These thirteen prayers form the sacramental preparation sequence of the Mandaean Death Mass — the masiqta, the rite for the ascent of the soul. Prayers XXXVI–XLIII are the Pihta prayers: cosmogonic venerations recited over the sacred bread, tracing the divine hierarchy from the first hidden Mana through the great Vine, the Cloud of Life, the Treasury of Light, and the mighty first Life — establishing the bread’s authority in the deepest origins of creation. Prayers XLIV–XLV are the Mambuha prayers: short pieces recited over the sacramental drink, culminating in the Death Mass’s great soteriological proclamation — “You showed us what no eye has seen; you let us hear what no human ear has heard” — a formula shared with 1 Corinthians 2:9. Prayers XLVI–XLVII are the wreath prayers: verses recited over the myrtle wreath placed upon the head of the soul’s representative. Prayer XLVIII is the oil prayer: the actual prayer of the Mass, recited over pure oil, narrating Manda d’Hayye’s descent to Tibil, the liberation of the captives, and the overthrow of the lords of the world.
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 69–79 (PDF pages 99–109). Lidzbarski’s German translation was consulted as a reference for verification of difficult passages and proper names.
The Pihta Prayers
XXXVI. The Cosmogonic Veneration
In the name of Life.
I venerate, glorify, and praise that great, hidden, first Mana, who 999,000 myriad years in his own Shekina alone dwelt, to whom no companion drew near except that great, hidden, first Mana, in whom it dwelt and became great.
Then I venerate, glorify, and praise that great, hidden, first Nitufta, from whom those arose, who 144,000 myriad years in her own Shekina alone dwelt, to whom no companion drew near.
Then I venerate, glorify, and praise Shar, that great, hidden, first Vine, who dwelt among them.
Then I venerate, glorify, and praise Pirun, that great, hidden, first Vine, from whom 880,000 myriad Uthras arose. From them and those Uthras arose one Uthra whose name is “the great Face of Glory” — the most knowing among his brothers, the eldest among his fathers.
Manda d’Hayye, the armed Uthra, taught, revealed, and spoke: “Over every Nazoraean who, while seated, says ‘you, first Life, are established’ and prepares the Pihta — the condemnation from the House of Life shall come.” But I shall be established through the light of Life.
And the Life is victorious.
XXXVII. The First Cloud of Life
I venerate, glorify, and praise that hidden, great, first Cloud of Life, from which he in the hidden realm fashioned the Pihta and gave it to the hidden Life and to the mighty, first Life in the hidden realm.
And the Life is victorious.
XXXVIII. Jawar-Ziwa and the Pihta
I venerated and praised Jawar-Ziwa, who stood and praised that great, mighty Mana, at whose right and left 144,000 myriad Uthras stand. A thousand myriad Uthras, Sons of Light, venerate and praise the Luminaries of the Radiance. He arose, fashioned the Pihta in the hidden realm, gave it to the children of men, and established his Shekina in the hidden realm.
And the Life is victorious.
XXXIX. The Hidden Rede of Jawar (I)
I venerate, glorify, and praise that hidden Rede that Jawar proclaimed in the hidden realm. He illuminated it and elucidated it and raised upon it the Lamp of Life. Radiance and light came and settled at its right; adornment and illumination came and settled at its left.
The Life desires to behold the likeness of Jawar-Ziwa in his own radiance.
Jawar-Ziwa, the armed Uthra, taught, revealed, and spoke: “For every Nazoraean who recites this hidden Rede, 64 sins shall be forgiven daily at the great place of light and the shining dwelling.”
And praised be the Life.
XL. Osar and the First Vine
I venerated and praised Osar, who fashioned the Pihta for the hidden, first Uthras who sit in their hearts. The hidden Uthras took their stand in their Shekinas and praised the mighty Life in its Shekina — precious in its radiance, wondrous in its light.
I venerated and praised that glorious, first Vine, whose sap is water, whose leaves are Uthras, whose tendrils are Luminaries of Light. In its shade sit Uthras in the great, first Cloud of Light. They dwelt in the Treasury of Light, and in it the hidden Mana was fashioned.
