Mandaeism Mandaeism (Classical Mandaic: ࡌࡀࡍࡃࡀࡉࡉࡀ ; Arabic: المندائيّة ), sometimes also known as Nasoraeanism or Sabianism, is a Gnostic, monotheistic and ethnic religion. Its adherents, the Mandaeans, revere Adam, Abel, S ...

, faṭira ( myz, ࡐࡀࡈࡉࡓࡀ; plural form: ''faṭiri''Drower, Ethel Stefana. 1937. ''The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran''. Oxford At The Clarendon Press.) is a small, round, saltless, half-baked biscuit. Faṭiras are used in rituals such as the

Ṭabahata Masiqta The ''Scroll of the Ancestors'' ( myz, ࡔࡀࡓࡇ ࡖࡈࡀࡁࡀࡄࡀࡕࡀ ) is a Mandaean religious text that describes the rituals of the Ṭabahata (ancestors') masiqta, held during the 5-day Parwanaya festival. Manuscripts Copies of the ...

, or 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 the Parents," during which they are served in ritual clay trays called ''ṭariana''. The faṭira, which is saltless, is distinct from another type of

sacramental bread Sacramental bread, also called Communion bread, Eucharistic bread, the Lamb or simply the host ( la, hostia, lit=sacrificial victim), is the bread used in the Christian ritual of the Eucharist. Along with sacramental wine, it is one of two elemen ...

known as the ''

pihta In Mandaeism, the pihta ( myz, ࡐࡉࡄࡕࡀ, lit=opened; something broken apart or into pieces) is a type of sacramental bread used with rituals performed by Mandaean priests. It is a small, round, biscuit-sized flatbread that can either be sa ...

'', which contains salt to symbolize the souls of living people when used for living celebrants, but is saltless like the faṭira when used during

(death mass) rituals. The '' ṣa'' ( myz, ࡑࡀ), a rolled-up piece of sacramental

flatbread A flatbread is a bread made with flour; water, milk, yogurt, or other liquid; and salt, and then thoroughly rolled into flattened dough. Many flatbreads are unleavened, although some are leavened, such as pizza and pita bread. Flatbreads ran ...

that contains nuts and raisins, is also used in ritual meals for the dead and has a

phallic symbolism A phallus is a penis (especially when erect), an object that resembles a penis, or a mimetic image of an erect penis. In art history a figure with an erect penis is described as ithyphallic. Any object that symbolically—or, more precisel ...

. It is rolled up like a scroll.

References

Mandaean ceremonial food and drink Mandaic words and phrases Eucharistic objects Unleavened breads {{Mandaeism-stub

See also

References