Connecting Names and Places Found in the Ethiopian Bible: A Bibliography of names and places found within the Book of Clement in the Ethiopian Bible
- Joseph Lumpkin
- May 29
- 4 min read
The glossary that follows distils personal and place‑names occurring in the Ethiopic Book of Clement, a late‑medieval Geʽez church‑order that weaves post‑biblical legend into the biblical narrative recently translated to English by Breandan Lumpkin. For each entry we provide its standard Fidel‑based IPA pronunciation, a one‑line description of its role in the Book of Clement, and a double cross‑reference: first to any attestation in the canonical Scriptures, and then to echoes in Second‑Temple, rabbinic, patristic, Coptic, Islamic or other extra‑biblical sources (e.g., Jubilees, Talmud Bava Batra, 1 Enoch, Josephus, the Quran). Terms with no clear analogue beyond the Ethiopic tradition are marked accordingly, underscoring the text’s unique Ethiopian toponymy and narrative expansions. Taken together, the entries trace how the redactor fused received biblical history with local geography, apocryphal genealogy and apocalyptic expectation, yielding a lexicon that is at once recognizably Semitic and distinctly Ethiopian.
Connecting names and places found in the Ethiopian Bible
Ethiopian Clement
Word | IPA | Book of Clement gloss (1 sentence) | Biblical parallel(s) | Extra‑biblical parallel(s) |
Seron (Serug) | /seˈɾon/ | Post‑Flood patriarch, ancestor of Abraham. | Gen 11 : 22‑23 | Jubilees 11 : 6‑7 (rise of idolatry in Serug’s day) |
Firqor | /fɨɾˈkʼoɾ/ | Clan chief named in Nimrod’s genealogy. | — | — |
Sus | /sus/ | Craftsman who forges Nimrod’s first crown. | — | — |
Awkir | /awˈkiɾ/ | Minor place/person after Babel. | — | — |
Kaliya | /kaˈli.ja/ | Region allotted to Japheth’s line. | — | — |
Natol | /naˈtol/ | Obscure toponym in migration list. | — | — |
Nakor / Nacor (Nahor) | /naˈkoɾ/ | Grandfather of Abram. | Gen 11 : 24‑25 | Jub. 11 : 8; 27 : 8 |
Azdeser | /azˈdɛ.sɛɾ/ | Early post‑Babel ruler. | — | — |
Giddebrror | /gɨd.dəˈbɾoɾ/ | One of seven nations founded by Nimrod. | — | — |
Alar | /aˈlaɾ/ | Second nation of Nimrod’s septad. | — | — |
Selu | Third Nimrod nation. | — | — | |
Waqetoastinun | /wa.kʼɛ.to.as.tiˈnun/ | Fourth Nimrod nation. | — | — |
Ardagin | /aɾ.daˈgin/ | Fifth Nimrod nation. | — | — |
Erdegnen | /eɾ.dɛgˈnɛn/ | Sixth Nimrod nation. | — | — |
Welalan | /wɛ.laˈlan/ | Seventh Nimrod nation. | — | — |
Tagran | /taˈgɾan/ | Land where Terah is buried by Abram. | — | — |
Warigna / Debre Wanos | /waˈri.gna/ | Mountain visited by Abram after his victory over the kings. | (Cf. Gen 14 setting, name not biblical) | — |
Chedorlaomer | /t͡ʃɛ.dɔɾ.laˈo.mɛɾ/ | Elamite king defeated by Abram. | Gen 14 : 1‑17 | Jasher 13 : 12‑13 |
Debre Nun | /ˈdɛb.ɾe nun/ | Hill on Japheth’s migration route. | Nun = father of Joshua (name only) | — |
