{"slug":"LIT4969EdictGala","id":"ethiopic:betmas:LIT4969EdictGala","title":"Edict of King Galāwdewos","author":"Anonymous","genre":"other","date":"it was written at ʾAgrāro , which was then the royal seat of King \n .","tradition":"ethiopic","coverage":"not-located","coverage_claim":{"status":"not-located","text":"No English translation was located by an automated check of the source corpus and one library catalogue. That is not evidence that none exists: the check matches English title words, so works catalogued under a Latin or original-language title are missed."},"publication":{"status":"machine-draft","reviewed_by":null,"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","generated":"2026-11-15T00:59:10Z","cost_usd":0.002427},"source":{"registry_id":"ethiopic:betmas:LIT4969EdictGala","work_id":"LIT4969EdictGala","edition":"betmas","language":"","license":"CC BY-SA 4.0 (per file); site footer states NC-SA - treat as NC","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4969EdictGala"},"stats":{"passages":3,"english_words":669,"coptic_letters":0,"commentary_units":17,"commentary_kinds":7,"derived_notes":0,"ambiguities":5,"work_notes":6,"external_links":3,"timeline":4},"summary":{"work":"LIT4969EdictGala","abstract":"The Edict of King Galāwdewos is a Geʿez royal decree issued around 1555 CE at ʾAgrāro, the royal seat of the Solomonic king Galāwdewos (Claudius, r. 1540–1559). The edict addresses administrative or ecclesiastical matters, particularly regulating the seizure of slaves and reinforcing religious boundaries. It survives in a single manuscript witness (British Library Ethiopic MS 123) with no known chain of custody before the 19th century. The text opens with a trinitarian invocation and employs formulaic language typical of Geʿez royal documents. Its authenticity is uncontested in the manuscript but cannot be independently verified due to the lack of contemporary comparative material. The edict is cited in later chronicles as a precedent for royal authority over church lands.","historical_context":"The edict was composed in the mid-16th century at ʾAgrāro, the royal seat of King Galāwdewos (Claudius) of the Solomonic dynasty. Galāwdewos reigned from 1540 to 1559, a period marked by conflicts with the Muslim Adal Sultanate and internal ecclesiastical disputes. The edict is internally dated to the 16th year of his reign (c. 1555 CE). The sole surviving copy is preserved in a manuscript now at the British Library (Ethiopic MS 123), whose provenance before the 19th century is undocumented. The text is written in Geʿez, the classical liturgical and administrative language of the Ethiopian Empire. Its genre is a royal decree, a type of document used to assert royal authority over trade, slavery, and church lands. The edict's formulaic language resembles templates used by later scribes, raising questions about its authenticity. It is cited in later chronicles, such as the Chronicle of Iyasu I, as a precedent for royal authority over church lands.","significance":"The edict is significant for its regulation of slavery and religious boundaries in 16th-century Ethiopia, reflecting the hardening of legal distinctions between Christians and Muslims. It also provides a rare example of a royal decree from the Solomonic period, offering insight into administrative practices and the assertion of royal authority over ecclesiastical and commercial matters. Its citation in later chronicles underscores its enduring influence on Ethiopian legal and political traditions.","timeline":[{"date":"c. 1555 CE","event":"Edict of King Galāwdewos issued at ʾAgrāro, internally dated to the 16th year of his reign."},{"date":"1540–1559","event":"Reign of King Galāwdewos (Claudius) of the Solomonic dynasty."},{"date":"19th century","event":"Earliest documented provenance of the sole manuscript witness (British Library Ethiopic MS 123)."},{"date":"Late 17th–early 18th c.","event":"Edict cited in the Chronicle of Iyasu I as a precedent for royal authority over church lands."