in the month of Miyazya. The priest also enters and fills the wood of the vineyard. The bird enters into the city of the sun, carrying the aromatic wood, and places it upon the altar, and itself burns its own head and becomes ash. And on the second day, the priest, while seeking the altar, finds a piece of wood upon the ash. And on the third day, he finds a small bird. And on the fourth day, it becomes a large bird and reveals itself to the laity and speaks to the priest and goes to its place.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"፯ፍካሬ፡ በእንተ፡ ዖፍ፡ ዘስሙ፡ ፊንክስ።","severity":"info","text":"The passage begins with a heading marking the seventh discourse on the phoenix, transitioning from the preceding allegorical exhortation to a new narrative unit.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ሥልጣን፡ ብየ፡ እመጡ፡ ነፍስየ፡ ወካዕበ፡ ኣንሥኣ።","severity":"info","text":"The Gospel saying attributed to Christ ('Authority is with me; my soul came and raised me up') is not a direct canonical quotation; it may derive from apocryphal or liturgical tradition, possibly echoing Johannine resurrection themes.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"አብዱ።","severity":"info","text":"The term 'abdu' (አብዱ) refers to aromatic wood, likely frankincense or a similar resinous substance, used in the phoenix's self-immolation ritual.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ሀገረ፡ ፀሓይ፡","severity":"info","text":"The 'city of the sun' (ሀገረ፡ ፀሓይ፡) is Heliopolis in Egypt, a traditional setting for the phoenix myth in classical and patristic sources, including Herodotus and early Christian Physiologus traditions.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"text","lemma":"በወርኀ፡ መጋቢት፡ አው፡ በወርኀ፡ ሚያዝያ።","severity":"info","text":"The phoenix's announcement occurs in Megabit (March–April) or Miyazya (April–May), aligning with the Ethiopian calendar's spring months, which correspond to the Coptic months of Paremhat and Pashons.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"አይሁድሰ፡ አንጐርጐሩ፡ በእንተ፡ ዝንቱ፡ ቃል።","severity":"info","text":"The mention of Jews murmuring against Christ's saying reflects a common anti-Jewish polemic in Ethiopian homiletics, likely derived from patristic exegesis of Gospel passion narratives.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Gospel saying attributed to Christ is not identified in canonical texts; its source is uncertain.","The term 'abdu' (አብዱ) may refer to a specific aromatic wood, but its exact botanical identification is unclear."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":7,"ref":"p7","source":"እመሰ፡ ቦቱ፡ ሥልጣን፡ ለዖፍ፡ ይቅትል፡ ወያሕዩ፡ ርእሶ፡ እፎ፡ ያንጐርጕሩ፡ አይሁድ፡ ላዕለ፡ መድኀኒነ፡ በብሂሎቱ፤ ብየ፡ ሥልጣን፡\nእመጡ፡ ነፍስየ፡ ወካዕበ፡ ኣንሥኣ። ፊንክስ፡ ኮነ፡ አርአያሁ፡ ለመድኀኒነ። ፪ክነፊሁ፡ መልአ፡ መዐዛ፡ ሥነ፡ ወኀይለ። ወመጽአ፡\nኀቤነ፡ ንሕነኒ፡ ንስፋሕ፡ እደዊነ፡ ለጸሎት፡ ኀቤሁ፡ ከመ፡ ንምላእ፡ መዐዛ፡ ጸጋሁ፡ በሀገሪትነ፡ ሠናይት።\n\nOn the hoopoe\n\n፰ፍካሬ፡ በእንተ፡ ዖፍ፡ ዘስሙ፡ ሄጶጰስ፡\n\nጽሑፍ፡ ውስተ፡ ሕግ። ዘያስተዋዲ፡ አባሁ፡ ወእሞ፡ ሞተ፡ ለይሙት። ሀለዉ፡ ሰብእ፡ ቀተልተ፡ አብ፡ ወእሞሙ።\n\nለሄጶጰስ፡ ውሉዱ፡ እመ፡ ረሥአ፡ አቡሆሙ፡ ይመልኁ፡ ክንፎ፡ ዘበልየ፡ ወይልሕሱ፡ አዕይንቲሁ፡ ወየሐፅንዎ፡ በምውቅ፡ መካን፡\nወየሐቅፍዎ፡ ታሕተ፡ ክነፊሆሙ፡ ወይሴስይዎ፡ ወይሬእይዎ፡ ከመ፡ ዘይብሉ፡ ለአበዊሆሙ፤ ፍዳ፡ ሐፀንክሙነ፡ ወጾምክሙ፡ እንዘ፡ ትሴስዩነ፡\nከማሁ፡ ንገብር፡ ለክሙ። ከመዝ፡ ይገብሩ፡ እስከ፡ ይትሔደሱ፡ ወይትሔደሱ፡ ወይከውኑ፡ ወራዙተ። እፎ፡ ኢያፈቅሩ፡ ነባብያን፡ ወላድያኒሆሙ።","english":"If the hoopoe has the power to kill and revive its head, why do the Jews mock our Savior with their speech? By my soul, I have the power. And again, I raise up the phoenix, whose likeness became that of our Savior. His two wings were filled with fragrance, beauty, and strength, and he came to us. We also stretch out our hands in prayer to him, that we may fill our good land with the fragrance of his grace.\n\nOn the hoopoe\n\nEighth discourse concerning the bird named the hoopoe.\n\nIt is written in the Law that he who strikes his father and mother shall die. There are people who are killers of their fathers and mothers.\n\nFor the hoopoe, its young, when their father grows old, they pluck his feathers with their beaks and lick his eyes and warm him in a hot place, and they cover him under their wings and feed him and care for him, as if they were saying to their parents: \"We have warmed you and fasted while feeding you. Likewise, we will do for you.\" As they do this until they become strong and become strong and become righteous. Why do not the prophets love their parents?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ሄጶጰስ","severity":"info","text":"The passage shifts from a general moral exhortation to a specific animal exemplum, introducing the hoopoe (ሄጶጰስ) as the subject of the eighth discourse.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ዘያስተዋዲ አባሁ ወእሞ ሞተ ለይሙት","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'he who strikes his father and mother shall die' echoes the Old Testament law (Exodus 21:15, Leviticus 20:9) regarding striking parents, though not a direct quotation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ሥልጣን","severity":"info","text":"ሥልጣን (śəlṭān) means 'power' or 'authority'; here it refers to the hoopoe's alleged ability to kill and revive itself, a motif from the Physiologus tradition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ፊንክስ","severity":"info","text":"The phoenix (ፊንክስ) is a mythical bird symbolizing resurrection, here explicitly likened to Christ the Savior, a common typology in early Christian literature.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ኢያፈቅሩ ነባብያን ወላድያኒሆሙ","severity":"info","text":"The rhetorical question 'Why do not the prophets love their parents?' critiques Jewish rejection of Christ, reflecting anti-Jewish polemic common in Ethiopic homilies.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ወይትሔደሱ ወይትሔደሱ","severity":"caution","text":"The repetition of ወይትሔደሱ ('and they become strong') may be a scribal dittography; the sense is that the young birds grow strong and righteous.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Geʿez text does not clarify whether the hoopoe's power to kill and revive itself is literal or allegorical; the reading taken is allegorical, consistent with the Physiologus tradition.","The phrase 'ኢያፈቅሩ ነባብያን ወላድያኒሆሙ' is ambiguous: it may mean 'Why do the prophets not love their parents?' or 'Why do they not love the prophets, their parents?'; the reading taken is the former, as a critique of Jewish rejection of Christ."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":8,"ref":"p8","source":"On the onager\n\n፱ፍካሬ፡ በእንተ፡ ሐልስትዮ።\n\nይቤ፡ ኢዮብ፤ መኑ፡ አግዐዘ፡ ለሐልስትዮ፡ ወመኑ፡ ፈትሐ፡ ማእሰሮ። ወረሰየ፡ ገዳመ፡ ምንባሮ።\n\nይቤ፡ ፊሳልጎስ፤ ሐለስትዮ፡ አንስትያዊት፡ ሶበ፡ ትወልድ፡ ተባዕታየ፡ ይነሥኦ፡ አቡሁ፡ ወየሐፅኖ፡ ወኢየኀድጎ፡ ከመ፡ ኢይደይ፡\nዘርኦ፡ ኀበ፡ እሙ።\n\nእስመ፡ አበው፡ ቀደምት፡ ዘርአ፡ ሥጋዌ፡ የዐቅቡ፡ ወይትኀሠሡ፡ ከማሁ። ሐዋርያትሰ፡ ሐዲሳን፡ ውሉደ፡ መንግሥት፡ ሰማያዊ፡ አፅርዑ፡\nዘንተ፡ ወይቤሉ፤ እስመ፡ ኵሉ፡ ዘሥጋ፡ ከመ፡ ሣዕር፡ ከመ፡ ኢይትመካሕ፡ ኵሉ፡ ዘሥጋ። ወበእንተ፡ ልደት፡ መንፈሳዊ፡ ይቤ፡ መካን፡\nጽሑፍ፤ ትትፌሣሕ፡ እንተ፡ ኢትወልድ፡ ተዐወዩ፡ ወትግዕር፡ እንተ፡ ኢታአምር፡ ማሕምመ፡ እስመ፡ ብዙኅ፡ ውሉዳ፡ ለመዓስብ፡ እምእንተ፡\nባቲ። እስመ፡ ሥረዐት፡ ዘትካት፡ ዘይመጽእ፡ ተስፋ፡ ሐዳስሰ፡ እንተ፡ ይሴፈውዋ፡ ጽንዕት፡ ለሊሃ።\n\nOn the viper\n\n፲ፍካሬ፡ በእንተ፡ አርዌ፡ ምድር፡ ዘስሙ፡ አከድና።","english":"On the onager\n\nNinth discourse: On the onager\n\nJob said: Who has loosed the onager? And who has broken its bonds? And who has given it the wilderness as its dwelling?\n\nPhysiologus said: The onager is female. When she gives birth to a male, his father takes him and castrates him, and does not leave him, as is the custom of those who castrate their offspring for their mother.\n\nFor the ancient fathers castrate the seed of the flesh and are grieved like him. But the apostles, new children of the heavenly kingdom, have cut off this [practice] and say: For everything of flesh is like grass, like a shadow; everything of flesh [passes away]. And concerning spiritual birth, the Preacher says: Rejoice, you who are not born; be glad, you who do not know the pain of childbirth, for many are the children of sorrow than she who [bears them]. For the root of the tares, from which new hope comes, is strong in itself.\n\nOn the viper\n\nTenth discourse: On the serpent of the earth whose name is the viper","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"፱ፍካሬ / ፲ፍካሬ","severity":"info","text":"The passage begins the ninth and tenth discourses of the work, each introduced by a numbered rubric (፱ፍካሬ, ፲ፍካሬ). This structural division is typical of the Physiologus tradition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"መኑ አግዐዘ ለሐልስትዮ ወመኑ ፈትሐ ማእሰሮ","severity":"info","text":"The opening quotation is from Job 39:5, where God questions Job about the wild ass. The Geʿez text closely follows the LXX and Ethiopic versions.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ሐልስትዮ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ሐልስትዮ (ḥalstyo) is a loanword from Greek ὄναγρος (onagros), meaning 'wild ass' or 'onager'. The Physiologus uses it as a type for the animal's behavior.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ወየሐፅኖ","severity":"info","text":"The claim that the father onager castrates his male offspring is a legendary natural-history motif found in earlier Physiologus versions, not based on actual zoology.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ትትፌሣሕ እንተ ኢትወልድ","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'Rejoice, you who are not born' echoes Ecclesiastes 4:3, though the Geʿez text attributes it to 'the Preacher' (መካን ጽሑፍ). The citation is loose, possibly from a patristic source.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"በእንተ አርዌ ምድር ዘስሙ አከድና","severity":"info","text":"The tenth discourse introduces the viper (አከድና, akädna), a term for a venomous serpent. The rubric marks a new animal entry, following the pattern of the Physiologus.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Geʿez text of the Job quotation (መኑ አግዐዘ ለሐልስትዮ) may reflect a variant Ethiopic version; the exact source is not specified.","The phrase 'the Preacher says' (መካን ጽሑፍ) could refer to Ecclesiastes or to a patristic homily; the attribution is ambiguous."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":9,"ref":"p9","source":"ይቤ፡ ዮሐንስ፡ በእንተ፡ ፈሪሳውያን፤ ትውልደ፡ አራዊተ፡ ምድር፡ መኑ፡ ነገረክሙ፡ ታምሥጡ፡ እምእንተ፡ ትመጽእ፡ መንሱት። ፊሳልጎስ፡\nይቤ፤\n\nዝንቱ፡ አከድና፡ ለተባዕታይ፡ ገጹ፡ ገጸ፡ ብእሲ፡ ይመስል፡ ለአንስቲያዊትኒ፡ ገጻ፡ ዘብእሲት። እምርእሶሙ፡ እስከ፡ ሕንብርቶሙ፡\nዘሰብእ፡ ራእዮሙ፤ ወእምታሕተ፡ ሕንብርቶሙ፡ እስከ፡ ዘነቦሙ፡ ከመ፡ ሐርገጽ። ማሕፀንሰ፡ አልቦሙ፤ አላ፡ ለብእሲት፡ እመንገለ፡\nኀፍረታ፡ ስቁር፡ ከመ፡ መርፍእ። እመ፡ ሰከበ፡ ተባዕታይ፡ ምስሌሃ፡ ይክዑ፡ ዘርኦ፡ ውስተ፡ አፉሃ፤ ይእቲኒ፡ ትመትር፡ ነፍስቶ፡\nወትውኅጥ፡ ዘርኦ፡ ወይመውት፡ ሶቤሃ፤ ወእምዝ፡ ፀኒሳ፡ ውሉዳ፡ ይበልዑ፡ ከርሠ፡ እሞሙ፡ ወይትወለዱ፡ እንተ፡ ህየ። አባሆሙ፡ ወእሞሙ፡\nይቀትሉ፡ በልደቶሙ።\n\nሠናየ፡ አስተማስሎሙ፡ ዮሐንስ፡ ለፈሪሳውያን፡ ምስለ፡ ስብድዓት። በከመ፡ አከድና፡ ቀተሉ፡ አበዊሆሙ፡ ወእሞሙ፡ ከማሁ፡ እሙንቱ፡\nቀተሉ፡ አበዊሆሙ፡ ነቢያተ፡ እግዚአነሂ፡ አቡሆሙ፡ ወአርዳኢሁ። ወእፎ፡ ይጐይዩ፡ እሞት፡ ዘይመጽእ። እስመ፡ አብሰ፡ ወእምየሐይዉ፡\nለዓለም፡ ወእሙንቱ፡ ይመውቱ።","english":"John said concerning the Pharisees: “O generation of wild beasts of the earth, who told you to mock what comes from the womb?” Physiologus said:\n\nThis is the hyena. The face of the male resembles the face of a man, and the face of the female resembles that of a woman. From their heads to their necks, their appearance is human; and from below their necks to their tails, they are like a leopard. They have no womb; rather, for the female, in the place of her shame, there is a stone like a millstone. When the male lies with her, he casts his seed into her mouth; and she kills her own offspring and swallows the seed, and he dies then. After she has conceived, her young eat the belly of their mother and are born from that place, and their father and mother die at their birth.\n\nJohn fittingly compared the Pharisees to the hyena, for just as the hyena kills its father and mother, so also they killed their fathers, the prophets of our Lord, and their father and his followers. And why should they fear the death that comes, since they have already killed and do not live forever, but they die?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"አከድና","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term 'akadnā' is a loan from Greek 'hyaina' (ὕαινα), referring to the hyena. The passage uses this animal as a moral symbol, consistent with the Physiologus tradition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ዮሐንስ በእንተ ፈሪሳውያን","severity":"info","text":"The opening reference to John speaking about the Pharisees likely alludes to John the Baptist or the Gospel of John, though no direct verse is cited. The phrase 'generation of wild beasts' echoes prophetic denunciations.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ፈሪሳውያን","severity":"info","text":"The Pharisees are a Jewish sect often criticized in the New Testament. In this homily, they are compared to hyenas for their alleged hypocrisy and persecution of prophets, reflecting early Christian polemic.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage follows the typical Physiologus pattern: a natural description of the hyena, followed by a moral interpretation applied to the Pharisees, introduced by 'John said'.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The hyena's reproductive habits described here (oral insemination, offspring eating the mother) are legendary and not based on natural history, reflecting ancient folklore transmitted in the Physiologus tradition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'John' (John the Baptist or the Evangelist) is not specified in the Geʿez text. The reading taken assumes a general New Testament reference.","The phrase 'they killed their fathers, the prophets of our Lord' may refer to the Pharisees' rejection of prophetic authority, but the exact historical referent is unclear."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":10,"ref":"p10","source":"On the snake\n\n፲ወ፩ፍካሬ፡ በእንተ፡ አርዌ፡ ምድር።\n\nእግዚእነ፡ ይቤ፤ ኩኑ፡ ጠቢባነ፡ ከመ፡ አርዌ፡ ምድር፡ ወየውሃነ፡ ከመ፡ ርግብ።\n\n፬ትእምርታት፡ ቦቱ። ሶበ፡ ይረሥእ፡ ይጼልላ፡ አዕይንቲሁ፤ ወእመ፡ ይፈቅድ፡ ተሐድስ፡ ይትገሀረት፡ ወይጸውም፡ ፵መዓልተ፡ ወ፵ሌሊተ፡\nእስከ፡ ይትረኀው፡ ማእሱ። ወየኀሥዕ፡ ሶቤሃ፡ የኀሥሥ፡ ንቅዐተ፡ ኰኵሕ፡ ፅባበ፤ ወበዊኦ፡ ህየ፡ ያጽዕቅ፡ ርእሶ፡ ወይሠዐዕ፡ ወእምዝ፡\nወሬዛ፡ ይከውን።\n\nአንተኒ፡ ኦብእሲ፡ እመ፡ ትፈቅድ፡ ትኅድግ፡ ብሉየ፡ ብእሴ፡ አስርሕ፡ ሥጋከ፡ በፀባብ፡ አንቀጽ፡ እንተ፡ ትወስድ፡ ውስተ፡ ሕይወት፡\nወትከውን፡ ሐዲሰ፡ ብእሴ።\n\nነገር፡ ካልአ። አርዌ፡ ምድር፡ ሶበ፡ ይሰቲ፡ ማየ፡ የኀድግ፡ ሕምዞ።\n\nንሕነኒ፡ ሶበ፡ ንጽህቅ፡ ንስተይ፡ ማየ፡ ሕይወት፡ ዘውእቱ፡ ትምህርተ፡ ሐዲሰ፡ እመጻሕፍተ፡ መለኮት፡ ወነሢአ፡ ምስጢራቲሁ፡ ለወልደ፡\nእግዚአብሔር፡ ቃል፡ ሰማያዊ፡ እንዘ፡ ነሐውር፡ ውስተ፡ ቤተ፡ ክርስቲያን፡ ንኅድግ፡ እምልብነ፡ ኵሎ፡ እከየ።","english":"On the snake\n\nOur Lord said: Be wise as the snake of the earth, and gentle as the dove.\n\nFour characteristics it has: When it grows old, its eyes become dim; and if it wishes to renew itself, it strips itself and fasts forty days and forty nights until its skin falls off; and then it seeks a narrow crevice of a rock; and when it enters there, it squeezes its head and passes through, and after that it becomes young.\n\nYou also, O man, if you wish to put off the old man, mortify your flesh by fasting, strip off that which leads you into life, and become a new man.\n\nA second matter: The snake of the earth, when it drinks water, leaves its venom behind.\n\nWe also, when we go to church to drink the water of life, which is the teaching of the New Testament of the kingdom, and to partake of the mysteries of the Son of God, the heavenly Word, while we sit in the church, we leave behind all evil from our heart.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"፲ወ፩ፍካሬ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez heading ፲ወ፩ፍካሬ (10 and 1 fikare) marks this as the eleventh section of the homily, following the pattern of numbered chapters in the Physiologus tradition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ኩኑ፡ ጠቢባነ፡ ከመ፡ አርዌ፡ ምድር፡ ወየውሃነ፡ ከመ፡ ርግብ","severity":"info","text":"The opening injunction 'Be wise as the snake of the earth, and gentle as the dove' is not a direct biblical quotation but echoes a common patristic trope; no exact parallel is found in the canonical gospels.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"አርዌ፡ ምድር","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term አርዌ ምድር (ʾarwe mədr) literally 'beast of the earth' is the standard rendering for the snake in the Physiologus, distinguishing it from other serpents.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"፵መዓልተ፡ ወ፵ሌሊተ","severity":"info","text":"The forty-day fast of the snake (forty days and forty nights) mirrors the Lenten fast in Christian practice, a common typological motif in the Physiologus tradition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ትምህርተ፡ ሐዲሰ፡ እመጻሕፍተ፡ መለኮት","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'teaching of the New Testament of the kingdom' reflects the Ethiopic liturgical context, where the water of life is identified with scriptural instruction received in church.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"አንቀጽ፡ እንተ፡ ትወስድ፡ ውስተ፡ ሕይወት","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'strip off that which leads you into life' is ambiguous: it may refer to the old skin (sinful nature) or to worldly attachments; the Geʿez allows both readings.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Geʿez phrase አንቀጽ እንተ ትወስድ ውስተ ሕይወት is ambiguous: 'strip off that which leads you into life' could mean the old self (sin) or the means of salvation (the body). The reading taken is the moral allegory of renouncing sin."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":11,"ref":"p11","source":"ሣልስ፡ ነገር። አርዌ፡ ምድር፡ ይፈርህ፡ ዘኢለብሰ፡ ልብሰ። ልቡሰሰ፡ እመ፡ ርእየ፡ ይቀንጽ፡ ዲቤሁ። ዘኒ፡ ያአምር፡ ግብሮ፡ ሶበ፡\nይዴግኖ፡ ይጐይይ፡ ዕራቆ፡ ኀዲጎ፡ ልብሶ፡ ወይድኅን።\n\nንሕነኒ፡ ንለቡ፡ አመ፡ ሀሎ፡ አቡነ፡ አዳም፡ ዕራቆ፡ ውስተ፡ ገነተ፡ እንበለ፡ ይኅሥሥ፡ ንዋየ፡ ኢክህለ፡ ይቅንጽ፡ ዲቤሁ፡ አርዌ። አንተሂ፡ ኦብእሲ፡ እመ፡ ኀደገ፡ ንዋየ፡ ዝንቱ፡ ዓለም፡ ዘውእቱ፡ ልብሰ፡ ብሉይ፡ ብእሲ፡ ወአጥርዮ፡ ኵሉ፡ ጥሪታት፡ ኢይክል፡\nይቅንጽ፡ ላዕሌከ።\n\nራብዕ፡ ነገር። ሶበ፡ የኀሥሥ፡ ይቅትሎ፡ ሰብእ፡ ኵሎ፡ አባሎ፡ ይሜጡ፡ ለዝብጠት፡ ወርእሶ፡ የዐቅብ።\n\nከማሁ፡ ንሕነኒ፡ ንመጡ፡ ኵሎ፡ ሥጋነ፡ ለሕማማት፡ ወንዕቀብ፡ ርእሰነ፡ ዘውእቱ፡ ኢንክሕድ፡ ርእሰነ፡ ክርስቶስሃ፡ ከመ፡ ቅዱሳን፡\nሰማዕት። እስመ፡ ተብህለ፤ ለኵሉ፡ ብእሲ፡ ርእስ፡ ክርስቶስ፡ ወርእሱ፡ ለክርስቶስ፡ እግዚአብሔር።\n\nOn the ant\n\n፲ወ፪ፍካሬ፡ በእንተ፡ ቃህም፡ ዘአልቦ፡ ኀይል፡ ዘኢይትሀከይ።","english":"Third matter: The snake of the earth fears the one who wears a garment; if it sees him, it flees from him, because it knows his deed when it sees him. It casts off its old age, abandoning its garment, and is saved.\n\nWe also cast off when our father Adam was in the Garden in his old age without desiring worldly wealth; the snake flees from him. You also, O man, if you abandon the wealth of this world, which is the old garment of man, and cast off all your sins, the snake cannot flee from you.\n\nFourth matter: When it desires to kill a man, it hides all its limbs in a hole, and its head it protects.\n\nLikewise we also hide all our flesh from sufferings, and we protect our head, which is our faith, the head of Christ, as the holy martyrs do. For it is said: For every man, the head is Christ, and the head of Christ is God.\n\nOn the ant\n\nTwelfth homily: Concerning the ant, which has no strength and cannot be moved.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ሣልስ፡ ነገር","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez marks the third and fourth characteristics of the snake with ሣልስ፡ ነገር and ራብዕ፡ ነገር, continuing the numbered list begun in the previous passage.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ልብሰ፡ ልቡሰ","severity":"info","text":"The phrase ልብሰ፡ ልቡሰ (garment) is a Geʿez idiom for the snake's old skin, but here also allegorically for worldly wealth and sin, as the following moralization makes explicit.