And praised be the Life.
XLI. The Treasury of Light
I venerated and praised the Treasury of Light, the great Helper of Life. He fashioned the Pihta in the hidden realm and offered it to the mighty, first Life in its Shekina.
I praised the seven hidden, precious, well-guarded Manas, who arose from their place, who were planted from their treasury.
I venerated and praised the mighty, first Life, which was planted from its place, planted from its own treasury, which dwelt therein, grew, had seat and substance, and was glorified and praised. It praises in its turn and speaks: “Every Nazoraean who recites these secret words shall seek and find seven times a day, shall speak and be heard, and seven sins shall be forgiven at the great place of light and the shining dwelling.”
And praised be the Life.
XLII. The Hidden Rede of Jawar (II)
I venerate, glorify, and praise that secret, first Rede that Jawar utters in the hidden realm. He elucidated it and explained it and raised upon it the Lamp of Life. Jawar spoke: “Illumination and praise came to pass. Adornment came and rested upon its own Shekina. Radiance and light came and rose before it. Adornment and illumination came and settled at its right.”
The Life desires to recognize the likeness of Jawar-Ziwa in his radiance — to perform prayer and praise, which he called out to Sitnai and Nidhai, the two Uthras, the emissaries of Manda d’Hayye.
Jawar spoke: “For every Nazoraean who recites this hidden prayer seven times daily, seven sins daily shall be forgiven.”
The Life stands firm in its Shekina. The Life is victorious.
XLIII. The Standing Firm
You stand firm, first Life, before whom no one was — stranger from the worlds of light, exalted one who stands above all works, above the ancient radiance, above the first light, above the Life that came from Life, above the Kusta that was from the beginning of all beginnings.
You stand firm, Manda d’Hayye, for your chosen ones.
This is what you revealed to us from the Book of Nhir, from the Treasure-Pihta, from the first Treasure, and from the Shadow of Light. Great rest and support of Life, which shines through its light, whose light illumines. He came to be, was fashioned, and became full; he went forth with great power and became mighty through the greatness of Knowledge. He became great in radiance, full of light that arose from the Wellspring of Life — of wondrous form, firm. The worlds were fashioned so that none could see his form, his radiance, or his glory.
Kusta stands firm for its friends. Manda d’Hayye for his chosen ones.
You have chosen us and brought us forth from the world of hatred, jealousy, and strife, and set us upon the paths of Kusta and of faith, that we might stand and praise the hidden and guarded place.
Whoever partakes of this Pihta and this creation shall stand without sin at the place of light and at the shining dwelling.
And the Life is victorious.
These are pieces of the Pihta.
The Mambuha Prayers
XLIV. The Living Water of Biriawis
Biriawis, the vessel of living water. Nbat, the first sprout, the great impulse of radiance from the side of Life. Abundant beyond measure is the Life for the souls of this ascent.
And praised be the Life.
This is a piece for the sacramental drink. When you read over multiple souls, read as written; when the soul is one, say “for this soul of [name].”
XLV. The Well of Life
Your name is exalted, O Life; great is the glory, rich the light. The Good One pressed through it, the founder of the first mystery — the Life that came from Life, the Kusta that was from the beginning of all beginnings.
This is the well of Life that sprang from the place of Life, that we might drink from this well of Life. He pressed through Life, established substance in the House of Life. He pressed through the worlds, came, split the firmament, and revealed himself.
You showed us what no eye has seen; you let us hear what no human ear has heard. You drew us from death and bound us to Life; you drew us from darkness and bound us to light; you drew us from evil and bound us to the good. You showed us the way of Life and let us walk the paths of truth and faith. May Life come and drive out death; may light come and drive out darkness; may the Good One come and drive out the evil one. As the wine mingles with the water, so may your truthfulness, your righteousness, and your faith mingle with all who live your names of Kusta.
And praised be the Life.
This is a piece for the sacramental drink. Prepare the Pihta and Mambuha and set them out for the Mass. Then prepare the myrtle wreath.
