The Qulasta, also spelled Qolastā in older sources (; ), is a compilation of Mandaean prayers. The Mandaic word ''qolastā'' means "collection". The prayerbook is a collection of Mandaic prayers regarding baptisms (''

maṣbuta Maṣbuta (; pronounced ''maṣwottā'' in Neo-Mandaic) is the ritual of immersion in water in the Mandaean religion. Overview Mandaeans revere John the Baptist and practice frequent baptism (''masbuta'') as ritual purification, not of initia ...

'') and other sacred rituals involved in the ascension of the soul (''

masiqta The masiqta () 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 Mandaeans who have just di ...

''). In Mandaic, individual prayers are generally called ''buta'' (plural form: ''bawata''), although some prayers also known as ''qaiamta'', ''šrita'' (loosing or deconsecration prayers), and other Mandaic designations. There is no standardized version of the Qulasta; different versions can contain varying numbers of prayers, and ordering of the prayers can also vary. The most commonly used Qulasta versions are those of

E. S. Drower Ethel, Lady Drower ( Ethel May Stefana Stevens; 1 December 1879 – 27 January 1972) was a British cultural anthropologist, orientalist and novelist who studied the Middle East and its cultures.Christa Müller-Kessler, Drower ée Stevens Ethe ...

(1959 English translation) and

Mark Lidzbarski Mark Lidzbarski (born Abraham Mordechai Lidzbarski, Płock, Russian Empire, 7 January 1868 – Göttingen, 13 November 1928) was a Polish philologist, Semiticist and translator of Mandaean texts. Early life and education Lidzbarski was born in Ru ...

(1920 German translation). The most complete versions have approximately 340 prayers, excluding duplicates.

Eric Segelberg Eric Segelberg (20 December 1920 – 17 October 2001) was a Swedish theologian, professor, and a priest of the Lutheran Church of Sweden. Early life and education Segelberg was born in Nyköping, Sweden. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1944 ...

(1958) contains a detailed study of many of the first 90 Qulasta prayers (many of which are known in Mandaic as ''buta'') as used in Mandaean rituals.

Date

The ''Qulasta'', and two other key texts to Mandaic literature, the ''

Mandaean Book of John In Mandaeism, the Book of John () is a Mandaean holy book in Mandaic Aramaic which Mandaeans attribute to their prophet John the Baptist. The book contains accounts of John's life and miracles, as well as a number of polemical conversations w ...

'' and the ''

Ginza Rabba The Ginza Rabba (), Ginza Rba, or Sidra Rabba (), and formerly the Codex Nasaraeus, is the longest and the most important holy scripture of Mandaeism. The Ginza Rabba is composed of two parts: the Right Ginza (GR) and the Left Ginza (GL). T ...

'', may have been compiled together. However, their date of authorship is heavily debated, some believing it to be during the second and third centuries, and others believing it to be conceived during the first century. A study of the colophons of this text would appear to push back a date to the third century at the latest. In the first colophon of the Qulasta (directly after prayer 74), Nukraya, son of Šitil, a scribe from the earliest part of the Islamic period, wrote that he copied the text while consulting at least seven manuscripts (''ṭupsia''). One of them belonged to "a library in a house of 'a

People of the Book People of the Book, or ''Ahl al-Kitāb'' (), is a classification in Islam for the adherents of those religions that are regarded by Muslims as having received a divine revelation from Allah, generally in the form of a holy scripture. The clas ...

' (''anašia ḏ-ktiba''), while another originated from "a town of Byzantines" (i.e., Byzantine Christians), indicating that Mandaean liturgical texts were being kept in non-Mandaean libraries at the start of the Islamic period. In 1949,

Torgny Säve-Söderbergh Torgny Säve-Söderbergh (born 29 June 1914 in Lund; died 21 May 1998 in Uppsala) was a Swedish writer, translator, and professor of Egyptology at Uppsala University from 1950 to 1980. He was the younger brother of paleontologist Gunnar Säve-S� ...

argued that at many passages in the Manichaean

Psalms of Thomas The ''Psalms of Thomas'' (more correctly ''Psalms of Thom'') are a set of third-century psalms found appended to the end of a Coptic Manichaean psalm book, which was in turn part of the Medinet Madi library excavated in 1929. The psalms were orig ...