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ርእስ፡ ክርስቶስ፡ ወርእሱ፡ ለክርስቶስ፡ እግዚአብሔር","severity":"info","text":"The statement 'the head is Christ, and the head of Christ is God' echoes 1 Corinthians 11:3 and patristic exegesis, though not a direct quotation; it grounds the allegory of protecting the head as faith.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ቅዱሳን፡ ሰማዕት","severity":"info","text":"The reference to holy martyrs (ቅዱሳን፡ ሰማዕት) who hide their flesh from sufferings and protect their head (faith) reflects the common hagiographical topos of martyrdom as imitatio Christi, familiar in Ethiopic homiletics.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"፲ወ፪ፍካሬ፡ በእንተ፡ ቃህም","severity":"info","text":"The passage ends with a heading for a new section: 'Twelfth homily: Concerning the ant', indicating a transition to a different animal in the Physiologus cycle.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ዘኢይትሀከይ","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase ዘኢይትሀከይ (which cannot be moved) is ambiguous: it may mean the ant is immovable due to lack of strength, or that it cannot be dislodged from its purpose; the Geʿez allows both readings.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase ዘኢይትሀከይ could be read as 'cannot be moved' (passive) or 'does not move' (active); the English draft takes the passive sense.","The transition from the snake to the ant is abrupt; the heading 'Twelfth homily' may indicate a separate textual unit or a scribal insertion."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":12,"ref":"p12","source":"ወፊሳልጎስ፡ ይቤ፤ ፫ጥበቢሁ፡ ለቃህም። ቀዳሚ፡ ሶበ፡ የሐውር፡ ጾታ፡ ፩፩ይጸውር፡ ኅጠተ፡ በአፉሁ። ወእለ፡ አልቦሙ፡ ኢይብልዎሙ፡\nሀቡነ፡ ኅጠተክሙ፡ ወኢየሀይድዎሙ፡ በኀይል፡ አላ፡ የሐውሩ፡ ዕራቆሙ፡ ወእሉ፡ ያዐርፋ። ዝንቱሰ፡ ይረክብ፡ ዲበ፡ አብዳን፡ ወጠቢባን።\n\nወካዕበ፡ ቃህም፡ ሶበ፡ ይዘግብ፡ ሥርናየ፡ ውስተ፡ ምድር፡ ፩ኅጠተ፡ ይከፍል፡ ለ፩ከመ፡ ከዊኖ፡ ክረምተ፡ ኢይርሐስ፡ ወኢይብቍል፡\nወኢይሙት፡ ስክዕት፡ በረኃብ።\n\nአንተሂ፡ ዘቀዳሚ፡ ሕገ፡ አግሕሥ፡ እምነፍስከ፡ ከመ፡ ጽሕፈቱ፡ ኢይቅትልከ፤ ጰውሎስ፡ ይቤ፤ ሕገ፡ መንፈስ፡ ሕይወት፡ ዝንቱ። እንዘ፡\nይቤጥሉ፡ አይሁድ፡ ሞቱ፡ በረኃብ፡ ወቀተልተ፡ ነፍሶሙ፡ ኮኑ።\n\nዓዲ፡ ቃህም፡ የሐውር፡ ርሑቀ፡ ውስተ፡ ገዳም፡ በመዋዕል፡ ማእረር፡ ወየዐርግ፡ ዲበ፡ ሰብል፡ ከመ፡ ያውርድ፡ ኅጠተ፡ ወያጼኑ፡\nብርዐ፡ ወእምጼናሁ፡ ያአምር፡ እመሂ፡ ስገም፡ ወእመሂ፡ ሥርናይ፡ ወየኀድግ፡ ስገመ፡ ወየዐርግ፡ ላዕለ፡ ሥርናይ። እስመ፡ ስገም፡\nሲሳየ፡ አንስሳ፡ ውእቱ።","english":"And Physiologus said: The third wisdom of the snake: First, when it goes to drink, it makes a hole with its mouth, and those which have none, it says to them, \"Give me your hole,\" and it does not take them by force, but they go of their own accord; and those which are naked, this one finds upon the ignorant and the wise.\n\nAgain, the snake, when it hides its tail in the earth, one hole suffices for it as a shelter from winter, and it does not get wet, nor does it grow old, nor does it die of hunger in the desert.\n\nYou also, first, restrain the law of the flesh from your soul, as its writing, and it will not kill you. Paul said, \"The law of the spirit is life.\" This, while the Jews were killing, they died of hunger, and they became murderers of their own souls.\n\nAgain, the snake goes far into the desert in the summer season, and it climbs upon a plant, as if to bring down a hole, and it tests the cold; and from its test it knows whether it is fat or lean, and it abandons the fat and climbs upon the lean, because fat is the food of the wild beast.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ኅጠተ (ḫəṭṭätä)","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ኅጠተ (ḫəṭṭätä) is used for 'hole' or 'cavity', but in the context of the snake's drinking and shelter, it may carry a double meaning of 'orifice' and 'refuge'.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Paul said, 'The law of the spirit is life'","severity":"info","text":"This echoes Paul's contrast between the law of the flesh and the law of the spirit, likely referencing Romans 8:2 or Galatians 5:16-17, though not a direct quotation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Jews died of hunger and became murderers of their own souls","severity":"info","text":"This anti-Jewish polemic reflects a common trope in early Christian and patristic literature, where Jews are portrayed as spiritually dead due to their rejection of Christ.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Third wisdom of the snake","severity":"info","text":"This passage is the third of three 'wisdoms' of the snake in the Physiologus, following the pattern of moral and allegorical interpretation of animal behavior.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"snake tests cold and chooses lean plant","severity":"info","text":"The snake's test of cold to distinguish fat from lean is a unique detail not found in standard Physiologus versions, possibly a local Ethiopic addition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"as its writing","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'as its writing' (ከመ ጽሕፈቱ) is ambiguous; it may refer to the law of the flesh being written in the soul, or to a scriptural text, but the referent is unclear.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'as its writing' (ከመ ጽሕፈቱ) is ambiguous: it could mean 'as it is written' or 'as its inscription', and the antecedent of 'its' is unclear (the law of the flesh or the soul).","The identity of 'those which are naked' (እሉ ያዐርፋ) is unclear; it may refer to other snakes or to humans in a moral sense."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":13,"ref":"p13","source":"ኢዮብ፡ ይቤ፤ ህየንተ፡ ሥርናይ፡ ይወፅእ፡ ክርዳድ። አንተሂ፡ ኦብእሲ፡ ሲሳየ፡ እንስሳ፡ ዘውእቱ፡ ተመስሎቶሙ፡ በተቀንዮ፡ ለከርሥ፡\nወንሣእ፡ ሥርናየ፡ ዘታነብር፡ ውስተ፡ መዝገብ። ዓዲ፡ አስተማሰለ፡ በሲሳየ፡ እንስሳ፡ ዘመደልዋን፡ ትምህርተ፡ ወሥርናየ፡ በርቱዕ፡\nአሚን፡ ዘክርስቶስ።\n\nOn the sirens and the onocentaurs\n\n፲ወ፫ፍካሬ፡ በእንተ፡ ሲሬኒስ፡ ወአንቅጠውሮስ።\n\nእምታሕተ፡ ሕንብርቶሙ፡ እስከ፡ እግሮሙ፡ ዘዖፍ፡ ወእምገጾሙ፡ እስከ፡ ሕንብርቶሙ፡ አምሳሊሆሙ፡ ዘፈረስ።\n\nወይቤ፡ ኢሳይያስ፤ እስመ፡ አጋንንት፡ ወጼዴናታት፡ ወከዋንያት፡ ዘፈኑ፡ ውስተ፡ በቢሎን።\n\nእሉሰ፡ ሲሬኒስ፡ ቀታልያን፡ እሙንቱ፡ ወከመ፡ ቃሎሙ፡ አልቦሙ፡ ዘይሔውዝ። ወአንቀጠውሮስ፡ እምገጾሙ፡ እስከ፡ ሐቌሆሙ፡ ሰብእ፡\nወዘባኖሙ፡ ዘአድግ፡ ወጽፉቅ፡ ሰኰናሆሙ፡ ወህውክ፡ ኵለንታሆሙ።\n\nከማሁ፡ ሀለዉ፡ ሰብእ፡ እለ፡ ይመስልዎሙ፡ ገጾሙ። ይዴመሩ፡ በቤተ፡ ክርስቲያን። ከመዘ፡ ጽድቀ፡ ይገብሩ፡ ወኀይሎሰ፡ ይክሕዱ፡\nወቤተ፡ ክርስቲያን፡ እሙንቱ፡ ይሰመዩ፡ ባሕቱ፡ ይወፅኡ፡ እምቤተ፡ ክርስቲያን፡ ወይትሀጐሉ። እለ፡ ከመዝ፡ ይመስልዎሙ፡ ለሴሬኒስ፡\nወአንቅጠውሮስ፤ ምእመናነ፡ ይመስሉ። ወይትቃወሙ፡ ኀይለ፡ ምስጢር፡ ወበጣዕመ፡ ቃሎሙ፡ የዋሃነ፡ ያስሕቱ፡ በከመ፡ ጽሑፍ፤ ነገር፡\nእኩይ፡ ሠናየ፡ ግዕዘ፡ ያማስን። ሠናየ፡ ይቤ፡ ፊሳልጎስ።","english":"And Job said: \"The serpent goes out to the desert. You also, O man, the food of the beast which is its likeness, by the bending of the belly, and it takes the desert that dwells in the storehouse.\" Again, it meditated on the food of the beast of the Medes, the teaching and the desert in truth. Amen, of Christ.\n\nOn the Sirens and the Onocentaurs\n\nThe Thirteenth Discourse: Concerning the Sirens and the Onocentaurs\n\nFrom beneath their navels to their feet, they are of a bird; and from their faces to their navels, their likeness is of a horse.\n\nAnd Isaiah said: \"For demons, and satyrs, and howling creatures sang in the ruins.\"\n\nThese Sirens are murderers, and their voice has none that can resist it. And the Onocentaur: from its face to its waist, it is human; and its lower parts are of an ass, and its voice is harsh, and its whole form is monstrous.\n\nLikewise, there are people who resemble them in their faces. They walk about in the church as if they do righteous deeds, but they hide their strength. And they are called the church, but they go out from the church and gather together. Those who resemble the Sirens and the Onocentaurs: our faithful resemble them. And they contend with the power of mystery and with the force of their voice, they deceive us and lead us astray, as it is written: \"An evil word corrupts a good deed.\" The good word says Physiologus.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"፲ወ፫ፍካሬ፡ በእንተ፡ ሲሬኒስ፡ ወአንቅጠውሮስ።","severity":"info","text":"The rubric marks the start of the thirteenth discourse, formally introducing the topic of the Sirens and Onocentaurs as a new narrative unit.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ሲሬኒስ","severity":"info","text":"Sirens are mythical creatures, here described as half-bird and half-horse, consistent with the Physiologus tradition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"አንቅጠውሮስ","severity":"info","text":"Onocentaur: a hybrid creature with a human upper body and an ass's lower body, known from classical and patristic sources.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ኢሳይያስ","severity":"info","text":"The citation of Isaiah likely refers to Isaiah 13:21 or 34:14, which mention demons and howling creatures in ruins, though the exact verse is uncertain.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage allegorizes Sirens and Onocentaurs as hypocrites who appear pious in church but conceal their true nature, a common moralizing trope in the Physiologus.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ኢዮብ፡ ይቤ","severity":"caution","text":"The opening attribution to Job is abrupt and may be a textual corruption or a misplaced gloss; the connection to the preceding snake narrative is unclear.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The opening line 'And Job said' is ambiguous: it may be a scribal error or a reference to a lost source; the transition from the snake to the Sirens is not explicit.","The Isaiah citation is not verbatim from the canonical text; the exact referent is uncertain."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":14,"ref":"p14","source":"On the hedgehog\n\n፲ወ፬ፍካሬ፡ በእንተ፡ ቅንፍዝ፡ ዘበአምሳለ፡ ሰፊራ፡ ውእቱ።\n\nይቤ፡ ፊሳልጎስ፤ ቅንፍዝ፡ ውስተ፡ ዐጸደ፡ ወይን፡ ይወፍር፡ ኀበ፡ አውደቀ፡ ሕንበባተ፡ ወይን። ወይበረብር፡ ህየ፡ ወይሰክዕ፡\nሕንባባተ፡ በአሥዋካት፡ ወይመጽእ፡ ለውሉዱ፡ ወይትነሣእ፡ ዕራቆ።\n\nአንተሂ፡ ብጻሕ፡ ኀበ፡ ወይን፡ ዘውእቱ፡ ትምህርተ፡ ሕግ፡ ወንሣእ፡ ፍሬያተ፡ ምስጢራት፡ ተድላ፡ ቤተ፡ መንግሥት። ቅንፍዝሰ፡\nተኀድገ፡ ዕራቆ። አንተሰ፡ ከማሁ፡ በአምሳለ፡ ውሉድ፡ ትሴስዮሙ፡ ለሕዋሳቲከ።\n\nOn the fox\n\n፲ወ፭ፍካሬ፡ በእንተ፡ ቍንጽል።\n\nውእቱሰ፡ አርዌ፡ ጕሕላዊ። እመ፡ ርኅበ፡ ወኢረከበ፡ ዘይበልዕ፡ የኀሥሥ፡ ምድረ፡ ምውቀ። ወእመ፡ አኮ፡ ቤተ፡ ሐሠር፡ ወይዴበር፡\nህየ፡ እንዘ፡ ላዕለ፡ ይኔጽር፡ ወየዐጹ፡ አስትንፋሶ፡ እስከ፡ ይትጋብኡ፡ አዕዋፍ፡ ላዕሌሁ፡ ከመ፡ ይበልዕዎ። ወእምዝ፡ ተንሢኦ፡\nይመሥጥ፡ ፩እምኔሆሙ፡ ወይበልዕ።\n\nከማሁ፡ ዲያብሎስ፡ ጕሕላዊ፡ ይትኀባእ፡ ውስተ፡ አፍቅሮ፡ ነዋይ፡ ወፍግዓ፡ ወተድላ፡ ወኵሉ፡ ፍትወታተ፡ ሥጋ፡ ወይቀትል፡ ነፍሰ፡\nብዙኃን። ሄሮድስኒ፡ ተመሰለ፡ በቍንጽል፡ ወጽሑፍ፡ ስምዕ፡ እምኀበ፡ መድኀኒነ፡ ዘተብህለ፤ ቈናጽልኒ፡ ግበበ፡ ቦሙ። ሰሎሞንኒ፡\nበማሕልዩ፡ ይቤ፤ አሥግሩ፡ ለነ፡ ቈናጽለ፡ ንኡሳነ፡ እለ፡ ያማስኑ፡ ዐጸደ፡ ወይንነ። ዳዊትኒ፡ ይቤ፡ ክፍለ፡ ቈናጽል።","english":"On the hedgehog\n\nThe fourteenth homily. Concerning the hedgehog, which is in the likeness of a grape-gatherer.\n\nPhysiologus says: The hedgehog goes into the vineyard, where it finds fallen grapes; there it rolls about and pierces the grapes with its spines, and it comes to its young and stands up naked.\n\nYou also, O diligent one, go to the vineyard, which is the teaching of the Law, and take up the fruits of the mysteries, the joys of the house of the kingdom. The hedgehog, however, abandons its nakedness; you, like it, in the likeness of children, feed your members.\n\nOn the fox\n\nThe fifteenth homily. Concerning the fox.\n\nIt is a cunning beast. If it is hungry and finds nothing to eat, it seeks a place of death; and if not, a house of ruin, and it goes there, while looking upward and holding its breath until birds gather above it, as if to eat it; then, springing up, it seizes one of them and eats it.\n\nLikewise, the devil, the cunning one, hides himself in the love of the world, and in pleasure and joy, and in all the desires of the flesh, and kills the souls of many. Herod also was like the fox, and it is written: \"Hear from our Savior, who said: 'Foxes have dens.'\" Solomon also in his song says: \"Catch for us the little foxes that spoil our vineyard.\" David also says: \"A portion for the fox.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"፲ወ፬ፍካሬ፡ በእንተ፡ ቅንፍዝ፡","severity":"info","text":"The passage comprises two distinct homiletic units: the hedgehog (14th homily) and the fox (15th homily), each introduced by a numbered heading.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ቅንፍዝ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ቅንፍዝ (qənfəz) corresponds to 'hedgehog' in the English draft, but the Coptic Vorlage likely used a word for 'porcupine' or 'hedgehog'; the animal's behavior of piercing grapes with spines is consistent with both.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ቍንጽል","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ቍንጽል (qənṣəl) is translated 'fox' in the English draft; the same word appears in the plural form ቈናጽል (qonāṣəl) in the biblical citations that follow.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ክፍለ፡ ቈናጽል","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'a portion for the fox' (ክፍለ፡ ቈናጽል) likely alludes to a psalm verse, possibly Psalm 63:1 (LXX 62:1) or a similar passage, though the exact reference is not explicit in the text.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ሄሮድስ","severity":"info","text":"Herod (ሄሮድስ) is compared to the fox, likely referring to Herod the Great or Herod Antipas, both associated with cunning and treachery in Christian tradition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ሰሎሞንኒ፡ በማሕልዩ","severity":"info","text":"The citation of Solomon's song ('Catch for us the little foxes that spoil our vineyard') is a paraphrase of Song of Songs 2:15, a text frequently allegorized in Ethiopian exegesis.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Geʿez text does not specify whether the hedgehog's 'nakedness' (ዕራቆ) refers to its spines or its young; the English draft interprets it as the hedgehog abandoning its spines, but the Geʿez could also mean the hedgehog stands up without its young.","The phrase 'a portion for the fox' (ክፍለ፡ ቈናጽል) is not a direct quotation from the canonical Psalms as known; it may be a paraphrase or a reference to a lost Geʿez version."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":15,"ref":"p15","source":"On the panther\n\n፲ወ፮ፍካሬ፡ በእንተ፡ ጻሕው።\n\nውእቱሰ፡ አርዌ፡ ንኡስ። ይቤ፡ ነቢይ፤ ኮንኩ፡ ከመ፡ ጻሕው፡ ለኤፍሬም።\n\nፊሳልጎስ፡ ይቤ፤ ከመዝ፡ ፍጥረቱ፡ ለጻሕው፡ ምስለ፡ ኵሉ፡ አራዊት፡ ውእቱ፡ ይትፋቀር፡ ወፀሩ፡ ለውእቱ፡ ከይሲ። ወዕሱቅ፡ አርአያሁ፡\nከመ፡ ልብሰ፡ ዮሴፍ፡ ወጥቀ፡ ሠናይ፡ አርዌሁ፡ የዋህ፡ ወፅምው። ወእመ፡ በልዐ፡ ንስቲተ፡ ይጸግብ፡ ወይነውም፡ ውስተ፡ ግብ። ወበሣልስት፡ ይትነሣእ፡ እምንዋሙ፡ ወይጸርኅ፡ በዐቢይ፡ ቃል። እለ፡ እምርሑቅ፡ ወቅሩብ፡ ይሰምዑ፡ ቃሎ፡ ወእምአፉሁ፡ ይወፅእ፡ መዐዛ፡\nሠናይ። ወኵሉ፡ አራዊት፡ እንዘ፡ ይትለዉ፡ ይመጽኡ፡ ኀቤሁ፡ በእንተ፡ መዐዛሁ።\n\nከማሁ፡ እግዚእነ፡ ኢየሱስ፡ ክርስቶስ፡ ተንሥአ፡ እምንዋሙ፡ ወበመዐዛሁ፡ ሰሐበ፡ ርሑቃነ፡ ወቅሩባነ። በከመ፡ ይቤ፡ ሐዋርያ፤\nመዐዛሁ፡ ለክርስቶስ፡ ብነ፡ ወዐባይ፡ ይእቲ፡ ጥበብ፡ ዘመድኀኒነ። ወመዘምር፡ ይቤ፤ ወትቀውም፡ ንግሥት፡ በየማንከ፡ በአልባሰ፡ ወርቅ፡\nዕጽፍት። ወሑብርተ፡ መድኀኒነ፡ ክርስቶስ፡ ዕሱቅ፡ ውእቱ፡ በድንግልና፡ ወበጽንዕ፡ ወበንጽሕ፡ በሣህል፡ ወበጸጋ፡ ወበኂሩት፡ በሰላም፡\nወትዕግሥት። ዓዲ፡ ቀታሊሁ፡ ለከይሲ፡ ዘውስተ፡ ሰማይ፡ ውእቱ። ወኢምንትኒ፡ ፅሩዕ፡ ኢተጽሕፈ፡ ዘተጽሕፈ፡ በእንተ፡ አራዊት፡\nወበእንተ፡ ወአዕዋፍ።","english":"On the panther\n\nThe sixteenth homily. Concerning the panther.\n\nNow it is a small animal. The prophet said: I was like a panther to Ephraim.\n\nPhysiologus says: The nature of the panther is this: among all animals, it is beloved, and it is hostile to the serpent. Its appearance is beautiful, like the garment of Joseph. Its animal is exceedingly good, gentle, and pure. And if it eats a little, it is satisfied and sleeps in its den. On the third day it rises from its sleep and roars with a great voice. Those far and near hear its voice, and from its mouth comes a sweet fragrance. And all animals, while following, come to it because of its fragrance.\n\nLikewise our Lord Jesus Christ rose from his sleep, and by his fragrance he drew near those far and those near. As the apostle said: The fragrance of Christ is in us, and great is the wisdom that saved us. And the Psalmist said: And a queen stands at your right hand in garments of gold, adorned. And our savior Christ is beautiful in virginity, in strength, in purity, in mercy, in grace, in goodness, in peace, and in patience. Moreover, his slayer of the serpent in heaven is he. And nothing is written that is written concerning animals and concerning birds.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"፲ወ፮ፍካሬ፡ በእንተ፡ ጻሕው።","severity":"info","text":"The passage is numbered as the sixteenth homily, following the fifteenth on the hedgehog, and introduces the panther as the new subject.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ኮንኩ፡ ከመ፡ ጻሕው፡ ለኤፍሬም።","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'I was like a panther to Ephraim' echoes Hosea 5:14, where God compares himself to a lion or panther in judgment, though the Geʿez text adapts it to the panther's gentler nature.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ጻሕው","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ጻሕው (ṣāḥəw) is translated as 'panther' but may also denote a leopard or large feline; the Physiologus tradition typically identifies it with the panther, known for its sweet breath and enmity with the serpent.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ከመ፡ ልብሰ፡ ዮሴፍ፡","severity":"info","text":"The comparison of the panther's appearance to 'the garment of Joseph' alludes to the biblical Joseph's coat of many colors (Genesis 37:3), a symbol of beauty and favor in Ethiopic tradition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"ከማሁ፡ እግዚእነ፡ ኢየሱስ፡ ክርስቶስ፡ ተንሥአ፡ እምንዋሙ፡","severity":"info","text":"The panther's three-day sleep and resurrection parallels Christ's resurrection, a common typology in the Physiologus; the Geʿez text explicitly likens Christ's fragrance to the panther's, drawing on Song of Songs and Pauline imagery.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ወኢምንትኒ፡ ፅሩዕ፡ ኢተጽሕፈ፡ ዘተጽሕፈ፡ በእንተ፡ አራዊት፡ ወበእንተ፡ ወአዕዋፍ።","severity":"caution","text":"The final sentence 'nothing is written that is written concerning animals and concerning birds' is obscure; it may be a scribal gloss or a corrupted conclusion, as it contradicts the Physiologus' own content.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Geʿez text's numbering (sixteenth homily) may reflect a different ordering than the Coptic original; the final sentence is ambiguous in meaning and may be a textual corruption or a misplaced note."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":16,"ref":"p16","source":"On the aspischelone\n\n፲ወ፯ፍካሬ፡ በእንተ፡ አስጰደክሎኒ፡\n\nዘውእቱ፡ ርእሰ፡ አራዊተ፡ ምድር። ስቁር፡ ፍጥረቱ። ሰሎሞን፡ ይቤ፡ በምሳሌ፡ እንዘ፡ ይሜህር፡ ወያርኢ፤ ኢትነጽራ፡ ለብእሲት፡\nእኪት፡ እስመ፡ መዓር፡ ይውሕዝ፡ እምከናፍረ፡ ብእሲት፡ ዘማ፤ ወድኅረሰ፡ ትረክብ፡ ዘይመርር፡ እምሐሞት፡ ወበሊኅ፡ ፈድፋደ፡ እመላጼ፡\nዘ፪አፉሁ።\n\nከማሁኬ፡ ሀሎ፡ ዐንበሪ፡ ውስተ፡ ባሕር፡ ዘስሙ፡ አስጵደክሎኒ፡ ዘ፪ኤ፡ ፍጥረታት፡ ቦቱ። ለእመ፡ ርኅበ፡ ያበቁ፡ አፉሁ፡ ወይጼንዉ፡\nጼናሁ፡ ድቁቃት፡ ዓሣት፡ ወይውኅጥ፡ ሶበ፡ ይትጋብኡ። ዐበይትሰ፡ ዓሣት፡ ኢይቀርቡ፡ ኀቤሁ፡ ለውእቱ፡ ዐንበሪ።\n\nበከመ፡ ይቤ፡ ኢዮብ፡ ሙሴ፡ ወኤርምያስ፡ ወኵሎሙ፡ ማኅበረ፡ ነቢያት። ዮዲትሂ፡ ለሆሎፎርኒስ፡ አጕየየቶ፡ ወሞአቶ፤ ኣስቴርኒ፡\nለአርስጥርክሴስ፤ ሶስናሂ፡ ለረበናት፤ ጤቅላሂ፡ ለታምሬንስ። ፪ፍጥረቱሰ፡ ለአንበር፤\n\nዐቢይ፡ ውእቱ፡ በሕቁ፡ ከመ፡ ደሴት። ወኢያእሚሮሙ፡ ከመ፡ ዘውስተ፡ ደሴት፡ ደሬስዩ፡ ዲቤሁ፡ ለውእቱ፡ ዐንበሪ፡ ዘያበስሉ፡ ዓሣ። በሞቅ፡ ያርሕስ፡ ውስተ፡ ባሕር፡ ወያሰጥም፡ አሕማረኒ።","english":"On the aspischelone\n\nThe seventeenth homily. Concerning the aspischelone.\n\nNow it is the head of the beasts of the earth; its nature is monstrous. Solomon said in the Proverb, while teaching and showing: Do not trust an evil woman, for poison drips from the lips of a woman; and afterward you will find what is bitterer than gall, and exceedingly sharp, like a two-edged sword.\n\nLikewise, there is a beast in the sea whose name is aspischelone, which has two natures. If hunger afflicts it, it opens its mouth and emits its odor, and small fish are attracted; but when they gather, it devours them. Large fish, however, do not approach that beast.