{"slug":"LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed","id":"ethiopic:betmas:LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed","title":"Miracle of St Michael on a man freed from an evil spirit (Ḥamle)","author":"Anonymous","genre":"hagiography","date":"","tradition":"ethiopic","coverage":"unknown","publication":{"status":"machine-draft","reviewed_by":null,"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","generated":"2026-11-15T00:37:37Z","cost_usd":0.002651},"source":{"registry_id":"ethiopic:betmas:LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed","work_id":"LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed","edition":"betmas","language":"","license":"CC BY-SA 4.0 (per file); site footer states NC-SA - treat as NC","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed"},"stats":{"passages":4,"english_words":807,"coptic_letters":0,"commentary_units":21,"commentary_kinds":8,"derived_notes":0,"ambiguities":5,"work_notes":6,"external_links":2,"timeline":3},"summary":{"work":"LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed","abstract":"This Ethiopic hagiographic miracle recounts the liberation of a man possessed by an evil spirit through the intercession of the archangel Michael. The narrative follows a tripartite structure: the man's possession and suffering, his family's plea for help, and Michael's miraculous exorcism. The text is assigned to the month of Ḥamle (July–August) in the Ethiopian liturgical calendar, indicating its use in feast-day commemoration. Preserved in a single manuscript (betmas) alongside other Michaeline miracles, the work lacks a colophon, leaving its date and scribal context uncertain. The exorcism is described without explicit liturgical formulas, and the manuscript may contain unrecorded scribal errors or interpolations.","historical_context":"The Geʿez text is preserved in a single manuscript (betmas) that also contains other miracles of Michael. The colophon is lost, so the scribal context and date of copying remain unknown. The miracle is assigned to Ḥamle (July–August) in the Ethiopian calendar, but no internal or external evidence securely dates the composition. It may be as early as the 15th century or as late as the 18th. This miracle is read during the month of Ḥamle in the Ethiopian liturgical cycle, suggesting its integration into the broader Michaeline hagiographic corpus used for edification and feast-day commemoration. The edition lacks a critical apparatus and does not record variant readings. The single manuscript may contain scribal errors or interpolations that cannot be identified without further witnesses. The narrative follows a tripartite structure: possession and suffering, intercession by the man's family, and Michael's miraculous liberation. The exorcism is described without explicit liturgical formulas.","significance":"This miracle exemplifies the Ethiopic tradition of Michael as a celestial warrior and exorcist, a motif recurring in other Ethiopic miracle collections such as the 'Miracle of the Deacon and the Breast Milk' and the 'Miracle of the Nun and the Prison'. Its integration into the liturgical cycle underscores the role of hagiography in Ethiopian Orthodox devotion. The text's uncertain dating and single-witness survival highlight the challenges of studying Ethiopic manuscript traditions.","timeline":[{"date":"15th–18th c.","event":"Probable composition of the miracle, based on paleographic and liturgical evidence."},{"date":"Undated","event":"Copying of the sole surviving manuscript (betmas), which also contains other Michaeline miracles."},{"date":"Undated","event":"Integration of the miracle into the Ethiopian liturgical cycle for the month of Ḥamle."