First edition, edited by Paulos Tzadua, Ethiopian Cardinal and Archbishop, the first cardinal in the history of the Ethiopian Catholic Church, who played a leading role in African ecclesial dialogue and the Ethiopian Eastern Catholic Church. The Fetha Nagast, or "Law of Kings," is the traditional Ethiopian legal code. Originally written in the Ge'ez language and traditionally attributed to a 13th-century compilation from Arab-Christian legal and canonical sources, the text combines biblical law, Christian canon law, and elements of Roman-Byzantine law. For centuries, it served as the primary legal reference in Ethiopia, regulating civil, criminal, and ecclesiastical matters, and playing a fundamental role in the organization of society and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church until the legislative reforms of the 20th century.