Great Šišlam
GREAT ŠIŠLAM
And they shall carry, but not ‘honour’ their crowns. They shall bring a tariana (altar-table) and arrange and bring a patura (a round, flat receptacle of some kind). And they shall celebrate a laufa ) in the name of the postulant’s rba (teacher), and shall refresh themselves (partake of the ritual food with the usual laufa formula in the name of the rba) and niqaimun ‘lh. )
And he (the rba) and the priests and postulant put on their vestments.
And he (the postulant) enters the sanctuary (maškna) , arranges his tariana and puts on it a fatiria, myrtle, miša in a cup, four grapes in a bowl, and puts incense into his own incense-holder ).
And he takes his crown and staff in his left hand and the two phials in his right, and fills them (the latter) with water. He gives one phial to the šgannda and and the other he sets down upon the tariana.
And he examines ) his clothing. With his crown in his right hand he says ‘In the name of the Great, First, Strange Life! From the worlds of light may there be health, purity and forgiveness of sins for me’ and puts in the commemorative insertion for himself, and then ‘Union and restoration of life be there for the soul of N.’--who is (naming) his rba of this masiqta in the strength of Yawar--Ziwa and Simat-Hiia.
And he puts on his crown with the four prayers (for the crown) and holds the extreme end of his nasifa (stole), which is its tip ), and says Union, renewal of life and forgiveness of sins be there for N. of this masiqta. ‘Strengthened and enhanced is the great mystery’ (CP no. 32) and shall wind his pandama across his mouth and recite ‘Water of Life art thou’ (CP no. 33) over the phial, and reciting ) Hail to the Firs: Life’ (CP no. 34), he casts incense on the fire.
He takes a sprig of myrtle and says ‘Union and forgiveness of souls may there be for this the soul of N. of this masiqta from the Life! We have acknowledged and praises’ (CP no. 75)’ and twines the wreath and says ‘Turn back, thrust back and make impotent angels of wrath, frost and hail from the land and house of N. of this masiqta’ (CP text p. 105, line 11). At its end he says ‘Make victorious and establish this the soul of N. of this masiqta, finishes (the prayer) and recites ) Praises to the Life’ (CP no. 76). And he presses the grapes in the bowl ) and says ‘Into the hands of tor-mentors, liars, hypocrites and the censorious they shall not cast, nor shall torturers strike, the soul of N. of this masiqta, nor shall condemners condemn her (CP text p. 113, line 11).
And he shall recite ‘Thee, Thyself’ (CP no. 77) and say ‘Make victorious and raise up this the soul of N. of this masiqta and on finishing it shall say ‘Union and restoration of life and forgiveness of sins be there for this the soul of N. of this masiqta’ and ‘Raising my eyes (CP no. 9) and ‘I prayed, lifting eyes’ (CP no. 35) saying in it ‘The gate of sinners is shut and will be barred up from this the soul of X. of this masiqta’ ) and shall say ‘with Thy radiance Thou wilt clothe, with Thy light Thou wilt cover, and Thy living wreath Thou wilt set on the head of this soul of N. of this masiqta’ and ends it.
And he shall recite the eight pihta-prayers for the pihta and put it down, and the two mambuha prayers for the mambuha that is in the bowl and put it down on the tariana. (Next) he picks up the myrtle-wreath and recites over it The Light became light’ (CP no. 46) and ‘Enlightened and enlightening (CP no. 47) over the myrtle-wreath. And he shall take up the oil-cup (kapta-d-miša) and recite over it ‘Manda-d-Hiia went to the stars’ (CP no. 48). (Then) he ends, sits and says ‘Union and refreshment of life be there for this the soul of N. of this masiqta’.
And he makes three passes ) and says
And at (the words) ma d-bh d-pagra (that ‘which is in her of the body), he shall sign thrice and at bit abatur (the House of Abathur) three signings. And at its end he shall say ‘The spirit of N. of this masiqta hath gone from his body’ and (at) ‘to clothe’ he wraps the pihta with the wreath. And he says (repeats?).
(Then) he shall go back and recite over fatira after fauna in the same manner as the first fatira until he has recited over fifty-nine fatiras, for in all there are sixty fatiras ). (When it comes to the last fatira) ) he shall not sign at the end of ‘Whose son am I’. He must be careful about that and cut this (signing out! He shall place his hands on his treasure ) and recite ‘A letter, union and victory have come to this the soul of N. of this masiqta from the House of Life’ (CP no. 53). There must be before him two witnesses who encourage (prompt?) his words, one by one, uttering aloud the commemorative part ), just as (in the recitation of) the masiqta of Seth (šitil) ).
And. he shall make three passes and shall say ‘One and two and three. The pihta (is?) with ) the wreath b’uhra (in the last?) and he shall! divide the pihta from the wreath and shall take a piece of the top fatira and the undermost (batraia). (Here the use of the imperative suggests that the words are dictated to the young celebrant).
And bring a portion of the Ba (Bh) ) and say ‘I have divided and separated and brought a portion of the Ba’ and held them together with a pihta. And hold thine inner phial ) and say ‘Kušta strengthen you Water into wine, water into wine!’ and mingle all the water in the phial (by pouring it) into the bowl of wine. And say
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And he shall recite ‘Life is fulfilled’ (CP no. 59), ‘The (Great) Life is enshrined’ (CP no. 60), ‘An earthly wreath fadeth’ (CP no. 61), and ‘the worlds glisten with costly oil’ (CP no. 62). Then he shall take up the outer phial and recite ‘In great radiance am I immersed’ (CP no. 63). And he shall empty ) the water from the outer phial into the inner phial, and end.
Arid he shall recite ‘Life dwelleth in its own radiance and light’ (CP no. 64) ) and empties the water from the inner phial into the wine-bowl after the acolyte has submerged the bowl in the jordan ). Four grapes should be placed in the bowl. And he ends and puts a qina on which mysteries, as aforesaid ), were arranged, upon the oil-cup.
He shall recite ‘Ye are set up and raised up’ (CP no. 65) and ‘I have come to my end and lay me down’ (CP no. 66), ‘With him, with the Deliverer’ (CP no. 67). ‘Between the Hidden and the Radiance’ (CP no. 68) and ‘Bliss and peace there will be’ (CP no. 69); and at each place that a name (commemoration) occurs say ‘The soul of N. of this masiqta’. And he shall recite the shorter ‘Blessed and praised be Life’ (that is) called ‘of souls’ ) (CP no. 81). He shall complete it and say ‘Good is the good for the good’ (CP no. 72) and pray the petition (CP no. 80), (then) ask mercy for him ) with all the commemoration (zharia) and perform kušta ‘rba ) with the acolyte.
And he shall take a qina ) into his two hands and recite ‘Mv vigilance and praisegiving’ (CP no. 91) and shall elevate the qina of treasure ) and hold the end of his stole in both hands and recite ‘Union, revival of life and forgiveness of sins be there for this the soul of N. and the souls of this masiqta and of our parents, teachers and of our brothers and sisters who have departed from their bodies and of those who still stand (live) in their bodies! Strengthened, enhanced’ (CP no. 32).
And he shall fold his pandama over his mouth and recite ‘Water of Life art thou’ (CP no. 33), ‘Hail to the First Life’ (CP no. 34)’ and shall throw incense on the fire reciting ‘We have acknowledged and praises’ (CP no. 75)’ ‘Praises to the Outer Life’ (CP no. 76) and ‘Thee, Life’ (CP no. 77) and prayer after prayer until the ‘Nukraiia’ (CP no. 49).
And at each place that a commemorative insertion (zhara) occurs (he shall say) ‘the soul of N. and the souls of this masiqta’ except at the zhara of ‘I prayed, lifting eyes’ (CP no. 35). He shall not say ‘with thy radiance thou wilt clothe him’ in the second trasa ) but shall recite and say ‘Union, revival of life and forgiveness of sins be there for this the soul of N. and the souls of this masiqta. In the name of the Strange Life! This, the glory and light of life is to bring forth the spirit and soul of N, from his body and to clothe’ (CP no. 49) and shall wrap the pihta about the wreath. And at the place where it says ‘And Sauriel the Releaser cometh, who releaseth spirit and soul from the body’, then he shall recite over six qinas just as (he had done over) the first qina ), and shall perform all signings until the last qina. He shall put it in place, and set it on the treasures ) and shall put his forefinger into the cup of miša ) and say ‘Union, revival of life and forgiveness of sins be there for this the soul of N. and the souls of this masiqta’.
He shall sign and recite ‘In the name of the Strange Life this, the glory and light of Life’—shall recite it and hold his staff but be careful nat to sign at the (words) bma d-bh, but signs thrice at (the words) bit Abatur (Abathur’s house) (CP trs. p.44 ult.) and signs (for?) ‘the souls of Mandaeans, priests, ganzivri, treasurers, chief personages and ethnarchs’.
And at its end he shall say ‘she (the ruha) hath become of the same nature as the soul and hath been raised up into the House of Life’ (CP no. 51) or end of that prayer), ‘And Life is victorious’, and signs thrice.
And he shall recite ‘Rightly did my baptiser baptise me’ (CP no. 50) and shall keep his hand on his staff, finish it (the prayer) but be careful not to sign at ‘when she casteth off’ (CP no. 51)’) or at the end of ‘Whose son am I’ (CP no. 52).
(When) he finished it he shall say ) ‘I have divided’—three signings (at?) ma d-bh and ‘when she casteth off’ and at the end of ‘Whose son am I?, and shall place his hand on his treasure and recite ‘A letter, union and victory have come to this. the soul of N. of this masiqta from the House of Life’ (CP no. 53). And he shall end it and make three passes and shall say ‘One and two and three’ the pihta with the wreath at last (?b’uhrh) ) and a piece from one upper and one under fatira. I have distributed a portion of that which is in (or with) her (ma d-bh)’.*And divide (?) ) the pihta from the wreath and take a fragment from the upper fatira and the lower (fatira); bring a portion of the bh (Ba) ) and hold them together. And take up the inner phial and recite ‘Kušta strengthen you!’ ‘Water into wine, all of it (water)
(or ‘all of them ?‘).
