Background information
from Drower
Various sections
of the Canonical Prayerbook
Copyists
BOOK OF SOULS Prayers 1-31
MASIQTA Prayers 32-72
The Letter ('ngirta) Prayer 73
COLOPHON #74
HYMNS OF PRAISE Prayers 75-77
The Responses ('niania) Prayers 78-103
The Rusma (Daily Ablution Prayers)--Prayer 104
ASIET MALKIA Prayer 105
Rahmia (Daily Devotional Prayers)--Prayers 106-168
Colophon 169
Tab Taba Ltabia (the full Commemoration prayer forthe dead and living--Prayer 170
Hymns of Praise--Prayers 171-172
Sumhata (The Names)--Prayers 173-176
Little New Year's Feast Prayer--Prayer 177
Prayers for honoring the crown--Prayer 178
Hymns of marriage and a new priest (including the series Kt Azil Bhira Dakia-- Prayer 179-198
Colophon 199
Prayers 200-283
Colophon 284
Prayers 285-304
Coronation Prayers and hymns (including two for myrtle)-- Prayers 305-328
Colophon 329
BANNER HYMNS Prayers 330- 347
Blessed Oblation Prayers and Hymns--Prayers 348- 374
Blessings on the chief celebrant after Blessed Oblation-- Prayers 375-381
Myrtle prayers and hymns--Prayers 382-385
Various prayers 386-409
Prayer of Yahia--Prayer 410
Odd hymns--411- 412
OF THE MANDAEANS
(Baptism Liturgy)
In the name of the Life and in the name of Knowledge-of-Life (Manda-d-Hiia) and in the name of that Primal Being who was Eldest and preceded water, radiance, light and glory, the Being who cried with His voice and uttered words. By means of His voice and His words Vines grew and came into being, and the First Life was established in its Abode.
And He spoke and said, "The First Life is anterior to the Second Life by six thousand myriad years and the Second Life anterior to the Third Life by six thousand myriad years and the Third Life more ancient than any 'uthra by six thousand myriad years. And any 'uthra is older than the whole earth and older than the Seven Lords of the House by seven hundred and seventy thousand myriad years. There is that which is infinite.
At that time there was no solid earth and no inhabitants in the black waters. From them, from those black waters, Evil was formed and emerged, One from whom a thousand thousand mysteries proceeded and a myriad myriad planets with their own mysteries.
The Seven were wroth with me, were outraged and said, "The man who set out and came towards us hath not bound a circlet about his head!" Then I turned my face toward my Creator who created me, the celestial Lord of Greatness, and I said to Him, "O my Creator who created me, (O) Lord of lofty Greatness! As I went (my ways) the Seven were wroth with me and said, 'The man who went and came towards us hath not bound a circlet about his head!"
Then that Lord of Lofty Greatness took a circlet of radiance, light and glory and set it on my head; He laid on me His hand of Truth and His great right hand of healings and said to me, "Upon thee shall rest something of the likeness of Sam-Gufna and of Sam-Gufaian and of Sam-Pira-Hiwara, whose radiance gleams and whose appearance beams, for they are holy and believing beings in the Place of Light and in the everlasting Abode."
And Manda-d-Hiia, the valorous 'uthra, taught, revealed and said "Every Nasoraean man who is righteous and believing, on arising from sleep, must take a white turban symbolising the great mystery of radiance, fight and glory and shall recite this prayer thereon. And he shall twist it round his head and repeat the prayer secretly. It will be his praise in the house of the great Celestial Father. And all persons who behold him will be subdued in his presence: any persecutor, or one who inciteth to wrath, will stand before him in fear, terror and trembling, (their knees) knocking together. And for me, Adam-Yuhana son of Mahnus, who have prayed this prayer and (these) devotions, there will be forgiving of sins and I shall be pure in all my
words.
And Life is victorious.
