this is why the Ethiopian Bible got banned why do we all have a 66 book Bible as opposed to others such as the Ethiopian Bible the Bible is a history book but is unlike any other history book available in any public library the history of the Bible starts with the creation of the earth and ends with the end of the world no other history book has ever been published that cover such a broad range of events on planet Earth partially because no one was present at the start to witness and document it and therefore no
one can write the beginning of our world authoritatively part one the history of the Ethiopian Bible the Ethiopian Bible has intrigued many because of its unique content and Rich history unlike other biblical cannons the Ethiopian bible contain contains 88 books this includes the Book of Enoch the book of jubilees and various other texts this version of the Bible includes ancient Scrolls from both the Old and New Testaments some of which have never been seen Elsewhere One fascinating aspect is that Ethiopia has been a Christian Nation since the 4th Century long before Christianity spread to many
other parts of the world historical record Rec show that Ethiopia welcomed Christian refugees fleeing persecution from other kingdoms and Empires this historical Embrace of Christianity demonstrates the deep roots of the faith in Ethiopian culture in the 5th Century the Bible was translated into gz the ancient lurgical language of Ethiopia this was a significant Milestone as it made the scriptures accessible to the Ethiopian people in their own language this allowed the faithful to directly engage with the word of God encouraging a deep rooted and vibrant Christian culture why was the Ethiopian Bible banned the formation of
the Bible as we know it today was a complex process involving many decisions about which texts to include early church leaders met a councils such as the Council of n in 325 ad and the First Council of Constantinople in 381 ad to determine the official Bible they decided that a book was scripture if it was written by one of jesus' followers or someone who saw him teach and if it made sense in the context of the rest of the Bible this process led to the exclusion of many texts including those found in the Ethiopian Bible
all all scripture is God breathed given by divine inspiration and is profitable for instruction for conviction of sin for correction of error and restoration to obedience for training in righteousness learning to live in Conformity to God's will both publicly and privately behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage so that the man of God may be complete and proficient outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work 2 Timothy 3: 16-1 17 in the early 1600s during the reign of King James I there was a significant revision of the Bible the king commissioned a new translation
in order to settle religious differences and strengthen his authority this translation known as the King James Bible became one of the most widely accessible versions due to advancements in printing it's worth noting that the King James Bible like earlier versions such as the Vulgate excluded some books that were included in the Ethiopian Bible one reason for the Ethiopian Bible's obscurity is its language it is written in gz an ancient Ethiopian language making it inaccessible to non-speakers the lack of translations has further limited its reach Additionally the unique practices and traditions of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church
have contributed to its relative isolation from other Christian denominations content of the Ethiopian Bible books of Enoch the books of Enoch especially first enic are considered canonical in the Ethiopian Bible contains extensive narratives about angels demons and the origins of sin for instance first Enoch provides a detailed account of the fall of the angels and their interaction with Humanity The Book of Enoch is one of several pseudepigraphal falsely ascribed Works books whose claimed authorship is unsubstantiated Publications that claim to be written by Enoch in verse 14 and 15 the biblical book of Jude includes a
quotation from The Book of Enoch this prophecy originates from the book of First Enoch the fact that he is quoting authoritatively from a work that is not considered to be part of the cannon brings up some apparent issues jude: 14- 15 it was about these people that Enoch in the Seventh Generation from Adam prophesied when he said look the Lord came with myriads of his holy ones to execute judgment upon all and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly Deeds they have done in an ungodly way and of all the harsh and cruel
things ungodly Sinners have spoken against him this does not however prove that the Book of Enoch is divinely inspired or that it should be included in the cannon of sacred writings known as the Bible it is not the only quote in the Bible that is borrowed from a source that is not itself a part of the Bible judee's quote is only one example even if the Apostle Paul makes a passing mention of the works of epimenides in Titus 1:12 this does not imply that we should give the writings any additional weight of authority than they
