What books are included in the Ethiopian Bible that are not in the Catholic Bible?

1. What proponents claim: “An unusually large, ancient Bible”

Writers describing the Ethiopian canon emphasize that it contains between 81 and 88 books and assert that it preserves early Jewish‑Christian literature omitted elsewhere. Sources state the Ethiopian collection includes Jubilees, 1 Enoch, 4 Baruch, Jubilees, Esdras/4 Ezra, and 1–3 Meqabyan, alongside deuterocanonical works like Tobit and Judith ^{[4] [5]}. These accounts, including a 2016 overview and a 2022 publication announcing a full canonical edition, present the Ethiopian corpus as both historically ancient and unusually comprehensive, a framing that supports claims about its distinctiveness relative to Catholic and Protestant canons ^{[4] [2]}.

2. The specific books often listed as “extra”

Multiple summaries converge on a consistent list of texts present in Ethiopian but not in the Catholic Bible: 1 Enoch (Book of Enoch), Jubilees, the Meqabyan books (1–3 Meqabyan), 4 Baruch (Paralipomena of Jeremiah), and sometimes additional Esdras/4 Ezra material; some accounts also place traditional deuterocanonical books such as Baruch and Sirach within the Ethiopian collection alongside unique works ^{[1] [5]}. The result is a canon that includes both Septuagint additions and works preserved in local Syriac/Geʽez traditions, contributing to divergence from the Catholic list ^{[1] [5]}.

3. Counts and inconsistencies: why numbers vary

Published counts of Ethiopian canonical books vary—81 is a common figure, but other sources list up to 88 books—because of differing methodologies for counting texts (whether certain books are split, whether liturgical additions count as canonical, and manuscript variance). A 2022 announcement of a complete Ethiopian canon cites 81 books ^[2], while older summaries present broader ranges ^[4]. The variance reflects scholarly debates about what constitutes a single “book” versus multiple sections, as well as diverse local practices that affect which texts are treated as canonical in different Ethiopian communities ^{[2] [4]}.

4. Scholarly context and competing explanations

Scholars explain the Ethiopian canon’s differences by pointing to early reliance on the Septuagint and local translation traditions that preserved texts lost or excluded elsewhere. Protestant‑Catholic debates further complicate the picture: some narratives frame the differences as “Catholics added books” or “Protestants removed them,” but the Ethiopian case is independent, reflecting regional historical choices about authority and liturgy ^{[6] [7]}. Recent commentaries emphasize that canon formation was a plural, local process, with Ethiopia preserving a distinctive stream of Jewish‑Christian literature rather than fitting neatly into Western canonical historiography ^{[7] [6]}.

5. Liturgical use and ecclesial significance in Ethiopia

Ethiopian sources highlight that several of these books are not merely historical curiosities but integral to liturgical life and theology. Works such as Jubilees and 1 Enoch influenced calendar reckoning, angelology, and apocalyptic imagination in Ethiopian Christianity. Contemporary reporting and editions stress that the Ethiopian canon’s content shaped religious practice and identity, which helps explain why these books remained authoritative locally even when other churches excluded them ^{[3] [1]}.

6. Recent publications, claims, and controversies

Recent publications (2022–2025) have renewed attention to the Ethiopian canon: full editions and popular articles reiterate the canon’s distinctiveness and sometimes sensationalize its “banned” or “complete” status ^{[2] [3]}. Accounts from 2016 to 2025 provide overlapping claims but differ in emphasis—some stress antiquity and completeness ^[4], others emphasize the contested nature of inclusion and the canon’s divergence from Catholic and Protestant lists ^[6]. Readers should note that popular treatments sometimes blur scholarly nuance about textual transmission and canonical criteria, causing inflated or inconsistent book counts ^{[2] [6]}.

7. Bottom line: agreed facts and open questions

Factually, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church’s Bible includes a set of books not in the Catholic canon—notably 1 Enoch, Jubilees, and the Meqabyan books—producing an overall larger corpus that scholars commonly cite as 81 books ^{[1] [2]}. Open questions remain about precise counts, local variance, and the historical process by which these texts were accepted; recent sources reflect these debates and occasionally use imprecise language that inflates certainty ^{[5] [7]}. For further clarity, consult critical editions and specialist scholarship on Geʽez manuscripts and canonical history, which parse text‑by‑text evidence behind the broad claims cited here ^{[2] [1]}.