The Orthodox Tewahedo biblical canon, used in the Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox Churches, stands out as the most diverse in traditional Christendom, boasting 81 books. This extensive collection includes 46 books in the Old Testament and 35 in the New Testament.
Western scholars categorize these books into two groups: the narrower canon, which mainly consists of books familiar to the West, and the broader canon, encompassing nine additional books. Currently, there is no known single published compilation containing all 81 books.
The Old Testament Canon
The Orthodox Tewahedo narrower Old Testament canon includes the entire Hebrew protocanon. With the exception of the first two books of Maccabees, it also incorporates the entire Catholic deuterocanon.
Additionally, the Orthodox Tewahedo Old Testament features the Prayer of Manasseh, 3 Ezra, and 4 Ezra, which are also found in other Christian traditions. The books of Lamentations, Jeremiah, and Baruch, along with the Letter of Jeremiah and 4 Baruch, are all considered canonical by the Orthodox Tewahedo churches.
The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Books of Ethiopian Maccabees are also included in the canon, though they differ entirely from the books of Maccabees known or canonized in other traditions.
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Here's a summary of the key components of the Old Testament canon:
| Category | Books Included |
|---|---|
| Hebrew Protocanon | Established Hebrew Old Testament books |
| Catholic Deuterocanon | Books included in the Catholic Old Testament, excluding 1 and 2 Maccabees |
| Additional Books | Prayer of Manasseh, 3 Ezra, 4 Ezra |
| Canonical Books | Lamentations, Jeremiah, Baruch, Letter of Jeremiah, 4 Baruch |
| Ethiopian Maccabees | 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Books of Ethiopian Maccabees (distinct from other Maccabees books) |
The Ethiopic Didascalia
The Ethiopic Didascalia, or Didesqelya, is a book of Church order comprising 43 chapters. It is distinct from the Didascalia Apostolorum but similar to books I-VII of the Apostolic Constitutions, where it most likely originates.
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The Broader Canon
The broader canon appears to have been created by Ethiopian scholars commenting on the Fetha Negest law code, which mentions that the canon contains 81 books but only lists 73. The additional books include:
- Enoch
- Jubilees
- 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Meqabyan
These books contribute to the unique character of the Ethiopian Bible, setting it apart from other biblical canons around the world.
The Reliability of the Biblical Text
The transmission of biblical texts has been meticulously preserved throughout history. The degree to which our Bibles today are identical to the original writings is overwhelming.
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The New Testament books were included in the canon because the Church recognized them as divinely inspired, acknowledging their inherent worth and apostolic authority. This recognition preceded their formal inclusion in any canonical list.
The Old Testament books have been confirmed for thousands of years. Flavius Josephus, in the first century A.D., noted that the Jews accepted 22 books as inspired by God.
The 27 books of the New Testament have been confirmed for nearly 2,000 years. To be considered inspired, each book had to meet specific criteria, including apostolic authorship or association, transforming power, acceptance by Christians, and freedom from errors or contradictions.
Early Church Fathers such as Clement of Rome, Polycarp, Ignatius, and Irenaeus referenced various New Testament books in their writings, affirming their acceptance and authority within the early Christian community.
Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha
Books not meeting the criteria for inclusion were considered non-canonical. Among these are the Apocrypha, composed between 300 B.C. and A.D. 100, which were later added to the canon by the Roman Catholic Church in 1546.
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The Pseudepigrapha, considered even less reliable, were composed from 300 B.C. to A.D. 300. Neither ancient Jews nor early Christians included these books in their scriptures.
