Sidra d-Nishmata

Mandaean liturgical prayerbook From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Sidra ḏ-Nišmata (Classical Mandaic: ࡎࡉࡃࡓࡀ ࡖࡍࡉࡔࡌࡀࡕࡀ, lit. 'Book of Souls'; Modern Mandaic: Sedrā d-Nešmāthā^[1]), also known as the Book of Souls or Book of Gadana, is a collection of Mandaean litugical prayers that constitutes the first part of the Qulasta. It is typically considered to consist of 103 prayers. The Sidra ḏ-Nišmata most likely constitutes the oldest stratum of Mandaean literature and dates to at least the 3rd century CE or earlier.^[2]

ReligionMandaeism

LanguageMandaic language

Period3rd century AD or earlier

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Sidra ḏ-Nišmata
Information
Religion	Mandaeism
Language	Mandaic language
Period	3rd century AD or earlier

The Sidra ḏ-Nišmata contains the most important prayers used in core Mandaean rituals, namely the masbuta and masiqta.^[3]

Structure

Matthew Morgenstern (in the Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon)^[4] and Majid Fandi Al-Mubaraki (2010) considers the Sidra ḏ-Nišmata to contain 103 prayers,^[5] which correspond to the first 103 prayers in both Mark Lidzbarski's Mandäische Liturgien (1920)^[6] and E. S. Drower's Canonical Prayerbook of the Mandaeans (1959).^[7]

The Sidra ḏ-Nišmata consists of the following sections. Each of the three parts has its own colophon.^[2]

Part 1: Prayers 1–74
- Prayers 1–31: masbuta liturgy
- Prayers 32–72: masiqta liturgy
- CP 73–74: the 2 "Letter" (engirta) prayers
Part 2: Prayers 75–77: 3 long prayers of praise
Part 3: Prayers 78–103: the "responses" (eniania)

Types of prayers

Eric Segelberg (1958) lists the following types of prayers in the Sidra ḏ-Nišmata.^[8]

buta (plural form: bauata; generic Mandaic term for prayers)
- Prayers 1, 3, 5: prayers for the crown
- Prayer 7: prayer for the pandama
- Prayers 9–11: prayers at the river bank
- Prayers 22–24: prayers over the oil
- Prayers 25–28: buta haṭamta or "sealing prayer"
- Prayer 32: opening masiqta prayer
- Prayers 75–77: long baptismal prayers
qaiamta: Prayers 56–65
pugdama (lit. 'commandment, declaration'): Prayers 8, 14, 19, 34; also applies to Prayers 5, 47, 48
šrita (plural form: širiata) (loosening or deconsecrating prayers): Prayers 2, 4, 6, 31, 55
draša
- Prayers 21, 30, 88–90
eniana
- Prayers 79–81: three hymns in the beginning of the baptismal rite
- Prayer 82: hymn after the acts in the water
- Prayer 83–87: hymns said after the sealing prayers

List of prayers

Below is a list of individual prayers of the Sidra ḏ-Nišmata based on the text of Drower (1959),^[7] with additional notes from Segelberg (1958)^[8] and Buckley (2002).^[3]

Litanies in the Sidra d-Nishmata include prayers 8, 9, 25, 58, 70, 71, 77, 80, and 81.^[9]

Maṣbuta liturgy

3 sets of paired prayers for the burzinqa
- Prayer 1 (audio): prayer containing a creation narrative
- Prayer 2 (audio): šrita (loosening prayer) dedicated to Zihrun
- Prayer 3 (audio): prayer to Yawar Ziwa bar Nhur Hiia, Hamgai Ziwa bar Hamgagai Ziwa, Zihrun
- Prayer 4 (audio): šrita (loosening prayer) praising Manda d-Hayyi and the Light of Tarwan (taruan nhura)
- Prayer 5 (audio): prayer to Yufin-Yufafin, Eit Enṣibat Eutria, Eit Yawar bar Enṣibat Eutria
- Prayer 6 (audio): šrita (loosening prayer)

Prayer 7 (audio): pandama prayer
Prayer 8 (audio): longer incense (riha) prayer containing a litany

"Adjutores baptismi" (adiauria ḏ-maṣbuta) prayers (audio of prayers 9–11)
- Prayer 9 (audio): litany
- Prayer 10 (audio): short prayer about the yardna
- Prayer 11 (audio): short prayer to Yawar Ziwa and seven manas

Prayer 12 (audio): prayer of Yur bar Barit opening up the yardna
Prayer 13 (audio): descent to the yardna, attended by ʿuthria
Prayer 14 (audio): margna prayer (pugdama or declaration of the margna)

Exorcism prayers
- Prayer 15 (audio): prayer for binding demons
- Prayer 16 (audio): "perfected gem" prayer
- Prayer 17 (audio): invocation of ʿuthria so that evil spirits would flee