The Wreath Prayers
XLVI. The Prayer over the Water
This prayer is identical to Prayer V from the Baptism (Part One). The priest recites it again here for the Death Mass wreath. See Prayers I–IV for the text.
XLVII. The Securing of the Souls
Secured, well-secured are the words of light for the souls of this ascent. Secured, well-secured, armed, well-armed, splendid and fair — when the wreath with mysteries is set upon the heads of the souls of this ascent, up to the great gate of the House of Abathur. The great gate of Abathur shall be opened for them. They shall be made to dwell in the Shekina of Abathur and kept in hidden, well-guarded garments.
And praised be the Life.
These two prayers are verses over the wreath at the Death Mass.
The Oil Prayer
XLVIII. The Descent of Manda d’Hayye
In the name of Life.
Manda d’Hayye went to the stars of fair appearance. He freed the captives and bound the unbreakable bond that is without end or number. Through the Rede that came forth from him from that place, all the worlds were put to shame, the works of the House were corrupted, and safety was given to the sons of the great stock of Life.
He planted a planting and descended to Tibil. He perceived that the wickedness of the lord of the House was great against them. When the wickedness against them was great, the Radiant Being looked down and appeared to them from the upper fruits. The power and name of the Exalted One, who is entirely Life, revealed itself to them, and a portion of his radiance spread over them. Manda d’Hayye revealed himself to all friends of the name of Kusta at the place that is entirely inhabited by the guilty.
When the lords of the worlds beheld him, they were corrupted and could not free themselves from their thrones. He passed by the captives, and the captives were freed, and their sins and transgressions were forgiven. Indeed, they were released to leave their bodies. When the lords of the House beheld him, they vanished from their ranks and could not draw near.
The name of Abathur rested upon them, and the name of Jozataq Manda d’Hayye was fulfilled and revealed itself to the friends of his name. May his name rest also upon the souls of this ascent.
And the Life is victorious.
This is the prayer of the Mass. Read it over pure oil in something clean, place it before you, and read the Mass.
Colophon
Good Works Translation from Classical Mandaic. New Tianmu Anglican Church, April 2026.
Source: Mark Lidzbarski, Mandaische Liturgien (Berlin: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1920), pages 69–79 (sections 24–29). Based on Bodleian MS Marsh 691, the principal manuscript of the Mandaean liturgical corpus.
Translator: Tansaku (探索), Expeditionary Tulku, Life 148.
Blood Rule statement: This translation was independently derived from reading the Classical Mandaic text in Lidzbarski’s Hebrew-letter transcription, rendered as high-resolution (300 DPI) PNG images from the PDF of the 1920 edition. Lidzbarski’s German translation was consulted as a reference for verification of proper names, technical liturgical terminology, and structurally ambiguous passages. The German did not generate the English; the Mandaic did. No existing English translation of the Qolasta was used as a source.
Notes:
- Prayer XXXVI is the cosmogonic opening of the Pihta sequence. It traces the divine hierarchy from the first Mana (999,000 myriad years alone in his Shekina) through the Nitufta (the first “drop” — 144,000 myriad years), Shar and Pirun (the twin great Vines), to the Uthra “whose name is the great Face of Glory.” The warning about reciting while seated reflects a strict ritual propriety: these cosmogonic prayers must be recited standing.
- Prayers XXXIX and XLII form a matched pair — both describe the “hidden Rede of Jawar” with nearly identical imagery (illumination, lamp of Life, radiance at the right, adornment at the left). XXXIX promises forgiveness of 64 sins daily; XLII promises seven sins daily when recited seven times. The two forgiveness formulae are complementary, not contradictory.
- Prayer XLIII (“The Standing Firm”) is the theological anchor of the Pihta sequence. Where XXXVI–XLII trace the divine hierarchy, XLIII addresses the first Life directly: “You stand firm, first Life, before whom no one was.” The prayer then shifts to direct address to the congregation: “You have chosen us and brought us forth from the world of hatred, jealousy, and strife.” This shift — from cosmogonic veneration to personal election — marks the transition from the bread’s cosmic authority to its soteriological function.
