| Zihrun Raza Kasia Zihrun, the Hidden Mystery | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| Religion | Mandaeism |
| Language | Mandaic language |
TheŠarḥ ḏ-Zihrun Raza Kasia (Classical Mandaic:ࡔࡀࡓࡇ ࡖࡆࡉࡄࡓࡅࡍ ࡓࡀࡆࡀ ࡊࡀࡎࡉࡀ; "The Scroll of Zihrun, the Hidden Mystery") is aMandaean religious text that describes rituals such as themasbuta,masiqta, and other related topics. It is an illustratedscroll.[1]
Zihrun (referred to as Zihrun Raza Kasia or "Zihrun the Hidden Mystery" in full) is the name of anuthra.
The phraseZihrun Raza Kasia is also mentioned in the Mandaean prayerAsut Malkia.[2]
An illustrated scroll was purchased byE. S. Drower from Shaikh Yahia atQal'at Saleh, southern Iraq in May 1937. Today, it is held as manuscript 27 in theDrower Collection of theBodleian Library atOxford University, and is commonly abbreviatedDC 27.[1]
Bogdan Burtea translated the DC 27 manuscript intoGerman in 2008, and also provided a detailed commentary as part of the published translation.[3]
The scroll consists of pieces of paper that have been glued together and is approximately 691 cm long, of which 660 cm contain writing and illustrations. The scroll is about 30 cm wide, with 26 cm used for writing. There are 559 lines of writing. A scribal note in the manuscript says that the text was copied in 1088 A.H. (1677 A.D.).[3]
The contents of the DC 27 scroll are:[3]
Themasiqta of Zihrun Razia Kasia is performed for people who have died from unclean deaths, such as during one of the minormbaṭṭal days (inauspicious days during which all rituals are forbidden),[4] or from snakebite, attacks by wild animals, or insect bites.[5]
Below is the ritual and prayer sequence for both theMasiqta[6] andMasbuta[7] of Zihrun Raza Kasia in theŠarḥ ḏ-Zihrun Raza Kasia, as summarized in Burtea (2008).[3] All prayer numbers, originally inRoman numerals, are from Part 1 (the Qolastā) ofMark Lidzbarski'sMandäische Liturgien (ML) unless otherwise specified (e.g., theOxford Collection, which is Part 2 of Lidzbarski'sMandäische Liturgien, or CP, which is Drower's 1959Canonical Prayerbook).[8]
Below is the ritual and prayer sequence for theMasiqta of Zihrun Raza Kasia as given in the text:
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| Ritual/Action | Prayers recited |
|---|---|
| rising | |
| raising thecrown | 1, 3, 5, 19 |
| wrapping mouth-covering cloth (pandama) | 32 |
| hold bottle | 33 |
| incense into the fire | 34 |
| recitation | 75–77, 9, 35 |
| holding thewreath | 46–47 |
| oil | 48 |
| brushing with oil 3 times | 49 |
| 3 strokes | 50 |
| 3 strokes | 51 |
| pause drawing | 52 |
| 3 strokes | 53 |
| separate thepihta from the wreath | |
| break off a piece ofpihta | |
| mixing water withhamra | |
| recitation | 54 |
| remove thepandama | 55–56 |
| eat thepihta | |
| drinkingmambuha (sacramental water) | |
| drinkinghalalta (rinsing water) | |
| rising | 56 |
| giving a bowl | 57 |
| recitation | 58–71 |
| putting hands on thebread | 72 |
| performingkušṭa | |
| recitation | 75–77 |
| wrappingpandama | 32 |
| holding bottle | 33 |
| putting incense into the fire | 34 |
| recitation | 75–77, 9, 35 |
| recitation for thehamra | 44–45 |
| recitation for the myrtle wreath | 46–47 |
| drawing with oil | 48–49 |
| holding the bottle | 91 |
| taking the qina | 91 |
| prepare 9 pihta | masiqta of the ancestors (dabahata) |
| wrapping the pandama | 32 |
| holding water | 33 |
| holding incense | 34 |
| incense into the fire | 75 |
| recitation | 75–77, 9, 35 |
| taking the pihta | 36 |
| recitation | 36–43 |
| taking thehamra | 44 |
| recitation | 45 |
| recitation for the myrtle wreath | 46–47 |
| taking the oil | 48 |
| spread with oil | 49 |
| recitation | 50 |
| holding back the hands | 51 |
| spreading | 51 |
| holding back the hands | 52 |
| drawing | |
| recitation | 53 |
| 3 strokes | |
| remove the pihta from the wreath | |
| break a piece of the pihta | |
| mix water withhamra | |
| dip the pihta inhamra | |
| recitation | 54 |
| remove the pandama | 55 |
| eat pihta and drinkhamra | |
| put incense into the fire | 56 |
| recitation | 57–58 |
| setting the table (patura) | 59–60 |
| recitation | 61–69, 91–99, 70, 100 |
| recitation | 71–72 |
| recitation | sinner,rahmia |
| performing kušṭa | 30f. (ML 50, 10f.) |
| recitation | 101–103, 63, 3 |
| not honoring the crown | |
| recitation | Oxford book 1, prayer 3 |
| bringing the ritual table and the patura | |
| eating and drinking water | |
| blessing the alms container | |
| sealing with the great seal |
Summary of the prayer sequence listed above:
Below is the ritual and prayer sequence for theMasbuta of Zihrun Raza Kasia as given in the text:
| Ritual/Action | Prayers recited |
|---|---|
| recitation | Oxford book 1, prayer 1 |
| raising of thecrown | 3, 5, 19 |
| incense into the fire | 8 |
| honoring the crowns | quote from 71 |
| preparation of the myrtle wreath | 79 |
| going to the river bank | 80, 81 |
| recitation | quote from 18 |
| taking pandama | 7 |
| reciting for the incense | 8 |
| recitation | 85–87, 35 |
| Ritual/Action | Prayers recited |
|---|---|
| recitation | 9–11 |
| reciting for theturban | 12 |
| entry of the priest | 13 |
| preparation of the olivestaff | 14 |
| recitation of the exorcism prayers | 15–18 |
| entrance of the baptized | |
| immersion, 3 times | |
| drawing, 3 times | 76 |
| 3 times immersion with river water | |
| erection of the myrtle wreath | 9, 5 |
| pronouncing the names | |
| rising of the baptized | |
| performingkušṭa | kušṭa heal you, and strengthen you |
| recitation | 82 |
| deconsecration of the river | 20 |
| ascension of the priest | 21 |
| Ritual/Action | Prayers recited |
|---|---|
| recitation of the oil | 22–24 |
| performing kušṭa | kušṭa heal you, my wreath |
| Ritual/Action | Prayers recited |
|---|---|
| recitation | 8 prayers of the pihta |
| recitation for mambuha | 44–45 |
| eating pihta | |
| drinking mambuha | |
| performing kušṭa | kušṭa heal you |
| recitation of the sealing prayers | 25–28 |
| rising | 29 |
| recitation of the hymn of baptism | 30 |
| recitation of the baptismal prayers | 82–90 |
| drinking water 3 times | 71 |
| recitation | 72 |
| performing kušṭa | kušṭa heal you |
| Ritual/Action | Prayers recited |
|---|---|
| eating pihta | |
| drinking mambuha | |
| recitation | 59–60 |
| Ritual/Action | Prayers recited |
|---|---|
| recitation | 57, 72, CP 171 |
| performingkušṭa with theašganda | |
| recitation | 63 |
| baptism of the banner (drabša) | |
| recitation of names (zharia) |
Summary of the entire masbuta prayer sequence listed above:
