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The three Garima Gospels were produced and are still housed at the Monastery of Abba Garima in Ethiopia's northern highlands. They were produced between the fifth and seventh centuries at the zenith of Ethiopia's ancient Christian civilization. The Abba Garima manuscripts are among the very oldest illustrated Gospels in the world. When it comes to firmly dated parallels, only the Syriac Rabbula Gospels, produced near Antioch in 586, is earlier. Then, as today, Ethiopia lay far, far away from Syria and Ireland. Despite this, the manuscripts show striking similarities to the art of other ancient Christian cultures outside of Africa. Indeed, they are a testament to the deep connections between Ethiopia and the wider late antique world.
The picture shows folios 310v and 311r of Abba Garima III with portrait of Mark and "kephalaia" (chapter headings).
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