What’s in the Ethiopian Bible
Updated September 2026The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Bible is usually counted at 81 books, preserved in Ge’ez. It includes the books in Protestant and Catholic Bibles plus several found almost nowhere else, including 1 Enoch, Jubilees and the three books of Meqabyan.
Why the count is “usually” 81
The church recognises a narrower and a broader canon, and books are sometimes grouped or split differently, so published lists vary. Most sources settle on 81 books in total.
Beyond the books shared with other Bibles, it keeps the deuterocanonical books found in Catholic Bibles, such as Tobit, Judith, the Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach and Baruch.
Where to start reading
1 Enoch and Jubilees are the two books readers ask about most. Both survive complete only in Ge’ez, and both have public-domain English translations by R.H. Charles.
- Start with 1 Enoch for the Watchers and the visions attributed to Enoch.
- Read Jubilees next: it retells Genesis and early Exodus on a calendar of 49-year “jubilees”.
- Compare the Meqabyan with the Greek Books of Maccabees; they share a name but not a text.
Books you won’t find in most Western Bibles
| Book | What it is |
|---|---|
| 1 Enoch | Visions and teachings attributed to Enoch; quoted in Jude 14–15. |
| Jubilees | A retelling of Genesis and early Exodus, dated in 49-year cycles. |
| 1–3 Meqabyan | Ethiopian books on faithfulness under persecution; different from the Greek Maccabees. |
| 4 Baruch | Also called the Paralipomena of Jeremiah. |
| Sinodos, Book of the Covenant, Ethiopic Clement, Didascalia | Church-order texts counted in the broader New Testament canon. |
Editions to read
All The Ethiopian Bible editions →
Questions
Is the Ethiopian Bible the oldest Bible?
No single Bible is “the oldest”. The Ethiopian canon is ancient and preserves some texts that survive complete only in Ge’ez, such as 1 Enoch and Jubilees.
Can I read it in English?
Yes. Its most distinctive books, including 1 Enoch and Jubilees, have English translations, and R.H. Charles’s versions are in the public domain.