were paraphrases or even word-by-word translations of Mandaean prayers in the Qulasta. Säve-Söderbergh also argued that the Manichaean psalms had borrowed from Mandaean sources rather than vice versa. As a result, much of the Qulasta can be dated to before the 3rd century, i.e. before

Mani Mani may refer to: People * Mani (name), (), a given name and surname (including a list of people with the name) ** Mani (prophet) (c. 216–274), a 3rd century Iranian prophet who founded Manichaeism ** Mani (musician) (born 1962), an English ...

's lifetime. However, some scholars such as Kevin van Bladel believe that the material shared with the Psalms of Thomas may only be the use of a common source (perhaps

Elkesaite The Elcesaites, Elkasaites, Elkesaites or Elchasaites were an ancient Jewish Christian sect in Lower Mesopotamia, then the province of Asoristan in the Sasanian Empire that was active between 100 and 400 CE. The members of this sect, which origina ...

funerary hymns), and that the text as a whole may date considerably later. The present form of the text must post-date the

early Muslim conquests The early Muslim conquests or early Islamic conquests (), also known as the Arab conquests, were initiated in the 7th century by Muhammad, the founder of Islam. He established the first Islamic state in Medina, Arabian Peninsula, Arabia that ...

at minimum, given the references made in the Qulasta to the advancement of the Arab armies.

Translations and manuscripts

In 1867,

Julius Euting Julius Euting (11 July 1839 – 2 January 1913) was a German Orientalist. Life Director of the National and University Library of Strasbourg, he completed his first studies at the Eberhard-Ludwigs-Gymnasium in Stuttgart and at the local se ...

published a printed Mandaic version of the Qolasta. The Qulasta has been translated into

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

in 1959 and by

into

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

in 1920.Lidzbarski, Mark. 1920. ''Mandäische Liturgien''. Abhandlungen der Königlichen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen, phil.-hist. Klasse, NF 17.1. Berlin. Lidzbarski's translation was based on two manuscripts, including Ms. Syr. F. 2 (R) held at the

Bodleian Library The Bodleian Library () is the main research library of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1602 by Sir Thomas Bodley, it is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. With over 13 million printed items, it is the second-largest library in ...

, which he called "Roll F."

's version of the Qulasta contains 414 prayers (338 prayers if excluding duplicated prayers), which was based on manuscript 53 of the

Drower Collection This article contains a list of Mandaic manuscripts, which are almost entirely Mandaean religious texts written in Classical Mandaic. Well-known Mandaean texts include the ''Ginza Rabba'' (also known as the ''Sidra Rabbā''), the ''Mandaean B ...

(abbreviated DC 53). The fragmentary DC 3, which is an incomplete codex of the Qulasta, was also consulted by Drower. DC 53 was copied in 1802 by the

ganzibra A ganzibra (singular form in , plural form in , literally 'treasurer' in Mandaic; ) is a high priest in Mandaeism. Tarmidas, or junior priests, rank below the ganzibras.Drower, E. S. 1960. ''The Secret Adam: A Study of Nasoraean Gnosis''. Oxfor ...

Adam Yuhana, the father of

Yahia Bihram Yahya Bihram (also spelled Yahia Bihram; ) was a 19th-century Mandaean priest. Although initially a learned layman (''yalufa''), he became known for reviving the Mandaean priesthood after a cholera epidemic had killed all living Mandaean priests ...

, in

Huwaiza Hoveyzeh () is a city in the Central District of Hoveyzeh County, Khuzestan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. Demographics Population At the time of the 2006 National Census, the city's population was ...

Khuzistan Khuzestan province () is one of the 31 Provinces of Iran. Located in the southwest of the country, the province borders Iraq and the Persian Gulf, covering an area of . Its capital is the city of Ahvaz. Since 2014, it has been part of Iran's ...