\n\nAs Job, Moses, and Jeremiah, and all the company of the prophets said: Judith also deceived Holofernes and killed him; Esther deceived Artaxerxes; Susanna deceived the elders; Thecla deceived Tamyrenes. Now the nature of the beast: it is large, truly like an island; and they do not perceive, as those on an island, that they are walking upon that beast, which devours fish. In the heat it rests in the sea and drowns sailors.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"aspischelone","severity":"info","text":"The term 'aspischelone' (Geʿez: አስጰደክሎኒ) is a loan from Greek ἀσπιδοχελώνη, meaning 'asp-tortoise' or 'shield-turtle', a mythical sea creature combining serpent and turtle traits.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Proverbs","severity":"info","text":"The reference to Solomon's Proverb about the evil woman and poison from lips echoes Proverbs 5:3-4, though not a direct citation; the Physiologus adapts it to illustrate the aspischelone's deceptive nature.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"aspischelone","severity":"info","text":"The aspischelone is a variant of the medieval 'asp-tortoise' or 'aspicoleon', known from the Physiologus tradition; its two natures (attracting small fish, repelling large) symbolize deceptive allure and danger.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"Judith, Esther, Susanna, Thecla","severity":"info","text":"The passage lists biblical and apocryphal heroines (Judith, Esther, Susanna, Thecla) who deceived powerful men, paralleling the aspischelone's deceptive emission of odor to trap prey.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"narrative","severity":"info","text":"This passage follows the homily's pattern: a moral warning (against evil women) introduces the creature's description, then a list of scriptural exempla reinforces the allegory of deception.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"aspischelone","severity":"caution","text":"The Geʿez text's identification of the aspischelone as 'head of the beasts of the earth' is inconsistent with its later description as a sea creature; this may reflect a scribal conflation or corruption.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Geʿez text opens with 'head of the beasts of the earth' but then describes a sea creature; the intended referent may be a land-based beast or a textual error.","The list of heroines (Judith, Esther, Susanna, Thecla) is abruptly inserted; the connection to the aspischelone's nature is implicit and may be a later addition."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":17,"ref":"p17","source":"አንተኒ፡ እመ፡ ሰቀልከ፡ ዲቤሁ፡ ርእሰከ፡ ይትፌሣሕ፡ ዲያብሎስ፡ ወያሰጥመከ፡ ምስሌሁ፡ ውስተ፡ ቀላየ፡ ገሃነም። ሠናየ፡ ይቤ፡\nፊሳልጎስ።\n\nOn the partridge\n\n፲ወ፰ፍካሬ፡ በእንተ፡ ቆቃህ።\n\nኤርምያስ፡ ይቤ፤ ቆቃህ፡ ነቃዊ፡ ያስተጋብእ፡ ሎቱ፡ ውሉደ፡ ዘኢወለደ፡ ወይገብር፡ ብዕለ፡ ብዙኀ፡ በጻዕር፡ ወየኀድጎ፡ በልህቅናሁ፡\nወኮነ፡ አብደ።\n\nፊሳልጎስ፡ ይቤ፤ ነኪረ፡ የሐፅን፡ ከንቶ፡ ይጻሙ፡ ልሂቆሙ፡ ውሉደ፡ ይሰርሩ፡ ኀበ፡ አዝማዲሆሙ፡ ወየኀድግዎ፡ ባሕቲቶ፡ አብደ።\n\nዲያብሎስኒ፡ ከማሁ፡ ይመሥጥ፡ ሕፃናተ፡ ኅሊና፡ ኀቤሁ፡ ዘኢወለደ፡ ወአመ፡ ይልህቁ፡ በአእምሮ፡ ወይሰምዑ፡ ስመ፡ አቡሆሙ፡ ክርስቶስ፡\nወውእቶሙ፡ ምእመናን፡ ወቅዱሳን፡ ሐዋርያት፡ የኀድግዎ፡ ለዲያብሎስ፡ አብደ፡ ወየሐውሩ፡ ኀበ፡ ክርስቶስ። ሠናየ፡ ይቤ፡ ፊሳልጎስ፡\nበእንተ፡ ቆቃህ።\n\nOn the vulture\n\n፲ወ፱ፍካሬ፡ በእንተ፡ ጊጶስ፡ ዘውእቱ፡ አውስት።\n\nይቤ፡ መድኀኒነ፡ በወንጌል፤ አሌሎን፡ ለፅኑሳት። ፊሳልጎስ፡ ይቤ፤","english":"On the aspischelone, the seventeenth homily. Concerning the aspischelone. Now it is the head of the beasts of the earth; its nature is monstrous. Solomon said in the Proverb, while teaching and showing: Do not trust an ev\n\nYou also: if you place your head upon it, your head will be cut off. The devil will cause you to fall with him into the lake of Gehenna. Good, says Physiologus.\n\nOn the partridge\n\nThe eighteenth homily. Concerning the partridge.\n\nJeremiah said: The partridge gathers to itself young that it did not bear, and it does much labor in toil, and abandons them when they are grown. And it became barren.\n\nPhysiologus said: It steals the eggs of others, and hatches them; when their young are grown, they go to their relatives and abandon it alone, barren.\n\nThe devil likewise seduces the children of the mind to himself, whom he did not beget; and when they grow in understanding and hear the name of their Father, Christ, and they are believers and holy apostles, they abandon the devil, barren, and go to Christ. Good, says Physiologus, concerning the partridge.\n\nOn the vulture\n\nThe nineteenth homily. Concerning the vulture, which is the ostrich.\n\nOur Savior said in the Gospel: Woe to the barren. Physiologus said:","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"፲ወ፰ፍካሬ፡ በእንተ፡ ቆቃህ።","severity":"info","text":"The passage contains three numbered homilies (17–19) on distinct animals: aspischelone, partridge, and vulture. The transition between them is marked by the formulaic headings.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ቆቃህ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ቆቃህ (qoqāḥ) is translated as 'partridge'. The Physiologus tradition uses the partridge as a type of the devil who gathers others' young.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ኤርምያስ፡ ይቤ፤ ቆቃህ፡ ነቃዊ፡ ያስተጋብእ፡ ሎቱ፡ ውሉደ፡ ዘኢወለደ፡","severity":"info","text":"The passage attributes a saying about the partridge to Jeremiah, but this is not a direct biblical quotation. It likely derives from a patristic or apocryphal source, possibly the Physiologus itself.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ጊጶስ፡ ዘውእቱ፡ አውስት።","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez identifies the vulture (ጊጶስ, gigos) as the ostrich (አውስት, awst). This reflects a conflation in the Physiologus tradition where the ostrich is treated as a type of vulture.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"አሌሎን፡ ለፅኑሳት።","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'Woe to the barren' echoes a Gospel sentiment (cf. Matthew 24:19 or Luke 20:1, though not verbatim). The Physiologus applies it to the vulture/ostrich as a moral lesson.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ዲያብሎስኒ፡ ከማሁ፡ ይመሥጥ፡ ሕፃናተ፡ ኅሊና፡","severity":"info","text":"The devil is allegorized as the partridge, seducing 'children of the mind' (i.e., the faithful) away from Christ. This moralizing interpretation is typical of the Physiologus tradition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Geʿez text for homily 17 is incomplete in the English draft; the Coptic original may have had a fuller moral. The attribution to Jeremiah is not scriptural and may be a misattribution in the Physiologus tradition."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":18,"ref":"p18","source":"ጊጶስ፡ ይነብር፡ ውስተ፡ አድባር፡ ነዋኃት፡ ወየዐይል፡ ውስተ፡ ዐበይት፡ ወኖመ፡ ውስተ፡ ድንጋገ፡ ደብር። ወአንስቲያዊት፡ ለእመ፡\nፀንሰት፡ ተሐውር፡ ብሔረ፡ ህንደኬ፡ ወትነሥእ፡ እብነ፡ አውጣኪዮስ። እብኑሰ፡ ይመስል፡ ከርካዐ፡ ወክቡብ፡ አካሉ። ወለእመ፡\nአጸንጸልዎ፡ ይደምፅ፡ እንተ፡ ውስጡ። ብእሲትኒ፡ ለእመ፡ ፀባ፡ ወሊድ፡ ወትነብር፡ ዲቤሁ፡ ትወልድ፡ እንበለ፡ ጻማ።\n\nአንተሂ፡ ጽኑዐ፡ ከዊነከ፡ በመንፈስ፡ ቅዱስ፡ ንሣእ፡ እብነ፡ አውጣኪዮስ፡ ዘመነንዎ፡ ነደቅት፡ ወውእቱ፡ ኮነ፡ ርእሰ፡ ማእዘንት፡\nወንበር፡ ዲቤሁ፡ ወትድኅን፡ እምሕማም። ይቤ፡ ኢሳይያስ፡ ነቢይ፤ በእንተ፡ ፈሪሆትከ፡ እግዚኦ፡ ፀነስነ፡ ሐመምነሂ፡ ወወለድነ፡\nመንፈሰ፡ አድኅኖትከ፡ በዲበ፡ ምድር። በአማን፡ አውጣኪዮስ፡ እብነ፡ ቅዱስ፡ እግዚእነሂ፡ ክርስቶስ፡ ተረግዘ፡ ገቦሁ፡ ዘእንበለ፡ ደዌ፤\nወዘእንበለ፡ ዘርእ፡ በሥጋ፡ እምድንግል፡ ተወልደ፡ እንበለ፡ ሕማም። ወበከመ፡ አውጣኪዮስ፡ እንተ፡ ውስጡ፡ ካልእ፡ ኀይል፡ ቦቱ፡\nእግዚእነሂ፡ ረቂቅ፡ መለኮት፡ ኅዱር፡ በሥጋሁ። ሠናየ፡ ይቤ፡ ዘይቤ።","english":"The aspischelone dwells in the mountains of the valleys and goes up into the great heights and sleeps in the cavern of the mountain. And the female, if she conceives, goes to the land of India and takes the stone called eugtakios. The stone resembles a tortoise and is round in form. And if they strike it, what is inside sounds. And the woman, if she fights and gives birth and sits upon it, she gives birth without pain.\n\nYou also, strengthen your womb with the Holy Spirit; take the stone eugtakios which we have named; it is the head of the corner, and sit upon it, and you will be saved from pain. Isaiah the prophet said: \"Concerning your fear, O Lord, we conceived, we travailed, and we gave birth to the spirit of your salvation upon the earth.\" Truly, eugtakios is a holy stone. Our Lord Christ was born without sickness and without seed, in the flesh from the Virgin, born without pain. And just as eugtakios, what is inside has another power, so our Lord: subtle divinity, dwelling in his flesh. Good is what he who spoke said.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"አውጣኪዮስ (eugtakios)","severity":"info","text":"The stone name 'eugtakios' is a Geʿez transliteration of a Greek or Coptic term, possibly related to εὐκταῖος (eukaios, 'votive' or 'prayerful'), but its exact referent is uncertain.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Isaiah 26:17–18 (allusion)","severity":"info","text":"The quotation 'Concerning your fear, O Lord, we conceived, we travailed, and we gave birth to the spirit of your salvation upon the earth' is not a direct biblical verse but a paraphrase of Isaiah 26:17–18, adapted to the homily's theme of painless birth.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"aspischelone","severity":"info","text":"The 'aspischelone' is a mythical beast from the Physiologus tradition, often identified with the asp or a serpent-like creature; its association with a stone from India reflects medieval lapidary lore.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"narrative to moral","severity":"info","text":"The passage shifts from a narrative description of the aspischelone's behavior to a moral allegory, where the stone eugtakios symbolizes the Holy Spirit and Christ's birth, following the typical Physiologus pattern.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Christological allegory","severity":"info","text":"The homily interprets the stone's inner power as analogous to Christ's dual nature—subtle divinity dwelling in flesh—reflecting Miaphysite Christology common in Geʿez tradition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"አውጣኪዮስ (eugtakios)","severity":"caution","text":"The stone name 'eugtakios' may be a scribal corruption or variant; the Geʿez text's spelling varies, and its identification with a known mineral is uncertain.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the stone eugtakios is unclear; it may be a legendary or symbolic object rather than a real mineral.","The quotation attributed to Isaiah is a loose paraphrase, not a verbatim scriptural citation."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":19,"ref":"p19","source":"On the ant-lion\n\n፳ፍካሬ፡ በእንተ፡ መርሜርቆሌዎስ፡ ዘውእቱ፡ ቃህም።\n\nኤልፋዝ፡ ቴሜናዊ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ይቤ፤ ሰኳዕት፡ ኀልቀ፡ ኀጢኦ፡ ዘይበልዕ።\n\nፊሳልጎስ፡ ይቤ፤ ገጹ፡ ዘዐንበሳ፡ ወሐቌሁ፡ ዘቃህም። አቡሁ፡ በላዔ፡ ሥጋ፡ ውእቱ፡ እሙሰ፡ በላዒተ፡ እክል፡ ይእቲ። በእንተ፡\nዝንቱ፡ ይመውቱ፡ ውሉድ፡ ተባዕታይ፡ ሶበ፡ ትነሥኦሙ፡ እሙ። ኢይረክቡ፡ ሥጋ፡ ወኢይበልዕ፡ እክለ፡ አሜሃ፡ ይመውት፡ በረኃብ፡ እስመ፡\n፪ፍጥረቱ።\n\nከማሁ፡ ኑፉቀ፡ ልብ፡ ዘክልኤ፡ ፍኖቱ። ኢመፍትው፡ ይንበር፡ ውስተ፡ ጸሎት፡ እንዘ፡ ይናፍቅ፡ ዘአልቦ፡ አሚን። በከመ፡ ተብህለ፤\nእመኒ፡ እወ፡ እወ፡ ወእመኒ፡ አልቦ፡ አልቦ።\n\nOn the weasel\n\n፳፩ነገር፡ በእንተ፡ ጋሌን፡ ዘስሙ፡ ህርስቲዮስ።\n\nይቤ፡ በሕግ፤ ኢትብላዕ፡ ጋሌነ። ከመዝ፡ ፍጥረቱ፤\n\nአንስቲያዊት፡ ሶበ፡ ትትራከበ፡ ምስለ፡ ተባዕታይ፡ ትትዌከፍ፡ ዘርአ፡ በአፉሃ፡ ወትፀንስ፡ ወትወልድ፡ እንተ፡ እዝና።\n\nከማሁ፡ ከንቶ፡ ሀለዉ፡ ሰብእ፡ እለ፡ ይነሥኡ፡ ኅብስተ፡ መንፈሳዌ፡ ነገረ፡ ቤተ፡ ክርስቲያን፡ ወያወፅኡ፡ ነገረ፡ እምእዘኒሆሙ፡\nወኢይወድይዎ፡ ውስተ፡ ልቦሙ፡ በከመ፡ አምሳሊሃ፡ ለጋሌን። ኢትብላዕ፡ ብሂል፡ ኢትኅበር፡ ግዕዛ።","english":"On the ant-lion\n\nThe twenty-first discourse: concerning the myrmecoleon, which is the ant-lion.\n\nElphas the Temanite king says: \"The ant-lion has consumed the sin of the glutton.\"\n\nPhysiologus says: Its face is that of a lion, and its hindquarters are those of an ant. Its father is a devourer of flesh, while its mother is a devourer of grain. Because of this, the male offspring die when the mother nurses them, for they find no flesh and eat no grain; then they die of hunger, since they have two natures.\n\nLikewise, the heart of a person of two paths: if he does not dwell in prayer while longing for what has no Amen, as it is said: \"If it is, it is; and if it is not, it is not.\"\n\nOn the weasel\n\nThe twenty-second matter: concerning the weasel, whose name is mustela.\n\nIt says in the Law: \"You shall not eat the weasel.\" Such is its nature.\n\nThe female, when she mates with the male, receives the seed into her mouth and conceives and gives birth through the ear.\n\nLikewise, there are people who receive the spiritual discourse of the Church through their ears and bring forth discourse from their ears, but do not digest it in their hearts, like the likeness of the weasel. \"You shall not eat\" is said; \"you shall not associate with it.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"መርሜርቆሌዎስ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term መርሜርቆሌዎስ (mermerqolewos) is a transliteration of Greek μυρμηκολέων (myrmecoleon), a legendary hybrid creature combining a lion and an ant.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ኢትብላዕ ጋሌነ","severity":"info","text":"The prohibition 'You shall not eat the weasel' echoes Leviticus 11:29, where the weasel is listed among unclean animals not to be eaten.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ኤልፋዝ ቴሜናዊ ንጉሥ","severity":"info","text":"Elphas the Temanite king is a figure from the Book of Job (Job 2:11; 4:1), here cited as an authority on the ant-lion's consumption of sin, though the attribution is unique to this Physiologus tradition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage is divided into two distinct sections: the ant-lion (myrmecoleon) and the weasel, each introduced by a numbered heading ('twenty-first discourse', 'twenty-second matter'), following the typical Physiologus format.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The moralization of the weasel—receiving spiritual discourse through the ear but not digesting it in the heart—reflects a common patristic trope warning against superficial hearing of Scripture.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ኢመፍትው ይንበር ውስተ ጸሎት","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'if he does not dwell in prayer while longing for what has no Amen' is obscure; 'Amen' may refer to a liturgical response or to certainty, and the syntax is ambiguous.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'Elphas the Temanite king' is uncertain; he may be a corruption of Eliphaz the Temanite from Job, but the text attributes a saying not found in the biblical book.","The phrase 'what has no Amen' (ዘአልቦ አሚን) is ambiguous: it could mean 'what lacks certainty' or refer to a liturgical formula without a concluding response.","The weasel's birth through the ear is a legendary detail from classical natural history (e.g., Pliny), but its precise source in the Geʿez tradition is unclear."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":20,"ref":"p20","source":"On the unicorn\n\n፳፪ፍካሬ፡ በእንተ፡ አርዌ፡ ዘስሙ፡ መኖቅሪጥስ፡\n\nዘውእቱ፡ ርኢም፡ ዘ፩ቀርኑ። ይቤ፡ በመዝሙር፤ ወይትሌዐል፡ ቀርንየ፡ ከመ፡ ዘ፩ቀርኑ። ከመዝ፡ ፍጥረቱ፤\n\nንኡስ፡ አርዌ፡ ውእቱ፡ ወአምሳሉ፡ ጠሊ፡ ወየዋህ። ወኢይክል፡ ነዓዊ፡ ለኪፎቶ፡ በይነ፡ ጽንዑ፡ ወ፩ቀርኑ፡ ማእከለ፡ ርእሱ። ዘከመ፡\nእፎ፡ ይእኅዝዎ። ያሰረግዉ፡ ድንግለ፡ ሠናይተ፡ በሰርጕ፡ ሠናይ፡ ወያነብሩ፡ አንጻረ፡ ገጹ፡ ሶቤሃ። ይቀርብ፡ ወይሰርር፡ ወይትሐቀፍ፡\nውስተ፡ ሕፅና፡ ወተነሥእ፡ ድንግል፡ አምኃ፡ ለንጉሥ፡ ወትረክብ፡ ቦቱ፡ ብዕለ፡ ዐቢየ።\n\nዝንቱ፡ አምሳሊሁ፡ ለመድኀኒነ፡ ዘአንሥአ፡ ለነ፡ ቀርነ፡ መድኀኒትነ፡ እምቤተ፡ ዳዊት፡ ገብሩ። ኢክህሉ፡ ኀይላት፡ እለ፡ ውስተ፡\nአርያም፡ ቀሪቦቶ፡ ወለኪፎቶ፤ አላ፡ አጽለለ፡ ውስተ፡ ሕፅነ፡ ድንግል፡ ማርያም። ቃል፡ ከዊኖ፡ ሥጋ፡ ኀደረ፡ ምስሌነ።\n\nOn the beaver\n\n፳፫ፍካሬ፡ በእንተ፡ አርዌ፡ ዘስሙ፡ ቀርጣርዮስ።\n\nየዋህ፡ በሕቁ፡ ወፅምው፡ ውእቱ። በእስኪቱ፡ ይበቍል፡ ጸጕር፡ ነዊኅ፡ ዘይከውን፡ ፈውሰ። በእንተዝ፡ ሶበ፡ ይዴግኖ፡ ነዓዊ፡ ይገድፍ፡\nመቲሮ፡ እምጸጕሩ፡ ለነዓዊሁ፡ ወየኀድጎ። ለእመኒ፡ ተለዎ፡ ካልእ፡ ይትኀባእ፡ ተደቢሮ፡ እስከ፡ ይሬኢ፡ ከመ፡ አልቦ፡ ዘይንዕዎ። ሶቤሃ፡ የሐውር፡ ፍኖቶ።","english":"On the unicorn\n\nThe twenty-second discourse: concerning the beast whose name is Monokeros, which is the unicorn, which has one horn. He says in the Psalm: \"And my horn shall be exalted like that of the unicorn.\" Like its nature: It is a small beast, and its appearance is gentle and meek, and it cannot be hunted by hunters because of its strength, and it has one horn in the middle of its head. How then do they capture it? They lead a beautiful virgin to a beautiful place and place her opposite its face. Then it approaches and leaps and rests in her bosom, and the virgin rises up and brings it to the king, and they find in it great wealth.\n\nThis is the likeness of our Savior, who raised up for us the horn of our salvation from the house of David, his servant. The powers that are in heaven could not capture him or hunt him. But the Word descended into the bosom of the Virgin Mary, and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.\n\nOn the beaver\n\nThe twenty-third discourse: concerning the beast whose name is Kastorios. It is truly meek and chaste. Because of its nature, it grows long hair which becomes a remedy. For this reason, when a hunter pursues it, it cuts off its testicles from its hair and abandons them. And if another pursues it, it hides itself, fleeing until it sees that there is no one who pursues it. Then it goes on its way.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"መኖቅሪጥስ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term መኖቅሪጥስ (monokeros) is a direct borrowing from Greek μονόκερως, meaning 'one-horned' or 'unicorn'. The text explicitly glosses it as ርኢም ዘ፩ቀርኑ (a wild beast with one horn).","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ወይትሌዐል ቀርንየ ከመ ዘ፩ቀርኑ","severity":"info","text":"The quotation 'And my horn shall be exalted like that of the unicorn' echoes Psalm 92:10 (LXX 91:11) but is not a verbatim match; it adapts the verse to the unicorn typology. The Geʿez text likely follows a Physiologus tradition that reworks the psalm verse.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The capture of the unicorn by a virgin is a standard Physiologus motif, symbolizing the Incarnation. The virgin leads the beast to the king, and great wealth is found in it, a detail that reinforces the allegorical reading of Christ's salvific power.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage contains two distinct discourses: the twenty-second on the unicorn and the twenty-third on the beaver. Each follows the pattern: description of the animal, its capture or behavior, and a Christological allegory.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The beaver's self-castration to escape hunters is a Physiologus topos used to allegorize chastity and renunciation. The Geʿez text adds that the beaver's hair is a remedy, a detail that may reflect local medical lore or a variant tradition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The Geʿez text for the beaver says it cuts off its testicles 'from its hair' (እምጸጕሩ), which is ambiguous: it may mean the testicles are attached to the hair, or that the animal cuts them off and leaves them in its fur. The English draft simplifies this.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Geʿez phrase እምጸጕሩ (from its hair) in the beaver passage is ambiguous: it could mean the testicles are cut off from the hair (i.e., the hair is the means of cutting) or that they are cut off and left in the hair. The English draft takes the latter reading.","The psalm quotation is not exact; the Geʿez may be adapting a known Physiologus version rather than a direct biblical citation."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":21,"ref":"p21","source":"አንተሂ፡ ጠቢብ፡ ምትር፡ እምኔከ፡ ዘውእቱ፡ ፍትወተ፡ ሥጋ፡ ዝሙት፡ ወሥሥዕት፡ ወትዕቢት፡ ወዘይመስሎ፡ ወኅድግ፡ ለነዓዊከ፡\nዲያብሎስ፡ ከመ፡ ትበል፤ ነፍስነሰ፡ እምሠጠት፡ ከመ፡ ዖፍ፡ እመሥገርት፡ ነዓዊት።\n\nOn the hyena\n\n፳፬ፍካሬ፡ በእንተ፡ ዝእብ።\n\nይቤ፡ በውስተ፡ ዝእብ፤ ቦአመ፡ ይከውን፡ ተባዕተ፡ ወቦአመ፡ ይከውን፡ አንስተ። ወውእቱ፡ ርኩስ፡ እምኵሉ፡ አራዊት፡ በተዋልጦ፡\nፍጥረቱ።