Acknowledgement
Throughout the writing of this monograph, I have received a great deal of support and assistance from various institutions and individuals. At the institution level, I would like to express my very great appreciation for the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation for its generous financial support during my fellowship period in Hamburg. The success of this monograph project is founded on the rich and research friendly environment of the Hiob Ludolf Center for Ethiopian and Eritrean Studies (HLCEES) at Universität Hamburg. I am very grateful to all the staff of the HLCEES whose unwavering friendship and encouragement helped in keeping the progress of the project ongoing.
I would also like to thank Addis Ababa University, my home University, for all the support including allowing me the time to stay abroad working on this project. I extend my thanks to the authorities and staff of the Tǝnsāʾe Zagubāʾe Māttamiyā Bet, Tasfā Gabra Śǝllāse Māttamiyā Bet and Māḫbara Qǝddusān Printing Press for their support in offering the data I required.
Alessandro Bausi, a University Professor now at Sapienza University of Rome and former Director of the Hiob Ludolf Centre for Ethiopian and Eritrean Studies (HLCEES) at the Asien-Afrika-Institut of Universität Hamburg, suggested the topic for this research. Although I was initially set to propose a different research topic for the application, I decided that Bausi’s suggestion was the one I preferred and so put it forward for the Alexander von Humboldt fellowship. I received his full support of my application, regarding which he also pledged to be my host. My proposal was eventually accepted by the foundation and I was awarded a fellowship at the Centre he directed. As the one who fathered the topic, his encouragement and advice were consistent throughout the project period. I thank him for all his contribution. I also wish to extend my gratitude to Professor Dan Levene for his invaluable feedback and editing assistance on a section of this monograph. As usual, there is no need to stress that the ultimate responsibility for any errors and imprecision remains with the author.
Finally, I extend my sincere gratitude to Dr Ken Parry, the founding editor of the series Texts and Studies in Eastern Christianity, for accepting this volume for publication. Dr Parry’s warm reception of my monograph, along with his words of appreciation and encouragement for my contributions, were invaluable. His guidance ensured that the monograph aligned with the editorial guidelines and policies of this esteemed series. Additionally, I would like to express my thanks to the members of the editorial board for their acceptance of this volume for publication.