. The manuscript was purchased by Drower in 1954. In 2002,

Carlos Gelbert Carlos Gelbert (born 1948) is an Australian writer and translator. He is best known for publishing the first full-length English translations of the Ginza Rba (2011) and Mandaean Book of John (2017) together with Mark J. Lofts. Gelbert has also ...

translated the 103 prayers from Lidzbarki's ''Mandäische Liturgien'' into Arabic. A typesetted Mandaic version has also been published in 1998 by

Majid Fandi Al-Mubaraki Majid Fandi Al-Mubaraki () is an Iraqi-Australian writer and researcher based in the Sydney metropolitan area. He is known for his publications of Mandaic texts, including the Ginza Rba and Qulasta. Biography Al-Mubaraki is a Mandaean who wa ...

. In 2025, Carlos Gelbert and Mark J. Lofts published a full English translation of the Qulasta, including the Qulasta prayers in Drower (1959).

''Mandäische Liturgien'' (Lidzbarski 1920)

Part 1 of

's
Liturgien
' (1920) (commonly abbreviated ''ML'' in Mandaic studies), titled the Qolastā, has only 103 prayers. Part 2 includes 4 books from the "Oxford Collection," with 60, 33, 19, and 20 prayers respectively for books 1-4. Part 2 has 132 prayers total; combined, Part 1 and Part 2 have 235 prayers. All of the prayers have the original Mandaic transcribed in Hebrew letters side-by-side with their respective German translations. ;'' Mandäische Liturgien'' (1920) contents *Part 1: Qolastā **Book 1 (prayers 1–31):

Masbuta Maṣbuta (; pronounced ''maṣwottā'' in Neo-Mandaic) is the ritual of immersion in water in the Mandaean religion. Overview Mandaeans revere John the Baptist and practice frequent baptism (''masbuta'') as ritual purification, not of initia ...

liturgy **Book 2 (prayers 32–74):

Masiqta The masiqta () 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 Mandaeans who have just di ...

liturgy **Book 3 (prayers 75–77): 3 prayers for

masbuta Maṣbuta (; pronounced ''maṣwottā'' in Neo-Mandaic) is the ritual of immersion in water in the Mandaean religion. Overview Mandaeans revere John the Baptist and practice frequent baptism (''masbuta'') as ritual purification, not of initia ...

and

**Book 4 (prayers 78–103): Songs and hymns for

and

*Part 2: Oxford Collection **Book 1: 60 ''

rahma Rahma most commonly refers to an Arabic name, which may refer to: *Al-Rahma mosque, on Hatherley Street, Liverpool, England *''Malak al-Rahma'', a 1946 Egyptian film directed and written by Youssef Wahbi "Rahma" is also a Hebrew name, which refer ...

'' devotional prayers, corresponding to ''CP'' 106–160, 165–169 in Drower (1959) **Book 2: 33 marriage (''

qabin The qabin () is the Mandaeism, 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 has prov ...

'') prayers. The first 20 prayers correspond to ''CP'' 180–199 in Drower (1959). **Book 3: 19 prayers **Book 4: 20

drabsha The drabshaDrower, Ethel Stefana (1937). ''The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran''. Oxford at the Clarendon Press. (; Modern Mandaic: ''drafšā'') or darfash () is the symbol of the Mandaean faith. It is typically translated as 'banner'. Etymology T ...

(banner) prayers, corresponding to ''CP'' 330–347 in Drower (1959) except for prayer 20 ''CP'' 104–105, 161–164, 170–179, 200–329, and 348–414 in Drower (1959) are not found in Lidzbarski (1920). Lidzbarski's ''Mandäische Liturgien'' differs substantially from Drower's ''Canonical Prayerbook'', since different manuscripts had been consulted.

''Canonical Prayerbook'' (Drower 1959)

