AMHARIC PRAYER BOOK.

Acquired by J A Loubser from a street vendor in front of cathedral in Bahar Dar, Ethiopia, November 1998.

Such books are made by peasants for private use and are sometimes buried with them. The technique for manufacturing them have been handed over by word of mouth over many centuries.

An expert opinion on the contents (May 2001):

Dear Dr Loubser,
The page you e-mailed me contains a magical prayer asking God to sent the angels
of light for help. It claims to be a prayer the Lord (Jesus Christ) gave to his
beloved John (Son of Thunder). I do not remember having seen a similar prayer
before. But I have not checked the sources to be sure. How many folia is it?
With best regards
Getatchew Haile (Hill Monastic Library, Saint John’s University, Minnesota)