TheGinza Rabba (Classical Mandaic:ࡂࡉࡍࡆࡀ ࡓࡁࡀ,romanized: Ginzā Rbā,lit. 'Great Treasury'),Ginza Rba, orSidra Rabba (Classical Mandaic:ࡎࡉࡃࡓࡀ ࡓࡁࡀ,romanized: Sidrā Rbā,lit. 'Great Book'), and formerly theCodex Nasaraeus,[1] is the longest and the most important holy scripture ofMandaeism.
The Ginza Rabba is composed of two parts: theRight Ginza (GR) and theLeft Ginza (GL). The Right Ginza is composed of eighteen tractates and covers a variety of themes and topics, whereas the three tractates that make up the Left Ginza are unified in their focus on the fate of the soul after death. The Left Ginza is also occasionally referred to as theBook of Adam.[1]
The language used is ClassicalMandaic, a variety ofEastern Aramaic written in theMandaic script (Parthian chancellory script), similar to theSyriac script. The authorship is unknown, and dating is a matter of debate, with estimates ranging from the first to third centuries.[2][3] Determining date and authorship is complicated by the late date of the earliest manuscripts, the potentially lengthy oral transmission of Mandaean religious texts prior to their being written, and that conclusions about the dating of some tractates or either GR (Right Ginza) or GL (Left Ginza) may not carry over for material elsewhere in the Ginza.[4]: 20
The date of Mandaean texts remains heavily contested.[5]: 14 Even within the scope of the Ginza Rabba, the GL and GR are separate compositions with separate dates, making the Ginza Rabba a composite text of diverse origins. Furthermore, the individual tractates within these collections appear to have separate origins by virtue of their distinct genre, grammar, and according to their colophon evidence.[5]: 13 The GL has its own colophon, as do the first thirteen tractates of the GR. Each from the fourteenth through eighteenth subsequent tractates have their own colophons.[5]: 36 The current form and final compilation of the Ginza as a whole must come from Islamic times as it contains numerous references to the Arabs and theIslamic conquest.[6]
In 1949,Torgny Säve-Söderbergh argued that the third-century Coptic ManichaeanPsalms of Thomas depended on the Left Ginza,[7] A 2017 study by Kevin van Bladel instead suggests that both sources derived their shared material from a common source, perhapsElcesaite funerary hymns.[8]: 76–78
In 1965,Rudolf Macúch argued for a third-century date on the basis of a colophon note saying thatZazai of Gawazta copied important Mandaean texts 368 years prior to the Arab conquest of Iraqc. 640, resulting in the date of 272.[9]: 4 [10]: 89 However, this note, extant from one manuscript, only refers to an unspecified year of thehijri calendar and not the point in time before 640. This means that 272 is the earliest possible date if the very firsthijri year is being referenced, though later dates are not excluded. The number 368 itself may be invented.[8]: 8–14
GR 18, also known as theBook of Kings, says that "after the Persian kings there will be Arabian kings. They will reign seventy-one years."[7] Starting withTheodor Nöldeke, historians have widely interpreted this as a reference to the Islamic-era Arab rulers, and so have dated GR 18 to the Islamic era.[5]: 24–27 Recently, Häberl has argued from the colophons and external references that GR 18s dates to the rule ofLakhmid Arab kings in the pre-Islamic period. The latter is argued to place GR 18, separately from the rest of the Ginza Rabba, in the hands of a copyist at one point namedEnnoš b. Danqā, who appears to have worked in the mid-7th century, implying the text is no later than ~650. The Arab kings reigning for 71 years are identified to be the Lakhmid kings starting withAl-Mundhir III ibn al-Nu'man, installed into power in 531 byKhosrow I (r. 531–579), toKhosrow II who deposedAl-Nu'man III ibn al-Mundhir in 602. To supplement this observation, Häberl points to the absence of Arabic language on or explicit references to Islam in GR 18 unlike later Mandaean texts. The final Sassanid ruler mentioned by the text is interpreted to beKavad II, who ruled until 628, roughly giving the date soon after which the text entered its current form. Häberl offers the following chronology for the events mentioned in GR 18, alongside the earlier chronology implied by Nöldeke's work.[5]: 2, 36–60
Book 7 of the Right Ginza uses the name Yahyā for John, which is the form of the name John that appears in theQuran.[8]: 55–56 However, Häberl has argued that the use of this name is known in pre-Islamic Arabic text, and so its presence does not conclusively argue for an Islamic-era dating.[5]: 44