already possess the question is accurate it is important for us to treat The Book of Enoch and other works that are comparable to it in the same manner that we approach other texts that are regarded to be apocryphal if you decide to read these books you need to keep in mind that they are not the authorized word of God which is divinely inspired and written by God himself there is no other book save the Bible that may claim to be the divinely inspired and authoritative word of God who EX exactly is this Enoch character anyway
there are four different men in the Bible named Enoch however it should be noted that only The New International Version gives a name hanik while other translations use the name Enoch hanuk in Hebrew translates to Enoch Genesis 4:1 17 and CH 5: 18 some translations use a different spelling such as h n c c or h n o c the first Enoch was the child of Cain the second Enoch was the son of Jared the third Enoch was a son of Midian the fourth Enoch was the son of Reuben God is able to demonstrate his
enormous power through Us in stunning ways however the essential question we only to answer is am I truly loyal and committed to God in the same way that he is committed to me the Bible portrays a number of people whose responses to God's love for them were one of heartfelt thanks unwavering devotion and intense Zeal because of this there were many wonderful displays of his enormous Mind through them Enoch one of the ways that we grow in the Kingdom is to press for direct encounters with God through his word and through the ministry of the
Holy Spirit but another way is to follow carefully and to learn from those who have gone ahead either historically or currently alive Enoch is a notable figure in the Bible according to our Biblical knowledge his son Methuselah was recorded as the oldest living man Jude asserts that Enoch prophesied about the Lord bringing wrath upon the people in the near future Enoch lived in the days of Noah when there was widespread moral corruption he was known for Walking with God and prophesying about the impending judgment a prophecy that was not recorded in the Bible this is
found in Genesis chapters 522 and 24 the Bible says that Enoch walked with God in an age when most of his contemporaries were simply recorded for their birth and Offspring Enoch stands out as a man who walked with God in the history books Enoch was introduced like others but despite the fact that he didn't live as long as some of the other man his testimony is eye-catching according to the Bible he had a close relationship with God and when the time came for him to depart from this world God simply whisked him away without the
traditional stages of dying his explanation is concise but packed with heft and substance this translates into something about his relationship with God being completely pure his life has provided a template for so many people throughout different Generations as it teaches us to live for the audience of one he imparts this knowledge to us in a subtle manner knowing that if we pursue a deep communion and fellowship with God with all of our heart we shall have a fresh encounter with God as a result of our efforts the instance of Enoch was the first Rapture that
was ever documented because God simply took him it's possible that the fellowship reached such a high level that the presence of God simply engulfed him and carried him away Hebrews 11: 5-6 by faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death and was not found because God had taken him for before he was taken he had this testimony that he pleased God and Enoch had a relationship with God why does Enoch's Bible story matter we can see parallels in Enoch story with a story of Revelation yet to come in a wicked world
we are called to be righteous and to walk in faith with God it is necessary for us to use our judgment in order to distinguish between what is true and what is not true however just as the apostles Drew inspiration from non-religious thinkers and Poets we too can mine other works of literature for nuggets of divine revelation we should regard The Book of Enoch and similar books the same way we do other apocryphal writings some of what the Apocrypha says is true and accurate but much of it is false and historically inaccurate when reading these
books we should consider them interesting but fallible historical documents and not as the inspired authoritative word of God the Ethiopian Bible also contains jubilees the book of jubilees also known as little Genesis rewrites much of the content of the Book of Genesis with additional details and interpretations jubilees provides a more elaborate retelling of the creation Story the lives of the Patriarchs and the establishment of Jewish laws and customs this book offers insights particularly concerning the nature of sin and the role of Angels in human history it talks about how important it is to respect the