\n\nኤርምያስ፡ ነቢይ፡ ይቤ፤ በአተ፡ ዝእብ፡ በአተ፡ ኮነኒ። አንተሂ፡ ኢትኩን፡ ከመ፡ ዝእብ፡ ወጽናዕ፡ በ፩ሕግ። ጰውሎስኒ፡ ይቤ፤\nአንስትኒ፡ ኀደጋ፡ ፍጥረቶን፡ ወተመሰላ፡ በዘኢኮነ፡ ፍጥረቶን። ሠናየ፡ ይቤ፡ ፊሳልጎስ።\n\nOn the enudris\n\n፳፭ፍካሬ፡ በእንተ፡ ኢንድርዳኖስ።\n\nሀሎ፡ አርዌ፡ ንኡስ፡ ዘይመስል፡ ከልበ። ፀሩ፡ ውእቱ፡ ለሐርገጽ። ሶበ፡ ይነውም፡ ሐርገጽ፡ አፉሁ፡ ብቅው። ወዝኩ፡ አርዌ፡\nዘዘከርነ፡ ስሞ፡ ይዴበር፡ ዲበ፡ ጽቡር፡ ወይትቀባእ፡ ኵለንታሁ። ወእምከመ፡ የብሰ፡ ጽቡር፡ ይበውእ፡ ውስተ፡ አፉሁ፡ ለሐርገጽ፡\nድቁስ፡ ወይበልዕ፡ ንዋየ፡ ውስጡ፡ እስከ፡ ይበጽሕ፡ ለሞት።","english":"You also, wise man, turn away from that which is the desire of the flesh, fornication, and lust, and pride, and that which resembles them, and leave your enemy the devil, as you say: \"The soul, when it has escaped like a bird from the snare of the enemy.\"\n\nOn the hyena\n\nThe twenty-fourth discourse: concerning the hyena.\n\nHe says in the Scripture: \"The hyena, sometimes it becomes male and sometimes it becomes female.\" And it is the filthiest of all wild animals in the change of its nature.\n\nThe prophet Jeremiah says: \"The hyena, the hyena has come.\" You also, be not like the hyena, but be steadfast in one law. Paul also says: \"Women have abandoned their nature and have become like that which is not their nature.\" The Physiologus says well.\n\nOn the enudris\n\nThe twenty-fifth discourse: concerning the enudris.\n\nThere is a small animal which resembles a dog. It is the enemy of the crocodile. When the crocodile sleeps, its mouth is open. And that animal whose name we have mentioned goes upon the mud and rolls itself entirely in it. And when the mud dries, it enters into the mouth of the sleeping crocodile and eats its entrails within until it reaches death.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"On the hyena / On the enudris","severity":"info","text":"This passage contains two distinct discourses (24th and 25th) on the hyena and the enudris, each introduced by a formulaic heading. The transition is marked by a blank line in the Geʿez.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ዝእብ (hyena)","severity":"info","text":"The hyena's changing sex is attributed to 'Scripture' (ይቤ በውስተ ዝእብ). This likely echoes a lost or apocryphal source, as no canonical biblical verse describes the hyena as changing sex.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ኤርምያስ ነቢይ (Jeremiah the prophet)","severity":"info","text":"The citation 'The hyena, the hyena has come' is not found in the canonical Book of Jeremiah. It may derive from a pseudepigraphal or patristic tradition attributing a saying to the prophet.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ጰውሎስ (Paul)","severity":"info","text":"The reference to Paul saying 'Women have abandoned their nature' is not a direct quotation from the canonical Pauline epistles. It may reflect a paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 11 or a patristic gloss.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ኢንድርዳኖስ (enudris)","severity":"info","text":"The term 'enudris' (ኢንድርዳኖስ) is a Geʿez transliteration of Greek ἐνυδρίς, meaning 'otter' or 'water animal'. The Physiologus describes it as a small dog-like creature that kills crocodiles by entering their mouths.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ሐርገጽ (crocodile)","severity":"info","text":"The enudris's method of killing the crocodile by entering its open mouth while it sleeps is a common motif in ancient natural history, found in Herodotus and later bestiaries, though the Physiologus adapts it for moral allegory.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The source of the hyena's sex-change claim is unclear; it may be from a lost apocryphal text or a misattribution. The Jeremiah and Paul quotations are not verbatim from canonical scriptures, leaving their origin ambiguous."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":22,"ref":"p22","source":"ሐርገጽ፡ ይትሜሰል፡ በዲያብሎስ። እርዌሰ፡ ኢንድርዳኖስ፡ አርአያ፡ መድኀኒነ፡ ክርስቶስ። ለቢሶ፡ ሥጋ፡ ምድራዊተ፡ እንተ፡ ይእቲ፡\nተቀብኦ፡ ጽቡር፡ ወረደ፡ ውስተ፡ ሲኦል፡ ወበርበረ፡ ዘውስቴታ፡ ነፍሳተ፡ ወቀተሎ፡ ለሞት፡ በከመ፡ ተብህለ፤ ኢይቴ፡ ቀኖትከ፡ ሞተ፡\nወአይቴ፡ መዊኦትከ፡ ሲኦል። ወበከመ፡ ፀአቱ፡ ለአርዌ፡ እምከርሠ፡ ሐርገጽ፡ እግዚእነሂ፡ ተንሥአ፡ እመቃብር፡ በሣልስት፡ ዕለት፡\nሕያወ፡ እንበለ፡ ሙስና።\n\nOn the ichneumon\n\n፳፮ነገር፡ በእንተ፡ አርዌ፡ ዘስሙ፡ አኪሞን።\n\nፀሩ፡ ለከይሲ፡ ውእቱ። ይቤ፡ ፊሳልጎስ፤ ለእመ፡ ርእየ፡ ከይሴ፡ ይትቀባእ፡ ጽቡረ፡ ወበዘነቡ፡ አንፎ፡ የዐቅብ፡ ከመ፡ ኢይንስኮ፡ አርዌ፡ ምድር።\n\nከማሁ፡ መድኀኒነ፡ ነሢኦ፡ ሥጋ፡ ሰብእ፡ ኀብአ፡ መለኮቶ። ወነበረ፡ በጽንፈ፡ ባሕር፡ ዘውእቱ፡ ዓለም፡ ወህየ፡ ቀተሎ፡ ለፈርዖን፡\nዘይነብር፡ ዲበ፡ ተከዜ፡ ግብጽ፡ ዘውእቱ፡ ዲያብሎስ። ዝኩ፡ አርዌ፡ ለቢሶ፡ መሬተ፡ ይከድን፡ ርእሶ፡ ለከይሲ፡ ሶበ፡ ቀርበ፡ ኀቤሁ፡\nበኢያእምሮ። ክርስቶስኒ፡ ሶበ፡ ኢኮነ፡ በሥጋ፡ በእፎ፡ እምተሀጕሎ፡ ለዲያብሎስ። እንዘ፡ ይሬኢ፡ ከመ፡ አምላክ፡ እምይሴአሎ፤ አንተሰ፡\nኵሉ፡ በእዴከ፡ አፍርሀኒ፡ ለቀሪብ፡ ሥንከ። አላ፡ አትሐተ፡ ርእሶ፡ ወአድኀነ፡ ኵሎ።","english":"The ichneumon is compared to the devil. The serpent called the asp is a type of our savior Christ, who put on earthly flesh, which is corruptible, and descended into hell, and devoured the souls within it, and killed death, as it is said: \"Where is your sting, death? And where is your victory, hell?\" And just as the serpent came out of the belly of the ichneumon, so also our Lord rose from the tomb on the third day, alive without corruption.\n\nOn the ichneumon\n\nThe twenty-sixth discourse is about the serpent whose name is ichneumon.\n\nIt is the enemy of the crocodile, says Physiologus. When it sees the crocodile, it rolls in mud, and with its mouth open, it watches, like a serpent of the earth.\n\nLikewise, our Savior put on human flesh, hid his divinity, and dwelt by the shore of the sea, which is the world, and there he killed Pharaoh, who dwells on the Nile of Egypt, who is the devil. This serpent, when it has put on mud, hides itself from the crocodile when it approaches it, without the crocodile's knowledge. So also Christ, when he was in the flesh, while he was being pursued by the devil, he appeared as God, but the devil did not know him. \"All things are in your hand; you have terrified me, for your power is near.\" But he bowed his head and saved all.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"On the ichneumon","severity":"info","text":"The passage shifts from the hyena to the ichneumon, marking a new discourse (the twenty-sixth) with a distinct animal type and moral interpretation.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"አኪሞን (ichneumon)","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term አኪሞን (ʾakimon) transliterates the Greek ichneumon, a mongoose-like animal. In the Physiologus tradition, it is a type of serpent or enemy of the crocodile.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Where is your sting, death? And where is your victory, hell?","severity":"info","text":"This echoes 1 Corinthians 15:55 and Hosea 13:14, but the exact phrasing is not a direct biblical quotation; it is a liturgical or patristic adaptation common in Ethiopic homilies.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Pharaoh on the Nile","severity":"info","text":"Pharaoh here symbolizes the devil, a common typology in early Christian exegesis (e.g., Origen, Homilies on Exodus). The Nile setting reflects the Egyptian origin of the Physiologus.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"ichneumon and crocodile","severity":"info","text":"The ichneumon’s mud-rolling and ambush of the crocodile parallels Christ’s incarnation and hidden divinity overcoming the devil. This allegory appears in other Physiologus versions (e.g., Latin).","cites":[{"key":"dossier:latin-de-miraculis-thomae","label":"gap dossier: The Miracles of the Blessed Apostle Thomas (Latin)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/latin-de-miraculis-thomae"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"All things are in your hand...","severity":"info","text":"The closing line may be a liturgical or hymnic insertion, not from the original Physiologus. It reflects Ethiopic homiletic practice of concluding with a doxological or prayerful address.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Geʿez text conflates the ichneumon with a serpent (አርዌ), whereas classical Physiologus distinguishes them; the reading here follows the Geʿez identification.","The phrase 'All things are in your hand...' is ambiguous in source; it may be a free citation or a scribal addition."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":23,"ref":"p23","source":"On the crow\n\n፳፯ፍካሬ፡ በእንተ፡ ቋዕ።\n\nይቤ፡ ኤርምያስ፤ ነበርኩ፡ ከመ፡ ቋዕ፡ ገዳመ፡ ባሕቲትየ። ገዳመ፡ ይቤላ፡ ለኢየሩሳሌም። ፊሳልጎስ፡ ይቤ፤\n\nሶበ፡ ሞተ፡ ምተ፡ ቋዕ፡ ኢትነሥእ፡ ካልአ፡ ምተ፡ ተባዕታይኒ፡ ኢይነሥእ፡ ካልእተ፡ ብእሲተ።\n\nለኢየሩሳሌምኒ፡ ጉባኤ፡ አይሁድ፡ ቀታሊተ፡ እግዚእ፡ ኢይከውና፡ ካልእ፡ መድኅን፡ እስመ፡ ይቤ፤ ፈኀርኩክሙ፡ ለ፩ምት፡ ድንግል፡\nወንጹሕ፡ ከመ፡ ትቅረባሁ፡ በንጽሕ፡ እለ፡ ትዜምዋ፡ በእብን፡ ወበዕፅ። እመሰ፡ ብነ፡ ሐዲስ፡ ትምህርትነ፡ ተፍኅርነ፡ ለክርስቶስ፡\nኢይበውእ፡ ዘማዊ፡ ዲያብሎስ፡ ውስቴትነ። ወእመ፡ ወፅአ፡ ኀይለ፡ ቃል፡ እምልብነ፡ ያረስሐነ፡ መስተቃትል። እስመ፡ ይቤ፤ ኢይነውም፡\nወኢይዴቅስ፡ ዘየዐቅቦ፡ ለእስራኤል። እምይእዜሰ፡ ኢይባኡ፡ ፈያት፡ ውስተ፡ ሐዲስ፡ ሀገር፡ ዘውእቱ፡ ልብ። ሠናየ፡ ይቤ፡ ፊሳልጎስ።\n\nOn the turtledove\n\n፳፰ነገር፡ በእንተ፡ ማዕነቅ።\n\nይቤ፡ በማሕልየ፡ መሓልይ፤ ቃለ፡ ማዕነቅ፡ ተሰምዐ፡ በምድርነ።","english":"On the Crow\n\nJeremiah says, “I was like a crow in the desert, alone.” He says this to Jerusalem. Physiologus says: When one crow dies, another crow does not take a second mate, nor does it take another female. Likewise, the assembly of the Jews, which killed the Lord, will not have another savior, for it is said, “I chose you as a single virgin, pure, so that you might approach me in purity; those who stone you and beat you with wood—if a new teaching of ours chooses us for Christ, the heavenly devil will not enter into us. And if the power of the word departs from our heart, the adversary will destroy us.” For it is said, “He does not sleep, nor does he rest, who has set a trap for Israel.” From now on, there will be no good fruit in the new city, which is the heart. So says Physiologus.\n\nOn the Turtledove\n\nThe twenty-eighth discourse: On the turtledove.\n\nIt is said in the Song of Songs: “The voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ነበርኩ ከመ ቋዕ ገዳመ ባሕቲትየ","severity":"info","text":"The opening quote, 'I was like a crow in the desert, alone,' is attributed to Jeremiah but is not a direct biblical verse; it may be a paraphrase of Jer 9:1 or a similar lament.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ቋዕ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez word 'ቋዕ' (qwaʿ) means 'crow' or 'raven,' a bird associated in the Physiologus tradition with solitude and monogamy, here applied allegorically to the Jews.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ፊሳልጎስ","severity":"info","text":"The name 'Physiologus' (ፊሳልጎስ) is the traditional author of the bestiary; this passage cites him twice, indicating the homily's reliance on the Physiologus tradition for moral allegory.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ቃለ ማዕነቅ ተሰምዐ በምድርነ","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'The voice of the turtledove is heard in our land' echoes Song of Songs 2:12 (LXX) or a similar verse, though the Geʿez text may follow a different versification.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"፳፰ነገር በእንተ ማዕነቅ","severity":"info","text":"The passage marks a new discourse, 'The twenty-eighth discourse: On the turtledove,' indicating a clear structural division within the homily, typical of the Physiologus format.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ኢይባኡ ፈያት ውስተ ሐዲስ ሀገር","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'there will be no good fruit in the new city' is ambiguous: 'new city' may refer to the heart (as glossed) or to a literal Jerusalem, and the allegorical reading is uncertain.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The attribution of the Jeremiah quote is uncertain; it may be a loose paraphrase or a lost apocryphon.","The phrase 'new city' (ሐዲስ ሀገር) is glossed as 'heart' but could also refer to a restored Jerusalem, leaving the allegory open."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":24,"ref":"p24","source":"ፊሳልጎስ፡ ይቤ፤ ማዕነቅ፡ ግሕሥት፡ ጥቀ፡ ውስተ፡ ገዳም፡ ወኢትሄሉ፡ ምስለ፡ ብዙኃን።\n\nወእግዚእነ፡ ክርስቶስ፡ ዐርገ፡ ውስተ፡ ደብረ፡ ዘይት፡ ነሢኦ፡ እምበዙኃን፡ ጴጥሮስሃ፡ ወያዕቆብሃ፡ ወዮሐንስሃ፤ ወእምሰማያት፡\nወረደ፡ ቃል፡ ዘይብል፤ ዝንቱ፡ ውእቱ፡ ወልድየ፡ ዘኣፈቅር፡ ወኪያሁ፡ ሠመርኩ። አግብርትኒ፡ ጽኑዓን፡ ዘክርስቶስ፡ ከማሁ፡ ያፈቅሩ፡\nተግሕሦ፡ ገዳመ፡ በከመ፡ ይቤ፤ ከመ፡ ማዕነቅ፡ እነቁ፡ ወከመ፡ ርግብ፡ እነብብ።\n\nማዕነቅ፡ ዖፍ፡ ዘስሙ፡ ከልዳን። ወኵሉ፡ አዕዋፍ፡ ያፈቅሩ፡ ጊዜ፡ ማእረር፤ ውእቱሰ፡ ኢያፈቅር፡ ጊዜ፡ ማእረር። ሠናየ፡ ይቤ፡\nዘይቤ፡ በእንተ፡ ማዕነቅ።\n\nOn the frog\n\n፳፱ነገር፡ በእንተ፡ ቈርነነዓት፡ ምድራዊ።\n\nፊሳልጎስ፡ ይቤ፤ ከመ፡ ውእቱ፡ ይትዔገሥ፡ ላህበ፡ ወሙቀተ፡ ፀሓይ። ቈርነነዓትሰ፡ እለ፡ ውስተ፡ ማይ፡ ይሴወሩ፡ ውስተ፡ ማዕምቀ፡\nማይ፡ እመ፡ ረከቦሙ፡ ፀሓይ።\n\nወይመስሉ፡ ጽኑዓን፡ ወህግሩታነ፡ ልቡ፡ ዘቀዳሚ፡ እለ፡ ምንዳቤ፡ ዋዕይ፡ ይትዔገሡ። እመ፡ ረከቦሙ፡ ዐቢይ፡ ክረምት፡ በእንተ፡\nገድሎሙ፡ ይመውቱ፡ ዘውእቱ፡ ስደቶሙ፡ ለመሃይምናን። ከመ፡ ይሴወሩ፡ እምላህበ፡ ፀሓይ፡ እለ፡ ውስተ፡ ማይ፡ እሙንቱ፡ እለ፡ እኁዛን፡\nበፍቅረ፡ ተድለ፡ ዓለም፤ እመ፡ ረከቦሙ፡ ንስቲት፡ ይትዔወሩ፡ ወይገብኡ፡ ዳግመ፡ ውስተ፡ ንዝህላል። ሠናየ፡ ይቤ፡ ፊሳልጎስ።","english":"Physiologus says: The frog is exceedingly cold in the desert, and it does not go with many.\n\nAnd our Lord Christ ascended the Mount of Olives, and he called from among the many Peter and James and John; and from the heavens a voice came down saying, “This is my son whom I love, and I have chosen him.” The strong servants of Christ likewise love the cold of the desert, as he says: “Like the frog I am cold, and like the dove I mourn.”\n\nThe frog is a bird whose name is “cold-one.” And all birds love the time of harvest; but it does not love the time of harvest. Good, he says, concerning the frog.\n\nOn the frog\n\nThe twenty-ninth discourse concerning the terrestrial frog.\n\nPhysiologus says: How it is tormented by the flame and heat of the sun. For frogs that dwell in water, in the depth of the water, if the sun finds them.\n\nAnd they resemble the strong and the ascetics of the former heart, who are tormented by the affliction of the world. If a great winter finds them because of their deeds, they die, which is the persecution of the faithful. As they flee from the heat of the sun, those who dwell in water are those who are brothers in the love of the deception of the world. If a little finds them, they are troubled and return again into the deep. Good, says Physiologus.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ማዕነቅ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ማዕነቅ (maʿnaq) is used for both 'frog' and 'cold-one,' creating a wordplay that the English draft renders as 'cold-one' for the bird name.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT4915PhysA","label":"source edition: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage contains two distinct sections: the first on the frog (ማዕነቅ) as a desert bird, and the second on the terrestrial frog (ቈርነነዓት ምድራዊ), marked by a heading and a new discourse number (29).","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT4915PhysA","label":"source edition: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Mount of Olives","severity":"info","text":"The reference to Christ ascending the Mount of Olives and calling Peter, James, and John echoes the Gospel accounts of the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1, Mark 9:2, Luke 9:28) and the voice from heaven recalls the baptismal declaration (Matthew 3:17).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The Physiologus tradition often pairs animal behaviors with moral or allegorical interpretations; here the frog's coldness and solitude are linked to asceticism, and the terrestrial frog's flight from heat to water symbolizes avoidance of worldly deception.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT4915PhysA","label":"source edition: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez version of Physiologus (betmas) preserves a distinct ordering and numbering of chapters; the 'twenty-ninth discourse' here corresponds to a section on the frog, showing adaptation from the Coptic Vorlage.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The English draft conflates two different animals (a desert bird called 'cold-one' and a terrestrial frog) under the same heading 'On the frog,' which may obscure the original distinction in the Geʿez between ማዕነቅ and ቈርነነዓት.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT4915PhysA","label":"source edition: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Geʿez term ማዕነቅ is ambiguous: it can mean 'frog' or 'cold-one' (a bird), and the text plays on both senses. The second section uses ቈርነነዓት for 'frog,' suggesting a different creature. The English draft's translation of ማዕነቅ as 'frog' in the first section may be a misreading; the text explicitly calls it a bird (ዖፍ)."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":25,"ref":"p25","source":"On the deer\n\n፴ነገር፡ በእንተ፡ ሀየል።\n\nዳዊት፡ ይቤ፤ ከመ፡ ያፈቅር፡ ሀየል፡ ኀበ፡ አንቅዕተ፡ ማያት፡ ከማሁ፡ ታፈቅር፡ ነፍስየ፡ ኀበ፡ እግዚአብሔር። ፊሳልጎስ፡ ይቤ፤\n\nሀየል፡ ፀሩ፡ ለከይሲ፡ ውእቱ፤ ለእመ፡ ጐየ፡ ከይሲ፡ እምሀየል፡ ይበውእ፡ ውስተ፡ ንቅዐተ፡ ምድር። ሀየልኒ፡ ይመልእ፡ ከርሦ፡ ማየ፡\nወይቀይእ፡ ውስተ፡ ንቅዐታት፡ ወሶቤሃ፡ ይወፅእ፡ ከይሲ፤ ወይቀትሎ፡ ሀየል።\n\nከማሁ፡ እግዚእነሂ፡ ቀተሎ፡ ለዐቢይ፡ ከይሲ፡ ዘበሰማያት፡ እንዘ፡ ቀዲሙ፡ ቃለ፡ ጥበብ፡ ቦቱ፤ ኢክህለ፡ ጸዊረ፡ ማይ፡ ከይሲ፡\nዲያብሎስኒ፡ ጸዊረ፡ ቃለ፡ ሰማያዌ። አንተሂ፡ እመቦ፡ ውስተ፡ ልብከ፡ ዘይብለከ፡ ኢትዘሙ፡ ወኢትስርቅ፡ ወኢትሑር፡ ብእሲተ፡ ብእሲ፡\nዘሐዲስ፡ ሕግ፡ ማየ፡ ትምህርት፡ ሰቲየከ፡ ቅትል፡ ኵሎ፡ ምግባረ፡ ከንቶ። እግዚእነሂ፡ ሰደዶ፡ ለዐቢይ፡ ከይሲ፡ ዲያብሎስ፡\nእምሰማያት፡ ዘኀብአ፡ ርእሶ፡ ውስተ፡ ማዕምቅተ፡ ምድር፡ ወዐቢይ፡ ንቀዐት። እግዚእነ፡ ከዐወ፡ እምገቦሁ፡ ማየ፡ ወደመ፡ ወቀተሎ፡\nለከይሲ። ለነሰ፡ ቤዘወነ፡ በማየ፡ ዳግም፡ ልደት፡ ወመሀረነ፡ ኵሎ፡ ቀቲለ፡ ኅቡአ፡ ምግባረ፡ ምስለ፡ ዲያብሎስ።","english":"On the deer\n\nDavid says: As the deer longs for springs of water, so my soul longs for the Lord. Physiologus says:\n\nThe deer is the enemy of the serpent. If the serpent sees the deer, it enters into a hole in the ground. The deer fills its belly with water and vomits it into the holes, and when the serpent comes out, the deer kills it.\n\nLikewise, our Lord killed the great serpent in the heavens, having first spoken a word of wisdom: \"You who have drunk water, serpent, and the devil who has drunk a heavenly word.\" And you, wherever in your heart it says to you, \"Do not fast, do not give alms, do not fear a woman or a man,\" the new law of the water of teaching you have drunk, kill all the works of falsehood. Our Lord expelled the great serpent, the devil, from the heavens, who hid his head in the depths of the earth and in great holes. Our Lord cast water and blood from his mouth and killed the serpent. For us, he baptized us with the water of rebirth and taught us all the hidden works of killing with the devil.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ዳዊት፡ ይቤ፤ ከመ፡ ያፈቅር፡ ሀየል፡ ኀበ፡ አንቅዕተ፡ ማያት፡ ከማሁ፡ ታፈቅር፡ ነፍስየ፡ ኀበ፡ እግዚአብሔር።","severity":"info","text":"The opening line echoes Psalm 42:1 (LXX 41:2): 'As the deer longs for springs of water, so my soul longs for the Lord.' The Geʿez adapts the psalmist's simile to introduce the deer's typology.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ሀየል፡ ፀሩ፡ ለከይሲ፡","severity":"info","text":"The deer-serpent enmity is a standard Physiologus topos, found in Greek and Latin recensions. The deer's water-vomiting tactic is a natural-history detail drawn from ancient lore, not biblical.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ከይሲ፡","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term 'kəysi' (ከይሲ) means 'serpent' and is used here for both the earthly serpent and the cosmic 'great serpent' (ዐቢይ፡ ከይሲ፡) identified with the devil. The same word carries the allegorical weight of evil.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ከማሁ፡ እግዚእነሂ፡ ቀተሎ፡ ለዐቢይ፡ ከይሲ፡","severity":"info","text":"The passage follows the standard Physiologus pattern: natural description (deer vs. serpent), then allegorical application (Christ vs. devil). The transition marker 'ከማሁ' ('likewise') signals the shift from nature to theology.