Editing Geʽez (section)

=== 15th to 16th centuries ===

The early 15th century ''Fekkare Iyasus'' "The Explication of Jesus" contains a prophecy of a king called ''Tewodros'', which rose to importance in 19th century Ethiopia as [[Tewodros II of Ethiopia|Tewodros II]] chose this throne name.

Literature flourished especially during the reign of Emperor [[Zara Yaqob]]. Written by the Emperor himself were ''Matsʼhafe Berhan'' ("The Book of Light") and ''Matshafe Milad'' ("The Book of Nativity"). Numerous homilies were written in this period, notably ''Retuʼa Haimanot'' ("True Orthodoxy") ascribed to [[John Chrysostom]]. Also of monumental importance was the appearance of the Geʽez translation of the [[Fetha Negest]] ("Laws of the Kings"), thought to have been around 1450, and ascribed to one Petros Abda Sayd — that was later to function as the supreme Law for Ethiopia, until it was replaced by a [[1931 Constitution of Ethiopia|modern Constitution in 1931]].

By the beginning of the 16th century, the Islamic invasions put an end to the flourishing of Ethiopian literature.
A letter of Abba ʼ[[Enbaqom]] (or "Habakkuk") to [[Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi]], entitled ''Anqasa Amin'' ("Gate of the Faith"), giving his reasons for abandoning [[Islam]], although probably first written in Arabic and later rewritten in an expanded Geʽez version around 1532, is considered one of the classics of later Geʽez literature.{{sfn|Pankhurst|2003}} During this period, Ethiopian writers begin to address differences between the Ethiopian and the Roman Catholic Church in such works as the ''Confession'' of Emperor [[Gelawdewos]], ''Sawana Nafs'' ("Refuge of the Soul"), ''Fekkare Malakot'' ("Exposition of the Godhead") and ''Haymanote Abaw'' ("Faith of the Fathers"). Around the year 1600, a number of works were translated from Arabic into Geʽez for the first time, including the ''Chronicle'' of [[John of Nikiu]] and the ''Universal History'' of [[George Elmacin]].