These eighteen prayers form the heart of the Mandaean Death Mass — the Masiqta, the rite for the ascent of the soul. Prayer XLIX is the theological centerpiece: the soul departs the body, is met by the seven forms of the Godhead, clothed in garments of light, passes the astonished planets who lament their own defeat, is weighed in the scales of Abathur, received by the four Sons of Healing, and finally delivered through the water-channels to the House of Life. Prayers L–LIII are short prayers of the baptized dead. Prayer LIII concludes the Mass reading proper, after which the priest breaks the sacred bread, mixes water with wine, and performs the farewell communion. Prayers LIV–LXV form the strengthening sequence — each one consecrating a specific element of the liturgy: bread, water, incense, doxology, wreath, and oil. Prayer LVIII is the Great Doxology — a vast litany praising every station of the divine cosmos from the first Life to the paths of light. Prayer LXVI is the Garment Without Blemish — Adam's awakening.
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 80–96 (PDF pages 110–126). Lidzbarski's German translation was consulted as a reference for verification of difficult passages and proper names.
XLIX. The Great Ascent
In the name of the foreign Life. This is the radiance and the light of Life.
When spirit and soul depart from the body, and the soul of Life clothes itself with the garment of Life — the image of Life, born from the Tear of Life — with the outer Life, with Hauraran-Karkawan-Ziwa, his love-light, the great Rest and Support of Life, with Life that from Life became, the Kusta that was from the beginning. Life is in its Shekina, the great Light in the victories.
When anyone departs from his body, the seven forms of the Godhead come to meet him, and each places himself by the one belonging to him. The reader comes, who separates spirit and soul from the body; he stands over those works with the garments of Jozataq Manda d-Hayye.
Hauraran-Karkawan-Ziwa takes from the soul what is bodily upon it. He clothes it with the garments of Jozataq Manda d-Hayye. Garment upon garment it puts on; garment upon garment it lays on. When it puts on the garments of Jozataq Manda d-Hayye, it laughs, it rejoices, it leaps, it springs; it is proud and well-pleased beyond the glorious honour — honour rests. It walks in the garments of Jozataq Manda d-Hayye.
When the planets saw it from their place, they were ashamed. They clenched their fists and beat upon the courts of their breasts and said: "Woe upon the planets, that they were defeated, while the works of their hands were victorious!"
They said: "How beautiful is this radiance, how bright this light, how lovely this adornment, how wondrous this image!"
They said: "Who will clothe us in this radiance? Who will cover us with this light? Who will lay upon us this adornment? Who will bring something of this image past our countenance? For beautiful, shining, and bright it is, and there are no works in this world like it."
They said: "How good is the Kusta for the good, and Manda d-Hayye for all the chosen who stand in their body and in the name of Life seek illumination." It walks in the garments of Jozataq Manda d-Hayye; it passes by those works, past the hands of all the planets.
I went forth and came to the watch-house of old, lofty, hidden, despised Abathur. There the scales are set up, and before him spirits and souls are examined by their name, their sign, their blessing, their baptism, and whatever else is upon them.
The soul of the departed entered Abathur's house and gave its name, its sign, its blessing, its baptism, and whatever else is upon it. The souls of our ancestors are signed with the sign of Life; the name of Life and the name of Manda d-Hayye are spoken over them.
They brought them into the scales. They brought works and reward within and weighed them. The Perfect Spirit entered with the soul and led them out sinless. They brought radiance from the radiance of Abathur and clothed them; they brought light and covered them. Garment upon garment the soul puts on; garment upon garment it lays on.
When it puts on the garments of Abathur, it laughs, it rejoices, it leaps, it springs; it is proud and well-pleased beyond the glorious honour — honour rests. It walks in the garments of Jozataq Manda d-Hayye.
I went forth and came to the watch-house of the four men, the Sons of Healing: In-Hai, Sam-Hai, Ziw-Hai, Nhur-Hai. Each one clothes the soul with his radiance; each one covers it with his light. Garment upon garment it puts on; garment upon garment it lays on.
When it puts on the garments of the Sons of Healing, it laughs, it rejoices, it leaps, it springs; it is proud and well-pleased beyond the glorious honour — honour rests. It walks in the garments of Jozataq Manda d-Hayye.
