Foreword: The English Translation of Giyorgis of Saglā’s (Gāśǝč̣č̣ā’s) Maṣḥafa Mǝśṭir (The Book of the Mystery)

Foreword to The Book of the Mystery. The Boof the Mystery ranges among the most important works of Ethiopian literature. It is not only, probably, the most encompassing theological work. It also defines the Ethiopian orthodoxy by contrasting it with the heretical views, and determines the role of Ethiopian Christianity in the religious history of the world. Yet, it is also a literary masterpiece, for its complex style, characterized by rhymes, anaphoric repetitions, similes, metaphors, and taste for rare and obscure terms, which demonstrate the profound culture and rhetorical excellence of its author.