''The Thousand and Twelve Questions'' ( myz, ࡀࡋࡐ ࡕࡓࡉࡎࡀࡓ ࡔࡅࡉࡀࡋࡉࡀ ) is a
Mandaean
Mandaeans ( ar, المندائيون ), also known as Mandaean Sabians ( ) or simply as Sabians ( ), are an ethnoreligious group who are followers of Mandaeism. They believe that John the Baptist was the final and most important prophet. They ...
religious text. The ''1012 Questions'' is one of the most detailed texts on Mandaean priestly rituals.
The text contains detailed commentaries on Mandaean religious rituals, such as death masses (''
masiqta
The masiqta ( myz, ࡌࡀࡎࡉࡒࡕࡀ) 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 ...
'') to help guide souls into the
World of Light
In Mandaeism, the World of Light or Lightworld ( myz, ࡀࡋࡌࡀ ࡖࡍࡄࡅࡓࡀ, translit=alma ḏ-nhūra) is the primeval, transcendental world from which Tibil and the World of Darkness emerged.
Description
*The Great Life (''Hayyi Rabbi ...
, and the
Mandaean wedding ceremony
The qabin ( myz, ࡒࡀࡁࡉࡍ) is the Mandaean wedding ritual. Mandaean weddings are typically held for several days. Traditionally, weddings must be officiated by a Mandaean priest and can only be performed for ethnic Mandaeans, although this ...
. It is written as a scroll.
A detailed overview of the contents can be found in Drower (1941).
Manuscripts and translations
An English translation of the text was published by
E. S. Drower in 1960, which was based on manuscript 36 of the
Drower Collection
This article contains a list of Mandaean texts (Mandaean religious texts written in Classical Mandaic). Well-known texts include the ''Ginza Rabba'' (also known as the ''Sidra Rabbā'') and the '' Qolastā''. Texts for Mandaean priests include ...
(abbreviated DC 36). DC 6 is an incomplete manuscript of ''The Thousand and Twelve Questions'' in the Drower Collection missing books 1-2, but DC 36 is the complete version with all 7 books included.
Contents
Contents of the 7 parts of the ''1012 Questions'':
*Book 1
**Part 1: The Questions which
Shishlam
In Mandaean scriptures, Shishlam ( myz, ࡔࡉࡔࡋࡀࡌ; often transcribed Šišlam) is a figure representing the prototypical priest or prototypical Mandaean. He is also frequently referred to in Mandaean texts as Šišlam Rabba ( myz, ࡔࡉ ...
-Rba and
Hibil
In Mandaeism, Hibil ( myz, ࡄࡉࡁࡉࡋ) or Hibil Ziwa ( myz, ࡄࡉࡁࡉࡋ ࡆࡉࡅࡀ) is an uthra (angel or guardian) from the World of Light. Hibil is considered to be the Mandaean equivalent of Abel.
Prayers in the Qolasta frequently c ...
-Ziwa asked of their father
Nbaṭ
In Mandaeism, Nbaṭ ( myz, ࡍࡁࡀࡈ, lit=Sprout) is an uthra (angel or guardian) who is described as the "King of Air" or the "first great Radiance." He is also called Nbaṭ Rba ("the Great Nbaṭ" or "Great Sprout") or Nbaṭ Ziwa ("the Rad ...
(a ''diwan''; title as mentioned in section 201, p. 158)
**Part 2: The explanation of the body (''Tafsir Pagra'')
*Book 2
**Part 3.1: Accidental impurity and its cure
**Part 3.2: "The Three"
**Part 4: The agreed form of the
masiqta
The masiqta ( myz, ࡌࡀࡎࡉࡒࡕࡀ) 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 ...
of
Shitil
In Mandaeism, Shitil or Sheetil (Šītil; myz, ࡔࡉࡕࡉࡋ) is an uthra (angel or guardian) from the World of Light. Shitil is considered to be the Mandaean equivalent of Seth.
Prayers in the Qolasta frequently contain the recurring formula ...
; of the
Ṭabahata and of the
Dukrania
In Mandaeism, the dukrana ( myz, ࡃࡅࡊࡓࡀࡍࡀ) or dukrania is a type of memorial ritual meal commemorating the dead.Drower, Ethel Stefana. 1937. ''The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran''. Oxford At The Clarendon Press.
It is distinct from the '' ...
**Part 5.1: Blow and healing
**Part 5.2: The celebration of the marriage of
Shishlam
In Mandaean scriptures, Shishlam ( myz, ࡔࡉࡔࡋࡀࡌ; often transcribed Šišlam) is a figure representing the prototypical priest or prototypical Mandaean. He is also frequently referred to in Mandaean texts as Šišlam Rabba ( myz, ࡔࡉ ...
-Rba, son of Lihdaia-Rba-Zadiqa
**Part 6.1: Burial
**Part 6.2: Of postulants and priesthood
**Part 7: Concerning the postulant's first baptism – admonitions
See also
*
Ginza Rabba
The Ginza Rabba ( myz, ࡂࡉࡍࡆࡀ ࡓࡁࡀ, translit=Ginzā Rbā, lit=Great Treasury), Ginza Rba, or Sidra Rabba ( myz, ࡎࡉࡃࡓࡀ ࡓࡁࡀ, translit=Sidrā Rbā, lit=Great Book), and formerly the Codex Nasaraeus, is the longest ...
*
Mandaean Book of John
The Mandaean Book of John (Mandaic language ࡃࡓࡀࡔࡀ ࡖࡉࡀࡄࡉࡀ ') is a Mandaean holy book in Mandaic Aramaic which is believed by Mandeans to have been written by their prophet John the Baptist.
The book contains accounts of Jo ...
References
External links
Full textat
Archive.org
The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...
1012 Questions(Mandaic text from the Mandaean Network)
(Mandaic text from the Mandaean Network)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thousand and Twelve Questions
Mandaean texts