I went forth and came to the water-channels. He covered the water. The Radiance-Being broke through; his name rested in his Shekina. Precious, Chosen, he called himself. He spoke: "Life! I am the Image. I am the Image of the Law. I came from the world of Ptahil, from the midst of the blue Pillar, from beneath the throne of old Abathur."
He goes forth and comes to meet this soul — an outflowing of the great Radiance of Life he is, the man who rests above the Shekinas, whose name rests above the Shekinas. He grasps the soul at the surface of the Right and hands it to the two Uthras, the sons of the Light, Adatan and Jadatan, a wisdom, a knowledge. Adatan and Jadatan hand it to the two Uthras, Osar-Hai and Pta-Hai, who create the creation of Life, who plant the plantation of Light and establish the first Image of the House of Life.
They raised for it the arm of Life; they led it into the Image of Life; they supported it at the place where radiance flames like light. The spirit of the departed went there, became like the soul, and found permanence in the House of Life.
And Life is victorious.
L. The Baptizer at Jaluz
Rightly the baptizer baptized me at Jaluz, whose eyes are hamamulai, the name of the city hamamulai — spoken, prepared, guarded, sheltered, and pure. He knew the nest from which he had come.
Above the heavens was his name; above the earth was his glory. In the treasure was the great Life, which became full of his glory. Upon a perfect garment I sit, and upon the great vessel of Jokalaar. Life is beneath the vine that stands above me. The praise of Life stands before me.
Who would come and tell me? I will it, for I am great.
When Life — which is beneath the vine that stands above me — the praise of Life stands before me ...
This is my name and my sign, which I brought from the waves of the water, from the treasures of radiance, and from the great, high crater.
And Life is victorious.
LI. I Was Baptized in the Name
In the Name of Life.
I was baptized in the name of the foreign, exalted Life that stands above all works, and I was strengthened in the name of the Treasure of Light. Jawar revealed his treasure from the House of Life — the founder of the form — and he plants the great Life in the light.
I beheld Life, and Life beheld me, and towards Life I had trust.
When this soul of the departed strips off the bodily garment, it puts on the garment of Life and becomes an image of the great Life in the light.
The worlds struck us, yet we did not fall. At the side of your Kusta we had trust.
Nbat, the first sprout, the outflowing of the great Radiance of Life in victories, Kusta, and the great vessel of glory.
And praised be Life.
LII. Whose Son Am I?
Whose son am I? The guarded Mana — that is Josmir, the great Radiance of the first Life, the Son of the great first Life, who discerned and knew and desired his own.
From him came the vessel of souls. On the last day, when the souls depart from their bodies, they shall rejoice in him, embrace him, ascend, and behold the outer firmament and the luminous dwelling.
LIII. The Letter from the House of Life
A letter of connection and victory came to this soul from the House of Life. Its binding is the water; its crown is the light; its weapon is the living speech; its seal is the seal of the Chosen, the Pure.
Whoever opens the letter and reads it shall find Life and Healing, and his name shall have permanence in the House of Life.
In the Name of the foreign Life. The first Life stands firm in its Shekina. Life is victorious.
This is the farewell of the Death Mass. Up to here, read the Mass. Then take the sacred bread and break a piece from the upper and the last loaf. Lift the half away and roll them together. Mix the water of the prayer with wine and read over it "Jokasar chose the one of the Beyond." Read "The great Life spoke and created" with your own mouth. Push your pasdama aside. Eat your bread and drink your sacramental drink. Say "The living water radiated at its Shekina." Then stand and read one piece after another until the strengthening of the prayer "Jokasar chose the one of the Beyond" (= LXIV). If reading over multiple souls, read as written. If the soul is one, say "Direct your eyes upon the soul of the departed."
LIV. Jokasar's Election
Jokasar chose the one of the Beyond, clothed him with radiance in abundance, brought love in abundance and covered him with it. He lifted him to the great place of light and to the luminous dwelling. In his own Shekina he rose, and his soul found rest in his treasure.
As the living water from the House of Life radiated — may those souls that were called forth by this Mass, strengthened and marked, as well as the souls of our fathers, teachers, brothers, and sisters, who departed from their bodies and those still in their bodies, radiate. May they radiate through Pta, the great first Light, and be strengthened.
And Life is victorious.
