The National Library of Israel (NLI), the Ethiopian Jewry Heritage Center, and the Orit Guardians program at Tel Aviv University, have announced a new digitization project to scan and make available the rare holy books and manuscripts of the Beta Israel community.
Until now, most of these items were held by the community’s Kesim (clergy) in private homes, or in Beta Israel synagogues, but were not accessible to the public at large.
A recent gathering at the Library with Beta Israel leaders resulted in an agreement under which high-resolution digital scans of these items will be generated, and made available to the public via the NLI website, while the original items remain with the communities.
The manuscripts are written in the sacred language of Ge’ez. They include the Octateuch known as the Orit (the Torah of Beta Israel) comprising the Pentateuch (five books of the Torah or Chumash), the books of Joshua, Judges and Ruth, the Jewish apocryphal texts of Jubilees and Enoch, prayerbooks such as the Book of Psalms, and more. These are considered “living books” used in ongoing religious activities. In addition, there are also holy books held by descendants of Kesim.
Scanning is being conducted jointly by NLI and the Ethiopian Jewry Heritage Center. To date, 17 manuscripts have been scanned and will soon be available online. These include four copies of the Orit (two of which are very ancient); an 18th century Mesihafe Kufale (Book of Jubilees); Mazmura Dawit (Psalms of David); prayerbooks for the shemita year and Yom Kippur, the Arde’et (Book of Disciples), and the Mashafa Mala’ekt (Book of Angels or Enoch).
The gathering with the Beta Israel leaders included a reading from the Library’s copy of the Orit, a leather-bound parchment manuscript that had been carried by hand through dangerous territory to Jerusalem. It was donated by the Beta Israel to the Library in 2016.
Standing (L to R) Kes Yemanu Tamiat, Kes Mentasnot Memu.
Naftali Avraham, Director General of the Ethiopian Jewry Heritage Center, says that documenting and preserving the Ethiopian Jewish bookshelf is one of the Center’s primary objectives.
“In recent years, we have been able to document many of the [esoteric] mysteries of the tradition and rich heritage of Ethiopian Jews thanks to cooperation with the Kesim,” Avraham says.
“I am glad that in this project as well, the Center brought the importance of scanning books before the Kesim, and they joined the project out of recognition of the importance of conservation. For this, I thank the Liqa Kahenat Chief Kes Berko Tegegne for giving his blessing to this important project. It is important to recognize Center staffer Gadi Geta Melaku for his systematic and sensitive work with the Kesim and project partners.”
Yitzhak Gila, Director of the NLI Manuscripts Department, added, “For over 70 years, the Library has worked to make accessible images of Hebrew manuscripts, whether as photographs, microfilm, or digital technology. All are available online, and we are overjoyed to add the Beta Israel heritage to this digital collection.”
Dr. Dalit Rom-Shiloni, Associate Professor at the Department of Biblical Studies at Tel Aviv University, emphasized that the cooperation with the Ethiopian Jewry Heritage Center and the National Library of Israel is “a very important added value for our continued academic activity, and for this we are very happy, and congratulate all the partners participate in the development of the study and research of the religious-spiritual leadership of Beta Israel.
“These cultural treasures are undoubtedly part of the community’s heritage and deserve exposure to an interested public, while they will continue to be maintained with their owners in the various houses of worship,” Rom-Shiloni said.
