In
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 ...
, mambuha ( myz, ࡌࡀࡌࡁࡅࡄࡀ), sometimes spelled mambuga, is sacramental drinking water used in rituals such as the
masbuta
Maṣbuta ( myz, ࡌࡀࡑࡁࡅࡕࡀ) is the ritual of immersion in water in the Mandaeism, Mandaean religion.
Overview
Mandaeans revere John the Baptist and practice frequent baptism (''masbuta'') as a Ritual purification, ritual of purificati ...
(baptism).
The mambuha can be served in a ''kapta'', a shallow brass drinking bowl that is 11 inches or less in perimeter, or in a ''qanina'' (glass bottle).
[Drower, Ethel Stefana. 1937. ''The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran''. Oxford At The Clarendon Press.]
Traditionally, mambuha is taken directly from the ''
yardna
In Mandaeism, a yardna ( myz, ࡉࡀࡓࡃࡍࡀ, lit=Jordan) or yardena ([]; ar, یردنا) is a body of flowing fresh water (or in myz, ࡌࡉࡀ ࡄࡉࡉࡀ, translit=mia hiia, lit=living water; pronounced ''mia h(a)yya'') that is suitab ...
'' (river, i.e. the
Euphrates
The Euphrates () is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Tigris–Euphrates river system, Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia ( ''the land between the rivers'') ...
,
Tigris
The Tigris () is the easternmost of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of the Armenian Highlands through the Syrian and Arabian Deserts, and empties into the ...
, or
Karun
The Karun ( fa, کارون, ) is the Iranian river with the highest water flow, and its only navigable river. It is long. It rises in the Zard Kuh mountains of the Bakhtiari district in the Zagros Range, receiving many tributaries, such as t ...
rivers), but the Mandaean diaspora often uses treated tap water.
Prayers
Various prayers in the ''
Qolasta
The Qolastā, Qulasta, or Qolusta ( myz, ࡒࡅࡋࡀࡎࡕࡀ; mid, Qōlutā, script=Latn) is the canonical prayer book of the Mandaeans, a Gnostic ethnoreligious group from Iraq and Iran. The Mandaic word ''qolastā'' means "collection". The p ...
'', including prayers
33,
44,
45,
60, and
82, are recited during the drinking of the ''mambuha''.
See also
*
Halalta
In Mandaeism, halalta ( myz, ࡄࡀࡋࡀࡋࡕࡀ) is sacramental rinsing water used in rituals such as the masiqta (death mass).
During the Ṭabahata Masiqta, halalta is kept in bottles. Priests use the water to rinse their bowls and then dri ...
*
Holy water
Holy water is water that has been blessed by a member of the clergy or a religious figure, or derived from a well or spring considered holy. The use for cleansing prior to a baptism and spiritual cleansing is common in several religions, from ...
*
Holy water in Eastern Christianity
Among Eastern Orthodox and Eastern-Rite Catholic Christians, holy water is blessed in the church and given to the faithful to drink at home when needed and to bless their homes. In the weeks following the Feast of Epiphany, clergy visit the ...
References
Mandaean ceremonial food and drink
Water and religion
Mandaic words and phrases
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