The 414 prayers in

's 1959
Canonical Prayerbook
' (commonly abbreviated ''CP'' in Mandaic studies) are categorized into the following sections. Mandaeans typically refer to their canonical prayers as being part of the sections listed below (for example, the Book of Souls), rather than as part of the "Qulasta" (since ''Qulasta'' simply means 'Collection'). There are 8 colophons in DC 53, which means that the manuscript had originally consisted of at least 8 separate texts. As a result, Buckley (2010) provides the following outline for Drower's ''Canonical Prayerbook'' (CP) based on the DC 53 colophons: *''Part 1'', the Book of Souls (also called the Book of Gadana): CP 1–74, dates to the 3rd century **CP 1–31: the baptismal liturgy **CP 32–72: the

prayers **CP 73–74: the 2 "Letter" (''‛ngirta'') prayers *''Part 2'': CP 75–77: 3 long prayers of praise *''Part 3'': CP 78–103: the "responses" ('' ‛nianas'') *''Part 4'': CP 104–169 **CP 104: a ''

rušuma The rushuma (; sometimes also spelled rushma or rušma) is one of the most commonly recited prayers in Mandaeism. It is a "signing" prayer recited during daily ablutions (rishama (ablution), rishama). The same word can also be used to refer to the ...

'', i.e., "signing" prayer **CP 105: " The Healing of Kings" **CP 106–164: the ''

s'', "devotions," prayed 3 times a day **CP 165–169: "The Fruits of Ether" *''Part 5'': CP 170–199 **CP 170: ''

Ṭabahatan The ''Ṭabahatan'' (), also known as the ''Abahatan Qadmaiia'',. is one of the most commonly recited prayers in Mandaeism, in which the reciter asks for the forgiveness of sins. As a commemoration prayer with a long list of names, the prayer star ...

'', "Our Ancestors" **CP 171–178 **CP 179:

acrostic An acrostic is a poem or other word composition in which the ''first'' letter (or syllable, or word) of each new line (or paragraph, or other recurring feature in the text) spells out a word, message or the alphabet. The term comes from the Fre ...

prayer **CP 180–199: prayers for priest initiation and for the marriage ceremony *''Part 6'': CP 200–284 **CP 200–255 **CP 205–256: priest initiation prayers **CP 257–284 *''Part 7'': CP 285–304 (duplicates of other prayers) *''Part 8'': CP 305–329: priest initiation prayers *''Remaining part'' (no colophon): CP 330–414 **CP 330–347: drabša prayers **CP 348–374:

zidqa brikha In Mandaeism, the zidqa brikha (or ''zidqa brika''; ) is a type of ritual meal blessed by Mandaean priests. ''Zidqa'' means oblation and can also mean alms, while ''brikha'' means blessed.Drower, Ethel Stefana. 1937. ''The Mandaeans of Iraq and Ir ...

prayers **CP 375–381: prayers after

**CP 382–385: myrtle (klila) prayers **CP 386–409: duplicates of CP 305–329 (with CP 329 ordered first, then from CP 305 onwards) **CP 410: prayer of Yahya **CP 411–414: miscellaneous prayers

''Qulasta'' (Al-Mubaraki 2010)

has published a two-volume set of Qulasta prayers containing the printed Mandaic text of the prayers. It was originally published in 1998 and 1999, and republished in 2010 as an electronic

CD-ROM A CD-ROM (, compact disc read-only memory) is a type of read-only memory consisting of a pre-pressed optical compact disc that contains computer data storage, data computers can read, but not write or erase. Some CDs, called enhanced CDs, hold b ...

version. Volume 1 corresponds to Part 1 of Lidzbarski (1920), and Volume 2 partially corresponds to Part 2 (the "Oxford Collection") of Lidzbarski (1920). The contents are as follows, with Drower's ''CP'' numbers provided as well. The prayers in Al-Mubaraki's Qulasta correspond to prayers 1-259 and 410 in Drower (1959). Note that a ''zhara'' () is a name insertion used by the person reciting the prayer. * Sidra ḏ-Nišmata (Book of Souls) (Volume 1) **''

'': 1–31 (with ''zharia'' after 18, 30, 31) **''

'': 32–72 **''engirta'': 73–74 (with ''zhara'' after 74) **''bauata ḏ-tušbihta'' (prayers of praise): 75–103 (with ''zharia'' after 77 and 103) *Ktaba ḏ-

Eniania In Mandaeism, a ʿniana or eniana (; plural form: ''ʿniania'' ) prayer is recited during rituals such as the masiqta and priest initiation ceremonies. They form part of the Qulasta. The rahma prayers are often considered to be a subset of the en ...