Sabbath day and uses a calendar based on the sun which is different from the moon-based Jewish calendar it divides time into jubilees which are groups of 49 years and tries to match Bible stories with its own timeline book of meban the book of meban is another unique text found in the Ethiopian Bible unlike the mccabes found in Catholic and Orthodox Bibles the book of meban provides distinct historical and Theological narratives these books highlight the struggles and triumphs of the Jewish people offering valuable lessons and Reflections on faith and perseverance this collection consisting of three books
goes into the challenges faced by the Israelites under foreign domination emphasizing the importance of upholding the law and the power of divine intervention the protagonists in these narratives though lesser known embody resilience and unwavering Faith despite suffering other writings in the Ethiopian Bible the Ethiopian Bible has more writings like the Ascension of Isaiah and The Apocalypse of Peter these writings give more insight into what early Christians believed especially about the end times making the religious views of Ethiopian Christians more diverse and detailed also the collection of books like jubilees and Enoch makes the Ethiopian collection
of sacred texts different from others these books talk about the universe angels and what happens at the end of the world giving a special view on the spiritual world and what happens to souls why these books matter and what they mean for us comparison of the Canon of the Ethiopian Bible with other Christian cannons the Ethiopian Bible's Cannon stands out when compared to other Christian cannons such as the Protestant Catholic and Eastern Orthodox cannons Catholic Canon the Catholic Cannon has 73 books which is more than the Protestant Bible because it has extra books known as
the dudo canonical books these extra books offer important historical and religious knowledge however the Catholic Bible doesn't have the special books that are in the Ethiopian Bible the term Apocrypha means hidden books in Greek these are Jewish writting writings from the second temple period roughly between the 13th and 3rd centuries BC that were not included in the Jewish Canon the gospels of Matthew Mark Luke and John are called the canonical gospels because the early church recognized them as precise authoritative and inspired records of jesus' life and teachings apart from these four gospels many other works
claim to documented additional words and actions of Jesus however these works are not considered authoritative inspired and often do not provide accurate records of jesus' life and teachings the early church regarded many of the apocryphal gospels as helpful but not inspired none of the Roman Catholics Eastern Orthodox or Protestants accept any of the apocryphal gospels as authoritative or inspired several apocryphal gospels are lost to history but are referenced in other early Christian writings and would have been considered useful although not inspired the Dead Sea Scrolls the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947 renewed
scholarly interest in the Apocrypha and pseudepigrapha these Scrolls included parts of more than 700 ancient Jewish manuscripts many written in Hebrew Aramaic and Greek the Scrolls provided crucial evidence for dating these writings accurately and understanding their context among the Dead Sea Scrolls were manuscripts of the Book of Enoch Ben and other pseudepigraphal texts these discoveries affirm the Antiquity and significance of these Works offering a glimpse into the religious life of the second Temple period studying the Apocrypha and pudy grapha is essential for understanding the development of judism and Christianity the Ethiopian Bible with its inclusion
of the Apocrypha and pag grapha offers a broader perspective on Ancient religious texts which are not considered to be the inspired word of God these writings although not part of the mainstream biblical Cannon are invaluable for the historical theological and cultural insights the pages of the Bible offer more than just sacred teachings they are stories woven with the vibrant threads of different cultures lands and peoples often overlooked the significant presence of Africans and their lasting impact on the biblical narrative is notable Abraham in Egypt many generations have passed since Adam and Eve's time in Eden
among their descendants was Abraham a man of unwavering Faith but life with its unpredictable twists brought severe famine to Canaan forcing Abraham to seek sustenance in other lands and there was a famine in the land and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there for the famine was Grievous in the land Genesis 12: 10 Joseph From Slavery to Salvation another significant figure whose life became deeply intertwined with Egypt was Joseph Abraham's great-grandson his story is one of betrayal and Redemption gifted with dreams that held prophetic insights Joseph's talents were misunderstood and out of jealousy his
brothers sold him into slavery Moses and the Exodus the story of Moses and the Exodus is a central narrative in the Bible it showcases The Liberation of the Israelites from the hands of their Egyptian oppressors and their Journey to the promised land since Egypt is located in Africa the story also provides an intriguing glimpse into the biblical representation of Africans Ethiopia and kushites in the Bible throughout the Bible the lands of Ethiopia often referred to as Kush and its people the kushites are mentioned several times indicating the significance of this ancient civilization in Biblical history
