Alma Rišaia Zuṭa (Classical Mandaic: ࡀࡋࡌࡀ ࡓࡉࡔࡀࡉࡀ ࡆࡅࡈࡀ, "The Smaller Supreme World" or "The Smaller First World") is a Mandaean religious text. The text is used for Mandaean priestly initiation ceremonies. It is written as a scroll. Alma Rišaia Zuṭa complements Alma Rišaia Rba, or "The Greater Supreme World", a related Mandaic text used for priestly rituals.[1]
| Alma Rišaia Zuṭa | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| Religion | Mandaeism |
| Language | Mandaic language |
Manuscripts and translations
editAn English translation of the text was published by E. S. Drower in 1963, which was based on manuscript 48 of the Drower Collection (abbreviated DC 48). It was copied in 972 A.H. (1564 or 1565 A.D.). Since the first part of the scroll is missing, the content of DC 48 begins in the middle of a dialogue between an initiating priest (rba) and a novice. There are 4 extant parts in the DC 48 manuscript.[2] A typesetted Mandaic version of DC 48 was published by Majid Fandi Al-Mubaraki in 2002.[3]
MS Rbai Rafid Collection 3F (abbreviated MS RRC 3F), copied in 1238 A.H. (1822-1823 A.D.), is a manuscript of Alma Rišaia Zuṭa that was not analyzed by Drower. It was analyzed by Matthew Morgenstern in 2018.[4] The manuscript is part of the Rbai Rafid Collection (RRC), a private collection of Mandaean manuscripts held by the Mandaean priest Rbai Rafid al-Sabti in Nijmegen, Netherlands.[5] The copyist was Iahia Ram Zihrun br Mhatam br Mhatam Iuhana br Bihram br Mašad br Naǰmia br Karam br Kairia br Haiat kinianḥ Sabur.[6]
Prayer sequence
editIn Alma Rišaia Zuṭa, the prescribed sequence of Qulasta prayers (numbered below according to Drower's 1959 Canonical Prayerbook) to be recited is as follows.[2]
- 63, 3
- 109
- 35, 9
- 65
- 71–72
- 59
- 64
- 80
- 170
- (illustrations and descriptions of other rituals in between)
- 1, 3, 5, 19
- 32–34
- 75–77
- 9
- 35–69
- 91–99
- 70–71
- 101–103
- 63, 3
- 35, 9
- 58
- 65
- 71
- 170
- 6
- 72
- 80
- 2, 4, 6
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2002). The Mandaeans: ancient texts and modern people. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-515385-5. OCLC 65198443.
- ^ a b Drower, E. S. 1963. A Pair of Naṣoraean Commentaries: Two Priestly Documents, the Great First World and the Lesser First World. Leiden: Brill.
- ^ Al-Mubaraki, Majid Fandi (2002). Alma rishaia zuta (D.C. 48). Mandaean Diwan. Vol. 5. Sydney. ISBN 1-876888-05-9.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Morgenstern, Matthew (2018). "New readings and interpretations in the Mandaic priestly commentary Alma Rišaia Zuṭa (The Lesser 'First World')". Le Muséon. 131 (1–2): 1-19. doi:10.2143/MUS.131.1.3284833.
- ^ Aldihisi, Sabah (2008). The story of creation in the Mandaean holy book in the Ginza Rba (PhD). University College London.
- ^ Morgenstern, Matthew (ed.). "Alma Rišaia Zuṭa". The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
External links
edit- Full text at Archive.org
- Alma Rishaia Zuta (Mandaic text from the Mandaean Network)
- Alma Rishaia Zuta (Mandaic text from the Mandaean Network)
- Transliterated text (The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon)