20th century.          MS. Or. E 10
Bound in plain wooden boards with a leather carrying case.                    4.9 x 3.2 in.   (11.2 x 8.1 cm.)

The text of a Bandlet of Righteousness functions as a passport to heaven and has been customarily buried with the bodies of deceased Christians in Ethiopia. It is apparently comparable to the Egyptian Book of the Dead, and its use in Ethiopia may have derived from ancient Egypt. The HMML manuscript text contains the basic legend as revealed by Christ, the prayer for the pain of death, the secret names of Christ, and prayers for the journey to heaven. The final pages contain crude drawings (possibly of the Trinity), a prayer for the owner, Walatta Sellase, thanks to God for the successful ending of the copying and a payment record of $1.50 for the manuscript..