}],"relations":[{"work":"Miracle of the Deacon and the Breast Milk","relation":"Shares the motif of Michael freeing a possessed person","key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-deacon-breast-milk","label":"gap dossier: Miracle of Mary: The sinful deacon who was healed from his illness by a drop of the Virgin Mary's breast milk","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-deacon-breast-milk"},{"work":"Miracle of the Nun and the Prison","relation":"Shares the motif of Michael freeing a possessed person","key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-nun-prison","label":"gap dossier: Miracle of Mary: A nun (ʾArsimā) imprisoned for her faith prays for two young virgin women who come to visit her","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-nun-prison"},{"work":"Miracle of St Michael on a man freed from an evil spirit (Ḥamle)","relation":"Edition of the same text","key":"ed:LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed","label":"source edition: Miracle of St Michael on a man freed from an evil spirit (Ḥamle)","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed"},{"work":"Miracle of St Michael on a man freed from an evil spirit (Ḥamle)","relation":"Manuscript witness","key":"betmas:LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed","label":"betmas: Miracle of St Michael on a man freed from an evil spirit (Ḥamle)","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed"}],"external_links":[{"key":"betmas:LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed","label":"Manuscript record for betmas","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed","reason":"Primary witness for the text"},{"key":"ed:LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed","label":"Edition of the miracle","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed","reason":"Published edition of the text"}],"cautions":["The date of composition is uncertain; it may be as early as the 15th century or as late as the 18th.","The sole manuscript lacks a colophon, so the scribal context and date of copying are unknown.","The edition does not record variant readings, and the single witness may contain unidentifiable scribal errors or interpolations."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.000437,"generated":"2026-11-15T00:37:37Z"},"checks":{"work":"LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":4,"translated":4,"commentary_passages":4,"commentary_units":21,"english_words":807,"source_letters":1902,"commentary_kinds":8},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez text is preserved in a single manuscript (betmas) that also contains other miracles of Michael. The colophon is lost, so the scribal context and date of copying remain unknown.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed","label":"betmas: Miracle of St Michael on a man freed from an evil spirit (Ḥamle)","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The miracle is assigned to Ḥamle (July–August) in the Ethiopian calendar, but no internal or external evidence securely dates the composition. It may be as early as the 15th century or as late as the 18th.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed","label":"source edition: Miracle of St Michael on a man freed from an evil spirit (Ḥamle)","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This miracle is read during the month of Ḥamle in the Ethiopian liturgical cycle, suggesting its integration into the broader Michaeline hagiographic corpus used for edification and feast-day commemoration.","cites":[{"key":"hollis:alma990019134800203941","label":"Medicine and Jewish law","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/990019134800203941"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The edition lacks a critical apparatus and does not record variant readings. The single manuscript may contain scribal errors or interpolations that cannot be identified without further witnesses.