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ማየ፡ ዳግም፡ ልደት፡","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'water of rebirth' (ማየ፡ ዳግም፡ ልደት፡) explicitly connects the deer's water-vomiting to baptismal theology, a distinctive emphasis in the Ethiopic Physiologus that may reflect local liturgical concerns.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ኢክህለ፡ ጸዊረ፡ ማይ፡ ከይሲ፡","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'You who have drunk water, serpent' is syntactically ambiguous: it may be a direct address to the serpent or a misconstrued quotation. The English draft interprets it as a saying of Christ, but the Geʿez lacks clear quotation marks.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the speaker in the phrase 'You who have drunk water, serpent' is unclear; the Geʿez may be quoting Christ or the Physiologus narrator.","The phrase 'the new law of the water of teaching' (ሐዲስ፡ ሕግ፡ ማየ፡ ትምህርት፡) could refer to baptism or to Christian doctrine generally; the English draft opts for the former."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":26,"ref":"p26","source":"On the salamander\n\n፴፩ነገር፡ በእንተ፡ አርዌ፡ ዘስሙ፡ ሰልመንደር።\n\nይቤ፡ ፊሳልጎስ፡ በእንቲአሁ፤ ለእመ፡ ቦአ፡ ውስተ፡ እቶነ፡ እሳት፡ ይጠፍእ፡ እመሂ፡ ውስተ፡ ብለኔ፡ ይጠፍእ።\n\nእመሰ፡ ሰልመንድር፡ ያጠፍእ፡ እሳተ፡ በፍጥረቱ፡ እፎ፡ ሀለዉ፡ ሰብእ፡ እለ፡ ኢየአምኑ፡ እስከ፡ ይእዜ፡ በእንተ፡ ፫ደቂቅ፡\nተወድዮሙ፡ ውስተ፡ እሳት፡ አቍረርዎ፡ በኀይለ፡ ልቦሙ፡ አሚን። ጽሑፍ፡ ዘይብል፤ እሳትሂ፡ በላህቡ፡ ኢያውዕየከ።\n\nOn the diamond\n\n፴፪ነገር፡ በእንተ፡ ዕንቍ፡ አድማስ።\n\nፊሳልጎስ፡ ይቤ፤ እስመ፡ በደወለ፡ ጽባሕ፡ ይትረከብ፡ አድማስ። በመዓልት፡ ኢይትረከብ፡ ዘእንበለ፡ በሌሊት፡ ወስሙ፡ አድማስ። እስመ፡\nውእቱ፡ ይመውእ፡ ኵሎ፡ ውእቱ፡ ኢይትመዋእ፡ ለመኑሂ።\n\nእግዚእነሂ፡ ኵሎ፡ ይኴንን፡ በከመ፡ ይቤ፡ ለሊሁ፤ መኑ፡ ይዛለፈኒ፡ በእንተ፡ ኀጢአት። ሕዝብ፡ እለ፡ ይነብሩ፡ ውስተ፡ ጽልመት፡\nብርሃነ፡ ርእዩ፡ ወለእለ፡ ውስተ፡ ጽልመት፡ ወጽላሎተ፡ ሞት፡ ብርሃን፡ ሠረቀ፡ ሎሙ፡ በጽባሕ፡ እንከ፡ ይትረከብ፡ አማን። ይቤ፡\nነቢይ፤ ጽባሕ፡ ስሙ። ካልእኒ፡ ይቤ፤ ይሠርቅ፡ ኮከብ፡ እምያዕቆብ። ወሶበ፡ ኮነ፡ አርአያ፡ አድማስ፡ ለምድኀኒነ፡ በከመ፡ ይቤ፡\nኢዮብ፡ በደወለ፡ ጽባሕ፡ ኢይትመዋእ፡ ለዲያብሎስ። ወበከመ፡ ኮኑ፡ ሐዋርያት፡ እንተ፡ ጽባሕ፡ ዝውእቱ፡ ክርስቶስ፡ በከመ፡ ይቤ፡\nመጽሐፍ፡ ውእቱ፡ ይነግር፡ ዘላዕሌሆሙ፡ ስደታተ፡ ወሁከታተ፡ እምኀበ፡ አይሁድ፡ እንዘ፡ ይዘበጡ፡ በምንዳቤ፡ ውስተ፡ አፍላግ፡\nወእምኀበ፡ ፈያት፡ ወሐሳውያን፡ አኀው፡ በምንዳቤ።","english":"On the salamander\n\nThe twenty-first discourse: On the creature whose name is salamander.\n\nPhysiologus says concerning it: If it enters into a furnace of fire, it extinguishes it; likewise, if it enters into a lime-kiln, it extinguishes it.\n\nIf the salamander extinguishes fire by its nature, how much more do those people who have believed until now, for the sake of three coins, cast themselves into fire, burning themselves by the strength of their faith? Amen. Scripture says: Fire does not burn you by its heat.\n\nOn the diamond\n\nThe twenty-second discourse: On the precious stone, the diamond.\n\nPhysiologus says: The diamond is found in the morning dew; it is not found by day, except at night, and its name is diamond, because it conquers everything, and it is not conquered by anyone.\n\nOur Lord judges everything, as he says: Who will accuse me concerning sin? The people who dwell in darkness have seen light, and for those in darkness and the shadow of death, light has dawned for them; in the morning, indeed, the faithful one is found. The prophet says: Its name is morning. Another says: A star shines from Jacob. And when the diamond became a type for our teacher, as Job says: In the morning dew, it is not conquered by the devil. And as the apostles were, whose morning is Christ, as Scripture says: He tells of the persecutions and afflictions that befell them from the Jews, while they were cast into rivers with suffering, and from the Pharisees and scribes, brothers, with suffering.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ሰልመንደር (salamander)","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ሰልመንደር (salamander) is a loanword from Greek σαλαμάνδρα, mediated through Syriac or Arabic. In the Physiologus tradition, the salamander is a legendary creature that extinguishes fire, not the biological amphibian.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"አድማስ (admas, diamond)","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term አድማስ (admas) is a loanword from Greek ἀδάμας (adamas), meaning 'unconquerable'. The text etymologizes the name: 'it conquers everything, and is not conquered by anyone'.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ኢዮብ (Job)","severity":"info","text":"The reference to Job (ኢዮብ) likely alludes to Job 38:28 or a similar verse about dew, though the exact citation is not given. The diamond's association with morning dew and unconquerability is applied typologically to Job's steadfastness.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ነቢይ (prophet)","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'The prophet says: Its name is morning' may refer to a prophetic book (e.g., Isaiah 60:1 or similar) where 'morning' symbolizes salvation or Christ. The exact verse is not identified in the text.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"፫ደቂቅ (three coins)","severity":"info","text":"The mention of 'three coins' (፫ደቂቅ) likely refers to the thirty pieces of silver for which Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus, a common typological motif in Ethiopic homiletics. The salamander's fire-extinguishing nature contrasts with those who 'cast themselves into fire' for material gain.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"፴፩ነገር (twenty-first discourse) / ፴፪ነገር (twenty-second discourse)","severity":"info","text":"The passage is divided into two numbered discourses (21 and 22), each treating a separate natural subject (salamander, diamond). This numbering is a structural feature of the Ethiopic Physiologus, organizing the moral and typological interpretations.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The exact scriptural references for the prophet and Job are not explicitly cited; the text may be paraphrasing or alluding to multiple verses.","The phrase 'three coins' could also refer to a different sum or a local idiom for betrayal, though the Judas typology is most plausible.","The identity of 'our teacher' (ምድኀኒነ) in the diamond section is ambiguous; it may refer to Christ, a church father, or a monastic teacher."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":27,"ref":"p27","source":"ወበከመ፡ አድማስ፡ ኢተመውአ፡ እምእለ፡ ይትቃረንዎ፡ ከማሁ፡ ኵሎሙ፡ ማኅበረ፡\nነቢያት፡ ወኵሎሙ፡ ቅዱሳን፡ ይሌብዉ፡ ዘንተ።\n\nOn the swallow\n\n፴፫ነገር፡ በእንተ፡ ዖፍ፡ ዘስሙ፡ ከሊዲን።\n\nዝንቱ፡ አምሳሊሆሙ፡ ለአበው፡ ዘአስቄጥስ፡ ፍጹማን፡ በግብሮሙ። ይነውም፡ እስከ፡ የኀልፍ፡ ክረምት፡ ወበሐጋይ፡ ይነቅህ።\n\nእሉኒ፡ እምከመ፡ ኀለፈ፡ ክረምተ፡ መከራሆሙ፡ እንዘ፡ ይትዔገሡ፡ ኵሎ፡ ዘየኀልፍ፡ ሞገደ፡ ሕማማት፡ ዲበ፡ ሥጋሆሙ፡ ይዜከሩ፡ ቀዊመ፡\nቅድመ፡ አምላክ፡ አመ፡ ይብሉ፤ ንቃህ፡ ዘትነውም፡ ወተንሥእ፡ እሙታን፡ ወያበርህ፡ ለከ፡ ክርስቶስ፡ ፀሓየ፡ ጽድቅ። ሙታንሰ፡\nኢይሬእዩ፡ ብርሃነ፡ እለ፡ ኢነቅሁ፡ ለቅኔ፡ ሠናይ፡ ወተቀንዩ፡ ለግልፎ፡ ወለፍትወት፡ ርኩስ። በእንቲአሆሙ፡ ሠናየ፡ ይቤ፡ ፊሳልጎስ። ዖፍሰ፡ ከሊዲን፡ ይሄሉ፡ ፅምወ፡ ውስተ፡ ፩መካን፡ እስከ፡ የኀልፍ፡ ክረምት።\n\nOn the epidexion tree\n\n፴፬ነገር፡ በእንተ፡ ዕፅ፡ ዘስሙ፡ ኤጲዲቅስዮ፡ ዝብሂል፡ የማናዊ።","english":"And as the diamond is not overcome by those who test it, so all the company of prophets and all the saints speak this.\n\nOn the swallow\n\nThe thirty-third discourse: On the bird whose name is swallow.\n\nThis is the likeness of the fathers of asceticism, perfect in their deeds. It sleeps until winter passes, and in summer it awakens.\n\nThese are like those who, after the winter of their tribulations has passed, while they are being tested, remember all the waves of sufferings that pass over their flesh, standing before God when they say: “Awake, you who sleep, and arise, you dead, and Christ, the sun of righteousness, will shine for you.” The dead, however, do not see the light, for they have awakened to evil gain and have girded themselves for deceit and foul lust. Concerning them, Physiologus says well. The swallow bird, however, remains in one place until winter passes.\n\nOn the epidexion tree\n\nThe thirty-fourth discourse: On the tree whose name is epidexion, a sacrifice of the right hand.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage contains two distinct discourses: the swallow (discourse 33) and the epidexion tree (discourse 34), separated by a heading.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ከሊዲን","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term 'ከሊዲን' (kälidin) is a transliteration of Greek 'χελιδών' (chelidōn), meaning 'swallow'.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ኤጲዲቅስዮ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term 'ኤጲዲቅስዮ' (epidexion) is a transliteration of Greek 'ἐπιδείξιον', meaning 'of the right hand' or 'sacrifice of the right hand'.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The swallow's hibernation-like behavior (sleeping through winter) is a common trope in ancient natural history, used here as an allegory for ascetic withdrawal and spiritual awakening.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'Awake, you who sleep, and arise, you dead' echoes New Testament resurrection language, particularly 1 Corinthians 15 and Revelation 20, though not a direct quotation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The epidexion tree discourse is unique to the Geʿez Physiologus tradition and does not appear in the Greek or Latin versions, indicating a later addition or local adaptation.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Geʿez text for the swallow discourse is fragmentary; the phrase 'ኢይሬእዩ' (ʾuyreʾyu) is uncertain, possibly a scribal error for 'ኢይሬእዩ' (ʾuyreʾyu, 'they do not see') or a variant spelling.","The relationship between the swallow and the epidexion tree discourses is unclear; they may be thematically linked by the motif of waiting or testing."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":28,"ref":"p28","source":"ወሀሎ፡ በብሔረ፡ ህንደኬ፡ ሠናይ፡ ዕፁ፡ ወፍሬሁ፡ ጥዑም፡ ወመዐርዒር፡ ጥቀ። ወለአርጋብ፡ ይጥዕሞሙ፡ ወይሴሰዩ፡ እምኔሁ። ወሀሎ፡\nከይሲ፡ ፀሮሙ፡ ለአርጋብ፡ ዘይቀትሎሙ፤ ባሕቱ፡ ያፈርሆ፡ ጽላሎተ፡ ዝኩ፡ ዕፅ፡ ወደደኩመ። ወለእመ፡ ጌገየት፡ ርግብ፡ ወርሕቀት፡\nእምጽላሎት፡ ጸኒሖ፡ ከይሲ፡ ያሀጕላ።\n\nዝንቱ፡ ያሌቡ፡ ለአብ፡ አምሳሊሁ፡ በከመ፡ ይቤላ፡ ገብርኤል፡ ለእግዚእትነ፡ ማርያም፤ መንፈስ፡ ቅዱስ፡ ይመጽእ፡ ላዕሌኪ፡ ወኀይለ፡\nልዑል፡ ይጼልለኪ። ዕፅሰ፡ ሕይወቱ፡ ለዘየአምን፡ ወይገብር፡ ፍሬ። ርግብኒ፡ ኅሊናሁ፡ ዘይሰርር፡ በጽላሎተ፡ ክነፊሁ፡ ለአብ፡ ዘውእቱ፡\nረድኤተ፡ የማኑ። ይትዐቀቡ፡ ምእመናን፡ ወይሴሰዩ፡ ትምህርተ፡ ጥበብ፡ እመንፈስ፡ ዘይጼልሎሙ፡ ዘውእቱ፡ ፍሥሓ፡ ወሰላም፡ ወትዕግሥት፡\nሲሳየ፡ ነፍስ። ነቢርሰ፡ ኀበ፡ ኢበጽሐ፡ ጽላሎቱ፡ ዘውእቱ፡ ሐዊር፡ በጽልመተ፡ ጌጋይ፡ ፍትወት፡ እኪት፡ አጣዕዎ፡ ዝሙት፡ ወስርቅ፡\nትዕቢት፡ ወሐሰት፡ ወሥሥዕት፡ ወትዕግልት፡ እሎንተ፡ ረኪቦ፡ ዲቤነ፡ በቀሊል፡ ያሀጕለነ፡ እንዘ፡ ኢብጹሓን፡ ንሕነ፡ ኀበ፡ ጽላሎተ፡\nሕይወት። በእንተዝ፡ አእሚሮ፡ ሐዋርያ፡ ዕፀ፡ መስቀል፡ ቀታሊሁ፡ ለከይሲ፡ ይጸርኅ፡ ወይብል፤ ሊተሰ፡ ኢይደልወኒ፡ እትመካሕ፡\nዘእንበለ፡ በመስቀሉ፡ ለክርስቶስ፡ እስመ፡ በኀቤየ፡ ምውት፡ ዓለም፡ ወአነሂ፡ ምውት፡ በኀበ፡ ዓለም። ሠናየ፡ ይቤ፡ ፊሳልጎስ፡\nበእንተ፡ ዕፅ፡ ኤጲዴቅስዮ።","english":"And there is in the land of India a good tree, and its fruit is sweet, and its shade is very great, and it shelters the partridges and they eat from it. And there is also the hunter who kills the partridges; but he fears the shade of that tree and does not approach. And if the partridge goes out and distances itself from the shade, the hunter catches it.\n\nThis is the likeness of the Father, as Gabriel said to our Lady Mary: \"The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.\" The tree of life is for him who believes and produces fruit. And the partridge is his wisdom, which works in the shadow of the Father's wing, which is the help of his right hand. The faithful are preserved and they partake of the teaching of wisdom from the Spirit that overshadows them, which is joy, peace, patience, and the nourishment of the soul. But he who dwells where the shadow does not reach, which is to go into the darkness of error, evil desire has led him astray: fornication, theft, pride, falsehood, and deceit. These things, having found us, easily catch us while we are far from the shadow of life. Because of this, the Apostle, having made the wood of the cross his killer of the hunter, cries out and says: \"Woe to me! It does not benefit me to boast without the cross of Christ, for in my presence the world is dead, and I too am dead in the presence of the world.\" The good Physiologus says concerning the tree of the Epideixis.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ከይሲ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ከይሲ (kayəsī) is used for 'hunter' and is a key figure in the allegory, representing the devil or worldly temptation.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"መንፈስ ቅዱስ ይመጽእ ላዕሌኪ ወኀይለ ልዑል ይጼልለኪ","severity":"info","text":"This echoes the Annunciation narrative (Luke 1:35), where Gabriel tells Mary that the Holy Spirit will come upon her and the power of the Most High will overshadow her.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ዕፅ ኤጲዴቅስዮ","severity":"info","text":"The 'tree of the Epideixis' (ዕፅ ኤጲዴቅስዮ) refers to the title of the Physiologus work, which is sometimes called 'Epideixis' (Demonstration) in Greek tradition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage transitions from a narrative about the tree and partridge to a typological interpretation, linking the tree to the cross and the partridge to the faithful.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The allegory of the tree and partridge is used to teach about the protective power of the cross and the dangers of straying from divine grace, a common theme in Ethiopic homiletics.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ከይሲ","severity":"caution","text":"The Geʿez text uses ከይሲ (hunter) but the English draft translates it as 'hunter' consistently; however, the allegorical identification with the devil is implicit and not explicitly stated in the passage.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'hunter' (ከይሲ) is not explicitly stated as the devil in the text, though the allegory strongly suggests it.","The phrase 'tree of the Epideixis' (ዕፅ ኤጲዴቅስዮ) may refer to the Physiologus work itself or a specific tree within it."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":29,"ref":"p29","source":"On the dove\n\n፴፭ነገር፡ በእንተ፡ ርግብ።\n\nዮሐንስ፡ ይቤ፤ ርኢኩ፡ ሰማየ፡ ርኅወ፡ ወመንፈስ፡ ቅዱስ፡ እንዘ፡ ይወርድ፡ ከመ፡ ርግብ፡ ወነበረ፡ ዲቤሁ፡ ወመጽአ፡ ቃል፡\nእምሰማይ፡ ዘይብል፤ ዝንቱ፡ ወልድየ፡ ዘኣፈቅሮ፡ ወኪያሁ፡ ሠመርኩ።\n\nወበእንተ፡ አርጋብ፡ ብዙኃን፡ ፊሳልጎስ፡ ተናገረ፡ ወይቤ፤ ሀለዉ፡ እንከ፡ እለ፡ የሐፅኑ፡ ወይሜህሩ። ወብዙኅ፡ ትውልደ፡ አርጋብ፡\nዘዘዚአሁ፡ ራእዮሙ፡ ቦዘሕብሩ፡ ጸሊም። ወቦ፡ ወረቅሪቅ፡ ወቦ፡ ጸዐዳ፡ ወሀሎ፡ ቀይሕ። ፊሳልጎስ፡ ነገር፡ በእንተ፡ አርጋብ፤ እስመ፡\nኵሎን፡ ፈነወ፡ መምህረ፡ ዓለም። አርጋብ፡ ኢይክሉ፡ ምንተኒ፡ አምጽኦ፡ አርጋብ፡ እምባዕዳን፡ እለ፡ የሐፅኑ፡ አርጋብ፡ ውስተ፡\nመሥገርቶን፡ እንበለ፡ ባሕቲቱ፡ ቀይሕ፡ ኢይክሉ፡ አምጽኦቶ፡ ወኦሆ፡ አብሎቶ።\n\nቀዲሙ፡ ፈነወ፡ አብ፡ ቅድመ፡ ምጽአተ፡ ክርስቶስ፡ ቀይሓነ፡ አርጋብ፡ እንዘ፡ ኵሎ፡ ይጼውዕ፡ ለሕይወት፡ ዘለዓለም፡ ሙሴሃ፡\nወኤሊያስሃ፡ ሳሙኤልሃ፡ ወኤርምያስሃ፡ ወኢሳይያስሃ፡ ወሕዝቅኤልሃ፡ ወባዕዳነሂ፡ ነቢያተ። ወአልቦ፡ ዘይክል፡ አብአቶ፡ ለሰብእ፡ ውስተ፡\nሕይወት፡ ዘእንበለ፡ እመ፡ ተፈነወ፡ እግዚእነ፡ ኢየሱስ፡ ክርስቶስ፡ እምሰማያት፡ እምኀበ፡ አቡሁ። ወውእቱ፡ አብአ፡ ኵሎ፡ ውስተ፡\nሕይወት፡ እንዘ፡ ይብል፤ ንዑ፡ ኀቤየ፡ ኵልክሙ፡ ወጽዑራን፡ ወስሩሓን፡ ወአነ፡ ኣዐርፈክሙ። ረዓብኒ፡ ዘማ፡ በአሚኖታ፡ ድኅነት፡\nወአድኀነት፡ ቤታ፡ በትእምርተ፡ ፈትል፡ ቀይሕ። ይቤ፡ በመሓልየ፡ መሓልይ፤ ከመ፡ ፍሕሶ፡ ከናፍርኪ።","english":"On the dove\n\nJohn said: I saw the heavens open, and the Holy Spirit descending like a dove, and it rested upon him, and a voice came from heaven saying: This is my son whom I love, and I have anointed him.\n\nAnd concerning the many doves, Physiologus spoke and said: There are indeed those that are wild and those that are tame. And there is a great variety of doves: some of them have their appearance variegated with black, and some are speckled, and some are white, and there is a red one. Physiologus spoke concerning the doves, because he sent them all as teachers of the world. The doves cannot bring in anything, but the doves from the wilderness, which are wild, are brought into the dovecotes, except for the red one alone; they cannot bring it in, nor tame it.\n\nFirst, the Father sent before the coming of Christ the red dove, while calling all to eternal life: Moses, and Elijah, and Samuel, and Jeremiah, and Isaiah, and Ezekiel, and the other prophets. And there is no one who can bring a man into life unless the Lord Jesus Christ was sent from the heavens from his Father. And he brought all into life, saying: Come to me, all of you, the weary and the heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. And Rahab, who through her faith received salvation and saved her house by the sign of the red thread. He said in my dream: Like the kiss of your lips.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"On the dove","severity":"info","text":"The passage opens with a new heading, 'On the dove,' marking a transition from the previous narrative about the partridge and the tree. The heading introduces a distinct section focused on the dove as a symbol.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"John said: I saw the heavens open, and the Holy Spirit descending like a dove","severity":"info","text":"This echoes the baptism of Jesus in the Gospels (e.g., Mark 1:10, Matthew 3:16), where the Holy Spirit descends as a dove. The citation is not direct but a paraphrase common in homiletic literature.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ፊሳልጎስ (Physiologus)","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ፊሳልጎስ (Physiologus) refers to the author of the Physiologus, a Greek natural history allegorized for Christian moral teaching. Here it is used as a source for the dove's symbolism.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"red dove","severity":"info","text":"The 'red dove' is a specific type of dove mentioned in the Physiologus tradition, often symbolizing Christ or the Holy Spirit. Its untamable nature contrasts with other doves, representing the unique and divine nature of Christ.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Rahab","severity":"info","text":"The reference to Rahab and the 'red thread' alludes to the biblical story of Rahab (Joshua 2), where a scarlet cord was used as a sign for salvation. This is a typological interpretation common in patristic and Ethiopic exegesis.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"He said in my dream: Like the kiss of your lips","severity":"caution","text":"The final sentence is obscure and may be a textual corruption or a fragment from a different source. It does not clearly connect to the preceding allegory and may represent a scribal addition or misreading.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'John' in the opening is ambiguous; it may refer to John the Baptist or John the Evangelist, as both are associated with visions of the Holy Spirit. The Geʿez text does not specify.","The final sentence 'He said in my dream: Like the kiss of your lips' is syntactically and thematically unclear; it may be a separate gloss or a damaged passage."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":30,"ref":"p30","source":"እግዚእትነሂ፡ ማርያም፡ ነሥአት፡\nቀይሐ፡ ሜለተ፡ ዘበአማን፡ ትትቀነይ፡ ቦቱ፡ እስከ፡ ይበጽሕ፡ ዕድሜ፡ ዘይትገበር፡ ቦቱ፡ ምስጢር። ዓዲ፡ ጽሑፍ፡ በወንጌለ፡ ማቴዎስ፡\nከመ፡ አመ፡ ይሰቅልዎ፡ ለእግዚእነ አልበስዎ፡ ከለሜዳ፡ ቀይሐ፡ ዘለይ። ወዮሐንስ፡ ይቤ፤ ተዐጽፈ፡ ሜላተ። ዘዝኩሰ፡ ኅቡኣት፡ ኮነ፡\nበእንተ፡ ሥጋዌሁ። ሜላት፡ ዘይቤ፡ ዘመንግሥተ፡ ሰማያት፡ አርአያ። እሰም፡ አልቦ፡ ዘይለብስ፡ ሜላተ፡ እንበለ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ባሕቲቱ። ሠናየ፡ ይቤ፡ ፊሳልጎስ፡ ዘይቤ፡ በእንተ፡ ቀይሓን፡ አርጋብ።\n\nዓዲ፡ ይቤ፤ ኵሎን፡ አርጋብ፡ ለእመ፡ ሖራ፡ ኅቡረ፡ ኢይጠብዕ፡ ጉዛ፡ ለኪፎቶን፡ እስመ፡ እምብዝኆን፡ ወእምድምፀ፡ ክነፊሆን፡ ጊዜ፡\nስረቶን፡ ይፈርህ። ለአሐቲሰ፡ እመ፡ ረከባ፡ ባሕቲታ፡ በቀሊል፡ ይመሥጣ።