Mandaeism Mandaeism (Mandaic language, Classical Mandaic: ),https://qadaha.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/nhura-dictionary-mandaic-english-mandaic.pdf sometimes also known as Nasoraeanism or Sabianism, is a Gnosticism, Gnostic, Monotheism, ...

, a ʿniana or eniana (; plural form: ''ʿniania'' ) prayer is recited during rituals such as the

masiqta The masiqta () is a mass or ritual practiced in the Mandaean religion in order to help guide the soul ('' nišimta'') towards the World of Light in Mandaean cosmology. They are typically performed as funerary rites for Mandaeans who have just di ...

and priest initiation ceremonies. They form part of the

Qulasta The Qulasta, also spelled Qolastā in older sources (; ), is a compilation of Mandaean prayers. The Mandaic word ''qolastā'' means "collection". The prayerbook is a collection of Mandaic prayers regarding baptisms ('' maṣbuta'') and other sa ...

. The

rahma Rahma most commonly refers to an Arabic name, which may refer to: *Al-Rahma mosque, on Hatherley Street, Liverpool, England *''Malak al-Rahma'', a 1946 Egyptian film directed and written by Youssef Wahbi "Rahma" is also a Hebrew name, which refer ...

prayers are often considered to be a subset of the eniana prayers.

Etymology

''ʿNiana'' literally means "response," since the prayers may have originally been recited in a

call and response Call and response is a form of interaction between a speaker and an audience in which the speaker's statements ("calls") are punctuated by responses from the listeners. This form is also used in music, where it falls under the general category of ...

manner.

Manuscripts and translations

Jacques de Morgan Jean-Jacques de Morgan (3 June 1857 – 14 June 1924) was a French mining engineer, geologist, and archaeologist. He was the director of antiquities in Egypt during the 19th century, and excavated in Memphis and Dahshur, providing many dra ...

's manuscript collection included a ʿniania manuscript dating back to 1833. The prayers have been translated into English by E. S. Drower (1959). They have also been translated into German by

Mark Lidzbarski Mark Lidzbarski (born Abraham Mordechai Lidzbarski, Płock, Russian Empire, 7 January 1868 – Göttingen, 13 November 1928) was a Polish philologist, Semiticist and translator of Mandaean texts. Early life and education Lidzbarski was born in Ru ...

(1920).Lidzbarski, Mark. 1920. ''Mandäische Liturgien''. Abhandlungen der Königlichen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen, phil.-hist. Klasse, NF 17.1. Berlin. A printed, typesetted Mandaic version was published by

Majid Fandi Al-Mubaraki Majid Fandi Al-Mubaraki () is an Iraqi-Australian writer and researcher based in the Sydney metropolitan area. He is known for his publications of Mandaic texts, including the Ginza Rba and Qulasta. Biography Al-Mubaraki is a Mandaean who wa ...

in 1999.

List of eniana prayers

''Ktaba ḏ-Eniania''

In Al-Mubaraki's ''

'', the following prayers are included in ''Ktaba ḏ-Eniania'' ("Book of Responses"). *Ktaba ḏ-Eniania (Book of Responses) (''Qulasta'' Volume 2, Part 1) **''

rušuma The rushuma (; sometimes also spelled rushma or rušma) is one of the most commonly recited prayers in Mandaeism. It is a "signing" prayer recited during daily ablutions (rishama (ablution), rishama). The same word can also be used to refer to the ...

'': 104 **''

asut malkia The ''Asut Malkia'' ("Salutation of Kings") is one of the most commonly recited prayers in Mandaeism. In the prayer, the reciter wishes health and victory (''asuta u-zakuta'' ) upon dozens of heavenly and ancestral figures. According to E. S. Dro ...

'': 105 **'' rahmia'': 106–118 **''rahmia ḏ-iumia'' (daily ''rahmia'' prayers): 119–164 ***''iuma ḏ-habšaba'' (Sunday): 119–124 ***''iuma ḏ-trin habšaba'' (Monday): 125–130 ***''iuma ḏ-tlata habšaba'' (Tuesday): 131–136 ***''iuma ḏ-arba habšaba'' (Wednesday): 137–142 ***''iuma ḏ-hamša habšaba'' (Thursday): 143–148 ***''iuma ḏ-rhaṭia'' (Friday): 149–154 ***''iuma ḏ-šapta'' (Saturday): 155–162 ***''iuma ḏ-habšaba'' (Sunday): 163–164 **''abatar bauata ḏ-iumia'' (after the daily prayers) ***165–169 ***''zhara'' ***170–174 ***2, 4, 6 (''širiata'' / ''šrita'' prayers = loosing / deconscrating prayers) ***178 ***410 ***175–177

