2026.03.04 | Vladimir Olivero. 1 Enoch: An Ethiopic Reader’s Edition. Resources for Biblical Study 110. Atlanta: SBL Press, 2025. pp. viii + 359. ISBN: 9781628377606.
Review by Kai Akagi, Rikkyo University.
While 1 Enoch is among the scriptures of the Ethiopic Orthodox Church and Geʿez serves as the liturgical language and language of scripture for various Ethiopic ecclesial traditions, in many parts of the world study of texts in Geʿez has long been limited to a very small number of specialists. Even in many specialist research works, use of 1 Enoch and other literature written preserved in Geʿez long was often limited to use of these texts in translation. The few who ventured into the study of Geʿez often did so through the introductory textbooks of either Lambdin or Mercer. While Mercer’s text had the advantage of simplicity and conciseness, its brevity left much to the student, particularly in becoming accustomed to reading through texts beyond its small number of short practice exercises. Lambin’s textbook, despite its general accessibility, ease of use, and a greater number of practice exercises, left reading in Geʿez script rather than transliteration to the discipline of the student, and many students never made the leap of reading longer texts in Geʿez script at all.
Biblical and Early Christian Studies 