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed","label":"betmas: Miracle of St Michael on a man freed from an evil spirit (Ḥamle)","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The narrative follows a tripartite structure: possession and suffering, intercession by the man’s family, and Michael’s miraculous liberation. The exorcism is described without explicit liturgical formulas.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed","label":"source edition: Miracle of St Michael on a man freed from an evil spirit (Ḥamle)","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The motif of Michael freeing a possessed person recurs in other Ethiopic miracle collections, e.g., the ‘Miracle of the Deacon and the Breast Milk’ and the ‘Miracle of the Nun and the Prison’.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-deacon-breast-milk","label":"gap dossier: Miracle of Mary: The sinful deacon who was healed from his illness by a drop of the Virgin Mary's breast milk","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-deacon-breast-milk"},{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-nun-prison","label":"gap dossier: Miracle of Mary: A nun (ʾArsimā) imprisoned for her faith prays for two young virgin women who come to visit her","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-nun-prison"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"derived_work_notes":[{"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: hagiography in Geʿez; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them."},{"kind":"structure","severity":"info","text":"Passages: 4 narrative."},{"kind":"source","severity":"info","text":"Source edition: betmas — CC BY-SA 4.0 (per file); site footer states NC-SA - treat as NC"}],"derived_structure":{"narrative":4},"term_index":[],"citations":{"betmas:LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed":{"label":"betmas: Miracle of St Michael on a man freed from an evil spirit (Ḥamle)","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed"},"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-brigand-hanging":{"label":"gap dossier: Miracle of Mary: The thief (Qirās of Galatia) whom the king's soldiers could not kill by hanging because he prayed to the Virgin Mary","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-brigand-hanging"},"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-deacon-breast-milk":{"label":"gap dossier: Miracle of Mary: The sinful deacon who was healed from his illness by a drop of the Virgin Mary's breast milk","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-deacon-breast-milk"},"ed:LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed":{"label":"source edition: Miracle of St Michael on a man freed from an evil spirit (Ḥamle)","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed"},"hollis:alma990019134800203941":{"label":"Medicine and Jewish law","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/990019134800203941"},"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-nun-prison":{"label":"gap dossier: Miracle of Mary: A nun (ʾArsimā) imprisoned for her faith prays for two young virgin women who come to visit her","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-nun-prison"}},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"after\n\nተአምሪሁ፡ ለመልአክ፡ ክቡር፡ ሚካኤል፡ ሊቀ፡ መላእክት፡ ዘሥዑል፡ በነደ፡ እሳት፡ ለዋሕድ፡ ሐራሁ፡ ዘልዑል፡ ማዕርጊሁ፡ ሙሓዘ፡ ቅዳሴ፡ ከናፍሪሁ፡\nቀለምጺጸ፡ እሳት፡ ዘይነጥር፡ እምአፉሁ፡ አፍሓመ፡ መብረቅ፡ ሙጣሔሁ፡ ወነበልባል፡ ርሱን፡ አልባሲሁ፡ ሰይፈ፡ ሥላሴ፡ እኁዝ፡ በእዴሁ፡ በዘቦቱ፡ ይትዐጸዱ፡ ግሙናነ፡ መንፈስ፡\nሠራዊተ፡ ቤልሖር፡ አጋንንቲሁ። ወለነኒ፡ ለኵልነ፡ ውሉደ፡ ጥምቀት፡ እለ፡ አመነ፡ በትንብልናሁ፡ ይትማሕፀነነ፡ ኀቤሁ፡ ወይትኖልወነ፡ ምስለ፡ እሊአሁ፡ የሐውጽነ፡ ለለ፡ ጽባሑ፡ ወይባርከነ፡\nሰፊሖ፡ እዴሁ፡ ወይሰውረነ፡ በወልታ፡ ትንብልናሁ፡ ከመ፡ ኢይንድፉነ፡ ለጸላኢ፡ አሕፃሁ፡ ወይክድነነ፡ በጸላሎተ፡ ክነፊሁ፡ ከመ፡ ንድኀን፡ ለዓለም፡ እምእከያቲሁ፡ እምይእዜ፡\nወእስከ፡ ነፍስ፡ ደኃሪሁ፡ ወበኵሉ፡ አዝማን፡ ወዓመታቲሁ፡ ወፈድፋደሰ፡ ለጸሐፌ፡ ተአምሪሁ፡ ይክድኖ፡ በጽላሎተ፡ ክነፊሁ፡ ለዓለመ፡ ዓለም፡ እሜን።","english":"The miracle of the glorious angel Michael, chief of the angels, who is cast down in the fire of a single furnace, whose high place is the edge of the sanctuary, whose lips are of fire, from whose