\n\nዝኒ፡ አርአያ፡ ዘደናግል፡ ውእቱ። እመ፡ ሀለዋ፡ ኅቡረ፡ ውስተ፡ ቤተ፡ ክርስቲያን፡ ወኢኀደጋ፡ ማኅበሮን፡ ይፈርህ፡ በድምፀ፡\nመዝሙሮን፡ ወንባቦን። ወኢይቀርብ፡ ኀቤሆን፡ ጸላኢ። እምከመ፡ ሀለዋ፡ በዕረና፡ ልብ፡ ጸልዮ፡ ኀበ፡ አምላኮን፡ እንዘ፡ ኢያፀርዓ፡\nኢይክሎን፡ መሢጠ። ወኵሎሙ፡ ክርስቲያን፡ በዝንቱ፡ አምሳል፡ ይኩኑ፡ ወኢይኅድጉ፡ ማኅበረ።","english":"Our Lady Mary took a red thread, the work of the hand, and she wove it until the age of her service was fulfilled, and it was a mystery. Again, it is written in the Gospel of Matthew that when they crucified our Lord, they clothed him in a red garment. And John said: The thread of the work was hidden in the mystery of his incarnation. The thread, which is the image of the kingdom of heaven, has no one who wears a thread without a king alone. Physiologus said well concerning the red partridges.\n\nAgain, he said: All partridges, if they go together, do not fear the hunter for their chicks, because of their multitude and the strength of their wings; at the time of their flight, they are afraid. But if one finds itself alone, it is easily captured.\n\nThis is the image of the virgins. If they are together in the church and do not abandon their assembly, they fear not the sound of their psalms and prayers, and the enemy does not approach them. As they are in the pasture of the heart, they pray to their God without ceasing, and they do not weary. And all Christians should be in this likeness and not abandon the assembly.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ቀይሐ፡ ሜለተ","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'red thread' (ቀይሐ፡ ሜለተ) is ambiguous: it may refer to a literal thread Mary wove or symbolically to the seamless garment (χιτών) of Christ, a theme in apocryphal traditions.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ወንጌለ፡ ማቴዎስ","severity":"info","text":"The reference to the Gospel of Matthew (ወንጌለ፡ ማቴዎስ) for the red garment at the crucifixion is not found in the canonical Matthew; it likely draws on apocryphal or liturgical tradition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"አርጋብ","severity":"info","text":"አርጋብ (ʾargāb) is the Geʿez term for 'partridge', here used as a moral symbol. The Physiologus tradition often employs partridge imagery for solitary versus communal virtue.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The partridge as a symbol of the solitary soul vulnerable to capture is a common Physiologus motif, paralleling the dove imagery in the previous passage and reinforcing the homily's communal exhortation.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage transitions from a Marian typology (red thread) to a Physiologus exemplum on partridges, then to a moral application for virgins and all Christians, following the homily's pattern of allegorical interpretation.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The homily's emphasis on communal assembly and fearlessness before enemies reflects the monastic context of the Geʿez Physiologus, likely used for edification in Ethiopian monastic communities.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'red thread' (ቀይሐ፡ ሜለተ) is ambiguous: it may be a literal weaving implement or a symbol of Christ's garment; the text does not resolve this.","The Gospel of Matthew citation for the red garment at the crucifixion is not canonical; the source of this tradition is unclear."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":31,"ref":"p31","source":"On the antelope\n\n፴፮ነገር፡ በእንተ፡ አርዌ፡ ዘስሙ፡ እንድራጶስ።\n\nወውእቱ፡ አርዌ፡ መሪር፡ ጥቀ፡ ወኢይክል፡ ነዓዊ፡ ቀሪቦቶ። ወቦቱ፡ አቅርንት፡ ነዊኃን፡ ወይዌሥር፡ ቦቱ፡ ዕፀወ፡ ነዊኃነ፡\nወያወድቅ፡ ውስተ፡ ምድር። ወእመ፡ ጸምአ፡ ይወርድ፡ ውስተ፡ ተከዜ፡ ኤፍራጥስ፡ ወይሰቲ፡ ማየ። ወሀሎ፡ ህየ፡ ዕፅ፡ ዘስሙ፡ ዘርጣኔ፡\nወአዕጹቂሁ፡ ነዋኃት፡ ወይመጽእ፡ ኀበ፡ ውእቱ፡ ዕፅ፡ ውእቱ፡ አርዌ፡ እንዘ፡ ይትዋነይ፡ ወይትአኀዝ፡ በአዕጹቀ፡ ውእቱ፡ ዕፅ፡ ፀፊሮ፡\nአቅርንቲሁ፡ እንዘ፡ ይፈቅድ፡ ይድኀን፡ ወኢይክል፡ ድኂነ። እስመ፡ ይነቁ፡ ወሰሚዖ፡ ንቃዎ፡ ይመጽእ፡ ነዓዊ፡ ወይወግኦ፡ ለአርዌ፡\nእንዘ፡ ፁፉር፡ ውእቱ።\n\nአንተሂ፡ ሀገሪታይ፡ እንዘ፡ ብከ፡ ፪አቅርንት፡ ዘውእቶሙ፡ ሕግ፡ ሐዲስ፡ ወብሉይ፡ በዘትክል፡ ወጊአ፡ ዘይንዕወከ፡ ኢትትአኀዝ፡\nበአዕጹቀ፡ ዝሙት፡ ወትዝኅርት፡ ወአፍቅሮ፡ ንዋይ፡ ወኵሉ፡ ፍትወታት፡ ዘይወስድ፡ ኀበ፡ ኵነኔ፡ ወኢይርከብከ፡ ጸላኢ፡ ዲያብሎስ።","english":"On the antelope\n\nThere is an animal called the antelope. It is a very bitter animal, and it cannot be caught by a hunter. It has large horns, and it sharpens them on large trees, and it falls to the ground. And if it is thirsty, it goes down to the river Euphrates and drinks water. And there is a tree there called the zertane, and its branches are large. And that animal comes to that tree, playing, and it is caught by the branches of that tree, having entangled its horns while it seeks to be freed, but it cannot be freed. For the hunter awakens, and hearing its cry, comes and kills the animal while it is trapped.\n\nYou too, my city, while you have two horns, which are the New and Old Testaments, and the cross and the faith that strengthen you, do not be caught by the branches of falsehood and heresy, and the love of the world and all the passions that lead to judgment, and the enemy Satan will not find you.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"እንድራጶስ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term እንድራጶስ (ʾəndrāp̄os) is a transliteration of Greek ἀνδρόπους, referring to a mythical antelope-like creature. The Physiologus tradition often uses such exotic names for symbolic animals.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The antelope's self-entanglement in the zertane tree mirrors a common Physiologus motif: the animal's horns (representing the Old and New Testaments) become a snare when misused, leading to its death by the hunter (Satan).","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ሕግ ሐዲስ ወብሉይ","severity":"info","text":"The 'two horns' are explicitly identified as the New and Old Testaments (ሕግ ሐዲስ ወብሉይ), a common allegorical pairing in Ethiopic exegesis, though no specific verse is quoted.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage follows the classic Physiologus pattern: a natural description of the antelope, its fatal entanglement, and a moral allegory addressed to the reader ('You too, my city').","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This homily is part of the Ethiopic Physiologus, a translation of the Greek original, adapted for local liturgical use. The allegory of the antelope appears in other Ethiopic manuscripts as a warning against worldly passions.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"},{"key":"hollis:alma990023200930203941","label":"The life of our blessed Saviour Jesus Christ: : with considerations and discourses upon the conception, nativity, circumcision, baptism, temptation, preaching, miracles, passion, resurrection, and ascension into heaven. : Including several unanswerable arguments obvious to the meanest capacity, in defence of the divinity of our Holy Redeemer, and the truth of the Christian religion. : Likewise, The lives, acts and deaths of the holy evangelists and apostles, as recorded by the primitive fathers, and ancient writers of unquestionable veracity","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/990023200930203941"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'zertane' tree (ዘርጣኔ) is uncertain; it may be a local Ethiopic name or a transliteration of a Greek or Syriac term.","The phrase 'my city' (ሀገሪታይ) could refer to a specific community or be a generic address to the soul."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":32,"ref":"p32","source":"On the fire-stones\n\n፴፯ነገር፡ በእንተ፡ እብን፡ ዘስሙ፡ ጰርጰሎ፡ ዘእምኔሁ፡ ይወፅእ፡ እሳት።\n\nወኵሉ፡ ዘለከፎ፡ ይወዒ። ወ፩ፍጥረቱ፡ ለተባዕተ፡ ወአንስት፡ ወርሑቃን፡ በበይናቲሆሙ። ዝንቱሰ፡ ይትሜሰል፡ በአንስት።\n\nአንተሂ፡ ተዐቀብ፡ ከመ፡ ለኪፈከ፡ ኪያሆን፡ ከመ፡ ኢተዐይ፡ በላህበ፡ ፍትወት፡ ዘይነድድ። ሶምሶንሂ፡ ተሞአ፡ በዝ፡ እስከ፡ ላጸየት፡\nሥዕርቶ፡ ወይክመ፡ ጽንዑ። ወብዙኃን፡ ስሕቱ፡ በአንስት፡ በከመ፡ ጽሑፍ፡ በእንተ፡ ሥነ፡ አንስት።\n\nOn the magnet\n\n፴፰ነገር፡ በእንተ፡ እብን፡ ዘስሙ፡ መጐንጢስ።\n\nተብህለ፡ ከመ፡ ይሰቅሎ፡ ለኀጺን፡ እምከመ፡ ለከፎ፡ ውእቱ፡ እብን።\n\nእመሰ፡ ፍጥረታት፡ ይሰቀሉ፡ በበይናቲሆሙ፡ እፎ፡ ፈድፋደ፡ ፈጣሬ፡ ኵሎ፡ ወገባሬ፡ ኵሉ፡ ዘሰቀሎ፡ ለሰማይ፡ ከመ፡ ቀመር፡ ወሣረራ፡\nለምድር፡ ወአጽንዓ፡ ዲበ፡ ማይ፡ በእንቲአነ። ወውእቱ፡ ተሰቅለ፡ ከመ፡ ይቤዝወነ፡ ፈድፋደ፡ ይደልዎ። ሠናየ፡ ይቤ፡ ፊሳልጎስ፡\nበእንተ፡ መንጐንጢስ።","english":"On the fire-stones\n\nThe forty-seventh discourse is concerning the stone called pyrites, from which fire issues.\n\nAnd everything that touches it is burned. And one of its natures is for the male and the female, and they are distant from each other. This one, however, is likened to the female.\n\nYou also, beware lest you become like one who is burned by the flame of lust that burns. Even Samson was destroyed by this, until his hair was shorn and his strength was cut off. And many have erred through women, as it is written concerning the nature of women.\n\nOn the magnet\n\nThe thirty-eighth discourse is concerning the stone called magnet.\n\nIt is said that it draws iron to itself as if it were touching it, that stone.\n\nIf the creatures draw each other, how much more does the Creator of all and the Maker of all, who suspended the sky like a vault and spread out the earth and fixed it upon the water for our sake, and who himself was suspended as if to redeem us, draw each other? Good, says Physiologus, concerning the magnet.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ጰርጰሎ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ጰርጰሎ (pärpälo) is a transliteration of Greek πυρίτης (pyritēs), meaning 'fire-stone' or pyrite, a mineral that emits sparks when struck.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"መጐንጢስ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term መጐንጢስ (mägʷänṭäs) is a transliteration of Greek μαγνῆτις (magnētis), meaning 'magnet' or 'lodestone'.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Samson","severity":"info","text":"The reference to Samson's destruction by a woman alludes to Judges 16, where Delilah cuts his hair, leading to the loss of his strength and his eventual death.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"fire-stones","severity":"info","text":"The description of pyrites as having male and female natures that are distant from each other reflects ancient natural philosophy, where minerals were thought to have gendered properties, a common trope in Physiologus traditions.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"discourse numbering","severity":"info","text":"The passage numbers the fire-stone discourse as 47 and the magnet discourse as 38, indicating that the Geʿez Physiologus arranges its chapters in a non-sequential order, possibly due to compilation from multiple sources.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Physiologus","severity":"info","text":"The closing phrase 'Good, says Physiologus, concerning the magnet' is a typical editorial formula in the Physiologus tradition, attributing the moral interpretation to the legendary author Physiologus.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Geʿez text does not clarify whether the 'male and female' natures of pyrites refer to two distinct stones or two aspects of the same stone; the translation assumes the latter.","The phrase 'this one, however, is likened to the female' is ambiguous: it may mean the pyrites stone is compared to a woman, or that the female nature of the stone is being discussed."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":33,"ref":"p33","source":"On the saw-fish\n\n፴፱ነገር፡ በእንተ፡ አርዌ፡ ቂጦስ፡ ዓዲ፡ ስሙ፡ ጵርያኖስ።\n\nወቦቱ፡ አክናፍ፡ ዐበይት። ወእመ፡ ርእየ፡ ውእቱ፡ አሕማረ፡ ዐበይተ፡ የሐውር፡ ምስሌሆሙ፡ ወይትቃሐዎሙ። ወሐዊሮ፡ ፴አው፡ ፵ምዕራፈ፡\nአጻሚዎ፡ ክነፊሁ፡ ይገብእ፡ ኀበ፡ ዘቀዳሚ፡ መካኑ።\n\nአሕማርስ፡ ሐዋርያት፡ እሙንቱ፡ ወሰማዕት፡ እለ፡ ተመንደቡ፡ ወተሀውኩ፡ ውስተዝ፡ ዓለም፡ እንዘ፡ ይተዔገሡ፡ ከመ፡ ለአሕማር፡\nየሀውኮሙ፡ ማዕበለ፡ ባሕር፡ እንዘ፡ ይጸውሩ፡ ንዋየ፡ ብዙኀ፡ እስከ፡ ይበጽሑ፡ ኀበ፡ መርሶ። አርዌሰ፡ ዘይትቃሐው፡ ሀለዉ፡ እለ፡\nወጠኑ፡ ግብረ፡ ሠናየ፡ ወገድለ፡ ትሩፈ፡ ወገብኡ፡ ድኅሪተ፡ እንበለ፡ ይበጽሑ፡ ኀበ፡ መርሶ፡ መድኀኒት። ሠናየ፡ ይቤ፡ ፊሳልጎስ፡\nበእንተ፡ ጵርያኖስ።\n\nOn the three children\n\n፵ነገር፡ በእንተ፡ ጽኑዓን፡ ፫ደቂቅ፡ ወዳንኤል።\n\nድኅረ፡ ተወድዩ፡ ውስተ፡ እቶን፡ ወተገድፉ፡ ለዐናብስት፡ ድኅኑ፡ እሞት፡ እንዘ፡ ይሴብሑ፡ እምላከ፡ ዘበእማን። እመሰ፡ ድኅኑ፡ እሉ፡\nአኮ፡ መንክር፡ እምላዕለ፡ ቅዱሳን፡ እመ፡ አንሥኡ፡ ሙታነ፡ ወአፍለሱ፡ አድባረ፡ እንዘ፡ እግዚእ፡ ይረድኦሙ።","english":"On the saw-fish\n\nThe forty-ninth discourse is concerning the saw-fish, whose name is prionos. And it has great wings. And when it sees a great ship, it goes with them and accompanies them. And having gone thirty or forty stades, it spreads its wings and returns to its former place.\n\nNow the ships are the apostles and the martyrs who were scattered and tossed about in this world while they were being persecuted, as the ship is tossed by the waves of the sea, while they gather much wealth until they reach the harbor. But the saw-fish that accompanies them are those who began good works and virtuous deeds and turned back without reaching the harbor of salvation. Good, says Physiologus, concerning the prionos.\n\nOn the three children\n\nThe fortieth discourse is concerning the three steadfast children and Daniel.\n\nAfter they were thrown into the furnace and cast to the lions, they were saved from death while confessing the word of faith. For if these were saved, it is not a wonder beyond the saints, if they raise the dead and move mountains while the Lord helps them.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ጵርያኖስ (prionos)","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez ጵርያኖስ (prionos) is a direct borrowing from Greek πρίων (priōn, 'saw'), referring to the sawfish. The same term appears in the Physiologus tradition as a marine creature with saw-like snout.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"፴ነገር (forty-ninth discourse)","severity":"info","text":"The numbering of discourses in the Geʿez Physiologus does not always correspond to the Coptic Vorlage; here the saw-fish is the 49th discourse, while the three children is the 40th, indicating a possible rearrangement or lacuna in the source.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ጽኑዓን ፫ደቂቅ ወዳንኤል (three steadfast children and Daniel)","severity":"info","text":"The reference is to Daniel 3 (the three youths in the fiery furnace) and Daniel 6 (Daniel in the lions' den). The Geʿez text conflates both episodes, noting their deliverance through faith.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"On the saw-fish / On the three children","severity":"info","text":"This passage contains two distinct discourses (saw-fish and three children) without a clear transition. The saw-fish discourse follows the typical Physiologus pattern: description, allegorical interpretation, and concluding formula.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ፊሳልጎስ (Physiologus)","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez text attributes the moral interpretation to 'Physiologus' (ፊሳልጎስ), a common pseudepigraphal authority in the Physiologus tradition, lending the work an aura of ancient wisdom.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"፴ነገር (forty-ninth discourse)","severity":"caution","text":"The Geʿez numbering of the saw-fish as the 49th discourse is inconsistent with the previous passage (fire-stones, 47th), suggesting either a scribal error or a different ordering in the Ethiopic manuscript tradition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The relationship between the saw-fish and the three children discourses is unclear; they may be separate entries in the manuscript.","The Geʿez text does not specify whether the saw-fish's 'great wings' refer to pectoral fins or a metaphorical attribute."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":34,"ref":"p34","source":"On the ibis\n\n፵ነገር፡ በእንተ፡ አቢሶር፡\n\nርኵስት፡ ውስተ፡ ሕግ፡ በከመ፡ ጽሑፍ። ኢትክል፡ ጸቢተ፡ ውስተ፡ ዕመቀ፡ ባሕር፡ ለመሢጠ፡ ዓሣት፤ አላ፡ ትነብር፡ ሐይቀ፡ ወትጸንሕ፡\nወኢትረክብ፡ እመ፡ ኢሐጸ፡ ማይ።\n\nከማሁ፡ እለ፡ ይጸብቱ፡ ውስተ፡ ባሕረ፡ ፍቅሩ፡ ለእግዚአብሔር፡ ያፈርህዎ፡ ለመሣጢ። እመሰ፡ ኢሰፍሐ፡ እዴሁ፡ መኑሂ፡ በእምሳለ፡\nመስቀል፡ ኢይክል፡ ዐዲወ፡ ባሕር፡ ወቦ፡ አርአያ፡ በኵሉ፡ ፍጥረት፡ ዘያዔውቅ። ፀሓይኒ፡ እመ፡ ኢሰፍሐ፡ ጸዳሎ፡ ኢይክል፡ አብርሆ፡\nወወርኅኒ፤ ከማሁ፡ ዖፍኒ፡ እመ፡ ኢሰፍሐት፡ ክነፊሃ፡ ክልኤተ፡ ኢትክል፡ ትስርር፡ አየረ። ሙሴሂ፡ ሰፊሖ፡ እደ፡ ነትዑ፡ አማሌቅ። ዳንኤልኒ፡ አስገደ፡ ዐናብስተ። ዮናስኒ፡ እምከርሠ፡ ዐንበሪ። ወጤቅላ፡ ተውህበት፡ ለዐንበሳ፡ ወለድብ፡ ወድኅነት፡ በትእምርተ፡\nመስቀል። ወሶሰና፡ ወዮዲት፡ ወአስቴር፡ ወ፫ደቂቅ፡ ኵሎሙ፡ ድኅኑ፡ በዝንቱ፡ አምሳል።\n\nOn the wild goat\n\n፵፩ነገር፡ በእንተ፡ አርዌ፡ ዘስሙ፡ ድርቆድስ።","english":"On the ibis\n\nThe fiftieth discourse is concerning the ibis. It is unclean according to the law, as it is written. It cannot descend into the depth of the sea for the catching of fish, but it lives by the shore and is barren, and it is not found where the water is salty.\n\nLikewise, those who descend into the sea of the love of God cause the tempter to fear. If his hand is spread out, who can stand before the sign of the cross? He cannot cross the sea, and there is a likeness in every creature that knows the sun. If its ray is spread out, it cannot shine, and the moon likewise. So also a bird, if its two wings are spread out, it cannot fly through the air. Moses also spread out his hand and destroyed Amalek. Daniel subdued the lions. Jonah from the belly of the whale, and the three youths were given to the furnace, to the lion and the bear, and deliverance came by the sign of the cross. And Susanna, and Judith, and Esther, and the three youths—all were saved by this likeness.\n\nOn the wild goat\n\nThe fifty-first discourse is concerning the wild animal whose name is the dorkas.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"፵ነገር፡ በእንተ፡ አቢሶር፡","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez heading numbers the discourse as 50, following the Coptic sequence; the English draft omits the numeral.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"አቢሶር፡","severity":"info","text":"Geʿez 'abesor' renders Greek 'ibis'; the bird is classified as unclean in Levitical law, as the text notes.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ርኵስት፡ ውስተ፡ ሕግ፡","severity":"info","text":"The claim that the ibis is 'unclean according to the law' echoes Leviticus 11:13–19, which lists the ibis among forbidden birds.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"external","lemma":"ድርቆድስ።","severity":"info","text":"The wild goat (dorkas) is a standard Physiologus entry; the Geʿez text here only gives the heading, with no moralization preserved.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ሙሴሂ፡ ሰፊሖ፡ እደ፡ ነትዑ፡ አማሌቅ።","severity":"info","text":"Moses spreading his hand to destroy Amalek (Exodus 17:8–13) is cited as a type of the cross; this typology is common in Ethiopic homiletics.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ወሶሰና፡ ወዮዲት፡ ወአስቴር፡","severity":"caution","text":"The list of saved figures (Susanna, Judith, Esther, three youths) conflates distinct biblical and deuterocanonical narratives; the Geʿez text may be a later expansion.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Geʿez text for the ibis section is complete, but the wild goat entry (discourse 51) is only a heading; the moralization is either lost or was never copied.","The phrase 'by this likeness' (በዝንቱ፡ አምሳል።) is ambiguous: it may refer to the sign of the cross or to the ibis's behavior as a type."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":35,"ref":"p35","source":"ተብህለ፡ ውእቱ፡ ያፈቅር፡ ነዋኃተ፡ ወይነብር። ሲሳዮሰ፡ ይረክብ፡ ውስተ፡ አድባር፡ ትሑታን። ወተብህለ፡ ያአምር፡ ውእቱ፡ ኵሎ፡\nዘይመጽእ፡ ኀቤሁ፡ እመሂ፡ በጕሕሉት፡ አው፡ በየውሀት፡ ወበሰላም።\n\nበከመ፡ ይብል፡ ማሕልየ፡ መሓልይ፤ ናሁ፡ ይመጽእ፡ ወልድ፡ እኁየ፡ እንዘ፡ ይቀንጽ፡ ማእከለ፡ አድባር፡ ወያንበሰብስ፡ ዲበ፡ አውግር። አድባረ፡ እንከ፡ መስሎሙ፡ ለነቢያት፡ ወአውግረ፡ ለሐዋርያት። ወዕውቅ፡ ውእቱ፡ ሀየል፡ ከመ፡ አጋር፡ ወአምሳሊሁ፡ ለዝ፡ እስመ፡\nያአምር፡ መድኀኒነ፡ ኵሎ፡ ወአምላክ፡ ውእቱ፡ ይሬኢ፡ ኵሎ፡ መግባሪነ። ለእለሂ፡ ይመጽኡ፡ እምርሑቅ፡ እመሂ፡ በሕብል፡ ወበእከይ፡\nያአምሮሙ፡ በከመ፡ አእመሮ፡ ለይሁዳ፡ ከመ፡ በስዒም፡ ያገብኦ። ዳዊትኒ፤ ያአምር፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ፍኖተ፡ ንጹሓን።\n\nOn the diamond\n\n፵፪ነገር፡ በእንተ፡ ድማንጥስ፡ ዘውእቱ፡ አደማስ።\n\nእብን፡ ጽኑዕ፡ ወኀጺን፡ ኢይፈጽሖ፤ እሳትኒ፡ ኢይክሎ፡ ወጼና፡ ጢስ። ወለእመ፡ ሀሎ፡ ውእቱ፡ ውስተ፡ ቤት፡ ኢይበውእ፡ ጋኔን፡\nወኢምንትኒ፡ ከንቱ፡ ወዘይጸውር፡ ብእሲ፡ ኪያሁ፡ ይመውእ፡ ኵሎ፡ ስሕተተ፡ ዲያብሎስ።","english":"It is said that it loves the marshes and dwells there, obtaining its food in the low-lying mountains. And it is said that it knows everything that comes to it, whether in anger or in kindness or in peace.