Prayer 18 (audio): long prayer blessing the yardna which begins with the invocation of Piriawis (main prayer said during the maṣbuta immersion)
Prayer 19 (audio): short prayer for crowning with the klila, and pronouncing ʿuthria names over the baptized person ("Manda created/called me")
Prayer 20 (audio): yardna prayer beginning with a blessing of the outer door (tira baraia), for deconsecrating the yardna
Prayer 21 (audio): ascent from the yardna; the prayer rejects the sun, moon, and fire as witnesses

Oil (miša) prayers
- Prayer 22 (audio): invocation of ʿuthria before anointing with oil
- Prayer 23 (audio): praising the oil
- Prayer 24 (audio): oil driving off evil spirits and healing illnesses

Sealing (haṭamta) prayers
- Prayer 25 (audio): long litany
- Prayer 26 (audio): short prayer sealing the baptized souls
- Prayer 27 (audio): prayer invoking ʿUṣar-Hai and Pta-Hai, Manda ḏ-Hiia, and Hayyi
- Prayer 28 (audio): prayer of healing and driving off illnesses

Prayer 29 (audio): short prayer of rising up
Prayer 30 (audio): prayer about conquering the mountain, fire, and sea (draša of the maṣbuta)
Prayer 31 (audio): final šrita (loosening prayer)

Masiqta liturgy

Prayer 32 (audio): short opening prayer
Prayer 33 (audio): mambuha prayer dedicated to the Water of Life
Prayer 34 (audio): shorter incense prayer
Prayer 35 (audio): long prayer ("I sought to lift my eyes" (bit mišqal ainia)) dedicated to Manda d-Hayyi, used for versatile ritual applications

Pihta prayers (Prayers 36–42 begin with "I worship, laud and praise" (sagidna šahabana u-mšabana).) (audio of prayers 36–43)
- Prayer 36 (audio): prayer to the Mana, Drop (Niṭufta), Šar, Pirun
- Prayer 37 (audio): prayer to the Cloud (Anana)
- Prayer 38 (audio): prayer to Yawar Ziwa
- Prayer 39 (audio): prayer of the šuta (declaration) of Yawar
- Prayer 40 (audio): prayer to ʿUṣar
- Prayer 41 (audio): prayer to ʿUṣar Nhur
- Prayer 42 (audio): prayer of the šuta (declaration) of Yawar
- Prayer 43 (audio): prayer to Manda ḏ-Hiia

Mambuha prayers
- Prayer 44 (audio): short prayer to Biriawiš
- Prayer 45 (audio): longer prayer

Masiqta prayers
- Klila prayers
  - Prayer 46 (audio): klila prayer (nhur nhura). Almost identical to Prayer 5, except that the first two words of Prayer 46 are nhar nhura instead of nhur nhura in Prayer 5. As a result, Lidzbarski (1920) omits Prayer 46 as a duplicate of Prayer 5, although Drower (1959) and Gelbert & Lofts (2025) keep the prayer.^[9]
  - Prayer 47 (audio): klila prayer (zhira u-mzahra)
- Prayer 48 (audio): oil prayer
- Prayer 49 (audio): prayer for the spirit and soul; Ṣauriel is invoked
- Prayer 50 (audio): prayer mentioning "Hamamulai"
- Prayer 51 (audio): investiture prayer
- Prayer 52 (audio): prayer invoking Yusmir
- Prayer 53 (audio): masiqta sealing prayer (obtaining a letter from Abatur)
- Prayer 54 (audio): prayer invoking Yukašar (entering the scales of Abatur)
- Prayer 55 (audio): short pandama loosening prayer
- Prayer 56 (audio): short living water prayer
- Prayer 57 (audio): short incense prayer
- Prayer 58 (audio): litany
- Prayer 59 (audio): short pihta prayer
- Prayer 60 (audio): short mambuha prayer
- Prayer 61 (audio): klila prayer
- Prayer 62 (audio): short prayer praising the Naṣoraeans
- Prayer 63 (audio): oil prayer
- Prayer 64 (audio): short prayer ("The Life dwells in its own radiance and light.")
- Prayer 65 (audio): raising up of souls
- Prayer 66 (audio): Left Ginza 3.43
- Prayer 67 (audio): prayer of ascension
- Prayer 68 (audio): Left Ginza 3.20
- Prayer 69 (audio): "go in peace" (ˁzil b-šlam)
- Prayer 70 (audio): litany
- Prayer 71 (audio): prayer of Shum (Shem), son of Noah, which contains a litany
- Prayer 72 (audio): prayer asking Manda ḏ-Hiia for the forgiveness of sins

Engirta prayers

Prayer 73 (audio): long prayer about a sealed letter
Prayer 74 (audio): short prayer about the seal and word of Kušṭa

