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 ...

, the pihta ( myz, ࡐࡉࡄࡕࡀ, lit=opened; something broken apart or into pieces) is a 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 ...

used with rituals performed by

Mandaean priest A Mandaean priest or ''Rabbi'' refers to an ordained religious leader in Mandaeism. Overview All priests must undergo lengthy ordination ceremonies, beginning with tarmida initiation. Mandaean religious leaders and copyists of religious texts hol ...

s. It is a small, round, biscuit-sized

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 can either be salted or saltless, depending on whether the ritual use of the pihta is for living or dead people. The pihta is not to be confused with the ''

faṭira In Mandaeism, 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 ritu ...

'', a small, round, saltless, half-baked biscuit also used in Mandaean rituals.

Description

The pihta, as used in rituals for living people such as the

masbuta Maṣbuta ( myz, ࡌࡀࡑࡁࡅࡕࡀ) is the ritual of immersion in water in the Mandaean religion. Overview Mandaeans revere John the Baptist and practice frequent baptism (''masbuta'') as a ritual of purification, not of initiation. They ar ...

, is a small, round, salted, biscuit-sized

made by mixing flour and salt with water, followed by baking. It can only be made by Mandaean priests, and the flour is also ground by priests.Drower, Ethel Stefana. 1937. ''The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran''. Oxford At The Clarendon Press. Unlike the ''

'', which is saltless sacramental bread used for 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 f ...

, the pihta (as used in masbuta rituals) is salted (with salt mixed into the dough before baking), since salt (''mihla'') represents symbolizes the soul according to the '' Alma Rišaia Rba''. However, pihta is also used during

rituals. In this case, the pihta is not salted, since the lack of salt symbolizes the departure of the soul from the body. (''See also'': Blessed salt in Christianity)

Ritual usage

Every Sunday, Mandaeans participate in a baptismal mass (''

maṣbuta Maṣbuta ( myz, ࡌࡀࡑࡁࡅࡕࡀ) is the ritual of immersion in water in the Mandaean religion. Overview Mandaeans revere John the Baptist and practice frequent baptism (''masbuta'') as a ritual of purification, not of initiation. They ar ...

'') involving immersion in flowing water (''

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 ...

'') by ordained priests. The baptized then consume pieces of salted pihta blessed by a priest in order to restore their connections (''

laufa In Mandaeism, laufa or laupa ( myz, ࡋࡀࡅࡐࡀ) is the concept of a spiritual connection forged between Tibil (Earth) and the World of Light. It has been variously translated as "communion," "spiritual union," "spiritual connection," or "vita ...

'') with 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 Rab ...

(see

Mandaean cosmology Mandaean cosmology is the Gnostic conception of the universe in the religion of Mandaeism. Mandaean cosmology is strongly influenced by Jewish, Babylonian, Persian, Egyptian, Greek, Manichaean and other Near Eastern religions and philosophies. E ...

). Saltless pihta is also used in

rituals.

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 36- 45 and 59, are recited during the sacrament of the pihta.

References

{{Mandaeism footer Flatbreads Mandaean ceremonial food and drink Mandaic words and phrases Eucharistic objects Unleavened breads