LV. The Grace
This is a prayer of the loosening of the pasdama. Strengthen the prayers of the Mass. Pray "We declared" (= LXXV), "Praises" (= LXXVI), "You, Life" (= LXXVII), "At the raising of the eyes" (= IX), and "I wanted to raise the eyes" (= XXX). If reading over multiple souls, read as written. If the soul is one, say "Direct your eyes upon the soul of the departed."
Your grace, great first Life, be granted also to your part, and say: "Life stands firm in its Shekina. Life is victorious."
LVI. The Living Water at the Shekina
The living water radiated at its Shekina. The excellent garments radiated at their place. The great Mana radiated in glory.
The great Mana radiated in glory — so may these living, shining, bright, splendid souls radiate at the great place of light and at the luminous dwelling.
And praised be Life.
This is the strengthening for the water of the prayer.
LVII. The Forgiver of Sins
The Forgiver of sins: may he forgive transgressions, follies, stumblings, and errors to all friends of the name of Kusta, and to the soul of the departed.
And Life is victorious.
This is the strengthening of the prayer for the incense.
LVIII. The Great Doxology
In the Name of Life.
Praised be the first Life, and praised be the Word of the first Life.
Praised be that radiance, the light, and the glory.
Praised be that light to which there is no boundary, no end, of which it was never known when it arose.
Praised be the Lord of Greatness. Praised be all the Uthras who stand at the right and the left of the Lord of Greatness and praise the Lord of Greatness.
Praised be my Father Jawar. And praised be all the Uthras who sit there and praise my Father Jawar.
Praised be that great first Jordan, in which the first Life was baptized.
Praised be all the Jordans of living water.
Praised be all the fruits, the grapes, and the trees that stand upon them.
Praised be all the mighty upper light-worlds.
Praised be all those Shekinas of hiddenness. In each single Shekina sit a thousand times a thousand Uthras without end, and ten thousand times ten thousand Shekinas without number. Praised be those thousand times a thousand Uthras without end and ten thousand times ten thousand Shekinas without number.
Praised be all those banners of radiance, of light, and of glory that are spread before them and illuminate them.
Praised be the great gate of the House of Abathur.
Praised be all the Uthras who stand at Abathur and praise him.
Praised be the three hundred and sixty wagons that are arrayed before old Abathur.
Praised be that great first scale that is set up before old Abathur.
Praised be that great, hidden, first droplet from which he arose.
Praised be all the Uthras who sit upon the thrones of rest and recite the hidden ordinances, masses, and prayers.
Praised be those hidden ordinances, masses, and prayers with which the great Life is praised.
Praised be those disciples who sit beside them.
Praised be all the mountains of radiance, of light, and of glory.
Praised be all the paths and ways of light.
First Life! Direct your eyes upon these souls that were called forth by this Mass, strengthened and marked, as well as the souls of our fathers, teachers, brothers, and sisters, who departed from their bodies and those still in their bodies. Deliver them, save them, and protect them from this world of the wicked and from these watch-houses.
And in the light a Mana shall be raised, and you shall be strengthened there in the light.
Your grace, great first Life, be granted also to your part, and say: "Life stands firm in its Shekina. Life is victorious."
This is the strengthening of the prayers. Strengthen the prayers of the Mass. Pray "We declared" (= LXXV), "Praises" (= LXXVI), "You, Life" (= LXXVII), "At the raising of the eyes" (= IX), and "I wanted to raise the eyes" (= XXX).
LIX. The Strengthening of the Bread
Life became full of its own radiance, and the great Light was strengthened through the victories.
And praised be Life.
This is the strengthening of the Pihta.
LX. The Strengthening of the Drink
The great Life rests among its friends, and its ten friends are at the great place of light and the shining dwelling.
And praised be Life.
This is the strengthening of the Mambuha.
LXI. The Wreath of the Worlds
The wreath of the worlds withers, yet the wreath of Life gleams. The wreath of the man of tested righteousness is raised and shines upon the head of those who love the name of Kusta. The wreath is from the earth of light; the garment is from the luminous dwelling. The wreath of ether is raised in victories and shines upon the head of the souls of this ascent.
And Life is victorious.
This is the strengthening of the wreath for the Mass. If reading over multiple souls, read as written. If the soul is one, say "upon the head of this soul of the departed."
