The question of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church canon, which consists of 81 books (often cited as 88 when counting individual sections separately), is a matter of historical and manuscript preservation that requires a discerning eye. While the 66 books of the Protestant canon are recognized as the universally accepted standard for faith and practice among many believers, the Ethiopian tradition represents one of the oldest continuous Christian heritages in the world, having preserved texts that other traditions set aside during the early centuries of the church.
The primary interest for most forensic students of the word lies in the “narrower” and “broader” canons of Ethiopia, which include works such as the Book of Enoch and the Book of Jubilees. These texts were clearly known to the New Testament writers; for instance, the Epistle of Jude directly quotes Enoch, noting, “And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints” (Jude 1:14). However, a distinction must be maintained between a book being historically significant or “true” in its observations and a book being divinely inspired and preserved as the infallible rule of faith.
When approaching these extra-canonical books, the believer must exercise the “defense of the truth” by using the established scriptures as the ultimate filter. If one chooses to read the additional books found in the Ethiopian canon, they should be treated as historical and secondary witnesses that provide cultural context to the second-temple period, rather than as equal in authority to the Law, the Prophets, and the Gospels. We are warned to “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). These texts can offer a fascinating look at how the ancient church in Africa viewed spiritual warfare and celestial hierarchies, but they must never eclipse the clear light of the Gospel.
The ultimate danger in elevating 88 books to the same status as the standard canon is the potential for “adding unto these things,” which can lead to doctrinal confusion. The strength of the 66-book canon is its internal harmony and its focus on the redemptive work of Christ without the esoteric distractions often found in pseudepigraphal works. As we look for the blessed hope of the Lord’s return, our primary diet must be the “sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2). Exploration of ancient texts is a scholarly pursuit, but the foundation of the soul must remain on the tried and tested cornerstone of the Holy Bible.
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