Work dossier · summary and historical context
The Geʿez version of the Book of Haggai, preserved in a single Ethiopic manuscript, follows the Septuagint tradition closely, including the longer chronological formula in 2:10 absent from the Masoretic Text. The translation is conventionally dated to the Aksumite period (5th–6th c.) and is used in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo tradition during the season of the Prophets (Nabi’at) before Gǝnna. The English draft accompanying this edition is a modern translation not reflecting the Geʿez syntax or Septuagint Vorlage and should not be used for textual criticism.
This Geʿez version of Haggai is significant as a witness to the Septuagint-based Old Testament canon in the Ethiopian tradition, preserving textual features lost in the Masoretic tradition. It also illustrates the Aksumite translation practices and the liturgical use of the Minor Prophets in the Ethiopian church. The text's expansions and free renderings provide insight into the interpretive traditions of the translators.
The Geʿez translation of the Minor Prophets, including Haggai, is conventionally assigned to the Aksumite period (5th–6th c.), when the Ethiopian church was closely linked to the Greek-speaking Christian world. The translation was made from the Septuagint, as shown by the longer chronological formula in 2:10 (LXX 2:10a) not found in the Masoretic Text. The single manuscript witness used for this edition (betmas) lacks a colophon confirming a precise date for Haggai. In the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo tradition, Haggai is read during the season of the Prophets (Nabi’at) preceding the celebration of the Birth of Christ (Gǝnna). The text reflects the post-exilic leadership structure of Zerubbabel and Joshua, and includes expansions not present in the Hebrew, such as 'you drink but are not quenched' and 'you clothe yourselves but are not warm'.
Apparatus · what the pipeline recorded
| Coptic | Rendering | Count | First |
|---|---|---|---|
| no glossary terms recorded | |||