Atarmida (singular form inClassical Mandaic:ࡕࡀࡓࡌࡉࡃࡀ,lit. 'disciple', plural form inClassical Mandaic:ࡕࡀࡓࡌࡉࡃࡉࡀtarmidia;Persian:ترمیدا;Arabic:ترميذة;Modern Mandaic pronunciation:[tarˈmida]) is a juniorpriest inMandaeism.Ganzibras, or head priests, rank above tarmidas.[1]
Häberl (2022) considers the Mandaic wordtarmida to be a borrowing from Hebrewtalmid (Hebrew:תַלמִיד).[2]
Tarmida initiates ornovices (ࡔࡅࡀࡋࡉࡀšualia) can come from any "pure" family. In other words, the families must be ritually pure, meaning that there are no family members who have committed grave sins. Ritually pure laymen are also known ashallali inMandaic. Typically, the novices have been trained as ritual assistants (šganda orašganda) when they were children. Initiates may or may not be married, although typically they are not yet married.[3]
In order to be ordained as a tarmida, the initiate (ࡔࡅࡀࡋࡉࡀšualia) must go through a complex series ofinitiation rituals lasting 68 days. Various rituals are performed by the initiator priest (ࡓࡁࡀrba), who recites from priestly esoteric texts such asThe Coronation of the Great Shishlam (Šarh d-Traṣa d-Taga d-Šišlam Rabbā),[4] theScroll of Exalted Kingship (Diwan Malkuta ʿLaita),[5]The Great Supreme World (Alma Rišaia Rba),[6] and theQulasta. Ritual helpers (šganda orࡔࡂࡀࡍࡃࡀašganda), who represent emissaries from theWorld of Light, also help perform the rituals, many of which are held in a specially constructed priest initiation hut (škinta) and also a nearby temporary reed hut (andiruna).[3]
Below is the sequence ofQulasta prayer numbers for the tarmida initiation according to both theCoronation andExalted Kingship.Exalted Kingship contains more detailed descriptions of the rituals, while theCoronation is shorter. During the prayers,pihtaࡐࡉࡄࡕࡀ (sacramental bread) andmambuhaࡌࡀࡌࡁࡅࡄࡀ (sacramental water) are also consumed. Ritual handclasps (kušṭa) are often exchanged between the novice and the initiator, and sometimes also with the ritual assistant (šganda). Various names of the deceased (zharaࡆࡄࡀࡓࡀ) are also uttered along with the prayers.[3]
| Coronation | Exalted Kingship |
|---|---|
| 323 | 323 |
| 1–103 (novice’s recital in škinta) | 1–103 |
| 324–327 (coronation prayers) | 324–327 |
| 3, 5, 19 | 3, 5, 19 |
| 79, 81 | 79, 80, 81 |
| Coronation | Exalted Kingship |
|---|---|
| 1, 3, 5, 19 | 1, 3, 5, 19 |
| 32 | 32 |
| 8, 34 (incense prayers) | 8, 34 |
| 75–77 | 75–77 |
| 35 (with zharas) | 35 |
| Coronation | Exalted Kingship |
|---|---|
| 10–13 | |
| 18 | |
| 414 | |
| 19 | |
| 1stkušṭa | |
| 82 | |
| 20–24 | |
| 2nd kušṭa | |
| 36–45 (pihta andmambuha) | |
| 3rd kušṭa | |
| 25–28 (sealing prayers) | |
| 29, 30, 83–86, 88, 90 | |
| 71–72 (1st concurrence) | |
| 4th kušṭa | |
| 18, 109 (rahmas [devotions]) | |
| 58 (with zhara) | 58 |
| 65 | 65 |
| 168–169 | 168–169 |
| 71–72 | 71–72 (2nd concurrence) |
| 36–45 (pihta andmambuha) | |
| 59–60 | 59–60 |
| 31, 8 | 31, 8 |
| 72 | 72 |
| 171 | |
| mqaimitun ["be raised up!"] (repeated 61 times) | mqaimitun ["be raised up!"] |
| 80 | 80 |
| kušṭa with šganda | 5th kušṭa |
| 63 (masiqta oil) | 63 |
| 178 | 178 |
| 1, 3, 9, 15 | |
| 344–345 | |
| 233–256 (kḏ azil[7]) | 233–256 |
| 330–347 (drabša prayers) |
TheCoronation contains 3 sets of prayers during the final part of the ritual that are not listed inExalted Kingship.
| Coronation | Exalted Kingship |
|---|---|
| 1, 3, 5, 19 | 1, 3, 5, 19 |
| 35, 9 | 35, 9 |
| 15–17 | 15–17 |
| 25–28 (haṭamtas [sealing prayers]) | 25–28 |
| Coronation | Exalted Kingship |
|---|---|
| 180–199 | 180–199 |
| 305–321 (antiphons) | 305–321 |
| Coronation | Exalted Kingship |
|---|---|
| 72, 31, 8, 94, 63,kḏ azil | |
| 106–108 | 106–108 |
| 1, 3, 5, 19 | 1, 3, 5, 19 |
| 8, 34 | 8 |
| 165–169 | |
| 113 (a Sunday prayer) | 113 |
| 114–117 | 114–116 |
| 77, 9, 35 | 77, 9, 35 |
| 15–17 | 15–17 |
| 25–28 | 25–28 |
| 58, 65 | 58, 65 |
| 119–122 | |
| 165–169 | 165 |
| 71–72 | 71–72 (3rd concurrence) |
| 36–45 | 36–45 |
| 59–60 | 59–60 |
| 72 | 72 |
| 171 | |
| 80 | 80 |
| kušṭa | kušṭa |
Prayers 34 and 119–122 (first 4 Sundayrahma prayers) are included in theCoronation, but notExalted Kingship.
The gallery below contains images of a tarmida initiation held in Baghdad in 2008.[8]