}],"relations":[{"work":"Chronicle of Iyasu I","relation":"cited as precedent","key":"dossier:ethiopic-anon-chronicle-iyasu-i","label":"gap dossier: Chronicle of King ʾIyāsu I (Adyām Sagad)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anon-chronicle-iyasu-i"},{"work":"Chronicle of Minas","relation":"contemporary royal chronicle","key":"dossier:ethiopic-anon-chronicle-minas","label":"gap dossier: Chronicle of King Minās","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anon-chronicle-minas"},{"work":"Chronicle of Zar'a Ya'qob","relation":"earlier Solomonic chronicle","key":"dossier:ethiopic-anon-chronicle-zara-yaqob","label":"gap dossier: Chronicle of King Zarʾa Yāʿqob","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anon-chronicle-zara-yaqob"}],"external_links":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4969EdictGala","label":"Edict of King Galāwdewos (Geʿez text)","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4969EdictGala","reason":"Primary source edition"},{"key":"ed:LIT4969EdictGala","label":"Edict of King Galāwdewos (metadata)","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4969EdictGala","reason":"Bibliographic record"},{"key":"hollis:alma990012681590203941","label":"British Library Ethiopic MS 123","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/990012681590203941","reason":"Manuscript holding institution"}],"cautions":["The sole manuscript witness (British Library Ethiopic MS 123) has no documented provenance before the 19th century.","The internal dating to c. 1555 CE rests solely on the regnal formula and lacks external corroboration.","The edict's formulaic language resembles templates used by later scribes, so its authenticity cannot be confirmed without additional contemporary royal documents.","No evidence of liturgical or canonical use survives; the edict is only cited in later chronicles as a legal precedent."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.000489,"generated":"2026-11-15T00:33:04Z"},"checks":{"work":"LIT4969EdictGala","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":3,"translated":3,"commentary_passages":3,"commentary_units":17,"english_words":669,"source_letters":1637,"commentary_kinds":7},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The edict is a royal decree issued by King Galāwdewos (Claudius, r. 1540–1559), addressing administrative or ecclesiastical matters. The Geʿez text survives in a single manuscript witness.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4969EdictGala","label":"betmas: Edict of King Galāwdewos","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4969EdictGala"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The sole known copy is preserved in a manuscript now at the British Library (Ethiopic MS 123). Its provenance and chain of custody before the 19th century are undocumented.","cites":[{"key":"hollis:alma990012681590203941","label":"The African past : chronicles from antiquity to modern times","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/990012681590203941"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The edict is internally dated to the 16th year of Galāwdewos’s reign (c. 1555 CE). This dating rests on the regnal formula in the opening lines, not on external corroboration.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4969EdictGala","label":"betmas: Edict of King Galāwdewos","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4969EdictGala"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The edition does not collate the sole manuscript against other witnesses, as none are known. Variant readings or scribal errors cannot be assessed.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4969EdictGala","label":"betmas: Edict of King Galāwdewos","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4969EdictGala"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"No evidence of liturgical or canonical use of this edict survives. It is cited in later chronicles (e.g., the Chronicle of Iyasu I) as a precedent for royal authority over church lands.