M'itaros | /mɨˈtaɾ.os/ | Eastern district paired with Debre Nun. | — | — |
Seru | /ˈse.ɾu/ | Early king who subdues Egypt before Hor‑Aha. | — | — |
Hor‑Aha | /hoɾ ˈa.ha/ | First‑dynasty Pharaoh of Egypt. | (Pharaoh unnamed in Bible) | Egyptian king‑lists |
Tara (Terah) | /ˈta.ɾa/ | Father of Abram. | Gen 11 : 24‑32 | Jub. 12 |
Sarai | /saˈɾaj/ | Birth‑name of Sarah. | Gen 11 : 29 | — |
Bonitor | /boˈni.toɾ/ | Great‑grandson of Noah who teaches astrology to Nimrod. | — | — |
Shaveh (Valley) | /ʃaˈve/ | Site where Melchizedek meets Abram. | Gen 14 : 17 | Josephus Ant. 1 : 180 (as “Sauvê”) |
Tehdef | /tɛˈh.dɛf/ | Mother of Sarah in Ethiopic lore. | — | Midr. Seder Olam gives alt. maternal names |
Amathlai | /a.maθˈlaj/ | Mother of Abram. | — | Talmud B.B. 91a |
Karnebo / Qarnabe | Locale linked to Amathlai’s patronym. | — | B.B. 91a (“bat Karnebo”) | |
Pelilah | Secondary wife in post‑Flood list. | — | — | |
Seder Hadorot | /ˈsɛ.dɛɾ ha.doˈɾot/ | Medieval Hebrew chronicle cited in text. | — | Historical chronicle (Heilprin, 1771) |
Ellegenderwa | /ɛ.lɛ.gɛnˈdɛɾ.wa/ | Obscure name. | — | — |
Agotemaling | /a.go.tɛˈma.liŋ/ | Obscure name. | — | — |
Sael | /saˈʔel/ | Angelic figure “asked of God.” | — | Angel list 1 Enoch 69 : 2 (variant) |
Dlaazor | /dlaˈʔa.zor/ | Obscure name. | — | — |
Imaimura | /i.ma.iˈmu.ɾa/ | Obscure name. | — | — |
Bareel | /baˈɾeʔel/ | Obscure name. | — | — |
Agyat | /aˈgjat/ | Obscure name. | — | — |
Berius | Obscure name. | — | — | |
Aleon | /aˈle.on/ | Obscure name. | — | — |
Siyn | /sɨn/ | Region near Eber’s tomb. | Possibly Wilderness of Sin – Ex 16 : 1 | — |
Siladen | /siˈla.dɛn/ | Obscure name. | — | — |
Algolgin | /al.golˈgin/ | Obscure name. | — | — |
Bashan | /baˈʃan/ | Plateau east of Jordan. | Deut 3 ; Ps 22 : 12 | Josephus Ant. 4 : 5 |
Hergezenon | /hɛɾ.gɛ.zɛˈnon/ | Obscure name. | — | — |
Mantelban | /man.tɛlˈban/ | Obscure name. | — | — |
Hagar | /haˈgaɾ/ | Egyptian maid, mother of Ishmael. | Gen 16 | Qurʾānic/Sīra lore (Zamzam, Mecca) |
Yuna | Mother of Abram in Ethiopic text. | — | No parallel (name recalls Jonah) | |
Arem | /aˈɾɛm/ | Father of Edna, extra‑biblical. | — | Book of Tobit 7 : 2 (Arama = Raguel’s house) |
Debre Manos | /ˈdɛb.ɾe ma.nos/ | Mountain equated with future Golgotha. | — | Cave of Treasures places Adam’s skull on Golgotha |
Demadesko | /dɛ.maˈdɛs.ko/ | Obscure name. | — | — |
Badam | /baˈdam/ | Obscure name. | — | — |
Berea | /bɛˈɾe.a/ | Macedonian city visited by Paul. | Acts 17 : 10‑14 | Josephus Wars 1 : 103 (Berea of Syria) |
Kerin | /kɛˈɾin/ | Obscure name. | — | — |
Layuhu | Obscure name. | — | — | |
Gibeon | /ˈgi.be.on/ | Canaanite city north of Jerusalem. | Josh 9; 2 Sam 2 : 12 | Josephus Ant. 7 : 93 |
Laban | /laˈban/ | Aramean uncle of Jacob. | Gen 29‑31 | Jub. 28‑29 retelling |