(Book of Responses) (Volume 2, Part 1) **''

'': 104 **''

asut malkia The ''Asut Malkia'' ("Salutation of Kings") is one of the most commonly recited prayers in Mandaeism. In the prayer, the reciter wishes health and victory (''asuta u-zakuta'' ) upon dozens of heavenly and ancestral figures. According to E. S. Dro ...

'': 105 **'' rahmia'': 106–118 **''rahmia ḏ-iumia'' (daily ''rahmia'' prayers): 119–164 ***''iuma ḏ-habšaba'' (Sunday): 119–124 ***''iuma ḏ-trin habšaba'' (Monday): 125–130 ***''iuma ḏ-tlata habšaba'' (Tuesday): 131–136 ***''iuma ḏ-arba habšaba'' (Wednesday): 137–142 ***''iuma ḏ-hamša habšaba'' (Thursday): 143–148 ***''iuma ḏ-rhaṭia'' (Friday): 149–154 ***''iuma ḏ-šapta'' (Saturday): 155–162 ***''iuma ḏ-habšaba'' (Sunday): 163–164 **''abatar bauata ḏ-iumia'' (after the daily prayers) ***165–169 ***''zhara'' ***170–174 ***2, 4, 6 (''šrita'' (loosing or deconscrating) prayers) ***178 ***410 ***175–177 *Ktaba ḏ-

Qabin The qabin () is the Mandaeism, 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 has prov ...

(Book of Marriage) (Volume 2, Part 2) **''bauata ḏ-qabin'': 179–232 **''kḏ azil bhira dakia'': 233–256 **''zharia ḏ-hušbania ḏ-iumua'' (''zharia'' for reckoning of days) ***Sunday to Saturday ''zharia'' ***''zhara ḏ-nasakia'' (''zhara'' of scribes) ***257–259 ***''zhara''

''Qulasta'' (Gelbert & Lofts 2025)

''The Qulasta'', translated and edited by

and Mark J. Lofts (2025), includes a total of 341 prayers (excluding the ''Šabania Šaia'' and

Right Ginza The Right Ginza () is one of the two parts of the Ginza Rabba, the longest and the most important holy scripture of Mandaeism. The other part of the Ginza Rabba is the Left Ginza. Summaries of each book (or tractate), based mostly on Häberl ( ...

hymns) organized into 8 groups. The prayer numbers below, indicated by pound signs (#), follow the numbering system in Drower (1959). Gelbert & Lofts (2025) includes excerpts of introductions, footnotes, and commentary from Lidzbarski (1920) and Drower (1959), as well as an analysis of passages in the

with parallels in Mandaean texts. *''Group 1'' (74 prayers): The Book of Gadana, which contains the baptism and commemoration hymns (#1–#74) (74 prayers) **Baptism (''

'') (#1–#31) **Commemoration of the dead (''

'') (#32–#74) **1st colophon *''Group 2'' (3 prayers): Three prayers (#75–#77) **2nd colophon *''Group 3'' (26 prayers): The responses (''

eniania In Mandaeism, a ʿniana or eniana (; plural form: ''ʿniania'' ) prayer is recited during rituals such as the masiqta and priest initiation ceremonies. They form part of the Qulasta. The rahma prayers are often considered to be a subset of the en ...

'' = maṣbuta and masqita prayers) (#78–#103) **3rd colophon *''Group 4'' (66 prayers): The daily hymns ('' rahmia'') **'' Rušma'' = ''Rušuma'' (3 prayers): The Sign (the daily ablutions) (#104) **''

Asut Malkia The ''Asut Malkia'' ("Salutation of Kings") is one of the most commonly recited prayers in Mandaeism. In the prayer, the reciter wishes health and victory (''asuta u-zakuta'' ) upon dozens of heavenly and ancestral figures. According to E. S. Dro ...