the queen from Ethiopia visits King Solomon King Solomon reigned after the death of King David following King David's death the people of Israel began s sacrificing on the high places a pagan practice learned from their Canaanite neighbors that violated Mosaic law Solomon became what we would call a renaissance man as a result of God's blessing there was no subject in which he did not possess unrivaled wisdom he was a proverbial author a song composer and even a botanist and zoologist it was typical of Kings to send emissaries to Solomon however this queen came herself to
confirm the words that she had heard we previously learned that Solomon's Fame had spread widely the story of the Queen of Sheba exemplifies this point it also demonstrates that God was blessing the world's peoples through his people just as he had promised Abraham the Queen of Sheba paid a visit to Solomon's court she was from an Arabian Kingdom in what is now Yemen her country was about 1200 mil from Jerusalem the queen came to see Solomon because of his Fame associated with the name of the Lord which was most likely a reference to the wisdom
that the Lord had bestowed upon him she came to put him to the test with riddles to see if his abilities lived up to his reputation First Kings 10:1 when the Queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his relationship to the Lord she came to test Solomon with hard questions she wasn't exactly a popper herself bringing a large Entourage with expensive and exotic gifts with her first Kings 10:2 arriving at Jerusalem with a very great Caravan with camels carrying spices large quanti ities of gold and precious stones she came to Solomon and
talked with him about all that she had on her mind but Solomon's wisdom and wealth were far beyond her comprehension it took her breath away by the time she had heard his explanations and seen his glorious Kingdom First Kings 10: 3-5 Solomon answered all her questions nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her when the Queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built the food on his table the seating of his officials the attending servants in their robes his cup bearers and the burnt offerings he
made at the Temple of the Lord she was overwhelmed the visiting Queen admitted that she had not believed the reports about Solomon that she had heard but she'd seen for herself that he was the real deal she then thanked the Lord for putting Solomon on the throne for the sake of Israel First Kings 10: 6-8 she said to the king the report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true but I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes indeed not even half was
told me in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard how happy your people must be how happy your officials who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom she also lavished Solomon with gifts and he appears to have reciprocated First Kings 10: 9-13 praise be to the Lord your God who has delighted in you and placed you on the the Throne of Israel because of the Lord's eternal love for Israel he has made you King to maintain Justice and righteousness and she gave the king 120 talents of gold large quantities of
spices and precious stones never again were so many spices brought in as those the Queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon hyrum's ships brought gold from ofer and from there they brought great cargos of Elmwood and precious stones the King used the Elmwood to make supports for the Temple of the Lord and for the Royal Palace and to make Harps and Liars for the musicians so much Elwood has never been imported or seen since that day King Solomon gave the Queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for besides what he had given her out
of his Royal Bounty then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country an interesting insight into the Queen of Sheba is that she did not take people at face value whether that be on the basis of their self-reports or the reputation that they have guarded from other people in other words she wanted to see the results for herself another interesting thing the Queen of Sheba demonstrated was that she did not share any of her gifts with Solomon or attempt to to strike a closer relationship with him until she was satisfied that he
deserved them later Jesus mentioned the Queen of Sheba also called the queen of the south in his condemnation of the scribes and Pharisees Matthew 12:42 the queen of the South will rise at the Judgment with this generation and condemn it for she came from the ends of the Earth to listen to PS man's Wisdom and how something greater than Solomon is here she was willing to travel hundreds of miles to hear Solomon's wisdom but while the Son of God far exceeded Solomon in wisdom and Glory the Jewish religious leaders only scoffed at him According To
Jesus at the final judgment the queen of sheel will Point her finger at them in condemnation they will have no excuse for having rejected the Messiah in the New Testament we also see the influence of Ethiopia the Ethiopian unic an early Christian convert Philip an early Christian evangelist was instructed by an Angel to travel south on the road from Jerusalem to Gaza along the way he met an Ethiopian unic who was an important official in charge of the treasury of the Ethiopian Queen the unic was reading aloud from the book of Isaiah puzzled by our
particular passage Philip approached him and asked if he understood what he was reading the unic responded how can I unless someone explains it to me acts 8:31 philli then explained the passage revealing how it pointed to Jesus as they traveled they came across some water and the unic expressed his desire to be baptized look here is water what can stand in the way of my being baptized acts 8:36 Philip baptized him and when they emerged from the water the spirit of the Lord suddenly took philli away but however Philip appeared at aotus and traveled about
preaching the gospel on all all the towns until he reached cesaria acts 8:39 the unic fied with joy continued on his journey becoming one of the first recorded Christian converts from Africa so why were some books left out and while some remain how the Bible was written the Bible is critically important for Christian faith as it serves as the source of information about God who he is and what he has done for us additionally it reveals insights into Humanity including our character history and spiritual needs furthermore the Bible outlines God's Plan of Salvation offering forgiveness
and renewal for Humanity in its sinful state it also delineates God's standards of right and wrong and commun communicates his will for his Creations as Christian faith is rooted in Hope for the future the Bible is indispensable in guiding our path into eternity the significance of the Bible and its Revelations cannot be overstated the Bible is an unusual book the Bible is unique and unparalleled book that stands alone it was written by about 40 human authors over a period of 1500 years starting with Moses in the 15th century BC the Bible was written in two
major languages Hebrew and Greek with a few portions of the Old Testament in Aramaic the diverse group of authors came from various walks of life including Moses Joshua and renowned prophets such as Samuel Isaiah Jeremiah and Ezekiel this makes makes the Bible a truly exceptional and unparalleled work the authors of the Bible came from diverse backgrounds for example there were authors like David who started as a Shepherd but later became the king of Israel as a King David wrote many of the Psalms providing a rich poetic background for biblical truths other writers were farmers Warriors
or fishermen despite their in backgrounds they all contributed to the Bible the Bible itself is unique it contains a wide range of content including moral and political laws history poetry prophecy and letters yet it maintains continuity from Genesis to Revelation in Christian faith the unity of the Bible Adit its diversity is attributed to the work of the Holy Spirit rather than to human authors the difficulty of producing a book like the Bible is evident when considering that it was written by 40 different authors over a span of 1500 years even with access to all the
world's literature it would be impossible to create a second Bible identical to the original the Bible is seen as a supernatural production distinct from other works it presents a consistent portrayal of God and the world while some of the writers may have had access to other manuscripts containing historical information the Bible is not simply a copy of those books instead the author selected and included what they beli to be true resulting in a fresh unique and authoritative account of God's truth the Bible is a supernatural book it would be impossible to explain the origin of
the Bible by any other means than to note that it claims to be a supernatural book Guided by the Holy Spirit and supports its claims by the facts presented the Bible's contents indicate that it is of Supernatural origin because it contains Revelations Beyond human knowledge it also provides God's perspective on human activity and history which can only be known through divine revelation the Bible is not only Supernatural in its origin but also in its truth it deals with subjects such as salvation forgiveness righteousness spiritual restoration and Hope For Eternity the sculp of the Revelation extends
from eternity past to Eternity future which obviously requires divine revelation let us pray Heavenly Father Lord we pray for clarity open our minds and hearts to receive your truth we pray that your words continue to be The Guiding Light in our life Illuminating our path through the darkness just as you have promised in Psalm CH 119 ver 105 may your Divine wisdom and teaching shine brightly leading Us in each step we take help us to always remember that in moments of a un certained your challenge we can find direction and clarity through your sacred words
strengthen our faith and hearts so that we may follow your ways with confidence and peace in the mighty name of Jesus we pray amen