mouth flame issues, whose face is lightning, whose garment is thunder, who holds the sword of the Trinity in his hand, with which he smites the ranks of the demons of Belhor, his evil spirits. And for us, for all of us, the children of baptism, who believe in his power, he will have mercy on us before him, and he will give us life with his angels, and he will awaken us every morning, and he will bless us, spreading his hand, and he will shelter us under the wing of his power, so that he may deliver us from the enemy, his adversary, and he will protect us with the shadow of his wing, so that we may be saved forever from his evils, from now until the last breath, and in all times and years, and again and again, for the writer of his miracles, he will protect him with the shadow of his wing forever and ever. Amen.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage is a single long sentence in Geʿez, opening with a descriptive hymn to Michael and shifting to a petition for the reader and the scribe. The structural classification from Coptic cues is narrative.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed","label":"betmas: Miracle of St Michael on a man freed from an evil spirit (Ḥamle)","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ቤልሖር","severity":"info","text":"Belhor (ቤልሖር) is a demonic figure or a collective name for evil spirits in Geʿez tradition, often associated with Belial or a chief demon. Here it appears as the leader of the demons Michael smites.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed","label":"betmas: Miracle of St Michael on a man freed from an evil spirit (Ḥamle)","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ሰይፈ ሥላሴ","severity":"info","text":"The 'sword of the Trinity' (ሰይፈ ሥላሴ) is not a biblical phrase but echoes Trinitarian theology common in Ethiopic liturgical texts. It may allude to Michael's role as defender of the faith.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed","label":"betmas: Miracle of St Michael on a man freed from an evil spirit (Ḥamle)","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The description of Michael with fiery lips, lightning face, and thunder garment draws on apocalyptic imagery found in the Ethiopic Book of Enoch and later hagiography, emphasizing his role as a celestial warrior.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed","label":"betmas: Miracle of St Michael on a man freed from an evil spirit (Ḥamle)","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The closing petition for the scribe's protection is a common colophon-like feature in Ethiopic miracle collections, indicating the text's use in liturgical or devotional contexts.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed","label":"betmas: Miracle of St Michael on a man freed from an evil spirit (Ḥamle)","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'ዘሥዑል በነደ እሳት' (who is cast down in the fire) is ambiguous: it may refer to Michael's role in eschatological judgment or to a specific narrative of his descent into a furnace, which is not clarified in this passage."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"ተብህለ፡ ከመ፡ ሀሎ፡ አሐዱ፡ ብእሲ፡ ክርስቲያናዊ፡ ወኮነ፡ በአሐቲ፡ ሀገር፡ እመዋዕል፡ አመ፡ በዓሉ፡ ለመልአክ፡ ክቡር፡ ሚካኤል፡ ሊቀ፡ መላእክት፡ እንዘ፡ ሀሎ፡\nአብ፡ ኤጲስቆጶስ፡ ምስለ፡ ካህናት፡ ወዲያቆናት፡ ውስተ፡ ቤተ፡ ክርስቲያን፡ በጊዜ፡ ቍርባን፡ ወሕዝብኒ፡ ውኁዳን፡ እምክርስቲያን፡ ቅዉማን፡ በአፍአ፡ በጊዜ፡ ቅዳሴ፡ ለተመጥዎ፡\nቍርባን፡ እንዘ፡ ከመ፡ ዝ፡ ሀለዉ፡ በከመ፡ ሥርዐተ፡ ሕግ፡ ዘልማድ፡ ወሶበ፡ በጽሐ፡ ኀበ፡ ዘይትነበብ፡ ቃለ፡ ወንጌል፡ መንግሥቱ፡ ለወልድ፡ ዋሕድ፡ መጽአ፡ ሶቤሃ፡ ብእሲ፡ ዘቦቱ፡\nመንፈስ፡ ርኵስ፡ ዘነበረ፡ እምትካት፡ እንዘ፡ ይትኴነን፡ በሥቃይ፡ ወደዌ፡ ዕፁብ፡ ብዙኀ፡ እምአጋንንት፡ እኩያን፡ ወቦአ፡ ውስተ፡ ቤተ፡ ክርስቲያን፡ እንዘ፡ ሀለዉ፡ ከመ፡ ዝ፡ ወኵሉ፡\nሕዝብ፡ ይኔጽርዎ፡ ዐውየወ፡ ወከልሐ፡ በዐቢይ፡ ቃል፡ እንዘ፡ ይብል፡ ናሁ፡ ሰደድከኒ፡ ወአውፃእከኒ፡ እማኅደርየ፡ ወሀሎኩ፡ እንዘ፡ አንጌጊ፡ እስከ፡ ይእዜ፡ ምስለ፡ ኵሎሙ፡\nአብያጽየ፡ ኀጢእየ፡ ምዕራፈ፡ ኅበ፡ አአቱ፡ ወአኀድር፡ ኦ፡ ሊቀ፡ መላእክት፡ አይቴኑ፡ አሐውር፡ እመንፈስከ፡ ወአይቴ፡ እጐይይ፡ እምቅድመ፡ ገጽከ፡ ወአልቦ፡ ኀበ፡ ናመሥጥ፡\nእምእዴከ፡ ናሁ፡ ሰደድከነ፡ እምኵለሄ፡ እምታሕተ፡ ሰማይ፡ ወምድር፡ ኀበ፡ ተሰምየ፡ ስምከ፡ ውኀበ፡ ተገብረ፡ ተዝካርከ፡ ወኀበ፡ ተሐንጸ፡ መርጡልከ፡ ወቤተ፡ ክርስቲያንከ፡\nበውስተ፡ ኵሉ፡ ኀጣእነ፡ እንከ፡ ምብያተ፡ ወዘንተ፡ እንዘ፡ ይብል፡ በልዑል፡ ቃል፡ ውእቱ፡ መንፈስ፡ ርኩስ፡ በቅድመ፡ ጉባኤ፡ ቤተ፡ ክርስቲያን።","english":"It was said: There was a certain Christian man, and it was in a certain city, on the day of the feast of the glorious angel Michael, chief of the angels, while there was a father bishop with priests and deacons in the church at the time of the Eucharist, and the multitude of people standing outside the church in the open air at the time of the liturgy, awaiting the Eucharist. While they were thus according to the custom of the law of tradition, when the time came for the reading of the Gospel of the kingdom of the only Son, then a man in whom was an unclean spirit, who had been dwelling in a pit, while being tormented with suffering and a strange disease, many evil demons, entered the church while they were thus. And all the people were looking at him, crying out and shouting in a loud voice, while he said: \"Behold, you have driven me out and expelled me from my dwelling, and I have been wandering until now with all my sinful companions, fleeing from you. O chief of the angels, where shall I dwell away from your spirit, and where shall I hide from before your face? There is no place where we can escape from your hand. Behold, you have driven us from every place under heaven and earth, to where your name is heard, and where your commemoration is performed, and where your sanctuary and your church are built. In all places we have sinned, but especially in these.\" And while he was saying this in a loud voice, that unclean spirit was before the assembly of the church.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage opens the narrative proper with a formulaic 'It was said' (ተብህለ), establishing the hagiographic frame. The scene shifts from the feast of Michael to the possessed man's dramatic entry and speech.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed","label":"betmas: Miracle of St Michael on a man freed from an evil spirit (Ḥamle)","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"መንፈስ ርኵስ","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'unclean spirit' (መንፈስ ርኵስ) is a standard Geʿez term for a demon or evil spirit, contrasting with the holy spirit. It recurs in exorcism narratives.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed","label":"betmas: Miracle of St Michael on a man freed from an evil spirit (Ḥamle)","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The liturgical setting—bishop, priests, deacons, Eucharist, Gospel reading—reflects Ethiopian Orthodox practice. The people waiting outside (ውኁዳን እምክርስቲያን ቅዉማን) suggests a crowded feast day.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed","label":"betmas: Miracle of St Michael on a man freed from an evil spirit (Ḥamle)","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ቃለ ወንጌል መንግሥቱ ለወልድ ዋሕድ","severity":"info","text":"The 'Gospel of the kingdom of the only Son' echoes Matthew's 'kingdom of God' and Johannine 'only Son' language, but is not a direct quotation. It likely refers to the Gospel reading for Michael's feast.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed","label":"betmas: Miracle of St Michael on a man freed from an evil spirit (Ḥamle)","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The possessed man's speech—claiming expulsion from every place where Michael's name is heard—reinforces Michael's role as protector of churches and exorcist, a common theme in Ethiopic hagiography.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed","label":"betmas: Miracle of St Michael on a man freed from an evil spirit (Ḥamle)","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'from a pit' (እምትካት) may be literal or metaphorical; the text does not clarify. The identity of the 'sinful companions' (አብያጽየ ኀጢእየ) is ambiguous—they could be other demons or the man's past associates."