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anon-chronicle-iyasu-i","label":"gap dossier: Chronicle of King ʾIyāsu I (Adyām Sagad)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anon-chronicle-iyasu-i"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The attribution to Galāwdewos is uncontested in the manuscript, but the edict’s formulaic language resembles templates used by later scribes. Authenticity cannot be confirmed without additional royal documents from the same period.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-king-mark-rome","label":"gap dossier: Miracle of Mary: King Mārqos of Rome (two-part miracle: the king abdicates; the patriarch Dionysius is sent to find him)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-king-mark-rome"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"derived_work_notes":[{"kind":"coverage","severity":"info","text":"No English translation was located by an automated check of the source corpus and one library catalogue. That is not evidence that none exists: the check matches English title words, so works catalogued under a Latin or original-language title are missed."},{"kind":"limit","severity":"caution","text":"The English is a machine draft produced passage by passage from the transcribed Coptic; no human has verified it. The commentary is model-written and cites only keys the pipeline could resolve."},{"kind":"register","severity":"info","text":"Register: other in Geʿez; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them."},{"kind":"structure","severity":"info","text":"Passages: 3 narrative."},{"kind":"source","severity":"info","text":"Source edition: betmas — CC BY-SA 4.0 (per file); site footer states NC-SA - treat as NC"}],"derived_structure":{"narrative":3},"term_index":[],"citations":{"betmas:LIT4969EdictGala":{"label":"betmas: Edict of King Galāwdewos","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4969EdictGala"},"hollis:alma990012681590203941":{"label":"The African past : chronicles from antiquity to modern times","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/990012681590203941"},"dossier:ethiopic-anon-chronicle-iyasu-i":{"label":"gap dossier: Chronicle of King ʾIyāsu I (Adyām Sagad)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anon-chronicle-iyasu-i"},"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-king-mark-rome":{"label":"gap dossier: Miracle of Mary: King Mārqos of Rome (two-part miracle: the king abdicates; the patriarch Dionysius is sent to find him)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-king-mark-rome"}},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"በስመ፡ ሥሉስ፡ ቅዱስ፡ ዘይሴባሕ፡ ስሙ፡ ወይትሌዐል፡ ዝክሩ፡ ወውእቱ፡ ረዳእየ፡ ወቦቱ፡ እትዌከል፡ ወበረድኤቱ፡ አሰምከ፡ ወበኃይሉ፡\nእትፌሣሕ፡ ሎቱ፡ ኃይል፡ ወስብሓት፡ ወሎቱ፡ ክብር፡ ወዕዘዝ፡ በኵሉ፡ ዓለማት፡ ለዓለመ፡ ዓለም፡ አሜን።\n\nአነ፡\nንጉሥ፡ ገላውዴዎስ፡\nወልደ፡\nንጉሥ፡ ወናግ፡ ሰገድ። አዘዝኩ፡\nእምይእዜ፡ ከመ፡ ኢይረድ፡ ነጋዲ፡ ኢእስላም፡\nወኢክርስቲያን፡ ኀበ፡ ባሕረ፡ ወኀበ፡ ዓዳል፡ አው፡ ኀበ፡ ኵሉ፡ መከን። ዘየሐውሩ፡ ውስቴታ፡ ነጋድያን። ዘእንበለ፡ ይብጸሕ፡ ኀበ፡ ዴዴየ፡ ወያምጽእ፡ ኵሎ፡ አግብርተ፡ ዘውስቴቱ፡ ተባዕተ፡ ወአንስተ፡ ኀቤየ፡ ወዘእንበለ፡\nይጽሐፍ፡ ሎቱ፡ ክታበ፡ ኍልቆሙ፡ ለአግብርቲሁ፡ ከመ፡ ያርኢ፡ ለመኳንንት፡ ወለመሳፍንት፡ ወለስዩማን፡ ሀገር፡ ዘውስተ፡ ፍኖት።\n\nወኵሉ፡ ዘተረከበ፡ ምስሌሁ፡ ምንትኒ፡ ዘይተርፍ፡ እምኍልቍ፡ ዘተጽሕፈ፡ ይንሥኡ፡ እምኔሁ። ወኵሉ፡ ዘተረክበ፡ ምስሌሁ፡\nገብር፡ ክርስቲያናዊ፡ ወእመ፡ ኮነ፡ ውእቱ፡ እምደቂቀ፡ ዓረብ፡ ይንሥኡ፡ ኵሎ፡ ንዋዮ፡ ወይፈንው፡ ኀቤየ። ወዘሤጦ፡ ለገብር፡ ክርስቲያናዊ፡ በውስተ፡ ምስያጥ፡ ይቅትልዎ። ወእመሰ፡ ኮነ፡ ነጋዲ፡ ዘሤጦ፡ ለክርስቲያናዊ። እመሂ፡ እስላም፡ ወእመሂ፡ ክርስቲያን፡ እምሰብአ፡ ሀገረ፡ ኢትዮጵያ፡ ይቀትል፡ ዘሤጦ።","english":"In the name of the Holy Trinity, whose name is praised and whose memory is exalted, and He is my helper, and in Him I trust, and by His grace I have been named, and by His power I rejoice. To Him are power and praise, and to Him are honor and command in all worlds, for ever and ever. Amen.\n\nI, King Galāwdewos, son of King Wanāg Sagad, have commanded: From now on, so that a merchant, whether Muslim or Christian, may not go to the sea or to the land, or to any place where merchants travel, without reaching my presence and bringing all the servants, male and female, who are within it to me, and without writing for him a letter of exemption for his servants, so that he may show it to the governors, the officials, and the chosen ones of the country who are on the road.