'' (Salute to the Kings) (#105) **#106–#118 **Sunday (#119–#124), Monday (#125–#130), Tuesday (#131–#136), Wednesday (#137–#142), Thursday (#143–#148), Friday (#149–#154), Saturday (#155–#160) hymns **Saturday evening and fruits of aether hymns (#161–#169) **4th colophon *''Group 5'' (11 prayers): Ungrouped hymns ** Abahatan Qadmaiia (''ṭab ṭaba l-ṭabia'') (#170 = #411) **The ''Šal Šultha'' (#171 = #257) **#172, #258, #259 **The ''

Šumhata The Shumhata () is one of the most commonly recited prayers in Mandaeism.Choheili, Shadan. Rishama and Barakha Rituals'. Liverpool, NSW: Ganzibra Dakhil Mandi. The Shumhata is numbered as Prayer 173 in E. S. Drower's version of the Qulasta, whic ...

'' (The Names) (#173) **#174, #175 and #412 (interrogation of the soul; #175 and #412 are two different versions), #176, #177 = #413 (

vines A vine is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or wikt:scandent, scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas, or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themselves, for instance, when used in wicker work.Jackson; ...

hymn), #178 *''Group 6'' (78 prayers, excluding the ''Šabania Šaia'' and Right Ginza hymns): Wedding (''

'') hymns **1st sequence (#179 = #206; #180–#199 = #285–#304) ***5th colophon **2nd sequence ***1st series (#200–#214) ***2nd series: the wedding songs (#215–#232) ***3rd series: "where the chosen pure one went" (''kḏ azil bhira dakia'') (#260; #233–#256 = #261–#284) **''Šabania Šaia'' (the weekly forecast of hourly fortune): Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday (including nights for each) **6th colophon (or astrological colophon) **3

hymns: 15.15, 15.16, 15.17 **Hymn repetitions (DC 53) ***#257–#284 ****7th colophon ***#285–#304 ****8th colophon *''Group 7'' (44 prayers): Coronation and banner hymns **Coronation ('' taga'') hymns ***#305–#328 = #387–#409 ***#414 ***#329 = #386 **Banner ('' drabša'') hymns ***#330–#347 **9th colophon *''Group 8'' (39 prayers):

Zidqa brika In Mandaeism, the zidqa brikha (or ''zidqa brika''; ) is a type of ritual meal blessed by Mandaean priests. '' Zidqa'' means oblation and can also mean alms, while ''brikha'' means blessed.Drower, Ethel Stefana. 1937. ''The Mandaeans of Iraq and I ...

prayers **

hymns (#348–#350) **

Pihta In Mandaeism, the pihta () 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 salted or saltless, depending on whether the ritual use of the pihta is ...

hymns (#351–#357) **Praises to Yawar (#358–#369) **Prayers to the cult hut (#370–#374) **Petitions to the Father of Glory (''Mara ḏ-Rabuta'') (#375–#385) **Yahya's petition (#410)

Frequently used prayers

One of the most important prayers is prayer 170, called the ''

'' ("Our Ancestors"). As a commemoration prayer with a long list of names, the prayer starts with the line ''ṭab ṭaba lṭabia'' ("Good is the Good for the Good"). A different version of this prayer is found in DC 42, ''Šarḥ ḏ-Ṭabahata'' ("The Scroll of Ṭabahata"

arents Arents is a Dutch and German patronymic surname ("son of Arent").Parwanaya Parwanaya (; ) or Panja (Mandaic: , from Persian 'five') is a 5-day religious festival in the Mandaean calendar. The 5 epagomenals (extra days) inserted at the end of every Šumbulta (the 8th month) constitute the Parwanaya intercalary feast. ...

rituals. In Mandaean rituals, many prayers are frequently recited in sets. Common sets of prayers listed in ritual texts such as the ''

Scroll of Exalted Kingship The ''Scroll of Exalted Kingship'' ( ; Modern Mandaic: ''Diwān Malkuthā Əlaythā'') is a Mandaean religious text. Written as a large illustrated scroll, the text consists of 1363 lines. The scroll is a commentary on the initiation of the tar ...

'', ''

The Coronation of the Great Shishlam ''The Coronation of the Great Šišlam'' (or ''The Coronation of Shishlam Rabba''; ) is a Mandaean religious text. The text is a detailed commentary on the initiation of the tarmida (junior priests), with detailed discussions on masbuta and ma ...

