The Ethiopic Testament of Solomon tradition

Record summary

The Testament of Solomon depicts Solomon receiving a divinely empowered ring and interrogating or commanding demons, with angels and named intermediary beings appearing within an apocryphal wisdom narrative. Ethiopian manuscript culture preserved numerous Solomonic and magical works, making this a promising comparative lead for the movement of Mediterranean apocrypha into Sub-Saharan Africa. However, the core text is generally treated as a late antique Christian composition, and specific Ethiopic witnesses, translations, and adaptations need identification. Later magical practice should not be retroactively treated as the text’s original setting.