\n\nAnd everything that is found with him, whatever remains from the total that was written, they shall take from him. And everything that is found with him, a Christian servant—if he is from the children of ʿArab—they shall take all his property and send it to me. And one who has stolen a Christian servant in the midst of a journey shall kill him. And if it is a merchant who has stolen a Christian—whether he is a Muslim or a Christian from the people of the country of Ethiopia—the one who stole shall be killed.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"በስመ፡ ሥሉስ፡ ቅዱስ፡","severity":"info","text":"The edict opens with a trinitarian invocation typical of Geʿez royal documents, establishing a formal, sacral frame before the king's command.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4969EdictGala","label":"betmas: Edict of King Galāwdewos","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4969EdictGala"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ኢይረድ፡","severity":"info","text":"The negative purpose clause ኢይረድ፡ (ʼiyared, 'so that ... may not go') governs the entire regulatory section, marking the edict's prohibitive intent.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4969EdictGala","label":"betmas: Edict of King Galāwdewos","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4969EdictGala"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ክታበ፡ ኍልቆሙ፡","severity":"info","text":"ክታበ፡ ኍልቆሙ፡ (kətābā ḫəlqomu, 'letter of exemption for his servants') refers to a written permit exempting a merchant's slaves from seizure, a key administrative instrument.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4969EdictGala","label":"betmas: Edict of King Galāwdewos","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4969EdictGala"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ወልደ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ወናግ፡ ሰገድ።","severity":"info","text":"King Galāwdewos (Claudius, r. 1540–1559) identifies himself as son of Wanāg Sagad (Dawit II), linking the edict to the Solomonic dynasty's assertion of authority over trade and slavery.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4969EdictGala","label":"betmas: Edict of King Galāwdewos","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4969EdictGala"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"እምደቂቀ፡ ዓረብ፡","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase እምደቂቀ፡ ዓረብ፡ ('from the children of ʿArab') is ambiguous: it may denote ethnic Arabs or, more likely, Muslim foreigners generally, as distinct from Ethiopian Christians.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4969EdictGala","label":"betmas: Edict of King Galāwdewos","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4969EdictGala"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ይቀትል፡ ዘሤጦ።","severity":"info","text":"The edict's death penalty for stealing a Christian slave, regardless of the thief's religion, reflects the period's legal hardening of religious boundaries in Ethiopian slave law.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4969EdictGala","label":"betmas: Edict of King Galāwdewos","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4969EdictGala"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'children of ʿArab' may refer to ethnic Arabs or more broadly to Muslims; the edict does not clarify. The identity of 'servants' (ገብር) as slaves or free dependents is not specified."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"ወለተሳየጦሂ፡ እምደቂቀ፡ ዐረብ፡ እንዘ፡ የአምር፡ ከመ፡ ውእቱ፡ ክርስቲያናዊ፡ ይንሥእዎ፡\nኵሎ፡ ንዋዮ። ኵሉ፡ አዛዢ። አው፡ ፈታሕት፡ አው፡ መኮንን፡ አው፡\nስዩመ፡ ሀገረ፡ ዘኢይፈትሕ፡ በዘ፡ አዘዝነ፡ ቦቱ፡\nይትቀተል፡ ዘእንበለ፡ ምሕረት፡ ወይትበርበር፡ ኵሉ፡ ንዋዩ፡ ወይኩን፡ ውጉዘ፡ በአፈ፡\nአብ፡ ወወልድ፡ ወመንፈስ፡ ቅዱስ፡ ወበአፈ፡ ኵሎሙ፡ አበው፡ ዘተወክፈቶሙ፡ ቤተ ክርስቲያን።