The Ginza may have been composed, at least partially, as a response to the Arab conquests, along with other pieces of Mandaean literature such as theMandaean Book of John, and a study of the colophons of the Ginza date the emergence of the text to the second half of the seventh century.[6][11]
TheGinza Rabba is divided into two parts – theRight Ginza, containing 18 books, and theLeft Ginza, containing 3 books. In Mandaic studies, the Right Ginza is commonly abbreviated asGR, while the Left Ginza is commonly abbreviated asGL.[12] Alternatively, sometimes the Right Ginza is abbreviated asGY orGy after the MandaicGinza Yamina, while the Left Ginza is commonly abbreviated asGS orGs after the MandaicGinza Smala.[13][14]
Ginza Rabba codices traditionally contain theRight Ginza on one side, and, when turned upside-down and back to front, contain theLeft Ginza (the Left Ginza is also called "The Book of the Dead"). The Right Ginza part of theGinza Rabba contains sections dealing with theology, creation, ethics, historical, and mythical narratives; its sixcolophons reveal that it was last redacted in the early Islamic Era. The Left Ginza section ofGinza Rabba deals with man's soul in the afterlife; its colophon reveals that it was redacted for the last time hundreds of years before the Islamic Era.[12][15]
There are various manuscript versions that differ from each other. The versions order chapters differently from each other, and textual content also differs.
The Ginza Rabba is a compilation of various oral teachings and written texts, most predating their editing into the two volumes. It includes literature on a wide variety of topics, including liturgy and hymns, theological texts, didactic texts, as well as both religious and secular poetry.[12]
For a comprehensive listing of summaries of each chapter in the Ginza Rabba, see the articlesRight Ginza andLeft Ginza.
Manuscript versions of the Ginza include the following. Two are held in theBodleian Library at Oxford, three in theBritish Library in London, four in theBibliothèque nationale de France in Paris, and others are in private ownership.[10] All extant manuscripts of the Ginza appear to derive from a few copies that were produced around 1500.[16]
RRC 5J (copied at the Margab quarter ofSuq eš-Šuyūḵ in AH 1277 (1860–1861 AD))
RRC 5L (copied at the Margab quarter of Suq eš-Šuyūḵ in AH 1256 (1840–1841 AD))
For his 1925 German translation of the Ginza,Lidzbarski also consulted other Ginza manuscripts that were held atLeiden (complete) andMunich (fragmentary).[18]
Jorunn Jacobsen Buckley has also found Ginza manuscripts that are privately held by Mandaeans in the United States. Two are inSan Diego, California, which belong toLamea Abbas Amara; they were originally copied by Mhatam Zihrun (SheikhDakhil Aidan) in 1935, and by a copyist named Adam (Sheikh Aidan, father ofDakhil) in 1886, respectively.[19]: 54 One is inFlushing, New York, which belonged toNasser Sobbi (1924–2018) and was originally copied by Adam Zihrun in 1928. Another one is inLake Grove, New York, and belongs to Mamoon Aldulaimi, which was originally given to him bySheikh Abdullah, son ofSheikh Negm and was copied by Yahya Ram Zihrun in 1940.[10] A version of the Ginza byMhatam Yuhana[20] was also used byCarlos Gelbert in his 2011 English translation of the Ginza. Another manuscript known to Gelbert is a privately owned Ginza manuscript inAhvaz belonging to ShaikhAbdullah Khaffaji,[18] the grandson ofRam Zihrun.[9]
Printed versions of the Ginza in Mandaic include:
Norberg version (Mandaic, in Syriac script): A printed Ginza in Mandaic (printed using theSyriac alphabet) was published byMatthias Norberg in 1816. Based on Code Sabéen 2 (Paris Ms. B). It was republished byGorgias Press in 2007.[21]
Petermann version (Mandaic): In 1867,Julius Heinrich Petermann published Mandaic and Syriac transcriptions of theGinza Rabba.[22] His work was based on four different Ginza manuscripts held at Paris, and relied most heavily on MS Paris A (also known asCode Sabéen 1). Only 100 copies were printed, 13 of which Petermann kept himself.[12] A three-volume set of Petermann's work was republished byGorgias Press in 2007.[23][24][25][26]
