For centuries, the Bible as most Western Christians know it has seemed immovable—a set collection of texts, unchanged and universally agreed.

But generate headlines are fostering a radically different view: specifically, the canon used by the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.

That canon stretches far beyond the 66‑book Protestant Bible, or the 73‑book Catholic one.

It doesn’t just add a few old‑testament works; it preserves several writings not widely known, and some claim hidden sayings of Jesus himself.

Here’s what the story says: deep within those Ethiopian texts there lurked statements by Jesus after his resurrection—words of warning, dark prophecy, even accusations targeted at his own followers. If true, the implications aren’t simply historical—they’re spiritual, seismic.

A Unique Biblical Tradition

First: what do we mean by “the Ethiopian Bible”?

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church lists a biblical canon of around 81 books (46 Old Testament + 35 New Testament) according to its official website.

It includes texts not found in most other Christian Bibles—such as the Book of Enoch, the Book of Jubilees, and three Books of Meqabyan.

Because of this broader canon, claims arise that there are preserved sayings or “hidden gospels” which Western‑Christian traditions excluded or lost.

However—and this is key—there is no reputable scholarship supporting a text within the Ethiopian canon that records previously unknown, “terrifying” post‑resurrection words of Jesus in the sense implied by sensational headlines.

Many of the extra‑canonical works are Old Testament in orientation, or expansions, or homilies.

Claims that Jesus “warned dark forces” or turned on his disciples in these texts are not substantiated by trusted academic editions.

The Claimed New Revelation

According to the sensational narrative spreading online:

In a previously untranslated Ethiopian Greek/Ge’ez manuscript, after his resurrection, Jesus allegedly declares: “You believed you followed me, but you serve the darkness. I have given you light; yet you have traded my truth for idols of stone and ritual. Beware: what you sow in secret shall rise in dust at the last hour.”

He then is said to warn of “legions of watchers”, beings who stood behind the “temples of men” and would one day shepherd humanity into shadow.

And finally, he is said to turn on his own followers: “For you call me Lord, but you refuse to wash your brother’s feet. I knew you in the wilderness, yet you left me there. You shall cry ‘Lord, Lord’ and I will answer ‘I have no knowledge of you.’”

These passages are framed as “lost post‑resurrection gospels” found only in the Ethiopian tradition.

Why This Should Be Treated With Alarm (and Skepticism)

1. Canonical evidence is thin.

While the Ethiopian canon is broad, the extra books are predominately Old Testament or early Christian expansions (homilies, apostles’ lives). There isn’t credible documentation of a “lost gospel” inside the church’s accepted canon that includes the dramatic sayings above. Academic bibliographies of the Ethiopian canon, like those discussed in Fact Check: Which biblical books are included in the Ethiopian Bible?, list items such as Jubilees, Enoch, Esdras, Gospel of Thomas—but not the sensational texts described.

2. No peer‑reviewed manuscript evidence.

Mainstream textual scholars have not published a verified Ge’ez (or Greek) manuscript that includes the quoted “dark‑force” sayings of Jesus. If such a text existed, its study and translation would be major academic news.

3. The sensational shifts the story from history to hype.

Framing the “Ethiopian Bible” as secretly disclosing chilling, hidden messages taps into conspiracy‑and‑mystery appeal. It encourages readers to believe “they don’t want you to know this.” But such framing is often not faithful to the actual tradition.

4. The claim conflates “Ethiopian Bible” with “Lost Gospels.”

Some modern publications marketed as the “Complete Ethiopian Bible” include extra‑canonical and Gnostic‑style texts not in the orthodox Ethiopian canon (such as the Gospel of Thomas). These are often commercial compilations rather than rigorously sourced manuscripts.

Setting aside the sensational claims, here are verified insights we do have:

The Ethiopian church preserved 1 Enoch in full—something Western traditions only have partially. This book includes angelic “Watchers” and apocalyptic visions of judgment.

The church also keeps early Christian texts like the “Book of the Cock” (a Ge’ez passion narrative) which reveals variant forms of Gospel traditions.

These texts show that early Christian belief included cosmic warfare, angelic hierarchies, and strong warnings of judgment—so in that sense, the theme of “dark forces” and “hidden warnings” is not entirely foreign to the tradition.

In other words: while the dramatic quotations above aren’t verifiable, the motifs they reflect (angelic watchers, judgment, the fidelity of disciples) are present in the tradition.

Yes, the Ethiopian Bible holds more texts than most Western Christians know. Yes, its tradition preserves vivid visions of angels, watchers, judgment and cosmic mystery. But no—there is no well‑documented, peer‑reviewed text within the recognized Ethiopian canonical tradition that contains the exact “terrifying” post‑resurrection sayings quoted above.

Readers intrigued by these claims should proceed with caution—explore Ge’ez manuscripts, academic studies, trustworthy translations—and differentiate between what scholarship supports versus what modern marketing claims.

Nevertheless, the broader lesson remains: the canon we inherited is part of a larger story, and the texts preserved in Ethiopia remind us that faith, history, and scripture are richer—and more mysterious—than we usually think.