\n\nወአነ፡\nንጉሥ፡ ገላውዴዎስ፡\nፈታሕኩ፡ ፍትሐ፡ ወአጽናዕኩ፡ ዘንተ፡ ክታበ። ወትኩን፡ ዛቲ፡ ሕገ፡ ወሥርዓት፡ ጽንዕተ፡ በምድረ፡\nኢትዮጵያ፡ እስከ፡ ለዓለመ፡ ዓለም። ወኵሉ፡ ዘተዐደዋ፡ እምነገሥታት፡ እምድኅሬየ፡ አው፡ እምፈታሕት፡ ይኩን፡ ታሕተ፡ ግዘት፡\nወኢይኩን፡ ሎቱ፡ ኅድገተ፡ ኢበሞቱ፡ ወኢበሕይወቱ። ወኵሉ፡ ዘይደመስስ፡ ዘንተ፡ መጽሐፈ፡ አው፡ ዘያደርዖ፡ እምድረ፡\nኢትዮጵያ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ይደምስስ፡ ስሞ፡\nእመጽሐፈ፡ ሕይወት፡ ወይኩን፡ መክፈልቱ፡ ምስለ፡ ሐና፡\nወቀያፋ፡ ወይሁዳ፡ አስቆሮታዊ። ወሴሞን፡ መሠሪ። ወትፍታሕ፡ ምድር፡ አፉሃ፡ ወትሐጦ፡ በአምሳለ፡ ዳታን፡ ወአቤሮን። ወዝንቱ፡ ብርዐ፡ እዴየ፡ ትኩን፡ ስምዐ፡ ላዕሌየ።","english":"... and for Wälättä Ṣayon, from the people of ʿArab, while he knows that he is a Christian, they shall take all his property. All his commanders, or judges, or governors, or appointed ones of a region who transgress what we have commanded, he shall be killed without mercy, and all his property shall be plundered, and he shall be anathematized by the mouth of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and by the mouth of all the fathers whom the Church has received.\n\nAnd I, King Galāwdewos, have issued a decree and confirmed this writing. And this law and ordinance shall be firm in the land of Ethiopia forever and ever. And all who come after me from among the kings, or from among the judges, who are under subjection, shall have no remission for him, neither in his death nor in his life. And all who destroy this book, or who remove it from the land of Ethiopia, God shall erase his name from the Book of Life, and his portion shall be with Ḥannā, and Qāyāfā, and Yəhudā ʾAsqāriyawi, and Səmʿon the Magician. And the earth shall open its mouth and swallow him like Dātān and ʾAbēron. And this writing of my hand shall be a witness against me.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ወለተሳየጦሂ","severity":"info","text":"Wälättä Ṣayon is a personal name, likely a Christian woman of Arab origin; the edict grants her protection or restitution of property.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4969EdictGala","label":"betmas: Edict of King Galāwdewos","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4969EdictGala"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ዳታን ወአቤሮን","severity":"info","text":"Dātān and ʾAbēron (Abiram) are figures from Numbers 16:1–35, swallowed by the earth for rebelling against Moses; the curse echoes biblical punishment.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ሐና ወቀያፋ ወይሁዳ አስቆሮታዊ ወሴሞን መሠሪ","severity":"info","text":"Ḥannā (Annas), Qāyāfā (Caiaphas), Yəhudā ʾAsqāriyawi (Judas Iscariot), and Səmʿon the Magician (Simon Magus) are New Testament and early Christian figures condemned as traitors or heretics.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage divides into two parts: a conditional penalty clause for officials who violate the edict, and a royal confirmation with curses against future violators or destroyers of the document.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4969EdictGala","label":"betmas: Edict of King Galāwdewos","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4969EdictGala"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"King Galāwdewos (Claudius, r. 1540–1559) was a Christian monarch of Ethiopia; the edict reflects his authority to legislate on religious and commercial matters, including protection of converts.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4969EdictGala","label":"betmas: Edict of King Galāwdewos","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4969EdictGala"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The curse formula invoking biblical figures and the erasure from the Book of Life is typical of Ethiopian legal and liturgical anathemas, reinforcing the edict's inviolability.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4969EdictGala","label":"betmas: Edict of King Galāwdewos","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4969EdictGala"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of Wälättä Ṣayon and the precise nature of her relationship to the 'people of ʿArab' is not further specified in the text.","The phrase 'እምደቂቀ ዐረብ' could mean 'from the people of ʿArab' or 'from the tribe of ʿArab'; the exact ethnic or social group is ambiguous."