The Testament of the Sky
| The Testament of the Sky | |
|---|---|
| Agano la Anga | |
 The most common version of the Testament | |
| Information | |
| Religion | Sky Faith |
| Author | The Great Prophets |
| Language | Seran |
| Period | Seran Antiquity |
| Chapters |
|
The Testament of the Sky (Seran: Agano la Anga) and colloquially known as simply "The Testament" is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in the Sky Faith fundamentalist tradition and several cultic offshoots of the religion. The Testament – a compilation of texts of a variety of forms – originally was originally written in early Seran with its first entry being penned by the founder and first Great Prophet Hadid Al-Numan. The rest of the Testament is written by different authors and at the time of compiling numbered 18 total books. These texts include commandments from the god Tiyamike, stories, poetry, and prophecies, and genealogy. Although there have been several "claimants" to the title of Great Prophet throughout the history of the religion, the canon version of the Testament only contains the original 18 chapters. Other books written by Prophets or Shamans are compiled in a separate tome known as "The Chronicles", however these stories are not as closely followed as the Testament itself.
The religious texts were compiled by the different tribal communities residing in Adula and modern-day Unified Sera into various official collections. The earliest contained the 12 books known as "The Old Script" and mostly pretained to the creation of the universe, general information about the divine, and commandments for how an Acolyte should live. The Chronicles provide narrative history for the formation of the early church and early tribal peoples in the region, as well as stories regarding religious wars, civil strife, and prophecies regarding the future. Contrary to the 18 books in Sky Faith canon, the Chronicles takes a more analytical, secular look at the effect of the Sky Faith and its impact on early Seran history rather than simply recording stories from the perspective of theology.
The Sky Faith itself emerged from an older practice present in the region that revered the old pantheon of primal, elemental gods that ruled nature. This religion would eventually be supplanted by the Sky Faith after the first great prophet Hadid has his first vision and begins to spread the word of his god.
The cover is made of soft, supple leather, dyed a deep blue to represent the sky and adorned with silver symbols of the stars and clouds. The pages are made of thin, delicate parchment, and are illuminated with colorful illustrations and intricate designs. It is said to contain the words and teachings of Tiyamike themselves, revealed to their prophets and prophetesses on mountaintops and in thunderstorms.
The book was originally written in ancient Seran script, however, attempts by Acolytes and scribes throughout the centuries to translate it into new and more widely spoken languages have ensured the text is able to be read by many groups of people across the world. The book is believed by Acolytes to hold great wisdom and knowledge about all things whether it be the material or immaterial, the universe, or morality. The first chapter contains the brief history of the Seran people as told through the great prophet Hadid Al-Numan who originally penned the first chapter. Hadid would go on to write about the people who settled the land and the creation of the world, as well as the laws and commandments that Tiyamike has given to their followers. This knowledge was - according to the testament - given to Hadid through visions and personal visitations by Tiyamike.
With estimated total sales of over three and a half billion copies, the Bible is the best-selling publication in the United States of Sera of all time. It has had an extremely profound influence both on Seran culture and history and continues to impact nearly all aspects of Seran society. The Testament is currently translated or being translated into about half of the world's languages.
Etymology
Agano la Anga is derived from the old Seran words of Sky (Anga; present in several other words regarding the religion), and Testament (Agano). Taken together, the words quite literally mean Testament of the Sky when translated into English.
Development
Contrary to popular belief The Testament is not actually a single book; it is instead a compilation of different books written by separate individuals and bound together in chronological or thematic order. Hadid Al-Numan began writing the first book Ukuvula (the Beginning) sometime either in the late 3rd century or early 4th century CE. The next several books would be written by the next Great Prophet. These Great Prophets are said to have been anointed by Tiyamike themselves and were granted divine knowledge which they recorded in their own books. They were written either on simple papyrus scrolls, animal hide, or in the case of the book Kuzaliwa Upya (The Reincarnation) etched into stone tablets.
The Great Prophets were selected based on their dedication to the faith, piety, selflessness, and most importantly, the believability of their message. These factors directly impacted whether or not something would be considered canon in the finalized version of the Testament or relegated to simply being a Chronicle.
The finalized version of the Testament was compiled in 989 AD by the Great Prophetess Aaliyah Kitwana, the daughter of the previous Great Prophet Atieno Kitwana, and the writer of the final book The Reincarnation.
Content
| Incwadi | English Chapter Title | Prophet |
|---|---|---|
| Ukuvula | The Opening | Hadid Al-Numan |
| Iqiniso | The Truth | Abasi Omari |
| Ukukhanyiselwa | The Enlightenment | Omar ibn Al-Khattab |
| Uhambo | The Journey | Malik Kaba |
| Ugomvi | The Strife | Zainab Diallo |
| Nuru na Giza | The Light and the Dark | Tariq Diop |
| Msamaha | Forgiveness | Rabia al-Adawiyya |
| Ghadhabu ya Haki | Righteous Fury | Khalid Al-Jabiri |
| Juu ya Mlima | Upon the Mountaintop | Traore Iweala |
| Amri | The Commandments | Kaba Amara |
| Jua Linalochomoza | The Rising Sun | Nkrumah Fofana |
| Nyota Zinazoanguka | The Falling Stars | Ismail Al-Hussein |
| Pango | The Cave | Jata Hamidi |
| Ngurumo ya radi | The Thunderstorm | Jafari Daudi |
| Amri | The Plague | Zahur Kuende |
| Kuzaliwa | The Birth | Nyo Baraka |
| Kifo | The Death | Atieno Kitwana |
| Kuzaliwa Upya | The Reincarnation | Aaliyah Kitwana |
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