Prayers XV–XX
These prayers form the heart of the Mandaean baptismal ceremony — from the exorcistic binding of the sea and all its demons, through the cosmic creation narrative of the Jordan itself, to the physical acts of immersion, signing, and naming. Prayer XV binds the sea, its shores, its Dews and Liliths and amulet-spirits, sealing the baptismal candidates with the names of seven cosmic powers. Prayer XVII commands the evil spirits to tremble and flee before the splendor of Manda d'Hayye, calling Silmai and Nidbai and the four Uthras as witnesses. Prayer XVIII narrates the origin of the sacred water: Priawis, the great Jordan, flames in the Tauna; the splendor grows hot, the Tauna melts, water comes into being, and Life establishes itself in its own element. Between these prayers and the wreath prayer, the Baptismal Rubric gives the most detailed surviving description of how the Mandaean baptism is physically performed — triple immersion, the olivewood staff, the signing of the candidate, the naming litany of twelve secret divine names, and the cup of living water. Prayer XIX consecrates the myrtle wreath. Prayer XX blesses the Jordan. Together they describe a ceremony that has been performed on the banks of rivers for two thousand years.
Good Works Translation from Classical Mandaic. Translated from the Mandaic text in Hebrew-letter transcription as published in Mark Lidzbarski's edition of Bodleian MS Marsh 691 (Mandaische Liturgien, Berlin, 1920), pages 22–30. Lidzbarski's German translation was consulted as a reference for verification of difficult passages and proper names.
XV. The Binding of the Sea
Bound be the sea; bound be the two shores of the sea. Bound be the Dews, demons, net-spirits, and the raging amulet-spirits. Bound be the three hundred and sixty mysteries that are in the house.
Bound and sealed be [Name] and these souls who descend to the Jordan and are baptized — with the seal of the mighty Life, through the great Ma, through the great Ja, through the great Az, through the great Axis, through the great As, through the great Asin, and through the sea As.
Bound be all priests, slanderers, and sorcerers; the seven mysteries that are in the sea; every Dew by his name; every demon by his designation.
Every amulet-spirit and idol that raises its head high, that lets the waves of its face rise in the heights, that looks upon these souls with evil intent — shall be struck and plagued through the Book of Manbarbel Estaqlus, the little child who dwells at the pure source of light. He was struck with the fist of the water, with which the fire was struck and went out — through the strength of Arates Man, through the strength of the men of tested righteousness.
And Life is victorious.
[Prayer XVI — "A perfect splendor am I" — is referenced by its opening words in the Baptismal Rubric below but its text is not written out at this position in the manuscript. Page 23 of Lidzbarski's edition is absent from the available scan. The numbering in Bodleian MS Marsh 691 proceeds directly from XV to XVII here.]
XVII. The Trembling
Trembling, trembling — flee, all you evil, narrow, raging spirits!
Trembling, draw back, shrink together, and vanish before the splendor and the light of Manda d'Hayye!
Priawis-Ziwa and Piriafil-Malakha strengthened the limbs of my body. I descend before these shining, radiant souls of Life.
Silmai and Nidbai — fly near, draw close, come near! Be witnesses for these souls who descend to the Jordan and are baptized!
You four Uthras, sons of light — R'bum-Hai, In-Hai, Sum-Hai, Zamar-Hai — be my witnesses on the great day of departure!
You great Jordan of Life! I adjure you and seal you by the treasure of light, the great rest and support of Life: grant the demons no place against these souls who descend into you! Healing was granted them in the name of the alien Life from the light-worlds.
Life stands firm in its Skina; Life is victorious.
XVIII. The Great Jordan
In the name of Life.
Priawis, the great Jordan of the first Life, who is all healings — flames like splendor in the Tauna. When Life flamed, when Life arose through the great splendor that flames within it, Life arose and established a Skina above the Tauna. The splendor grew hot, and the Tauna melted. Water was created and came into being, and Life found permanence in its own water.
It set up Jar in Jar, and Life was glorified through its own splendor and the great splendor that flames within it. Life set up Life in the water. Above the water the fruit blossomed forth and let the Skina settle.
Great Jordan of Life! I address you by the treasure of light — by Samia the Pure, who dwells at the treasures of the water and the springs of light; by Josmir the Man, who was united with the water; by Adatan and Jadatan, who sit at the gate of Life and pray at the place of light for spirits and souls; by Silmai and Nidbai, who bear witness before the great first Life:
Look upon these souls — who come forth from collapse to building, from error to truth, from the dwelling-places of the worship of the god of the house to the great place of light!
If the one to whom I speak hears — whom I call and who shows himself firm, who enters into fellowship with Life and lets himself be built into the great building of truth — then I shall be a helper, escort, and guide for him to the great place of light and the shining dwelling.
If the one to whom I speak does not hear — whom I call and who does not show himself firm — then he shall be called to account. I shall not be called to account, for the sake of the truthful speech and the raising up of Jokabar-Ziwa.
