The Prince and the Plunder

A book on how Britain took one boy and piles of treasures from Ethiopia

Tag: British Library

Abu Shaker’s Chronology (OR 810)

Published / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: A copy of Abu Shaker’s Chronology, “well written, between 1721 and 1730”. “On f. 2 a, in a later hand, we find ‘the Degrees of the Sufferings of our Lord’.”

Where: The British Library, 96 Euston Rd, London NW1 2DB

Provenance: Listed as part of the “Magdala collection” in William Wright’s Catalogue of the Ethiopic manuscripts in the British Museum acquired since the year 1847

Does not appear in British Library’s online catalogue or list of digitised manuscript

Abu Shaker’s Chronology (OR 811)

Published / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: A copy of Abu Shaker’s Chronology, “apparently written in 1755”.

Where: The British Library, 96 Euston Rd, London NW1 2DB

Provenance: Listed as part of the “Magdala collection” in William Wright’s Catalogue of the Ethiopic manuscripts in the British Museum acquired since the year 1847

Does not appear in British Library’s online catalogue or list of digitised manuscript

Abu Shaker’s Chronology (OR 813)

Published / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: An early 18th century copy of Abu Shaker’s Chronology. “On ff. 188 b and 189 is a list of officials, doing duty during each month, in a certain church. On ff. 190 b and 191 are deeds of the reigns of Takla Haimanot, Takla Giyorgis, and ‘lyasu, and inventories, in Amharic. A rudely written note on f. 190 b says that this manuscript belonged to king ‘lyasu (I.), the son of John. If so, it was written before A.D. 1706.”

Where: The British Library, 96 Euston Rd, London NW1 2DB

Provenance: Listed as part of the “Magdala collection” in William Wright’s Catalogue of the Ethiopic manuscripts in the British Museum acquired since the year 1847

Does not appear in British Library’s online catalogue or list of digitised manuscript

A 15th century collection of homilies (OR 774)

Published / by Andrew Heavens / 1 Comment on A 15th century collection of homilies (OR 774)

What: A 15th century collection of homilies, starting with Jacob (or Serug), on the Annunciation, and on the blessed Virgin Mary and Elizabeth. “Foll. 1-5, 169, and 170, belong to another Ms., written in 3 columns, in a fine hand of the 16th or 17th century; but the text has been almost entirely washed off.”

Where: The British Library, 96 Euston Rd, London NW1 2DB

Provenance: Listed as part of the “Magdala collection” in William Wright’s Catalogue of the Ethiopic manuscripts in the British Museum acquired since the year 1847

Does not appear in British Library’s online catalogue or list of digitised manuscript

Including Homilies, Doctrine of the Apostles (OR 775)

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What: An early 18th century manuscript of Homilies copied from OR 774; The Teaching of the Apostles, regarding the Passion, Crucifixion and Resurrection of our Lord; Cyriacus of Behnesa on the Glory of the Virgin Mary.

Where: The British Library, 96 Euston Rd, London NW1 2DB

Provenance: Listed as part of the “Magdala collection” in William Wright’s Catalogue of the Ethiopic manuscripts in the British Museum acquired since the year 1847

Does not appear in British Library’s online catalogue or list of digitised manuscript

A copy of the Mashafa Hawi, with notes on the property of a convent (OR 776)

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What: A copy of the Mashafa Hawi, written in 1745. Foll. 1-14 and 268-274 are filled with notes, chiefly in Amharic. Among them is a list of the property of the convent of Dabra Zahai.

Where: The British Library, 96 Euston Rd, London NW1 2DB

Provenance: Listed as part of the “Magdala collection” in William Wright’s Catalogue of the Ethiopic manuscripts in the British Museum acquired since the year 1847

Does not appear in British Library’s online catalogue or list of digitised manuscript