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The ''Yazidi Black Book'' ( ku, Mishefa Reş) is one of two books written in the style of a
holy book Religious texts, including scripture, are texts which various religions consider to be of central importance to their religious tradition. They differ from literature by being a compilation or discussion of beliefs, mythologies, ritual pract ...
of the
Yazidis Yazidis or Yezidis (; ku, ئێزیدی, translit=Êzidî) are a Kurmanji-speaking endogamous minority group who are indigenous to Kurdistan, a geographical region in Western Asia that includes parts of Iraq, Syria, Turkey and Iran. The ma ...
in their native Kurmanji (Northern Kurdish) tongue, the other being the ''
Yazidi Book of Revelation The ''Yazidi Book of Revelation'' ( ku, Kitêba Cilwe, lit=The Book of Revelation) is the title of a Kurdish book which is assumed to be one of two sacred books of Yazidis, the other being the Yazidi Black Book. However, the authenticity ...
'' (). The authenticity of these two books has been questioned. Dr. Frederick Forbes visited Sinjar in 1838 and ascribed the authorship of the ''Yazidi Black Book'' to Sheikh Adi ibn Musafir. It is believed that the content of the ''Yazidi Black Book'' is a fusion of authentic Yazidi traditions and beliefs with Western forgeries.


Content

The book discusses
cosmogony Cosmogony is any model concerning the origin of the cosmos or the universe. Overview Scientific theories In astronomy, cosmogony refers to the study of the origin of particular astrophysical objects or systems, and is most commonly used ...
, the creation of humanity, history of the Yazidis and prohibitions in regard to food, deeds and pronunciation of words. The book begins with cosmogony and continues with how God created the white Pearl out of his most precious essence. He also created the bird Angar. God placed the white Pearl on the back of this bird, and he dwelt on it for forty thousand years.'''. The book moreover states that the first day of creation was Sunday which contradicts oral traditions that claims that the first day of creation was a Saturday. God created
Melek Taus Melek ( hu, Mellek) is a municipality and village in the Nitra District of the south-west of Slovakia, in the Nitra Region The Nitra Region ( sk, Nitriansky kraj, ; hu, Nyitrai kerület) is one of the administrative regions of Slovakia. It w ...
on Sunday, on Monday he created Shaykh Ḥasan or Dardāʾīl, on Tuesday he created Shaykh Shams al-Dīn or Isrāfīl, on Wednesday he created Shaykh Abū Bakr or Mīkhāʾīl, on Thursday he created Sajād al-Dīn or ʿAzrāʾīl, on Friday he created Nāṣir al-Dīn or Shamnāʾīl and on Saturday he created Yādīn ( Fakhr al-Dīn) also known as Nūrāʾīl. The book then states that God Melek Taus is the ruler of them all and God then moved on to create seven heavens, the earth, the sun and the moon. Then, Yādīn created humans, animals, birds and beasts which God put in a pocket of cloth which would come out accompanied by these seven angels. The book also mentions
Gabriel In Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), Gabriel (); Greek: grc, Γαβριήλ, translit=Gabriḗl, label=none; Latin: ''Gabriel''; Coptic: cop, Ⲅⲁⲃⲣⲓⲏⲗ, translit=Gabriêl, label=none; Amharic: am, ገብ� ...
, Adam, and Eve. However, the presence of a textual Black Book and Book of Revelation alone may be enough to alter the Yazidi religion to become more consistent and coherent across villages. This is due in part to the rising literacy rate among Yazidis, such that those who can read or write hold a more esteemed position, and the written word is treated as more valid than the oral tradition.


Publications

* ''The Black Book of the Yezidis'' (edited with an introduction by J. Lange).
MASHAF REŠ (THE BLACK BOOK)
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References

{{italic title Yazidi texts Kurdish books Religious books