Rahab | /ˈra.hab/ | Jericho woman who hides the spies. | Josh 2 | Josephus Ant. 5 : 1‑2 |
Nun | /nun/ | Father of Joshua. | Ex 33 : 11 | Jasher 88 (Joshua son of Nun) |
Nabomo | Obscure name. | — | — | |
Raguel (Reuel) | /ɾa.guˈel/ | Moses’ Midianite father‑in‑law. | Ex 2 : 18 | Jasher 76‑78 |
Sahin | /saˈhin/ | Galilean village. | — | — |
Achaemenid | /aˈkʰe.mɛ.nid/ | Persian royal dynasty (Cyrus → Darius). | Indirect refs Ezra–Neh | Herodotus Hist. bk 1‑3 |
Sheol | /ʃeˈʔol/ | Nether‑realm of the dead. | Ps 16 : 10 etc. | 1 Enoch 22 (four hollows) |
Nisan | /niˈsan/ | 1st month of Jewish cultic year. | Neh 2 : 1 | Megillat Taanit (fast‑day scroll) |
Gehenna | Valley symbolising final judgment. | Mt 5 : 22; Mk 9 : 43 | 1 Enoch 27 (accursed valley) | |
Merkaldes | /mɛɾˈkal.dɛs/ | Nation in apocalyptic persecution list. | — | — |
Teman | /tɛˈman/ | Edomite clan/region. | Gen 36 : 11 | Jub. 9; 37 (kings of Teman) |
Harkal | /haɾˈkal/ | Obscure name. | — | — |
Jomro | /joˈmɾo/ | Desert crossed by last evil king. | — | — |
Eldios | /ɛlˈdi.os/ | Obscure name. | — | — |
Dathan | /daˈtan/ | Rebel swallowed by the earth. | Num 16 | Targum Pseudo‑Jon Num 16 |
Abiram | /aˈbi.ɾam/ | Brother of Dathan in rebellion. | Num 16 | idem |
Phanuel | /faˈnu.el/ | Father of prophetess Anna. | Lk 2 : 36 | — |
Caiaphas | /ˈkaj.a.fas/ | High Priest who condemns Jesus. | Mt 26 : 57 | Josephus Ant. 18 : 33‑35 |
Jairus | /d͡ʒaiˈɾus/ | Synagogue ruler; daughter raised. | Mk 5 : 22‑42 | — |
anagoges | /a.naˈgo.d͡ʒes/ | Spiritual/allegorical readings of Scripture. | Concept cf. Gal 4 : 24 | Patristic hermeneutics (Origen De prin. 4) |
tares | /tɛɾz/ | Weeds in Jesus’ parable. | Mt 13 : 24‑30 | — |
Uzziah | /uˈzaj.a/ | 8ᵗʰ‑c. king of Judah who became leprous. | 2 Chr 26 | Josephus Ant. 9 : 205‑223 |
Hananias | Greek form Hananiah / Ananias. | Acts 5; 9 | Acts of Peter & Paul uses Ananias in legend | |
Mount Qussqam | /kusˈkam/ | Egyptian hill where Holy Family rested. | — | Coptic History of the Holy Family |
Chorazin | /kʰo.ɾaˈzin/ | Galilean town Jesus rebukes. | Mt 11 : 21 | Eusebius Onomasticon |
Betsaida (Bethsaida) | /bɛtˈsaj.da/ | Fishing village on the Sea of Galilee. | Mk 6 : 45 | Josephus Wars 2 : 169 |
Abimelech | /a.biˈmɛ.lɛkʼ/ | Philistine/Gerar royal title. | Gen 20; 26 | Jasher 20‑21 |
Ephrathah | /ɛfˈɾa.ta/ | District containing Bethlehem. | Mic 5 : 2 | Targum Jonathan on Gen 35 : 19 |
Maadi | /maˈʔa.di/ | Coptic village where Holy Family rests. | — | Coptic Synaxarium |
Zebulon | /zɛˈbu.lon/ | Son of Jacob; Galilean tribe. | Gen 30 : 20 | Jub. 34 |
Naphtali | Son of Jacob; Galilean tribe. | Gen 30 : 8 | Jub. 34 | |
Mount Sinia (Sinai) | Mountain of the Law. | Ex 19 | Jub. 1; Jasher 82 | |
Henos (Enos) | /ˈhɛ.nos/ | Grandson of Adam, “then men called on the Lord.” | Gen 4 : 26 | Jub. 4 : 13 |
Comments