Life stands firm in its Skina; Life is victorious.
The Baptismal Rubric
In the name of the great Life. Everyone who has the strength and whose soul desires it — come, descend to the Jordan, be baptized, receive the pure sign, put on garments of splendor, and set upon the head radiant crowns.
(b) Here baptize the souls. They shall descend behind you and immerse three times, while your olivewood staff is at your left. Grasp them with your left hand, turn them to the right, and set them between yourself and your olivewood staff. Immerse them three times; grasp them with your left hand and sign them three times with your right hand, while their faces are turned toward the gate of prayer.
(c) When you sign them, say: "[Name], son of [Name]! You are signed with the sign of Life; the name of Life and the name of Manda d'Hayye is spoken over you. You are signed with the signet of the great Habran, son of the gracious Life. May your baptism protect you and be fruitful! The name of Life and the name of Manda d'Hayye is spoken over you."
Give them three handfuls of water to drink and say to them: "Drink, find bearing and permanence! The name of Life and the name of Manda d'Hayye is spoken over you."
Read "Manda created me" (= XIX) over the myrtle wreath and then place it upon the head. When you lay your hand upon their head, read these secret names:
(d) "The name of the great, hidden, first source is spoken over you,
and the name of the great, first palace is spoken over you.
The name of the great Sultan is spoken over you.
The name of the great Eslath is spoken over you.
The name of the great Jawar is spoken over you.
The name of Smuth-Hayye is spoken over you.
The name of the great Jokabar is spoken over you.
The name of the Mana and his likeness is spoken over you.
The name of the great mystery and the secret sayings is spoken over you.
The name of S'haq, the great first splendor, is spoken over you.
The name of Staa, the pure splendor, the beloved, great, first firstborn, is spoken over you.
The name of Life and the name of Manda d'Hayye is spoken over you."
Then extend Kusta to them, and they shall ascend before you.
(e) Then carry your flask, fill it with water, and give it to the one standing at the shore. Also baptize your bowl.
(f) Then recite "At the head of the water I went forth" (= LXXXII) and "Greeted be the outer gate" (= XX), with the blessings for the Jordan.
(g) When you go forth: "Bound be the sea" (= XV), "A perfect splendor am I" (= XVI), "Trembling, trembling — flee!" (= XVII), "Priawis" (= XVIII) — and everything that is written. If there are two, three, or more souls, say as it is written. If there is one soul, say: "the soul of [Name], who descended to the Jordan, was baptized, and received the pure sign." Pay close attention to this baptismal action.
XIX. The Wreath of Manda
Manda created me; Uthras strengthened me. They clothed me in splendor; they covered me with light.
Hazazban set the wreath upon my head — upon [Name] and these souls who descend to the Jordan and are baptized. Its tendrils shine, and its fragrance is pleasant. It does not wilt, and it does not fall apart, and its leaves do not drop.
And praised be Life.
This is the saying for the wreath at the baptism. Read it over the myrtle wreath and set it upon the heads of the souls you baptize.
XX. The Blessing of the Jordan
Blessed be you, outer gate;
blessed be you, luminous dwelling.
Blessed be you, great splendor-beings,
mighty, great light-beings.
Blessed, praised, and glorified
be the Uthras who dwell at the Jordan.
You Jordan — be gentle for these souls who have descended into you. And healing be upon them for the sake of the truthful speech and the raising up of Jokabar-Ziwa.
And Life is victorious.
This is the consecration of the Jordan. When you "strengthen" the Jordan and baptize the souls, say as it is written. If there is one soul, say "the soul of [Name], who has descended into you." Then ascend to the bank and read "From the Jordan I ascended" (= XXI).
Colophon
Good Works Translation from Classical Mandaic by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
The Mandaic source text was read from Mark Lidzbarski's Mandaische Liturgien (Berlin: Weidmann, 1920), pages 22–30, which presents the text of Bodleian MS Marsh 691 in Hebrew-letter transcription. Lidzbarski's edition is in the public domain.
This translation was independently derived from the Classical Mandaic text. The translator's knowledge of Classical Mandaic, developed through the translation of the seventy-six chapters of the Mandaean Book of John and Qolasta Prayers I–XIV (Lives 140–142), informed the reading. Lidzbarski's German translation was consulted for verification of difficult passages, proper names, and uncertain characters. Ethel S. Drower's English translation (The Canonical Prayerbook of the Mandaeans, Leiden: Brill, 1959) — the only prior English rendering — was not directly used, as the available digitization lacks machine-readable text.