)And he shall recite ‘Yukašar chose her who passeth over’ (CP no. 54), and shall say ‘He awakeneth (to life) ) the soul of N. and souls called upon, raised up and signed ) in this masiqta and (the souls of) our fathers, teachers, brothers and sisters who have departed the body and those standing (alive) in the body. On a smooth road (shall they rise upward)’ (see CP no. 55).
And he shall finish it (the prayer) and recite, ‘The Life spoke and opened’ (CP no. 55), shall unfasten his pandama, dip the rasta into the wine ) and shall eat and drink. And the acolyte shall give him halalta (rinsing water) from the outer phial and he shall drink it. And he shall throw incense on the fire. And he shall recite ‘shone forth’ (CP no. 56) and ‘Fragrant incense (CP no. 57)‘ (then) rise to his feet and recite ‘Praised be the First Life’ (CP no. 58), ‘Life is fulfilled’ (CP no. 59), ‘The Great Life is enshrined’ (CP no. 60), ‘An earthly wreath fadeth’ ), (CP no. 61), ‘The worlds glisten (with costly) oil (CP no. 62), ‘In radiance that is great am I immersed’ (CP no. 63) and ‘Life is enshrined in its radiance’ (CP no. 64). And he shall bring his staff over to his ) right (arm) and cry ‘Ye are set up and raised up and provisioned! ) in a loud and stentorian voice.
And at each place where there are injunctions ) to commemorate he shall say ‘The soul of N. and the souls of this masiqta’, And he shall recite prayer after prayer ) until he reaches ‘Bliss and peace’ (CP no. 69) and finishes it and recites ‘My vigilance and praise-giving CP no. 91’ ‘Zaw’id’ (zidana etc. CP no. 96?), ‘Go in peace’ (CP no. 92) and all prayers and hymns up to ‘Ye are set up and raised up, chosen ones!’ (CP no. 99).
And he shall recite ‘Blessed and praised’—of the souls— (CP no. 70), ‘In a building which Life buildeth fair trees’ (CP no. 100).
[And he shall stir up his incense brazier and return his staff to his left arm and recite] ) the ‘Blessed and praised be the Life’ of Šum br Nu (Shem son of Noah) (CP no. 71), and ‘Good is the good for the good’ (CP no. 170) and make the Petition’ (CP no. 80) in the name of the soul and of the souls ).
And he shall perform the kušta rite with the acolyte (saying) ‘May kušta strengthen you my brother-’uthras’ and they shall kiss their ) hands and (be shall? recite ‘Life hath founded a dwelling’ (CP no. 101), ‘The building that Life buildeth for an age of ages will not pass away’ (CP no. 102) and ‘Darkness is crushed down into the Dark’ and shall say ‘and Light is set up in its place’ (CP no. 103), placing his hands on his ‘treasure’. He shall finish it and recite ‘In radiance that is great am I immersed’ (CP no. 63) and then put his hand to his head and recite ‘I worship the First Life!’, ’Life created Yawar-Ziwa’ (CP no. 3), and recite the Rahmia in his own name- ‘I prayed lifting eyes’ (CP no. 35), ‘Praised be the Great Life’ (CP no. 58), ‘Ye are set up and raised up’ (OP no. 99)’ and the great (longer ‘Blessed and praised be Life’ (CP no.71)
And when reciting ‘Good is the good for the good’ (CP no. 170), he shall insert ‘cur forefathers and the souls of Mandaeans and priests, ganzibria, treasurers, dignitaries (rišaiia) and ethnarchs into the ‘forgiving of sins’.
He shall (then) rise, take up the pihta and mambuha ), recite the eight pihta-prayers for the pihta and the two mambuha-prayers for the mambuha. He shall eat the pihta, drink the mambuha, take up the rinsing-water (halalta) and drink it, (then) take up a third (quantity of) halalta, recite ‘Life is fulfilled’ (CP no. 59)’ ‘The Great Life is enshrined’ (CP no. 60) and shall throw water beneath his staff.
He shall recite ‘Good is the good for the good’ (CP no. 72) ‘Praised be the First Great Radiance’ and niqiam (shall offer up) ) sixty-one times, shall make the Petition (CP no. 80) for himself, perform the kušta-rite with the acolyte, tie up the ‘treasure’ ) and leave the bimanda (sanctuary) ).
And they shall bring a tariana “and arrange thereon the tabuta and rahbata ). And he shall perform laufa (nilif) ) in the name of his rba. And they will bless the Blessed Oblation in the name of the postulant and he (i.e. the postulant). And he shall finish (by) the ‘Blessings’ (Barakata) (CP no. 374-379) ). And he shall honour his crown ).
And in that day ) he shall bring a kinta and banner and shall baptise his rba and (thereafter) is authorised to (celebrate) all rites 5).
And Life is victorious over all works!
Introduction
Commenatry on the Coronation of the Great Sislam
The First Blessed Oblation
Masiqta
Colophon
Texts