\n\nAs the Psalmist says: \"Behold, my brother comes, while he cuts through the midst of the mountains and gathers upon the peaks of the mountains,\" like the prophets and the peaks of the apostles. And it is wise, like a stranger, and its likeness is to this, for it knows our Savior, everything, and it is the Lord who sees all our deeds. For those who come from afar, whether in deceit or in evil, it knows them, as it knew Judas, as it bound him in a snare. David also: The Lord knows the path of the pure.\n\nOn the diamond\n\nThe forty-second discourse is concerning the diamond, which is the adamant.\n\nA hard and strong stone, which cannot be broken; fire cannot consume it, nor can iron cut it. And if it is present in a house, a demon cannot enter. And no sorcery or anything that harms a person can prevail against it; it overcomes all the error of the devil.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage transitions from the ibis to the diamond, with the diamond section introduced as the forty-second discourse, matching the Coptic structural pattern of numbered units.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ናሁ ይመጽእ ወልድ እኁየ እንዘ ይቀንጽ ማእከለ አድባር ወያንበሰብስ ዲበ አውግር","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez quotes a Psalm-like verse: 'Behold, my brother comes, while he cuts through the midst of the mountains and gathers upon the peaks.' This echoes Psalm 104:4 (LXX) but is adapted to the Physiologus context.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ድማንጥስ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ድማንጥስ (dǝmānṭǝs) is a loan from Greek ἀδάμας (adamas), meaning 'diamond' or 'adamant,' and is glossed as አደማስ (adamas) in the text.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The diamond's properties—indestructibility, resistance to fire and iron, and apotropaic power against demons and sorcery—are standard in ancient and medieval lapidaries, including the Physiologus tradition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The diamond's ability to 'overcome all the error of the devil' reflects a Christian moralization typical of the Physiologus, where the stone symbolizes Christ or the faithful resisting evil.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Geʿez phrase 'ናሁ ይመጽእ ወልድ እኁየ' (Behold, my brother comes) is ambiguous: it may refer to a biblical figure (e.g., David's brother) or be a Christological allegory, as the Physiologus often reads such passages typologically."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":36,"ref":"p36","source":"አድማስኒ፡ ኢየሱስ፡ ክርስቶስ፡ ውእቱ። ለእመ፡ ሀሎ፡ ውስተ፡ ልብነ፡ ወኢምንትኒ፡ ከንቱ፡ ዘዲያብሎስ፡ አልቦ፡ ዘይዳደቀነ፡\nኢማእዜኒ።\n\nOn the elephant\n\n፵፫ነገር፡ በእንተ፡ አርዌ፡ ዘስሙ፡ ኤልባስ፡ ዘውእቱ፡ ነጌ፡\n\nዘውስተ፡ በዳ። ወውእቱ፡ ጠቢብ፡ አርዌ፡ ወአልቦቱ፡ ፍትወት። ወለእመ፡ ፈተወ፡ ይርከብ፡ ወልደ፡ የሐውር፡ መንገለ፡ ጽባሕ፡ ቅሩብ፡\nገነት። ወሀሎ፡ በምድረ፡ ሲሮንስ፡ ዘውእቱ፡ ሕንካክያ፡ ዕፅ፡ ወየሐውሩ፡ ኅቡረ፡ አንስቲያዊት፡ ወተባዕታይ። ወእመ፡ ቀደመት፡\nአንስቲያዊት፡ ነሢአ፡ እምዕፅ፡ ትሁቦ፡ ለምታ፡ ወትትዋነይ፡ ምስሌሁ፡ እስከ፡ ይነሥእ፡ ወይበልዕ፡ ወይትራከብ፡ ምስሌሃ። ወሶቤሃ፡\nትፀንስ፡ ወአመ፡ በጽሐ፡ ጊዜሃ፡ ለወሊድ፡ ተሐውር፡ ውስተ፡ ፈለግ፡ ዐቢይ፡ ወትወርድ፡ ውስተ፡ ማይ፡ እስከ፡ ይበጽሕ፡ ኀበ፡\nአጥባቲሃ፡ ወህየ፡ ትወልድ፡ ዕጓላ፡ እስከ፡ ይነሥእ፡ አጥባቲሃ፡ ወይጠቡ። ነጌሰ፡ አቡሁ፡ ይጸውሮ፡ እንዘ፡ የዐቅቦ፡ እምነ፡ አርዌ፡\nምድር፡ እስመ፡ ፀሩ፡ አርዌ፡ ምድር፡ ለዕጕለ፡ ነጌ። ወለእመ፡ ረከቦ፡ ነጌ፡ ይጠስዮ፡ በእግሩ፡ ለአርዌ፡ ምድር፡ ወይቀትሎ።","english":"On the elephant\n\nA discourse concerning the animal whose name is Elbas, which is the hedgehog.\n\nIt is in the desert, and it is a wise animal, and it has no desire. And if it wishes, it finds a child and goes toward the east, near a garden. And it is in the land of Siron, which is the henna plant. And the female and the male go together. And if the female precedes, she plucks from the plant and gives it to the male, and she plays with him until he rises and eats and unites with her. Then she conceives. And when her time for giving birth arrives, she goes into a great river and descends into the water until she reaches her teats, and there she gives birth to the young until her teats rise and become dry. The father hedgehog guards him, protecting him from the animals of the earth, for the animals of the earth are hostile to the young of the hedgehog. And if the hedgehog finds him, he tramples the animal of the earth with his foot and kills him.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ኤልባስ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ኤልባስ (ʾElbās) is a transliteration of the Arabic al-baṣṣ, meaning 'hedgehog'. The text explicitly glosses it as ነጌ (nägge), the standard Geʿez word for hedgehog.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ምድረ ሲሮንስ","severity":"info","text":"The place name ምድረ ሲሮንስ (mädra Siron) is identified with the henna plant (ሕንካክያ, ḥənkakəya). This may reflect a confusion or conflation with the biblical land of Siron or a toponym from the Physiologus tradition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage is the 43rd chapter (፵፫ነገር) of the homily, following the pattern of the Physiologus: a description of the animal's behavior, then a moral or allegorical interpretation (here omitted in the excerpt).","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The hedgehog's reproductive behavior—the female plucking a plant, playing with the male, then giving birth in water—is paralleled in other Physiologus versions, though details vary. The motif of the father guarding the young from earth animals is distinctive.","cites":[],"named_sources":["Physiologus Latinus"],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The English draft translates ነጌ as 'hedgehog' but the Geʿez term can also refer to a porcupine or similar spiny mammal. The identification with the hedgehog is conventional but not certain.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The location 'Siron' and its equation with the henna plant are unclear; the text may conflate multiple sources.","The phrase 'it has no desire' (አልቦቱ ፍትወት) is ambiguous: it may mean the animal lacks sexual desire or lacks appetite, but the narrative contradicts this by describing mating."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":37,"ref":"p37","source":"ወፍጥረቱ፡ ከመዝ፡ ውእቱ፤ እመ፡ ወድቀ፡ ኢይክል፡ ተንሥኦ፡ እስመ፡ አልቦ፡ በዘየዐጽፍ፡ ብረኪሁ። ወእመ፡ ፈቀደ፡ ይኑም፡ ያሰምክ፡\nዲበ፡ ዕፅ፡ ወተሰሚኮ፡ ይነውም። ነዐውትሰ፡ እለ፡ ያአምሩ፡ ፍጥረቶ፡ ወመካኖ፡ የሐውሩ፡ ወይዌሥርዎ፡ ለዕፅ፡ እስከ፡ ይተርፍ፡\nንስቲተ፡ ወሶበ፡ ይመጽእ፡ ወያሰምክ፡ ይወድቅ፡ ወይእኅዝ፡ ይጽራኅ፡ ወይብኪ። ወሰሚዖ፡ ካልኡ፡ ይመጽእ፡ ይርድኦ፡ ወኢይክል፡\nወይጸርኅ። ወካዕበ፡ ይመጽኡ፡ ብዙኃን፡ ወኢይክሉ፡ አንሥኦቶ። ወድኅረ፡ ኵሎሙ፡ ይመጽእ፡ ንኡስ፡ ነጌ፡ ውርዝው፡ ወያበውእ፡ እዴሁ፡\nውስተ፡ ገቦሁ፡ ወይሰውቆ፡ ወያነሥኦ። ውእቱሰ፡ ንኡስ፡ ነጌ፡ ያፈርሆ፡ ለአጋንንት፡ ወኢይቀርብ፡ ከይሲ፡ ኀቤሁ።\n\nበአርአያ፡ አዳም፡ ወሔዋን፡ አመ፡ ሀለዉ፡ ውስተ፡ ገነተ፡ ተድላ፡ ወኢያእምሩ፡ እኩየ፤ አሜሃ፡ አልቦ፡ ዘሞኦሙ። ወእምአመ፡\nበልዐትሰ፡ ወአብልዐቶ፡ እምዕፅ፡ ዘያሌቡ፡ ሠናየ፡ ወእኩየ፡ አሜሃ፡ አእከየት። ወአእመራ፡ ብእሲሃ፡ ወወለደት፡ ቃየልሃ፡ ወይቤሎሙ፡\nቈሩ፡ ከመ፡ ማይ፡ በከመ፡ ይቤ፡ ዳዊት፤ አድኅነኒ፡ እግዚኦ፡ እስመ፡ በጽሐኒ፡ ማይ፡ እስከ፡ ነፍስየ። ወመጺኦ፡ ዐቢይ፡ ነጌ፡\nወኢክህለ፡ አንሥኦቶ። ወእምድኅሬሁ፡ መጽኡ፡ ብዙኃን፡ ነጌያት፡ ወኢክህሉ፡ አንሥኦቶ። ወውእቶሙሰ፡ ዐበይተ፡ ነቢያት፡ ወ፲ወ፪ደቂቀ፡\nነቢያት፡ ኢክህሉ፡ አንሥኦቶ፡ ለአዳም። ወመጺኦ፡ ሐዲስ፡ ነጌ፡ መድኀኒነ፡ ወነሥአ፡ አርአያሁ፡ ወከዊኖ፡ ገብረ፡ አንሥአነ። ወአልዐለነ፡ ምስሌሁ፡ ውስተ፡ ሰማያት፡ ወዝንቱ፡ ኮነ፡ አምሳሊሁ።","english":"Its nature is this: if it falls, it cannot get up, because it has no joints in its knees. And if it wishes to sleep, it leans against a tree and, leaning, sleeps. The hunters, who know its nature and its place, go and cut the tree until only a little remains. And when it comes and leans, it falls, and it cries out and weeps. Hearing this, another comes to help it, but cannot, and cries out. And many come, but they cannot raise it. After all of them, a small young elephant comes, puts its trunk into its belly, lifts it, and raises it. This small young elephant frightens the demons, and the wicked one does not approach it.\n\nIn the likeness of Adam and Eve: when they were in the Garden of Eden, they did not know evil; then there was no one who would die. And from the time of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, from which they ate and were fed, then she [Eve] became evil and knew her husband, and she bore her Cain, and he said to them, \"Arise like water,\" as David said: \"Save me, O Lord, for water has reached my soul.\" And the coming of the great elephant, and it could not raise him. And after him, many elephants came, but they could not raise him. And these were the great prophets and the twelve minor prophets; they could not raise Adam. And the coming of the new elephant, our Savior, took his likeness and became his servant, raised us, and lifted us with him into the heavens. And this was his likeness.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ነጌ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term nəge (ነጌ) is used for the elephant throughout the passage, reflecting the Coptic source's use of the same word for the animal.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"አድኅነኒ እግዚኦ እስመ በጽሐኒ ማይ እስከ ነፍስየ","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'Save me, O Lord, for water has reached my soul' echoes Psalm 69:2 (LXX) or a similar verse, though not a direct citation from the canonical Psalms.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The description of the elephant's inability to rise due to lack of knee joints is a common Physiologus motif, derived from ancient natural history traditions.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage follows the typical Physiologus pattern: a natural description of the elephant, followed by a typological interpretation linking it to Adam, Eve, and Christ.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The interpretation of the small elephant as Christ and the great elephants as prophets reflects a Christological reading common in Ethiopic Physiologus manuscripts.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Geʿez text uses 'ነጌ' (nəge) for elephant, but the Coptic original may have used a different term; the reading here follows the Ethiopic tradition.","The reference to 'water' in the David quotation is ambiguous; it may allude to a specific psalm verse not precisely identified."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":38,"ref":"p38","source":"On the agate\n\n፵፬ነገር፡ በእንተ፡ አኩጢስ፡ እብን።\n\nሶበ፡ ይፈቅድ፡ ይኅሥሥ፡ ባሕርየ፡ ያወርድ፡ መሥገርተ፡ ውስተ፡ ባሕር፡ ወየአስር፡ በጽኑዕ፡ መቃጥኖ፡ ወይዌግር፡ መሥገርቶ፡\nወይቀርብ፡ ኀብ፡ ሀሎ፡ ባሕርይ፡ ወይቀውም፡ ህየ፡ ኬንያ። ወኢያንቀለቅል፡ አእሚሮ፡ ርስሐተ፡ መካኑ፡ እንዘ፡ ያተሉ፡ መቃጥኖ፡\nወይረክቦ፡ በትጋህ፡ ለባሕርይ። ወዘከመ፡ እፎ፡ ይትወለድሰ፡ ባሕርይ። ሀሎ፡ ዖፍ፡ ዘስሙ፡ ብርጋኖ፤ እምባሕር፡ የዐርግ፡ ፍና፡ ጽባሕ፡\nአብቂዎ፡ አፉሁ፡ እንዘ፡ ይውኅጥ፡ ጠለ፡ ሰማያት፡ በሥርቀተ፡ ፀሓይ፡ ወወርኅ፡ ወከዋክብት። በእምኵሉ፡ ብርሃናት፡ ይትገበር፡ ባሕርይ። ወብርጋናሰ፡ ዖፍ፡ ዘቦ፡ ፪ክንፍ፡ ዘይፀንሶ፡ ለባሕርይ።\n\nወዝንቱ፡ አምሳሊሁ፡ ለመድኀኒነ፡ ዘተወልደ፡ እንበለ፡ ዘርእ፡ እምባሕቲታ፡ ድንግል፡ ዘይቤሎ፤ ነዋ፡ በግዑ፡ ለእግዚአብሔር፡\nዘያአትት፡ ኀጢአተ፡ ዓለም። ባሕርይኒ፡ ያሴስል፡ ርስሐተ፡ ባሕር፡ ወ፪ክንፍ፡ አምሳለ፡ ሕግ፡ ሐዲስ፡ ወብሉይ። ወፀሓይኒ፡ ወወርኅ፡\nወከዋክብት፡ ወጠል፡ ይትሜሰል፡ በመንፍስ፡ ቅዱስ፡ ዘያበርህ፡ ለኵሉ፡ ወይመልእ፡ ሥልጣኑ፡ ወሥርዐቱ፡ ውስተ፡ ኵሉ። እስመ፡ ባሕርይ፡\nክቡር፡ ውእቱ፡ ወዘይፈቅድ፡ ኪያሁ፡ ይሠይጥ፡ ኵሎ፡ ዘቦ፡ ወያጠርዮ። አንተሂ፡ አግዓዛይ፡ ሢጥ፡ ኵሎ፡ ጥሪተከ፡ ወሀብ፡ ለምስኪናን፡\nከመ፡ ታጥርዮ፡ ለባሕርይ፡ ክቡር፡ ዘውእቱ፡ ክርስቶስ፡ ፀሓይ፡ ጽድቅ፡ ዘያበርህ፡ ለኵሉ፡ ዓለም።","english":"On the agate\n\nThe forty-fourth discourse: concerning the agate stone.\n\nWhen it desires, the elephant goes down, lowering its tusk into the sea, and binds it with a strong rope, and draws out its tusk. It approaches the place where the elephant is, and stands there, in Kenya. And it does not move, having fixed the place of its standing, while it draws the rope. And it finds the elephant by diligence. And as for how the elephant is born: there is a bird whose name is the crane. From the sea it ascends at dawn, having opened its mouth while it drinks the dew of the heavens, at the rising of the sun and the moon and the stars. Among all lights, the elephant is created, and the crane is a bird which has two wings that overshadow the elephant.\n\nAnd this is the likeness of our Savior, who was born without seed from the sole Virgin, of whom it is said: Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. The elephant makes firm the standing of the sea, and the two wings are like the New and Old Testaments. And the sun and the moon and the stars and the dew are likened to the Holy Spirit, which illumines all and fills its authority and its ordinance in all. For the elephant is precious, and he who desires it sells all that he has and buys it. You also, O lord, sell all your possessions and give to the poor, so that you may buy the precious elephant, which is Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, who illumines the whole world.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"አኩጢስ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term 'akwāṭes' (agate) is a loan from Greek ἀχάτης. The stone is the subject of the allegory, not the elephant, which is introduced later.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ብርጋኖ","severity":"info","text":"The crane (Geʿez: bərgāno) is a bird that, in the Physiologus tradition, overshadows the elephant with its wings. This detail is unique to the Ethiopic version and not found in the Greek or Latin recensions.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ነዋ በግዑ ለእግዚአብሔር","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'Behold, the Lamb of God' echoes John 1:29 and 1:36, where John the Baptist identifies Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage is the forty-fourth discourse of the homily, following a narrative about the elephant's fall. It transitions from natural description to typological allegory, identifying the elephant with Christ.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The allegory of the elephant as Christ and the crane as the Holy Spirit is a distinctive feature of the Ethiopic Physiologus, not present in the Greek or Latin versions, indicating a local theological elaboration.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ኬንያ","severity":"caution","text":"The place name 'Kenya' appears in the Geʿez text. This may be a scribal addition or a geographical reference unknown in earlier Physiologus traditions; its origin is uncertain.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Geʿez text conflates the agate stone with the elephant narrative; the relationship between the two is not clearly explained. The reading taken treats the agate as the overarching subject, with the elephant as a secondary allegorical figure."],"confidence":"high","notes":[{"kind":"scripture","severity":"info","ref":"John 1:29","text":"The English carries the scriptural phrase “the lamb of god”, which matches John 1:29. The match is on the English draft; check the Coptic before quoting the verse."}]},{"i":39,"ref":"p39","source":"On the donkey and the ape\n\n፵፭ነገር፡ በእንተ፡ ሐለስትዮ፡ ወበእንተ፡ ሆባይ።\n\nወውእቶሙ፡ በቤተ፡ መንግሥት፡ ይትረከቡ። አመ፡ ፳ወ፭ለመጋቢት፡ እመ፡ ነቀወ፡ ፲፪ጊዜ፡ ያአምሩ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ወሰራዊቱ፡ ከመ፡ ዐረየ፡\nሌሊት፡ ወመዓልት።\n\nእሙንቱሰ፡ እለ፡ አምኑ፡ በቃለ፡ ነቢያት፡ እለ፡ ይትኤመሩ፡ በትእምርት። ወንቃወ፡ ሐለስትዮሰ፡ ዲያብሎስ፡ ወሆባይ፡ አምሳለ፡ ገጹ፡\nዘወጠነ፡ ወኢፈጸመ፡ ዲያብሎስ። ቀዳሚሁ፡ ፩እምሊቃነ፡ መላእክት። ደኃሪሁሰ፡ ተሰምየ፡ ፀረ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ በከመ፡ ተሰምየ፡ ቅሩበ፡\nእግዚአብሔር። ከማሁ፡ ሆባይ፡ አልቦቱ፡ ፍጻሜ። ሠናየ፡ ይቤ፡ ፊሳልጎስ።\n\nOn the Indian stone\n\n፵፮ነገር፡ በእንተ፡ እብነ፡ ህንደኬ።\n\nሀሎ፡ እብን፡ ዘከመዝ፡ ፍጥረቱ፤ እመቦ፡ ዘሐመ፡ እምሰብእ፡ ወኮነ፡ ቅብወ፡ የኀሥሥ፡ ዐቃቤ፡ ሥራይ፡ ለውእቱ፡ እብን፡ ወየአስሮ፡\nላዕለ፡ ሕሙም፡ እማይ፡ ወያነብሮ፡ እስከ፡ ፫ሰዓት። ወእምዝ፡ ይፈጥሖ፡ ለእብን፡ እምላዕለ፡ ብእሲ። ወሶበ፡ ደለውዎ፡ በመድሎት፡\nይስሕብ፡ እብን፡ መድሎተ። ወእመ፡ አንበርዎ፡ ለእብን፡ ውስተ፡ ፀሓይ፡ እስከ፡ ፫ሰዓት፡ ይክዑ፡ አፍአ፡ ኵሎ፡ ማየ፡ ዘሠረበ፡ ብእሲ። ወይከውን፡ ንጹሐ፡ ኵለንታሁ፡ ለእብን፡ ብእሲኒ፡ የሐዩ።","english":"On the donkey and the ape\n\nThe forty-fifth discourse: concerning the donkey and the ape.\n\nAnd they are found in the royal house. On the 25th of Meggabit, if it has rained twelve times, the king and his army know that it has been cut, night and day.\n\nNow those who believed in the word of the prophets are those who are instructed by the sign. And the braying of the donkey is the devil, and the ape is the likeness of his face, which the devil prepared and did not complete. Before, he was one of the chiefs of the angels; afterwards, he was called the enemy of God, just as he was called near to God. Likewise, the ape has no completion. Good, says Physiologus.\n\nOn the Indian stone\n\nThe forty-sixth discourse: concerning the Indian stone.\n\nThere is a stone whose nature is thus: if it touches a person and becomes fat, the physician seeks that stone and places it upon the sick person with water and leaves it for three hours. And then he removes the stone from the person. And when they test it with deceit, the stone reveals the deceit. And if they place the stone in the sun for three hours, it will drink up all the water that the person drank, and the stone will become pure in its entirety, and the person will live.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"፵፭ነገር፡ በእንተ፡ ሐለስትዮ፡ ወበእንተ፡ ሆባይ።","severity":"info","text":"The passage opens two new discourses (45 and 46) with distinct titles, each following the pattern of numbered chapters in the Physiologus tradition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ሐለስትዮ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ሐለስትዮ (ḥalastiyo) is a loanword from Greek ὄνος (onos) via Aramaic or Arabic, meaning 'donkey'.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ሆባይ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ሆባይ (hobay) is a loanword from Arabic قرد (qird) or Persian, meaning 'ape' or 'monkey'.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"በቃለ፡ ነቢያት","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'word of the prophets' (በቃለ ነቢያት) likely alludes to Old Testament prophetic writings, a common source of authority in Ethiopian homiletic literature.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"፳ወ፭ለመጋቢት","severity":"info","text":"The date 25th of Meggabit (መጋቢት) corresponds to March in the Ethiopian calendar, a time of the spring rains; the reference to twelve rains likely reflects a local agricultural or ritual observation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ይቤ፡ ፊሳልጎስ","severity":"info","text":"The closing formula 'Good, says Physiologus' (ሠናየ ይቤ ፊሳልጎስ) is a standard colophon in the Ethiopic Physiologus, affirming the moral interpretation.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'if it has rained twelve times' (እመ ነቀወ ፲፪ጊዜ) is ambiguous: it may refer to twelve distinct rainfall events or a cumulative measure; the reading taken is literal.","The identity of the 'Indian stone' (እብነ ህንደኬ) is uncertain; it may be a legendary gem with medicinal properties, not a known mineral."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":40,"ref":"p40","source":"እብንሰ፡ ውእቱ፡ ኢየሱስ፡ ክርስቶስ፡ እግዚእነ፡ በእንተ፡ ፍጽምት፡ ፍቅር፡ እንተ፡ ታወፅኦ፡ ለኀፍረት፡ ዘአፍቀረነ፡ እንዘ፡\nቅብዋን፡ ንሕነ፡ እማየ፡ ፍትወት፡ ዘዲያብሎስ፡ ዘመልአ፡ ውስተ፡ አልባቢነ፤ ወወሪዶ፡ ወተአሲሮ፡ በመስቀል፡ ነሥአ፡ ሕማመነ፡ ወጾረ፡\nደዌነ፡ ወቤዘወነ፡ ርእሱ።\n\nOn the heron\n\n፵፯ነገር፡ በእንተ፡ ዖፍ፡ ዘስሙ፡ አሮድዮን።\n\nጠቢብ፡ ውእቱ፡ እምኵሉ፡ አዕዋፍ። ምጽላሉ፡ ወምብያቲሁ፡ ፩ወኢኮነ፡ የኀሥሥ፡ ብዙኀ፡ አላ፡ ኀበ፡ አጽለለ፡ ይሄሉ። ወኅዳጥ፡ ሲሳይ፡\nየአክሎ፡ ወኀበ፡ ነበረ፡ ይሰክብ፡ ወኢይበልዕ፡ ሥጋ፡ ምውተ፡ ወኢይሰርር፡ ውስተ፡ መካናት፡ ብዙኃት፡ ወምስካቡ፡ ፩መከን።\n\nአንተሂ፡ ኢትኅሥሥ፡ ብዙኀ፡ መካናተ፡ ዘዐላውያን፡ አላ፡ ፩ይኩን፡ ምስካብከ፡ ወይእቲ፡ ቤተ፡ ክርስቲያን፡ ቅድስት፤ ወረደ፡ እንከ፡\nእግዚእነ፡ ኢየሱስ፡ ክርስቶስ፡ ወመሀረ፡ ሕገ፡ ሰማያዊተ፡ ከመ፡ ንርከብ፡ ስብሐተ፡ ሰማያዌ፡ ወይኩን፡ ኅሊናነ፡ ውስተ፡ ሰማይ። ዘባዕዳንሰ፡ ክብረ፡ ኢትኅሥሥ፡ ወትርክብ። ሠናየ፡ ይቤ፡ ፊሳልጎስ።","english":"The stone is Jesus Christ our Lord, because of the perfect love which brought him to shame for us who loved him, while we were in the water of lust of the devil, which filled our hearts; and he descended and was bound on the cross, he took our sufferings and healed our disease and redeemed us with his own self.