Three long prayers

Prayer 75 (audio): "Mandaic targum" bearing many similarities to Psalm 114^[10]^[11]^[12]
Prayer 76 (audio): prayer of perfecting the souls
Prayer 77 (audio): litany

Eniania

Prayer 78 (audio): short prelude prayer
Prayer 79 (audio): short myrtle prayer (placing the klila on the margna)

"Hear me" (ʿunan ab ʿunian) litanies
- Prayer 80 (audio): longer "hear me" litany
- Prayer 81 (audio): shorter "hear me" litany
Prayer 82 (audio): short mambuha prayer

Maṣbuta prayers
- Prayer 83 (audio): short prayer about plants planted and raised by the yardna
- Prayer 84 (audio): short maṣbuta prayer about the baptizer
- Prayer 85 (audio): short maṣbuta prayer about Shilmai, Nidbai, and Anush Uthra
- Prayer 86 (audio): short maṣbuta prayer about the yardna
- Prayer 87 (audio): short maṣbuta prayer about priests
- Prayer 88 (audio): long prayer
- Prayer 89 (audio): long prayer
- Prayer 90 (audio): long prayer. See Gärtner (2013) for a study of the prayer comparing it with Jewish Christianity.^[13]

Masiqta prayers
- Prayer 91 (audio): short prayer about crossing the waters of death
- Prayer 92 (audio): Left Ginza 3.4 (ˁzil b-šlam bhira dakia)
- Prayer 93 (audio): short prayer about the Mana
- Prayer 94 (audio): Left Ginza 3.3 (ṭubak ṭubak nišma)
- Prayer 95 (audio): short prayer about Sunday, Kushta, and Zidqa (alms)
- Prayer 96 (audio): Left Ginza 3.2 (zidana u-mzaudana)
- Prayer 97: short prayer about being taken to the World of Light
- Prayer 98: Left Ginza 3.7 (iuma ḏ-napiq nišma)
- Prayer 99: prayer about the chosen ones
- Prayer 100: short prayer about fragrant trees
- Prayer 101: short prayer
- Prayer 102: short prayer about the building of Life
- Prayer 103: final masiqta prayer

References

[1]
Häberl, Charles (2022). The Book of Kings and the Explanations of This World: A Universal History from the Late Sasanian Empire. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press. ISBN 978-1-80085-627-1.
[2]
Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2010). The great stem of souls: reconstructing Mandaean history. Piscataway, N.J: Gorgias Press. ISBN 978-1-59333-621-9.
[3]
Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2002). The Mandaeans: ancient texts and modern people. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-515385-5. OCLC 65198443.
[4]
"Sidra d-Nishmata". The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon (in myz). Retrieved 2025-05-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
[5]
Al-Mubaraki, Majid Fandi; Mubaraki, Brian (2010). Qulasta - Sidra d Nishmata / Mandaean Liturgical Prayer Book (Book of Souls) (volume 1). Luddenham, New South Wales. ISBN 9781876888145.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) (1998 edition: ISBN 0-9585705-1-5)
[6]
Lidzbarski, Mark. 1920. Mandäische Liturgien. Abhandlungen der Königlichen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen, phil.-hist. Klasse, NF 17.1. Berlin.
[7]
Drower, E. S. (1959). The Canonical Prayerbook of the Mandaeans. Leiden: E. J. Brill.
[8]
Segelberg, Eric (1958). Maṣbūtā: Studies in the Ritual of Mandaean Baptism. Uppsala: Almqvist and Wiksell.
[9]
Gelbert, Carlos; Lofts, Mark J. (2025). The Qulasta. Edensor Park, NSW: Living Water Books. ISBN 978-0-6487954-3-8.
[10]
Bacher, W. (1892). "The Mandaic Version of Psalm CXIV". The Jewish Quarterly Review. 4 (3). [University of Pennsylvania Press, Center for Advanced Judaic Studies, University of Pennsylvania]: 508–508. ISSN 0021-6682. JSTOR 1450286. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
[11]
Bancila, Ionut Daniel. Die Stellung der 114. Psalmes in Qolasta.
[12]
Greenfield, Jonas Carl (1981). A Mandaic 'Targum' of Psalm 114. In: Jakob J. Petuchowski and Ezra Fleischer (eds.) Studies in Aggadah, Targum and Jewish Liturgy in Memory of Joseph Heinemann. Jerusalem: Magnes.
[13]
Gärtner, Bernd (2013). "Ein Tauftext aus der Frühgeschichte der Mandäer (ML XC = CP 90) und seine Beziehungen zum Judenchristentum". Durch Dein Wort ward jegliches Ding! (in German). Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz. ISBN 978-3-447-06973-1. OCLC 856902570.