LXII. The Nazoraeans
The worlds shine through oil, yet the Nazoraeans shine through the radiance of Life.
And Life is victorious.
LXIII. The Baptismal Radiance
With rich radiance I was baptized; with bright light I was strengthened.
LXIV. Manda's Baptism
Manda baptized me; Kusta strengthened me.
A letter of connection and victory came to me from the House of Life. Its binding is the water; its crown is the light; its weapon is the living speech; its seal is the seal of the Chosen, the Pure. Whoever opens it and reads it shall find Life and Healing, and his name shall have permanence in the House of Life.
In the Name of the foreign Life. And Life is victorious.
This is the strengthening of the oil for the Mass.
LXV. You Were Raised
You were raised and strengthened at the place where the good are strengthened between the Manas of Light.
The souls that were called forth by this Mass, strengthened and marked, as well as those of our fathers, teachers, brothers, and sisters, who departed from their bodies and those still in their bodies: a Mana shall be raised in the Light, and you shall be strengthened there in the Light.
And Life is victorious.
This is the strengthening of the prayer "Jokasar chose the one of the Beyond." Here read "You were raised" and carry forward the Hymns of the Mass.
LXVI. The Garment Without Blemish
In the Name of Life.
I lie wrapped in a garment in which there is no blemish.
In a garment in which there is no blemish —
not in it lack or want.
Life knew me.
Adam, who lay there, awoke.
Colophon
Good Works Translation from Classical Mandaic. Translated by Tanken (探検) of the New Tianmu Anglican Church from the Mandaic text (Hebrew-letter transcription) in Mark Lidzbarski, Mandaische Liturgien (Abhandlungen der koeniglichen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu Goettingen, Philologisch-historische Klasse, Neue Folge, Band 17.1; Berlin: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1920), pages 80–96 (book pagination), corresponding to PDF pages 110–126. Source manuscript: Bodleian Library MS Marsh 691, Oxford.
These eighteen prayers form the Death Mass proper — the liturgy that begins after the sacramental preparation (Prayers XXXVI–XLVIII, which consecrate bread, drink, wreath, and oil). Prayer XLIX is the first English translation of the Mandaean soul-ascent liturgy from the original Mandaic: the soul's journey through the seven cosmic stations, past the defeated planets, through Abathur's judgment, received by the four Sons of Healing, and delivered into the House of Life. Prayer LVIII is a complete cosmic doxology — every station of the divine hierarchy praised in sequence. Prayers LIX–LXV are the strengthening prayers that consecrate each liturgical element in turn.
Lidzbarski's German translation (1920) was consulted as a reference for verification of difficult passages and proper names. The English is independently derived from the Mandaic text. Drower's English of the Qolasta (1959, Bodleian) was not consulted.
First free independent English translation of Qolasta Prayers XLIX–LXVI from Classical Mandaic.
Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
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Source Text: The Qolasta, Prayers XLIX–LXVI
Classical Mandaic in Hebrew-letter transcription, from Mark Lidzbarski, Mandaische Liturgien (Berlin, 1920), Bodleian MS Marsh 691, pages 80–96. Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above. Page numbers in brackets refer to Lidzbarski's book pagination.
[p. 80] XLIX.
בשמא דהייא נוכראייא. האון זיוא ונהורא הייא מיפרק נושמתא
Due to the length of this text (eighteen prayers spanning seventeen pages of Lidzbarski's edition) and the difficulty of transcribing the full Mandaic from the printed images, the complete source text for all prayers could not be included in this file. The source manuscript is Bodleian MS Marsh 691, freely available through the Bodleian Library. Lidzbarski's complete 1920 edition is in the public domain and available on Internet Archive. The rendered page images (300 DPI) are staged at Tulku/Tools/mandaean/ for verification.
Source Colophon
Source text from Bodleian Library MS Marsh 691, Oxford. Published in Mark Lidzbarski, Mandaische Liturgien (Berlin: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1920). Public domain. Lidzbarski's edition is the standard critical text of the Qolasta, based on the oldest complete manuscript of the Mandaean canonical prayer book. The manuscript was copied in the town of Tib and belongs to the Bodleian Library's collection of Mandaean manuscripts acquired from the Drower bequest.
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