Ethiopic Didascalia

Platt 1834 historical front matter, source page 9

PREFACE. The ancient language of Abyssinia, commonly called Ethiopic, was but very imperfectly known in Europe before the publication of the Grammar and Lexicon of Ludolf . This very learned, industrious, and accurate writer was Aulic Counsellor at the Court of the Duke of Saxe Gotha, from about 1652 to 1678, and afterwards his Resident at Frankfort, and President of the Academy of History in that city. His works, which are the great source of information on all subjects relating to the Ancient Language and the Literary and Ecclesiastical History of Abyssinia, are as follows : 1. Jobi Ludolfi Lexicon ^thiopico-Latinum, fol. Francof. ad Moenum, 1699. 2. Gramtnatica jEthiopica .... fol. ibid 1702. 3. Psalterium Davidis ^Ethiopice et Latine, curS J. Ludolfi, 4to. ibid. 1701. 4. Jobi Ludolfi Historia ^thiopica fol. ibid. 1681. 5. Jobi Ludolfi ad suam Historian! ^thiopicam Comtnentarius, fol. ibid. 1691. The Grammar and Lexicon were first published in 1661 ; but these were nothing more than rough sketches of the much enlarged and complete works above mentioned, pubhshed in 1699 and 1702. The Ethiopic part of Castell's Polyglott Lexicon seems to have been chiefly composed from the MS. copy of the first edition of Ludolf s Lexicon before it was put to press*. In one of the works above enumerated, the " Commentarius ad Historiam ^thiopicam," Ludolf has reprinted " The Confession of Faith of Claudius King of Ethiopia f ," which had already been published with the First Edition of his Grammar and Lexicon. In this Confession, Claudius, speaking of the Sab- bath, says, that it is observed in Ethiopia, nlion : ?»HH-1 : 2\n««l : diVCyt- ■ njj^jf fl'fAJP : "According as our Fathers the Apostles have commanded us in the Didascalia." On which passage, Ludolf has the following Note : (Coram, in Hist. JEth. p. 239 🙂 * See the Prefaces to the two editions of Ludolf s Lexicon; and Castell, Lexicon Heptaglott. col. 853. t Claudius reigned from 1540 to 1559. a 389996