'', the '' Alma Rišaia'' texts,Drower, E. S. 1963.
A Pair of Naṣoraean Commentaries: Two Priestly Documents, the Great First World and the Lesser First World
'. Leiden: Brill. and ''

Zihrun Raza Kasia The ''Šarḥ ḏ-Zihrun Raza Kasia'' (; "The Scroll of Zihrun, the Hidden Mystery") is a Mandaean religious text that describes rituals such as the masbuta, masiqta, and other related topics. It is an illustrated scroll. Zihrun (referred to a ...

'' are given below. Drower's and Lidzbarki's numberings are equivalent for these prayers, since the first 103 prayers are nearly identical in both versions. *1, 3, 5, 19 ("four prayers for the crown": masbuta prayers for the

turban A turban (from Persian language, Persian دولبند‌, ''dolband''; via Middle French ''turbant'') is a type of headwear based on cloth winding. Featuring many variations, it is worn as customary headwear by people of various cultures. Commun ...

and baptismal

wreath A wreath () is an assortment of flowers, leaves, fruits, twigs, or various materials that is constructed to form a ring shape. In English-speaking countries, wreaths are used typically as household ornaments, most commonly as an Advent and C ...

) *22–24 (

oil An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) and lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturate ...

prayers) *25–28 (sealing prayers, or ''haṭamta'') *32–34 (masiqta prayers) *9, 35 (prayers of

radiance In radiometry, radiance is the radiant flux emitted, reflected, transmitted or received by a given surface, per unit solid angle per unit projected area. Radiance is used to characterize diffuse emission and reflection of electromagnetic radiati ...

) (sometimes swapped as 35, 9) *59–60 (masiqta prayers for the

pihta In Mandaeism, the pihta () 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 salted or saltless, depending on whether the ritual use of the pihta is ...

and

mambuha In Mandaeism, mambuha (), sometimes spelled mambuga (), is sacramental drinking water used in rituals such as the masbuta (baptism). The mambuha can be served in a ''kapta'' (pronounced ''kafta''), a shallow brass drinking bowl that is 11 inche ...

) *71–72 (masiqta prayers for the souls) *75–77 (long praise prayers) *91–99 (

ʿniania In Mandaeism, a ʿniana or eniana (; plural form: ''ʿniania'' ) prayer is recited during rituals such as the masiqta and priest initiation ceremonies. They form part of the Qulasta. The rahma (Mandaeism), rahma prayers are often considered to be ...

: masiqta response hymns) *101–103 (

: masiqta response hymns) The "loosening prayers" are known as ''širiata''.

Recurring formulas

Many of the prayers in the Qulasta have recurring formulas such as: *The '' bšuma'': "In the name of

Hayyi Rabbi In Mandaeism, Hayyi Rabbi ( Neo-Mandaic; ), 'The Great Living God', is the supreme God from which all things emanate. Hayyi Rabbi is also known as "The First Life", since during the creation of the material world, Yushamin emanated from Hayyi ...

" ( ; or sometimes more simply as ), at the beginnings of prayers *"And

Hayyi In Mandaeism, Hayyi Rabbi (Neo-Mandaic; ), 'The Great Living God', is the supreme God from which all things emanationism, emanate. Hayyi Rabbi is also known as "The First Life", since during the creation of the material world, Yushamin emanated ...

is victorious" ( ), at the ends of prayers *"And praise be to Hayyi" ( ), at the ends of prayers *"In the name of

Hibil In Mandaeism, Hibil () and/or Hibil Ziwa () and sometimes pronounced Hīwel is referred to an uthra ("excellency", an angel or guardian) from the World of Light or the son of Adam (then; only referred as Hibil). Hibil, the man, is considered to b ...

Šitil In Mandaeism, Shitil () is an uthra (angel or guardian) from the World of Light. Shitil is considered to be the Mandaean equivalent of Seth. Prayers in the Qulasta frequently contain the recurring formula, "In the name of Hibil, Šitil, and An ...

, and Anuš" ( )

List of prayers

Correspondences with the ''Ginza Rabba''

Several of the prayers in Drower's ''Canonical Prayerbook of the Mandaeans'' (''CP''), mostly ''ʿniania'' (" responses") and

prayers, correspond to hymns in Book 3 of the ''

Left Ginza The Left Ginza () is one of the two parts of the Ginza Rabba, the longest and the most important holy scripture of Mandaeism. The other part of the Ginza Rabba is the Right Ginza. As of 2024, a critical edition that includes an annotated transl ...

