What: A 19th century scroll with five coloured pictures and prayers against demons and conditions including chest pain

Where: The John Rylands Library, 150 Deansgate, Manchester M3 3EH

One of four manuscripts in Manchester University’s library taken from Magdala. A fifth is described a “bought by Lt-Colonel Henslowe from a priest in Addigrat” – a major stop on the force’s route on the campaign. The library has a total of 42 Ethiopian manuscripts, and some of the remainder may also have come from Magdala.

Stefan Strelcyn lists the scroll as No. 32 in his Catalogue of Ethiopic manuscripts in the John Rylands University Library of Manchester, and identifies it as a Magdala manuscript:

“Obtained in Magdala, as stated in a note written in pencil on a piece of paper (215x140mm, badly damaged and pasted on another piece of paper) placed within the scroll”