Masbuta and masiqta prayers

The following prayers are also considered to be ʿniana prayers according to Buckley (2010). They are numbered from 78–

103 103 may refer to: *103 (number), the number *AD 103, a year in the 2nd century AD *103 BC, a year in the 2nd century BC * 103 (Tyne Electrical Engineers) Field Squadron, a territorial regiment * 103 (Newcastle) Field Squadron, Royal Engineers * 103 ...

in both Drower's and Lidzbarski's versions of the

. These prayers are also known as ''eniania ḏ- maṣbuta'' and ''eniania ḏ-

''.

includes them as part of the

Sidra d-Nishmata The ''Sidra ḏ-Nišmata'' (; Modern Mandaic: ''Sedrā d-Nešmāthā''), 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 co ...

(Book of Souls). (1998 edition: ISBN 0-9585705-1-5) * Prayer 78 * Prayer 79: prayer for the

klila In Mandaeism, the klila () is a small Myrtus, myrtle () wreath or ring (translated as "circlet" by E. S. Drower) used during Mandaean religious rituals. The klila is a female symbol that complements the ''taga (Mandaeism), taga'', a white crown w ...

for the staff (''

margna The margna () is a ritual olive wooden staff carried by Mandaean priests. A Mandaean priest always carries his margna during baptismal (masbuta) rituals. According to the ''Right Ginza'', the ''margna'' (staff) of Living Water (''Mia Hayya'') i ...

'') * Prayer 80: longer "hear me" (''ʿunan ab ʿunian'') prayer * Prayer 81: shorter "hear me" (''ʿunan ab ʿunian'') prayer * Prayer 82:

mambuha In Mandaeism, mambuha (), sometimes spelled mambuga (), is sacramental drinking water used in rituals such as the masbuta (baptism). The mambuha can be served in a ''kapta'' (pronounced ''kafta''), a shallow brass drinking bowl that is 11 inche ...

prayer

Masbuta Maṣbuta (; pronounced ''maṣwottā'' in Neo-Mandaic) is the ritual of immersion in water in the Mandaean religion. Overview Mandaeans revere John the Baptist and practice frequent baptism (''masbuta'') as ritual purification, not of initia ...

prayers (''eniania ḏ-maṣbuta''): * Prayer 83 * Prayer 84 * Prayer 85 * Prayer 86 * Prayer 87 * Prayer 88 * Prayer 89 * Prayer 90

Masiqta The masiqta () is a mass or ritual practiced in the Mandaean religion in order to help guide the soul ('' nišimta'') towards the World of Light in Mandaean cosmology. They are typically performed as funerary rites for Mandaeans who have just di ...

prayers (''eniania ḏ-masiqta''): * Prayer 91 * Prayer 92 * Prayer 93 * Prayer 94 * Prayer 95 * Prayer 96 * Prayer 97 * Prayer 98 * Prayer 99 * Prayer 100 * Prayer 101 Communion prayer: * Prayer 102 Concluding prayer: * Prayer 103 Several of the eniana prayers are duplicated in Book 3 of the ''

Left Ginza The Left Ginza () is one of the two parts of the Ginza Rabba, the longest and the most important holy scripture of Mandaeism. The other part of the Ginza Rabba is the Right Ginza. As of 2024, a critical edition that includes an annotated transl ...

'' (GL 3): There are also two eniana poems in Book 15 of the ''

Right Ginza The Right Ginza () is one of the two parts of the Ginza Rabba, the longest and the most important holy scripture of Mandaeism. The other part of the Ginza Rabba is the Left Ginza. Summaries of each book (or tractate), based mostly on Häberl ( ...

'', which are chapters 15 and 16 of Book 15. These two poems contain the refrain "when the chosen/proven pure one went away" (''kḏ azil bhira dakia'' ). This refrain is also found in prayers 205 and 233–256 of the Qulasta.

References

External links

ʿNiani prayers
(Mandaic text from the Mandaean Network)

(Mandaic text from the Mandaean Network)

(Mandaic text from the Mandaean Network)

(Mandaic text from the Mandaean Network) {{Mandaeism footer Mandaean prayer Mandaic words and phrases Qulasta