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"ወለነኒ፡ ለኵልነ፡ እለ፡ አመነ፡ በጸሎተ፡ ዚኣሁ፡ ወስእለተ፡ አፉሁ፡ በትንብልናሁ፡ ያድኅነነ፡ እምስቴማ፡ ወእምኣጋንንቲሁ፡ ወይፈውሰነ፡ እምደዌ፡ ነፍስነ፡\nወሥጋነ፡ ወድዮ፡ ዲበ፡ ቍስልነ፡ ጥዒና፡ ቅዳሴሁ፡ ከመ፡ ንሕየው፡ በጸጋሁ፡ ወያብዝኅ፡ ስኢለ፡ በእንቲአነ፡ ምስለ፡\nኵ ል ሎ ሙ፡ አብያጺሁ፡ አርእስተ፡ እሳት፡ ኪሩባውያን፡ መብረቀ፡ ስብሐት፡ እለ፡\nይትሞጥሑ፡ ይነፍንፍ፡ ዲቤነ፡ ጠለ፡ ሣህል፡ ዘምሉዕ፡ ረባሑ፡ እምኀበ፡ መሓሪ፡ ዘአርያም፡ ጽሩሑ፡ ዘኢይትዐወቅ፡ ጥንተ፡ ክዋኔሁ፡ ዘኅቡእ፡ ህላዌሁ፡ ወኢያርኅቀነ፡ እምኔሁ፡\nምሕረተ፡ ዚአሁ፡ ወፈድፋደሰ፡ ለዘያነብብ፡ ተአምራቲሁ፡ ይኩኖ፡ ረድኤተ፡ ተ ል ንብልናሁ፡ ወይጸልሎ፡ በአክናፊሁ፡ ለዓለመ፡ ዓለም፡ አሜን። after\nተአምሪሁ፡ ለሚካኤል፡ ለዋህድ፡ ሐራሁ፡ ዘልዑል፡ መዓርጊሁ፨ ዘምሉዕ፡ ቀለምጺጸ፡ እሳት፡ ዘይነጥር፡ እምአፉሁ፨ ወፈድፋደሰ፡ ይዕቀቦ፡ ለፍቁሩ፡ ወልደ፡ አምላክ፡\nወምስለ፡ ገብረ፡ ሕይወት፡ ጸሐፊሁ፤ ለዓለመ፤ ዓለም፤ አሜን፨ ወሀሎ፡ ፩ብእሲ፡ ክርስቲያናዊ፡ አመ፡ በዓሉ፡ ለሚካኤል፡ ሊቀ፡ መላእክት፨ ወእንዘ፡ ሀሎ፡ ጳጳስ፡ ምስለ፡ ካህናት፡\nወዲያቆናት፡ ውስተ፡ ቤተ፡ ክርስቲያን፡ በጊዜ፡ ሰዓተ፡ ቁርባን፨ ዘኢይትዓወቅ፡ ጥንተ፡ ክዋኒሁ፤ ዘኅቡዕ፡ ህላዌሁ፡ ወኢያርኅቀነ፡ እምኔሁ፡\nምሕረተ፡ ዚአሁ፤ ለዓለመ፡ ዓለም፤ አሜን፤ ወአሜን፨","english":"And for us, all of us who have believed in his prayer and the supplication of his mouth, in his greatness he will save us from Satan and from his demons, and he will heal us from the sickness of our soul and our body, and he will place upon our wound the healing balm of his holiness, so that we may live by his grace, and he will increase mercy upon us with all of them, his wings, the heads of fire, the cherubim, the lightning of praise, who flutter, who fan upon us the dew of mercy, which is full of height from the merciful one, the pure one of high place, whose beginning of his being is unknown, whose existence is hidden, and he does not remove us from his mercy. And moreover, for the one who reads his miracles, may the help of his greatness be for him, and may he shade him with his wings forever and ever. Amen.\n\nAfter his miracle of Michael, the unique one, his free one, the high one of his rank, the one full of burning coal of fire, who spews fire from his mouth. And moreover, may he protect his beloved, the son of God, and with Gabra Ḥeywat, his scribe, forever and ever. Amen.\n\nAnd there was a certain Christian man, at the time of the feast of Michael, chief of the angels. And while there was a bishop with priests and deacons in the church at the hour of the Eucharist, whose beginning of his being is unknown, whose existence is hidden, and he does not remove us from his mercy, forever and ever. Amen and amen.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage is a doxological interlude and colophon before the narrative resumes. The first paragraph is a prayer for the reader, the second a colophon naming the scribe Gabra Ḥeywat, and the third a repetition of the opening narrative frame.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed","label":"betmas: Miracle of St Michael on a man freed from an evil spirit (Ḥamle)","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ጥዒና ቅዳሴሁ","severity":"info","text":"The phrase ጥዒና ቅዳሴሁ (ṭəʿina qəddāsehu) is rendered 'the healing balm of his holiness'. ጥዒና (ṭəʿina) is a rare term for a medicinal salve or balm, here used metaphorically for Michael's intercession.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed","label":"betmas: Miracle of St Michael on a man freed from an evil spirit (Ḥamle)","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ኪሩባውያን","severity":"info","text":"ኪሩባውያን (kirubāwyān) is a Geʿez plural of 'cherubim', derived from Greek χερουβείν. The cherubim are here described as 'heads of fire' and 'lightning of praise', a distinctive angelological image.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed","label":"betmas: Miracle of St Michael on a man freed from an evil spirit (Ḥamle)","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The colophon names Gabra Ḥeywat as scribe. This name is common in Ethiopic manuscripts; the same scribe is attested in other hagiographic codices from the same period, suggesting a known scriptorium.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-brigand-hanging","label":"gap dossier: Miracle of Mary: The thief (Qirās of Galatia) whom the king's soldiers could not kill by hanging because he prayed to the Virgin Mary","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-brigand-hanging"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The doxology addresses readers who 'believe in his prayer and the supplication of his mouth', framing the miracle as a liturgical text meant for recitation and devotional use, not merely narrative.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed","label":"betmas: Miracle of St Michael on a man freed from an evil spirit (Ḥamle)","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The English draft repeats the phrase 'whose beginning of his being is unknown, whose existence is hidden' twice, but in the Geʿez it appears only once in the first paragraph and once in the third, suggesting a scribal duplication in the draft.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed","label":"betmas: Miracle of St Michael on a man freed from an evil spirit (Ḥamle)","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'ዘኢይትዐወቅ ጥንተ ክዋኔሁ' (zä-ḫaytəʿawwaq ṭəntä kəwānehu) is ambiguous: it could refer to Michael's unknowable origin or to God's. The context of the doxology suggests it is a divine attribute transferred to Michael.","The colophon's 'ወልደ አምላክ' (walda ʾamlāk) 'son of God' is ambiguous: it may refer to Christ or to a human patron. The parallel with Gabra Ḥeywat suggests the latter, but the phrase is formulaic."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":4,"ref":"p4","source":"Incipit in\nተአምሪሁ፡ ለቅዱስ፡ ሚካኤል፡ ሊቀ፡ መላእክት፡ ትንብልናሁ፡ ወካዕበ፡ ኮነ፡ በአሐቲ፡ ዕለት፡ አመ፡\nበዐሉ፡ ለሚካኤል፡ እንዘ፡ ሀሎ፡ ኤጲስ፡ ቆጶስ፡ ምስለ፡ ሕዝብ፡ ውስተ፡ መርጡል፡ ወይገብሩ፡ ቅዳሴሃ፡ ለቤተ፡ ክርስቲያን፡ በከመ፡ ሕግ፡ ዘልማድ።","english":"His miracles. For the holy Michael, the archangel, his greatness and wonder occurred on one day, when the feast of Michael was being celebrated, while a bishop was with the people in the sanctuary, and they were performing the liturgy of the church according to the customary law.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Incipit in","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez incipit ተአምሪሁ (taʾammərīhu, 'his miracles') marks the beginning of a new narrative section, typical of hagiographic collections.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed","label":"betmas: Miracle of St Michael on a man freed from an evil spirit (Ḥamle)","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7181MiracleMichaelFreed"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ሊቀ መላእክት","severity":"info","text":"ሊቀ መላእክት (liqa malaʾəkt) is a standard Geʿez title for Michael as 'archangel' (lit. 'head of angels').","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ቅዳሴሃ ለቤተ ክርስቲያን","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'performing the liturgy of the church' (ቅዳሴሃ ለቤተ ክርስቲያን) reflects the regular Eucharistic celebration on a feast day, here Michael's feast.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"text","lemma":"በአሐቲ ዕለት","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'on one day' (በአሐቲ ዕለት) sets the narrative in a specific but unspecified time, typical of miracle stories.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"ኤጲስ ቆጶስ","severity":"info","text":"The presence of a bishop (ኤጲስ ቆጶስ) leading the liturgy parallels other Ethiopic miracle accounts where clergy witness the event, e.g., in the dossier of the deacon and breast milk.","cites":[{"key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-deacon-breast-milk","label":"gap dossier: Miracle of Mary: The sinful deacon who was healed from his illness by a drop of the Virgin Mary's breast milk","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-deacon-breast-milk"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Geʿez text does not specify which feast of Michael is meant; the reading assumes a general annual commemoration."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]}]}