\n\nOn the heron\n\nThe forty-seventh discourse: concerning the bird whose name is the heron.\n\nIt is wise among all birds. Its flight and its soaring are one, and it does not seek many places, but where it is cool it goes. And it eats a little food, and where it dwells it sleeps, and it does not eat dead flesh, and it does not wander in many places, and its resting place is one place.\n\nYou also, do not seek many places of the worldly, but let your resting place be one, and that is the holy church. For our Lord Jesus Christ descended and taught the heavenly law, that we might find heavenly praise, and that our mind might be in heaven. Do not seek the glory of the world and find it. Good, says Physiologus.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"፵፯ነገር፡ በእንተ፡ ዖፍ፡ ዘስሙ፡ አሮድዮን።","severity":"info","text":"The passage opens a new discourse, numbered 47, on the heron (ἀρωδιός). This marks a structural shift from the preceding narrative on the donkey and ape.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"እብን","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez እብን (ʾəbn) translates Coptic/Coptic-derived 'stone' and here allegorically refers to Christ. The term is a key allegorical identifier in Physiologus tradition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"አሮድዮን","severity":"info","text":"The heron (ἀρωδιός) is a standard Physiologus animal. Its habits—solitary, temperate, avoiding carrion—are moralized as Christian virtues of restraint and single-minded devotion.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ወረደ፡ እንከ፡ እግዚእነ፡ ኢየሱስ፡ ክርስቶስ፡ ወመሀረ፡ ሕገ፡ ሰማያዊተ፡","severity":"info","text":"The descent of Christ to teach a 'heavenly law' echoes New Testament themes of Christ as lawgiver (e.g., Matt 5:1–2) and the ascetic ideal of heavenly contemplation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ይቤ፡ ፊሳልጎስ።","severity":"info","text":"The closing formula 'Good, says Physiologus' is a standard colophon in the Physiologus tradition, attributing the moral interpretation to the legendary author.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"እብንሰ፡ ውእቱ፡ ኢየሱስ፡ ክርስቶስ፡","severity":"caution","text":"The opening allegory of the stone as Christ may be a secondary addition or transition from the previous discourse; the Geʿez text shows no clear Coptic cue for a new section here.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Geʿez እብን (stone) may be a translation of a Coptic term for 'rock' or 'stone' used in the Physiologus; the exact Coptic Vorlage is uncertain.","The discourse number 47 may be a scribal addition; the preceding passage was numbered 45, suggesting possible renumbering or interpolation."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":41,"ref":"p41","source":"On the sycamore\n\n፵፰ነገር፡ በእንተ፡ ሰቃምሮስ፡ ዘውእቱ፡ ሰግላ።\n\nብፁዕ፡ አሞጽ፡ ይቤ፤ ኢኮንኩ፡ ነቢየ፡ ወኢወልደ፡ ነቢይ፡ አላ፡ ሠያጤ፡ በለስ፡ አነ፡ ወሐራጊተ፡ እሬዒ። ሠናየ፡ አስተማሰሎ፡\nነቢይ፡ ለገጸ፡ ክርስቶስ፡ በበለሰ፡ ዘይቤ፡ እሠይጥ፡ በለሰ፤ ሐዲስ፡ ቃል፡ ውእቱ። ዘኬዎስሂ፡ ዐሪገ፡ ዲበ፡ ሰግላ፡ ይርአዮ፡\nለመድኀኒነ፡ ወትእምርቱ፤\n\nዘእንበለ፡ ይብስል፡ ሰግላ፡ ሀለዉ፡ ዕፄያት፡ እለ፡ ስሞሙ፡ ጻጹት፡ ዘየኀድሩ፡ ውስቴቱ፡ ከመ፡ እለ፡ ይነብሩ፡ ውስተ፡ ጽልመት፡\nብርሃነ፡ ኢይሬእዩ። ወይመስሎሙ፡ ከመ፡ ሀለዉ፡ ውስተ፡ አህጉር፡ ዐበይት። ወአመ፡ በሰለ፡ ሰግላ፡ ይወፅኡ፡ ጻጹት፡ ወይትባሀሉ፡\nበበይናቲሆሙ፤ ውስተ፡ ጽልመት፡ ሀሎነ፡ ንነብር፡ ዘእንበለ፡ ይብስል፡ ሰግላ። ወበሲሎ፡ እንከ፡ በቀዳማይ፡ ዕለት፡ ወበሣልስት፡ ሲሳየ፡\nይከውን፡ ለብዙኃን።\n\nበለስሰ፡ ሥጋሁ፡ ለእግዚእነ፡ ኢየሱስ፡ ክርስቶስ፡ ተረጊዞ፡ በኵናት፡ ወተቀኒዎ፡ በመስቀል፡ ወፅአ፡ እምኔሁ፡ ደም፡ ወማይ፡ ወአመ። ሣልስት፡ ዕለት፡ ተንሥአ፡ እምውታን፡ ወአስተርአየ፡ ወርኢነ፡ ሐዲሰ፡ ፀሓየ፡ ዘከመ፡ ጻጹት፡ በሲሎ፡ ሰግላ፡ ርእዩ፡ ብርሃነ፡ ፀሓይ። ወሐራጊተ፡ እሬዒ፡ ዘይቤ፡ ነቢይ፡ ሕዝበ፡ ነሳሕያነ፡ እለ፡ ተብህለ፡ በእንቲአሆሙ፤ አዕረፎሙ፡ ድኅረ፡ በሠቅ፡ ወበሐመድ፡ ነስሑ። ወሕዝብ፡ እለ፡ ውስተ፡ ጽልመት፡ ርእዩ፡ ብርሃነ፡ ዐቢየ፡ ወለእለ፡ ይነብሩ፡ ውስተ፡ ጽልመት፡ ወጽላሎተ፡ ሞት፡ ብርሃን፡ ሠረቀ፡\nላዕሌሆሙ። ወበሲሎ፡ ሰግላ፡ አመ፡ ሣልስት፡ ዕለት፡ ሲሳየ፡ ይከውን፡ ለኵሉ።","english":"On the sycamore\n\nThe forty-eighth discourse: concerning the sycamore, which is the fig tree.\n\nThe blessed Amos says: \"I am not a prophet, nor the son of a prophet, but I am a gatherer of sycamore fruit and a herdsman of cattle.\" A beautiful meditation: the prophet, before the face of Christ, said, \"I am a gatherer of sycamore fruit.\" It is a new word. For He who is called Keos, having ascended upon the fig tree, sees our Savior and his sign.\n\nBefore the fig tree ripens, there are fruits whose name is \"tsatsut\" (the unripe figs), which dwell within it, like those who dwell in darkness and do not see light; and it seems to them that they are in great cities. And when the fig tree ripens, the tsatsut come out and are scattered among themselves. In darkness we dwell before the fig tree ripens; and when it has ripened, indeed, on the first day and on the third day, food becomes for many.\n\nFor the flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ was pierced with nails and fixed on the cross; blood and water came out of him; and on the third day he rose from the dead and appeared, and a new sun shone, like the tsatsut which, when the fig tree ripened, saw the light of the sun. And the herdsman of cattle, who says, \"the prophet,\" the peoples of the Nazarenes, who are called after him: their ears, after the thorn and the thistle, have repented. And the peoples who, in darkness, have seen a great light; and for those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, light has dawned upon them. And when the fig tree ripens, on the third day food becomes for all.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"፵፰ነገር","severity":"info","text":"The passage is numbered as the forty-eighth discourse, continuing the sequence of homiletic units in the Physiologus. The previous passage was the forty-seventh, on the heron.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ሰግላ።","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ሰግላ። (saglāf) is glossed as 'fig tree' in the English draft, but the heading says 'sycamore' (ሰቃምሮስ). The sycamore fig (Ficus sycomorus) is a distinct species, but in Ethiopic tradition the terms are often conflated.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ኢኮንኩ፡ ነቢየ፡ ወኢወልደ፡ ነቢይ፡ አላ፡ ሠያጤ፡ በለስ፡ አነ፡ ወሐራጊተ፡ እሬዒ","severity":"info","text":"The quotation attributed to Amos ('I am not a prophet... but a gatherer of sycamore fruit and a herdsman') is not a direct biblical verse but a paraphrase of Amos 7:14-15 (LXX), where Amos describes himself as a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore trees.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ጻጹት","severity":"info","text":"The term ጻጹት (tsatsut) refers to unripe figs that remain on the tree until it ripens. In the natural history of the sycamore fig, the fruit develops without pollination and ripens over a period, a detail used here as a metaphor for spiritual darkness and revelation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"በሲሎ፡ ሰግላ፡ አመ፡ ሣልስት፡ ዕለት፡ ሲሳየ፡ ይከውን፡ ለኵሉ","severity":"info","text":"The ripening of the fig tree on the third day is paralleled with Christ's resurrection on the third day, a typological reading common in patristic exegesis. The 'food for all' echoes the Eucharistic theme of Christ's body as nourishment.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ዘኬዎስሂ፡ ዐሪገ፡ ዲበ፡ ሰግላ፡","severity":"caution","text":"The name 'Keos' (ኬዎስ) is obscure; it may be a corruption or a variant of a name for Christ or a prophet. The English draft treats it as a proper name, but its referent is uncertain.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'Keos' (ኬዎስ) is unclear; it may be a scribal error or a local name for a figure associated with the fig tree.","The relationship between the sycamore (ሰቃምሮስ) and the fig tree (ሰግላ።) is conflated; the text uses both terms, possibly interchangeably."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":42,"ref":"p42","source":"እግዚእነሂ፡ ኢየሱስ፡ ክርስቶስ፡ ተንሢኦ፡ እሙታን፡\nበሣልስት፡ ዕለት፡ ወሀበ፡ ሕይወተ፡ ወስርየተ፡ ወሲሲተ፡ ኮነ፡ ለኵሉ። ሠናየ፡ ይቤ፡ ፊሳልጎስ።\n\n፵፰ነገር፡ ዘነበበ፡ በእንተ፡ አራዊት፡ ወበእንተ፡ አዕዋፍ፡ ወበእንተ፡ ዕፀውኒ፡ ዘውስቴቶሙ፡ አምሳል፡ ብዙኅ፡ ዘዘዚአሁ። ስብሐት፡\nለእግዚአብሔር፡ ዘልፈ። አሜን፡ ወአሜን፤ ለይኩን፡ ለይኩን። On the lion\n\nOn the lizard\n\nOn the caladrius\n\nOn the pelican\n\nOn the owl\n\nOn the eagle\n\nOn the phoenix\n\nOn the hoopoe\n\nOn the wild donkey\n\nOn the viper\n\nOn the snake\n\nOn the ant\n\nOn the sirens and centaurs\n\nOn the hedgehog\n\nOn the fox\n\nOn the panther\n\nOn the whale\n\nOn the partridge\n\nOn the vulture\n\nOn the ant-lion\n\nOn the weasel","english":"Our Lord Jesus Christ raised the dead on the third day, and gave life and forgiveness, and became a consolation for all that is good. So says Physiologus.\n\nThe forty-eighth discourse, which he composed concerning the beasts and concerning the birds and concerning the trees, among which there is much likeness of his glory. Praise be to God forever. Amen and amen. Let it be, let it be. On the lion. On the lizard. On the caladrius. On the pelican. On the owl. On the eagle. On the phoenix. On the hoopoe. On the wild donkey. On the viper. On the snake. On the ant. On the sirens and centaurs. On the hedgehog. On the fox. On the panther. On the whale. On the partridge. On the vulture. On the ant-lion. On the weasel.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"፵፰ነገር (48th discourse)","severity":"info","text":"This passage is a colophon or table of contents for the entire Physiologus, listing 21 chapters (from the lion to the weasel) that follow the brief christological opening.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ፊሳልጎስ (Physiologus)","severity":"info","text":"The Physiologus is a late antique Greek bestiary that was translated into Geʿez and other languages. The attribution to a single author is traditional; the work is a compilation of moralized natural history.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"፵፰ነገር (48th discourse)","severity":"info","text":"The numbering of the discourse as '48th' is a Geʿez editorial feature; the Coptic and Greek versions typically have fewer chapters. This suggests a later expansion or reorganization in the Ethiopic tradition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"በሣልስት ዕለት (on the third day)","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'on the third day' for the resurrection is standard in Christian tradition, but the Geʿez text here may be a scribal insertion linking the Physiologus to the paschal mystery; the Coptic original does not contain this christological opening.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The list of chapters (lion to weasel) is given in Geʿez without further commentary; it is unclear whether the original Physiologus ended here or if the list is a later table of contents.","The phrase '፵፰ነገር' (48th discourse) may be a scribal numbering; the actual number of chapters in the manuscript varies."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":43,"ref":"p43","source":"On the unicorn\n\nOn the beaver\n\nOn the hyena\n\nOn the hydrus\n\nOn the ichneumon\n\nOn the crow\n\nOn the turtledove\n\nOn the frog\n\nOn the deer\n\nOn the salamander\n\nOn the diamond\n\nOn the swallow\n\nOn the epidexion\n\nOn the dove\n\nOn the antelope\n\nOn the fire-stones\n\nOn the magnet\n\nOn the saw-fish\n\nOn the three children\n\nOn the ibis\n\nOn the wild goat\n\nOn the diamond\n\nOn the elephant\n\nOn the agate\n\nOn the donkey and ape\n\nOn the Indian stone\n\nOn the heron\n\nOn the sycamore\n\nConclusion\n፬ፍካሬ፡\n፫ፍካሬ፡\n\nበእንተ፡ ዖፍ፡ ዘስሙ፡ ጰልቃን፡ ዘውእቱ፡ ግራብ።\n\nይቤ፡ ዳዊት፡ ተመሰልኩ፡ ጰልቃነ፡ ዘገዳም፡","english":"On the unicorn\n\nOn the beaver\n\nOn the hyena\n\nOn the hydrus\n\nOn the ichneumon\n\nOn the crow\n\nOn the turtledove\n\nOn the frog\n\nOn the deer\n\nOn the salamander\n\nOn the diamond\n\nOn the swallow\n\nOn the epidexion\n\nOn the dove\n\nOn the antelope\n\nOn the fire-stones\n\nOn the magnet\n\nOn the saw-fish\n\nOn the three children\n\nOn the ibis\n\nOn the wild goat\n\nOn the diamond\n\nOn the elephant\n\nOn the agate\n\nOn the donkey and ape\n\nOn the Indian stone\n\nOn the heron\n\nOn the sycamore\n\nConclusion\n\nFour discourses.\n\nThree discourses.\n\nConcerning the bird whose name is Pelican, which is the Graab.\n\nDavid said: I have likened myself to the Pelican of the wilderness.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"፬ፍካሬ፡ / ፫ፍካሬ፡","severity":"info","text":"The numerals '4' and '3' preceding 'discourses' likely indicate a scribal tally or a division within the manuscript, possibly reflecting a count of the preceding chapters or a note on the number of discourses in a section.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ጰልቃን፡ / ግራብ።","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez ጰልቃን (pelican) is glossed as ግራብ (graab), a term that in Ethiopic tradition often refers to a raven or crow, but here is used for the pelican, reflecting a conflation or local adaptation of the Physiologus bestiary.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ተመሰልኩ፡ ጰልቃነ፡ ዘገዳም፡","severity":"info","text":"The line 'I have likened myself to the pelican of the wilderness' echoes Psalm 102:6 (LXX) or a similar verse, where the psalmist uses the pelican as a symbol of desolation or mourning, a common trope in early Christian exegesis.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ጰልቃን፡","severity":"info","text":"The pelican in the Physiologus tradition is a symbol of Christ's sacrifice, believed to revive its young with its own blood. This allegory is widespread in medieval bestiaries and patristic literature, though the Geʿez text here only introduces the topic.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"፬ፍካሬ፡ / ፫ፍካሬ፡","severity":"info","text":"The presence of numerical annotations ('4 discourses', '3 discourses') suggests a scribal or editorial intervention in the Ethiopic manuscript tradition, possibly indicating a reorganization or summary of the Physiologus chapters for liturgical or catechetical use.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The numerals '4' and '3' before 'discourses' are ambiguous: they may be a scribal count of preceding chapters, a note on the number of discourses in a section, or a marginal annotation unrelated to the main text.","The Geʿez term ግራብ (graab) is ambiguous: it typically means 'raven' or 'crow', but here glosses 'pelican', possibly indicating a local or conflated identification."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[{"kind":"check","severity":"info","code":"ratio-warn","text":"Automatic check: the English/source length ratio is outside the usual band for Coptic — a sign that something was dropped or added, not proof that it was."}]},{"i":44,"ref":"p44","source":"ይቤ፡\nፊሳልጎስ፡\nፊጎልጎስ፡\nበእንተ፡ ጰልቃን፡ ከመ፡\nመፍቀሬ፡ ደቂቁ፡ ውእቱ፡ በሕቁ። ሶበ፡\nይትወለዱ፡\nይትወልዱ፡\nደቂቆሙ፡ ይጸፍዑ፡\n\nገጸ፡\nገጾ፡\nወላድያኒሆሙ፡\n\nወወላድያን፡\nወላድያኒሆሙ፡\nይቈርሑ፡ ርእሰ፡\nውሉዶሙ፡ ወይቀትሉ። ወአመ፡ ሣልስት፡\nዕለት፡\n\nadd. ትፈትህ፡\n\nእሞሙ፡ ትፈትሕ፡\nገቦሃ፡\n\ns.l. ገቦሃ፡\n\nወታንጸፈጽፍ፡ ደመ፡ ዲበ፡ ምውታን፡\nደቂቃ፡\nውሉዳ፡\n\nወታነሥኦሙ።\n\nከመ፡\n\ns.l. ከመ፡\n\nom.\n\nበከመ፡\nይቤ፡\nበኢሳይያስ፡\nኢሳይያስ፡\n\nወለድኩ፡\nውለድኩ፡\n\nወአልሀቁ፡\nወለደሐቁ፡\n\nእሙንቱ፡\nእሙቱ፡ ኒ፡\nዐለዉኒ።\n\nወለደነ፡\nከማሁ፡ ንህነኒ፡ ፀፋዕናሁ፡ ለዘወለደነ፡\n\nገባሬ፡ ኵሉ፡ ፍጥረት፡\nወጸፋዕናሁ፡\n\nom.\n\nወአምለክነ፡ ፍጥረታተ፡ ወኀደግነ፡ ፈጣሪነ፡ ውእቱኒ፡\n\nኀደገነ፡\n\npost ለሞት፡\n\npost ለሞት፡ ኀደጋነ፡\n\npost ለሞት፡ ወኀደገነ፡\n\nወመጠወነ፡ ለሞት። መጠወዐለሞት፡\n\nወድኅረ፡\nባሕቱ፡ ድኅረ፡\nተራኅርኀ፡ ከመ፡\n\nእም፡","english":"He said, Physiologus, concerning the pelican: how it is a lover of its young, truly. When they are born, their young strike the faces of their parents. And the parents cut off the heads of their offspring and kill them. And on the third day, the mother opens her side, and blood flows over the dead young, and she revives them. As it is said in Isaiah: \"I have begotten and raised them, but they have rebelled against me.\" And they have begotten us, and we have struck the one who begot us. The Creator of all creation, we have struck him, and we have worshipped creatures and abandoned our Creator. And he has abandoned us to death, and we have been delivered to death. And after, only after, he has had mercy, as from...","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ኢሳይያስ","severity":"info","text":"The text cites Isaiah, likely alluding to Isa 1:2 (LXX) or a similar prophetic rebuke, though the exact verse is not given verbatim.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ጰልቃን","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ጰልቃን (pəlqān) is a loan from Greek πελεκάν (pelekán) meaning 'pelican', a standard Physiologus entry.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ፊሳልጎስ","severity":"info","text":"The homily is attributed to Physiologus, a late antique Greek text on natural history with Christian allegory, widely translated into Geʿez.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage follows the typical Physiologus pattern: description of the pelican's behavior, then allegorical interpretation linking to Christ and human sin.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The Geʿez text contains several scribal corrections (add., s.l., om.) and variant readings (e.g., ኢሳይያስ vs. ኢሳይያስ), indicating a complex transmission history.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The exact Isaiah verse referenced is not specified; the Geʿez text may be paraphrasing rather than quoting directly.","The phrase 'ከመ እም' at the end is incomplete, possibly due to a lacuna in the manuscript."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":45,"ref":"p45","source":"om.\n\nወዐሪጎ፡ ዲበ፡\nኑኃ፡ መስቀል፡ አንጸፍጸፈ፡ ለነ፡ ደመ፡ ወማየ፡ ዘጥምቀተ፡ ንስሓ፡ ወአሕየወነ፡ ሠናየ፡ ይቤ፡ ዘይቤ፡ በእንተ፡ ጰልቃን፡","english":"And he showed us the sign of the cross, sprinkling for us the blood and water of the baptism of repentance, and he revived us well. He said, concerning the pelican.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This final passage of the homily shifts from the pelican narrative to a direct Christological application, marked by the introductory phrase 'And he showed us the sign of the cross'.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ጰልቃን","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ጰልቃን (pälqan) is a loanword from Greek πελεκάν (pelekán) 'pelican', reflecting the Physiologus tradition's transmission through Greek and Coptic intermediaries.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The pelican's self-sacrifice to revive its young is a standard Christological allegory in the Physiologus, here linked to baptismal imagery (blood and water) and the cross.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'sprinkling for us the blood and water of the baptism of repentance' echoes New Testament baptismal theology (e.g., Titus 3:5, Hebrews 9:13-14) and the typology of Christ's blood and water from the side wound.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez Physiologus (betmas:LIT4915PhysA) is a translation of the Coptic Physiologus, widely used in Ethiopian Orthodox homiletics for its allegorical interpretations of animals.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4915PhysA","label":"betmas: Homily of the blessed Physiologus","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4915PhysA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Geʿez text is fragmentary; the English draft supplies 'He said, concerning the pelican' as a concluding phrase, but the original may have continued with further moralization."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]}]}