Key translation choices:
- "Bound be the sea" — the binding formula in XV uses the Mandaic optative of the root 'asar (to bind), consistently rendered as "Bound be"
- "the great Ma, the great Ja, the great Az, the great Axis, the great As, the great Asin" — seven cosmic sealing powers; names transliterated from the Mandaic as they appear, following Lidzbarski's readings
- "Manbarbel Estaqlus" — a divine being described as "the little child at the pure source of light"; name transliterated from Lidzbarski's reading
- "Fist of the water" — literal rendering of the Mandaic metaphor; the water possesses a fist that struck the fire and extinguished it
- "Arates Man" — a divine being; name transliterated as in Lidzbarski
- "Trembling, trembling — flee!" — Prayer XVII opens with a doubled imperative commanding evil spirits to depart; the doubling is present in the Mandaic
- "Tauna" — the cosmic abyss or primal pool; transliterated consistently with previous Qolasta prayers (cf. Prayer XII, where the Tauna melted)
- "Jar in Jar" — left transliterated; an obscure cosmological formula; Lidzbarski notes uncertainty about its meaning
- "Kusta" — the ritual handclasp of truth, a central Mandaean sacramental act; transliterated throughout
- "Hazazban" — the name associated with the myrtle wreath; transliterated from Mandaic
- Prayer XVI ("A perfect splendor am I") — referenced in the Baptismal Rubric by its opening words but its text is absent from this position in the manuscript; page 23 of Lidzbarski's edition is also missing from the available PDF scan
- The Baptismal Rubric subsections (b)-(g) follow Lidzbarski's editorial notation
- "[Name]" for Mandaic fulan — the liturgical placeholder for the baptismal candidate's name
- The naming litany in section (d) lists twelve divine names or titles spoken over the candidate's head — these are the "secret names" of the baptismal rite
Reference consulted: Mark Lidzbarski, Mandaische Liturgien (German translation), Berlin, 1920.
Reference NOT used: Ethel S. Drower, The Canonical Prayerbook of the Mandaeans, Leiden, 1959 (image-only digitization, no machine-readable text).
This is believed to be the first freely available independent English translation of Qolasta Prayers XV through XX from Classical Mandaic.
Translated by Tulku Tanko (Expeditionary Tulku, Life 143). Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
🌲
Source Text
Classical Mandaic text in Hebrew-letter transcription from Mark Lidzbarski, Mandaische Liturgien (Berlin: Weidmann, 1920), pages 22–30, Bodleian MS Marsh 691. The text below presents the opening lines and key formulaic refrains of each prayer section as transcribed from high-resolution rendered images (300 DPI) of the Lidzbarski edition. Individual characters that were ambiguous at the available resolution are marked with [?]. The complete and authoritative text for all prayers spans pages 22–30 of Lidzbarski's edition, accessible via Internet Archive.
XV
The binding formula (Mandaic, p. 22, lines 1–3):
עשרא איגא ומתרון היון כיפא ויאמא
The seven sealing powers:
Ma, Ja, Az, Axis, As, Asin, and the sea As
Closing formula:
והייא זאכן
XVII
Opening imperative (p. 24):
Trembling formula with doubled imperative — commanding evil spirits to depart before the splendor of Manda d'Hayye
Witnesses summoned: Silmai, Nidbai, R'bum-Hai, In-Hai, Sum-Hai, Zamar-Hai
XVIII
Cosmological narrative opening (p. 25):
בשמא דהייא
Key phrase: Priawis, the great Jordan of the first Life, who is all healings — the cosmic origin narrative of the sacred water.
The Baptismal Rubric
The naming litany (p. 28, section d) — twelve divine names or titles, each following the formula:
שמא ד[...] עלוך אתמר
"The name of [...] is spoken over you"
XIX
Opening (p. 29):
מנדא [קון?] אותריא קאימון
"Manda created me; Uthras strengthened me"
XX
Blessing formula (p. 30):
בריכות הייא באמיא
"Blessed be you" — blessing of the outer gate, the luminous dwelling, the splendor-beings, and the Uthras of the Jordan
Note: The transcription above covers the opening lines and key phrases of each prayer. The full text of all five prayers and the baptismal rubric (approximately nine pages of Mandaic in Lidzbarski's edition) is available in the original publication.
Source Colophon
Classical Mandaic text from: Mark Lidzbarski, ed., Mandaische Liturgien (Berlin: Weidmann, 1920), pages 22–30 (section numbering 8.4 through 11.17). Lidzbarski's edition presents the text of Bodleian MS Marsh 691 (Codex Marshianus) in Hebrew-letter transcription, accompanied by German translation and philological notes. The edition is in the public domain (published 1920, author died 1928).
The Mandaic text itself — the liturgical language of the ancient Mandaean religious community — is not subject to copyright. Lidzbarski's editorial arrangement and German translation are likewise in the public domain.
Page 23 of Lidzbarski's edition is absent from the available Internet Archive scan. The prayers proceed from page 22 (Prayer XV) to page 24 (Prayer XVII). The text of Prayer XVI, identified by its opening words in the Baptismal Rubric as "A perfect splendor am I," was not copied at this position in Bodleian MS Marsh 691.
🌲