Mubaraki version (Mandaic, in both Mandaic and Roman scripts): The full Ginza Rba in printedMandaic script, compiled primarily from the Mhatam Zihrun br rbai Adam manuscript from Iraq (copied in 1898 and dated 6 July 1899),[5] was first published byMajid Fandi Al-Mubaraki,Haitham Mahdi Saed (also known as Brikha Nasoraia), and Brian Mubaraki in Sydney, Australia in March 1998 duringParwanaya.[27] Two other Ginza versions were also consulted, including one copied byRam Zihrun in Šuštar in 1843, and another one by Sam bar Zihrun, from the Manduia and ‛Kuma clans.[10]: 73 A Roman transliteration of the entire Ginza Rba was also published in 1998 by Majid Fandi Al-Mubaraki and Brian Mubaraki.[28][29] At present, there are two published Mandaic-language editions of the Ginza published byMandaeans themselves. TheConcordance of the Mandaean Ginza Rba was published by Brian Mubaraki and Majid Fandi Al-Mubaraki in 2004.[30]
Gelbert version (Mandaic, in Arabic script; derived from theMhatam Yuhana version): The fullMhatam Yuhana Ginza manuscript fromAhvaz, Iran was transcribed inArabic script byCarlos Gelbert in 2021. As the fourth edition of the Gelbert's Arabic Ginza, Gelbert (2021) contains an Arabic translation side by side with the Mandaic transcription.[31]
Al-Sabti version (Mandaic): In 2022, RbaiRafid al-Sabti published a printed Mandaic version of theGinza Rabba based on a comparison of 22 manuscripts.[32] The Al-Sabti Ginza contains 157 chapters, 602 pages, 111,684 words, and 560,825 letters.[33]
Notable translations and printed versions of theGinza Rabba include:
Norberg version (Latin, 1816): From 1815 to 1816,Matthias Norberg published a Latin translation of theGinza Rabba, titledCodex Nasaraeus liber Adami appellatus (3 volumes). The original Mandaic text, based on MS Paris B, was also printed in Syriac script alongside the Latin translation.[1] There are also additionalOnomasticon (glossary of names) andLexidion (dictionary) volumes. Norberg'sCodex Nasaraeus is known for influencingHelena Blavatsky, the 19th-century founder of theTheosophy movement, by way ofSamuel Fales Dunlap's works.[34]
Lidzbarski version (German, 1925): In 1925,Mark Lidzbarski published the German translationGinzā: Der Schatz, oder das grosse Buch der Mandäer.[35] Lidzbarski translated an edition of the Ginza byJulius Heinrich Petermann from the 1860s, which in turn relied upon four different Ginza manuscripts held at Paris. Lidzbarski was also able to include some material from a fifth Ginza which was held atLeiden. In 2022, an unproofed English translation of Lidzbarski (1925) was published online by Ram Al Sabiry.[36]
Baghdad version (Arabic, abridged, 2000): An Arabic version of theGinza Rabba, similar to that of the Al-Saadi (Drabsha) version, was first published in Baghdad in 2000.[37][38] A Persian translation based on the 2000 Arabic Ginza was completed bySalem Choheili in 2021.[39][40][41][42]
Al-Saadi (Drabsha) version (English, abridged, 2012): Under the official auspices of the Mandaean spiritual leadership, Drs. Qais Al-Saadi and Hamed Al-Saadi published an English translation of theGinza Rabba: The Great Treasure in 2012. In 2019, the second edition was published by Drabsha in Germany. The translation, endorsed by the MandaeanrishamasSalah Choheili (Salah Jabbar Tawos) andSattar Jabbar Hilo, is designed for contemporary use by the Mandaean community and is based on an Arabic translation of theGinza Rabba that was published in Baghdad.[43][44][45] However, it has been criticized for being overly abridged and paraphrased.[46]
Gelbert version (English translation in 2011; Arabic translation in 2000, revised 2021): The first fullEnglish translation of theGinza Rba was published byCarlos Gelbert in 2011, with the collaboration of Mark J. Lofts and other editors.[18] The Mandaic transcription is mostly based on the Mhatam YuhanaGinza Rba from Iran (transcribed in the late 1990s and published in 2004 under the supervision ofMhatam Yuhana, theganzibra or head-priest of theMandaean Council of Ahvaz in Iran). Most of the English translation was based onMark Lidzbarski's 1925 German translation of the Ginza, along with additional English translations of passages from the Mubaraki and Mhatam Yuhana Ginzas that are not found in Lidzbarski (1925).[47] Gelbert's 2011 edition is currently the only full-length English translation of the Ginza that contains detailed commentary, with extensive footnotes and many original Mandaic phrases transcribed in the text. An Arabic translation of the Ginza was also published by Gelbert in 2000,[48] with the fourth edition published in 2021.[31] The Arabic edition also contains the original Mandaic text transcribed in Arabic script.
