Work dossier · summary and historical context
Image of Michael is an anonymous Ethiopic hagiographic work preserved in a single 20th-century manuscript (Betä Məṣḥaf 167, EMML 1839). The text consists of a series of salutations to the archangel Michael, addressing his body parts and attributes, and includes references to biblical and apocryphal motifs such as the parting of the sea and gemstones. Its composition date is unknown; it may be a modern compilation or a copy of a lost older text. No evidence of liturgical use or canonical recognition in the Ethiopian Orthodox Täwaḥədo tradition has been found, suggesting it served private devotion.
Image of Michael provides insight into the development of angelological devotion in the Ethiopian tradition, particularly the veneration of Michael through bodily salutations. Its uncertain dating and single-witness survival highlight the challenges of studying Ethiopic hagiography. The text's references to biblical and apocryphal motifs, such as the parting of the sea and gemstones, connect it to broader Christian angelological literature, while its non-canonical status underscores the diversity of devotional practices.
The work survives only in a 20th-century manuscript from the Betä Məṣḥaf library in Addis Ababa, with no earlier Geʿez exemplar attested. This limits knowledge of its pre-modern circulation. The text lacks internal dating and is attributed to an anonymous author. It belongs to the genre of Ethiopic hagiography, specifically angelological hymnody, and shares structural features with other Ethiopic salutation hymns (mälkəʿ). The mention of 'Israel from On' likely alludes to Heliopolis (On) in Egypt, linking the text to broader Christian angelological and apocryphal traditions. The manuscript's 20th-century date does not establish the composition's age; it may be a modern compilation or a copy of a lost older text. No liturgical or canonical recognition has been identified, indicating a minor, possibly private devotional use.
Apparatus · what the pipeline recorded
| Coptic | Rendering | Count | First |
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| no glossary terms recorded | |||