Ethiopic · Hagiography ·
Anonymous · betmas
Work dossier · summary and historical context
This anonymous Ethiopic hagiographic miracle recounts the healing of a leprous Jew named Sane through the intercession of the Archangel Michael. The narrative follows a bipartite structure: an opening hymn praising Michael, followed by the story proper. Set on Cyprus at the church of Michael in Chytri, the miracle culminates in the Jew's physical healing and conversion to Christianity. The work survives in the manuscript tradition of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, likely as part of a larger compilation of Michaelite miracles. Its date of composition is uncertain, but it probably originates from the later medieval period.
The miracle exemplifies the role of Archangel Michael as a healer and converter in Ethiopian Orthodox tradition, and it illustrates the integration of local cult sites (Cyprus) into Ethiopic hagiography. It also contributes to the study of medieval Christian-Jewish relations and conversion narratives. The work relates to other Ethiopic miracle collections and to broader Michaelite literature.
The work is preserved in Ethiopic (Ge'ez) within the manuscript tradition of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, likely as part of a larger collection of miracles of the Archangel Michael. The source edition (betmas) provides no explicit date or manuscript context, making the date of composition uncertain; it probably belongs to the later medieval period, but this remains speculative. The setting on Cyprus links the miracle to the well-known cult of Michael at the church in Chytri (modern Kythrea), a major pilgrimage site. The narrative reflects common hagiographic motifs: saintly intercession, healing, and conversion. The bipartite structure—hymn followed by story—is typical of Ethiopic miracle collections. The text's transmission is limited by the lack of a critical apparatus or textual variants in the source edition.
Apparatus · what the pipeline recorded
| Coptic | Rendering | Count | First |
|---|---|---|---|
| no glossary terms recorded | |||