Häberl (2022) is an English translation and analysis of theBook of Kings, the final book of theRight Ginza.[49]
^abcNorberg, Matthias.Codex Nasaraeus Liber Adami appellatus. 3 vols. Lund, 1815–16.
^Drower, Ethel Stefana (1937). The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran. Oxford At The Clarendon Press, pg. 20.
^"Sod, The Son of the Man" Page iii, S. F. Dunlap, Williams and Norgate – 1861
^Drower, Ethel Stefana (1937). The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran. Oxford At The Clarendon Press.
^abcdefgHäberl, Charles G. (2023).The book of kings and the explanations of this world: a universal history from the Late Sasanian Empire. Translated texts for historians. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press.ISBN978-1-80085-627-1.
^abHart, Jennifer (2009). "The Influence of Islam on the Development of Mandaean Literature". In Jacobsen, Anders-Christian (ed.).The Discursive Fight Over Religious Texts in Antiquity. Aarhus University Press. pp. 178–184.
^abcBladel, Kevin Thomas van (2017).From Sasanian Mandaeans to Ṣābians of the marshes. Leiden studies in Islam and society. Leiden Boston (Mass.): Brill.ISBN978-90-04-33943-9.
^abBuckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2002).The Mandaeans: ancient texts and modern people. New York: Oxford University Press.ISBN0-19-515385-5.OCLC65198443.
^abcdBuckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2010).The great stem of souls: reconstructing Mandaean history. Piscataway, N.J: Gorgias Press.ISBN978-1-59333-621-9.
^Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2006).The great stem of souls: reconstructing Mandaean history (Corrected 2. print ed.). Piscataway, NJ: Georgias Press.ISBN978-1-59333-338-6.
^Petermann, Julius Heinrich (2007).The great treasure or great book, commonly called "The book of Adam," the Mandaeans' work of highest authority. Vol. 1. Piscataway, New Jersey: Gorgias Press.ISBN978-1-59333-526-7.
^Petermann, Julius Heinrich (2007).The great treasure or great book, commonly called "The book of Adam," the Mandaeans' work of highest authority. Vol. 2. Piscataway, New Jersey: Gorgias Press.ISBN978-1-59333-527-4.
^Petermann, Julius Heinrich (2007).The great treasure or great book, commonly called "The book of Adam," the Mandaeans' work of highest authority. Vol. 3. Piscataway, New Jersey: Gorgias Press.ISBN978-1-59333-700-1.
^Majid Fandi al-Mubaraki,Haitham Mahdi Saaed, and Brian Mubaraki (eds.) (1998).Ginza Rabba: The Great Treasure. Northbridge, New South Wales: The Mandaean Research Centre.ISBN0-646-35222-9.
^Al-Sabti, Rabi Rafid, ed. (24 July 2022).The Treasure of Life: The holy book of the Mandaeans (ࡂࡉࡍࡆࡀ ࡖ ࡄࡉࡉࡀ) (1 ed.). Amsterdam.ISBN978-9090360058.OCLC1351435847.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^"About the author".Living Water Books. Retrieved5 September 2021.He has translated Lidzbarski's books from the German to two different languages: English and Arabic.
^Gelbert, C., trans. (2000).Kinza Rabba. Kitāb al-Mandāʾīna al-kabīr / Ginza. Das große Buch der Mandäer von M. Lidzbarski. Translated from German to Modern Arabic. Sydney: Living Water Books.