'' (GL 3): Prayer 66 also corresponds with ''

'' 6. Some marriage hymns (''hadaiata'') in the ''Canonical Prayerbook'' also correspond to some hymns in Book 12 of the ''

'' (GR 12): *CP 179 = GR 12.2 *CP 214 = GR 12.4

Use with other texts

Various esoteric texts used in priestly initiation ceremonies frequently refer to prayers in the Qulasta. These include: *''

The Thousand and Twelve Questions ''The Thousand and Twelve Questions'' ( ; Modern Mandaic: ''Alf Tressar Ešyāli'') is a Mandaean religious text. The ''1012 Questions'' is one of the most detailed texts on Mandaean priestly rituals. It is kept by Mandaean priests in the shk ...

'' *''

Alma Rišaia Rba '' Alma Rišaia Rba'' or ''Diwan Alma Rišaia Rabbā'' (, "The Great Supreme World" or "The Great First World") is a Mandaean religious text. The text is used for Mandaean priestly initiation ceremonies. It is written as a scroll and has numerou ...

'' *'' Alma Rišaia Zuṭa'' *''

'' *''

Scroll of the Ancestors The ''Scroll of the Ancestors'' ( ) 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 scroll include Manuscript 42 of the Drowe ...

'' *''

The Wedding of the Great Shishlam ''The Wedding of the Great Shishlam'' ( ) is a Mandaean text. As a liturgical rather than esoteric text, it contains instructions and hymns for the Mandaean marriage ceremony. Traditionally, Mandaean priests recite the entire book at marriage ...

'' (for wedding ceremonies) Many passages in these texts are essentially priestly commentaries on both the practical ritual applications and esoteric symbolism of specific prayers in the Qulasta.

References

External links

Complete scan of Drower's translation of the Qulasta
at the Gnostic Society Library (accidentally titled "Ginza Rabba" in the Gnosis Archive; incomplete and contains some typographical errors)

at the

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American 501(c)(3) organization, non-profit organization founded in 1996 by Brewster Kahle that runs a digital library website, archive.org. It provides free access to collections of digitized media including web ...

(the first few sections have not been archived) * ''Mandäische Liturgien'' (

, 1920) on Wikimedia Commons * 1867 Qolastā by

(from Wikimedia Commons)
Sydney 2014 Sidra ed Neshmatha (the Book of Souls) for Baptism (Days 3 and 4)
(The World of Mandaean Priests, University of Exeter)
Qulasta prayers ''CP'' 1–103
(primarily based on Code Sabéen 12; ''CP'' 5–10 are from Code Sabéen 15) in transliterated format at the ''

Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon (CAL) is an online database containing a searchable dictionary and text corpora of Aramaic dialects. CAL includes more than 3 million lexically parsed words. The project was started in the 1980s and is currently ...

''
''CP'' 106–169
(primarily based on MS Marsh. 691 and Drower 1959) in transliterated format at the ''

''
Qulasta prayers ''CP'' 104–149
(primarily based on the Mubaraki version) in transliterated format at the ''

'' ;Mandaean Network texts in Mandaic
Qulasta
(Mandaic text from the Mandaean Network)

(Mandaic text from the Mandaean Network)

Book of the Soul (Mandaic text from the Mandaean Network)

Book of the Soul (Mandaic text from the Mandaean Network)

(Mandaic text from the Mandaean Network)

(Mandaic text from the Mandaean Network)

(Mandaic text from the Mandaean Network)

(Mandaic text from the Mandaean Network) {{Mandaeism footer * Mandaean texts Prayer books Hymns Funerary texts

Date

Translations and manuscripts

Contents

''Mandäische Liturgien'' (Lidzbarski 1920)

''Canonical Prayerbook'' (Drower 1959)

''Qulasta'' (Al-Mubaraki 2010)

''Qulasta'' (Gelbert & Lofts 2025)

Frequently used prayers

Recurring formulas

List of prayers

Correspondences with the ''Ginza Rabba''

Use with other texts

See also

References

External links