The Prince and the Plunder

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

Category: The Plunder

A 17th century manuscript of the second part of the Synaxarium, or Lives of the Saints (OR 657)

Published February 26, 2024 / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: An Ethiopian manuscript dated 1600-1667 including the second part of the Synaxarium, or Lives of the Saints. Paired with OR 656 which has the first part

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

Ref: OR 657
Digital version – http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?ref=Or_657

Provenance:
Stamped on the first page: “Presented by the Secretary of State for India Aug. 1868”
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

Posted In Biblical books | Manuscripts | The Plunder
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A 17th century manuscript of the first part of the Synaxarium, or Lives of the Saints (OR 658)

Published February 26, 2024 / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: An Ethiopian manuscript dated 1670-1682 including the first part of the Synaxarium, or Lives of the Saints. Paired in Wright’s catalogue with OR 659 which has the second part

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

Ref: OR 658
Digital version – http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?ref=Or_658

Provenance:
Stamped on the first page: “Presented by the Secretary of State for India Aug. 1868”
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

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A manuscript including Homilies of the Archangel Michael with a note saying ‘brought from Magdala’

Published February 26, 2024 / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: An early 18th century manuscript of Homilies of the Archangel Michael and associated texts, with 23 paintings

Where: Princeton University Library, Manuscripts Division, One Washington Road, Princeton, New Jersey 08544 USA

Listed as Garrett Ethiopic Manuscript No. 2 i in the catalogue – https://library.princeton.edu/special-collections/sites/default/files/Ethiopic_Combined.pdf

Provenance: There is a note in English on the first page that the manuscript was taken from the fortress of King Theodore (Tēwodros II) at Magdala in 1868

See the note here in the digital version of the manuscript – http://pudl.princeton.edu/viewer.php?obj=7fd2dd40-5294-432f-996e-59b9e8ab5019#page/4/mode/2up

It is described as “from the library of the Emperor Theodore”in the article PRINCETON’S ETHIOPIC MANUSCRIPT COLLECTIONS AT 100 in The Princeton University Library Chronicle , Vol. 71, No. 3 (Spring 2010), pp. 461-466.

Background: The broader Robert Garrett collection consists of 113 bound manuscripts in Ge’ez and Amharic. The university’s manuscript division as a whole has more than 600 Ethiopic works. There is also an illuminated manuscript, a diptych icon and a hand cross in the Princeton University Art Museum. But none mention Magdala in their provenance.

Posted In Festivals & miracles of Mary, Jesus & the angels | Manuscripts
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The Four Gospels with an endnote referring to Tewodros

Published February 26, 2024 / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: A manuscript of the four gospels, from the second half of the 17th century

Where: Princeton University Library, Manuscripts Division, One Washington Road, Princeton, New Jersey 08544 USA

Listed as Garrett Ethiopic Manuscript No. 1 i in the catalogue – https://library.princeton.edu/special-collections/sites/default/files/Ethiopic_Combined.pdf

Provenance: It has an endnote on fol. 135v referring to King Tēwodros II – the most recent king mentioned

It is described as “from the library of the Emperor Theodore”in the article PRINCETON’S ETHIOPIC MANUSCRIPT COLLECTIONS AT 100 in The Princeton University Library Chronicle , Vol. 71, No. 3 (Spring 2010), pp. 461-466.

Background: The broader Robert Garrett collection consists of 113 bound manuscripts in Ge’ez and Amharic. The university’s manuscript division as a whole has more than 600 Ethiopic works.

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Scroll including a prayer against colic with a note mentioning Magdala

Published February 26, 2024 / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: A scroll made of two pieces of parchment from the mid 19th century with drawings and two prayers against colic. A note mentioning Magdala 1868 is written in English across one of the pictures.

Where: Princeton University Library, Manuscripts Division, One Washington Road, Princeton, New Jersey 08544 USA

Listed as Princeton Ethiopic Magic Scroll No. 172 in the catalogue – https://library.princeton.edu/special-collections/sites/default/files/Ethiopic_Combined.pdf

Provenance: Written across the first drawing in a Western hand is “Madglla [sic] Abyssinia, April 13/1868” and on the reverse is a paper label reading “Presented by Rev. R Hackwell, member of the American Presbyter[ian] Mission, Rawal Pindi Northern India []0th July 1874,” over which is written in a different hand “Jan. 1899 Pres. by Alan Marquand.”

The university’s manuscript division as a whole has more than 600 Ethiopic works. There is also an illuminated manuscript, a diptych icon and a hand cross in the Princeton University Art Museum. But none mention Magdala in their provenance.

Posted In Manuscripts | Scrolls
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A manuscript of the Miracles of Jesus (OR 622)

Published February 26, 2024 / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: An Ethiopian manuscript dated 1715 of the Miracles of Jesus, with a note in the price of vellum or parchment in Amharic and a picture in outline at the end

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

Ref: OR 622
Digital version – http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?ref=Or_622

Provenance:
Stamped inside the cover: “Presented by the Secretary of State for India Aug. 1868”
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

Posted In Biblical books | Manuscripts | The Plunder
Tagged