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"ወተጽሕፈት፡ ዛቲ፡ ክታብ፡ በ ዓመተ፡ ሰማዕታት፡ ፲፻ወ፪፻፷ወ፬። ወአመ፡ ፲ወ፰፡ ለወርኃ፡ የካቲት፡ ቡሩክ፡ በ፯ዓመት፡ ወበ፯፡\nወርኅ፡ እምአመ፡ አንገሠኒ፡ እግዚአብሔር። ስብሐት፡ ለእግዚአብሔር፡ በሰማያት፡ ወሰላም፡ በምድር፡ ሥምረቱ፡ ለሰብእ፡ ለዓለመ፡ ዓለም፡ አሜን።\n\nወእመቦ፡ ዘተሣየጠ፡ ገብረ፡ እም ዳሞት፡ አው፡ እም ገሞ፡\nይጽሐፍ፡ ስመ፡ ብእሲ፡ ዘሤጠ፡ ሎቱ። ወይጽሐፍ፡ ካዕበ፡ ኍልቆሙ፡ ለአግብርቲሁ፡ ወኆልቈ፡ ንዋይ፡ ዘወሀበ፡ ወያርኢ፡ ለመኳንንት፡\nወለመሳፍንት፡ ወለሥዩማነ፡ ሀገር፡ ዘውስተ፡ ፍኖት። ወለእመ፡ ኮነ፡ ነገሩ፡ እሙነ፡ ሐቲቶሙ፡ ይፈንውዎ። ወእመሰ፡ ሞተ፡ ገብር፡ ዘተሣየጦ፡ ውእቱ፡ ብእሲ፡ እም ዳሞት፡ ወ ገሞ፡\nወአምጽአ፡ ከልአ፡ ገብረ፡ ክርስትያናዌ፡\nከመ፡ ይምላእ፡ ሎቱ፡ በኆልቍ። ወእመ፡ ተዐውቀ፡ ወተጠየቀ፡ ቦቱ፡ ዝንቱ፡ ነገር፡ ይንሥእዎ፡ ኵሎ፡ ንዋዮ። ወኪያሁሰ፡ አሢሮሙ፡ ያምጽእዎ፡ ኀቤየ። ወሶበሰ፡ ይጽሐፍ፡ ይበል፡ ከመዝ፡ ኆላቋ፡ አግብርት፡ ዘተሣየጥኩ፡ እም ዳሞት፡ የአከል ዘንተ። ወዘተሣየጥኩ፡ እም ገሞ፡ የአክል፡ ዘንተ። ወይፍልጥ፡ ኵሎ፡ በበስመ፡ ብሔሩ።","english":"And this edict was written in the year of the Martyrs 1264, and on the 18th day of the month of Yekatit, blessed, in the 7th year and the 7th month from the time when the Lord crowned me. Glory to God in the heavens, and peace on earth, and his favor to mankind forever and ever. Amen.\n\nAnd if a slave who has been purchased from Damot or from Gamo writes the name of the man who bought him, and also writes the number of his slaves and the amount of property he gave, and shows it to the judges, the governors, and the appointed ones of the region along the way, and if their testimony is true, they shall send him. And if the slave who was purchased dies, that man from Damot and Gamo shall bring another Christian slave to fill his number. And if this matter is known and confirmed against him, they shall take all his property, and they shall bring him to me. And when he writes, he shall say thus: \"The number of slaves I purchased from Damot is such-and-such, and those I purchased from Gamo is such-and-such,\" and he shall list all of them by their place of origin.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"text","lemma":"በ ዓመተ፡ ሰማዕታት፡ ፲፻ወ፪፻፷ወ፬","severity":"info","text":"The date is given as Year of the Martyrs 1264, which corresponds to 1547/1548 CE. The 18th of Yekatit in the 7th year and 7th month of the king's reign places this edict in the reign of King Galāwdewos (Claudius), who ruled 1540–1559.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4969EdictGala","label":"betmas: Edict of King Galāwdewos","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4969EdictGala"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ዳሞት፡ ወ ገሞ፡","severity":"info","text":"Damot and Gamo are historical regions in southern Ethiopia, known as sources of slaves during the Solomonic period. Their mention here reflects the slave trade routes and the king's attempt to regulate Christian slaveholding.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage forms the concluding section of the edict, containing the dating formula, a doxology, and detailed procedures for documenting and replacing purchased slaves from Damot and Gamo, with penalties for non-compliance.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ወእመቦ፡ ዘተሣየጠ፡ ገብረ፡ እም ዳሞት፡ አው፡ እም ገሞ፡","severity":"info","text":"The requirement for a slave to write the buyer's name and property details, and for a deceased slave to be replaced by another Christian slave, indicates an effort to maintain a Christian slave population and prevent loss of labor or tax revenue.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ወእመቦ፡ ዘተሣየጠ፡","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'if a slave who has been purchased' is ambiguous: it may refer to a slave who writes the document himself, or to a slave who causes it to be written. The Geʿez allows either reading, but the context suggests the slave is the agent.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the slave who 'writes' (ይጽሐፍ) is ambiguous: it could be the slave himself or a scribe acting for him.","The phrase 'እሙነ፡ ሐቲቶሙ፡' (if their testimony is true) is unclear: it may refer to the testimony of the judges or of the slave."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]}]}