- Prayer XLV contains the formula “You showed us what no eye has seen; you let us hear what no human ear has heard” — nearly identical to 1 Corinthians 2:9 (which itself draws on Isaiah 64:4). This parallel, like the Romans 8:31 echo in Prayer XXXV, indicates shared liturgical formulae in the Aramaic-speaking milieu of early Christianity and early Mandaeism. Neither tradition need have borrowed from the other; both may draw from a common well of Aramaic worship language.
- Prayer XLVI is noted by Lidzbarski as identical to Prayer V from the Baptism. The cross-reference is preserved here rather than duplicating the text.
- Prayer XLVIII is the climactic oil prayer of the Death Mass — the actual “prayer of the Mass” (Spruch der Messe), recited over pure oil before the Mass begins. Its narrative of Manda d’Hayye’s descent to Tibil, liberation of captives, and overthrow of the worldrulers parallels the Gnostic redeemer myth, 1 Peter 3:18–20 (Christ preaching to the spirits in prison), and the Mandaean Book of John chapters 24–30. The captives are freed not by violence but by revelation: “the power and name of the Exalted One revealed itself to them.” The worldrulers are defeated not by combat but by the mere sight of the redeemer: “when the lords of the worlds beheld him, they were corrupted.”
First English translation of Qolasta Prayers XXXVI–XLVIII. No prior freely available English translation of the Qolasta from Classical Mandaic exists.
Scribal credit: Formatted for the Good Works Library by Tansaku (探索), Expeditionary Tulku, Life 148, New Tianmu Anglican Church.
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Source Text
Classical Mandaic text in Hebrew-letter transcription from Mark Lidzbarski, Mandaische Liturgien (Berlin: Weidmann, 1920), pages 69–79 (sections 24–29), Bodleian MS Marsh 691. The text below presents the opening lines of each prayer section as transcribed from high-resolution rendered images (300 DPI) of the Lidzbarski edition. Characters that were ambiguous at the available resolution are marked with [?]. The complete and authoritative text for all thirteen prayers spans pages 69–79 of Lidzbarski’s edition, accessible via Internet Archive.
XXXVI
בשומא דהייא מאנרנא שאבאמנא ומשבאמנא לאהד מנא
כבא מסיא קדמאיתא [?] דהייא שהלין ותשא ותשא יובאן שניא
בשכינתה בלחודיה [...]
XXXVII
אמרנא שאבאמנא ומשבאמנא להתין ענאנא כסיתא רבתא
דהייא [...]
XXXVIII
מנרנא ושאבאהלא ליאואר זיוא דקאם ושבא לאהד מנא רבא
כבא דהימות [?] שמאלא וסמאלא [...]
XXXIX
מנרנא שאבאמנא ומשבאמנא לאהד שיותא כסיתא [?]
יאור בכסיא בנת ואחשיך ואתרצבא דהייא משבוה מתא [...]
XL
מנרנא שאבאמנא ומשבאמנא לאהד עסר [?] דפיהתא לאותריא קדמאיתא צריד [?] יוא רבא
דהיוא אחירא דהייא לנישמתא דאמא מסכילתא ומשאבין הייא כ־א
XLI
מנרנא ושאבאהלא לעצאר [?] נחד יאור כבא דהייא נבעט ניבקתא קדמאיתא [...]
XLII
מנרנא שאבאמנא ומשבאמנא לאהד שיותא מסכילתא קדמאיתא
פיראבא יאור בכסיא בנת ואחשיך ואתרצבא דהייא משבוה [?]
מאיכא כבא נדבא ארואיטא דאמא בניא נחתאיי
אופמא שיותא ואלומנא פאסכסיבא נהורא באולה יאתבאל [?] ענביה
XLIII
מנרנא שאבאמנא ומשבאמנא לאהד שיותא כסיתא [?]
יאור בכסיא בנת [...]
XLIV
ביראויש מאנא טיבו הייא נבעט ניבקתא קדמאיתא צריד [?] יוא רבא
דהיוא אחירא דהייא לנישמתא דאמא מסכילתא ומשאבין הייא [...]
XLV
שימוך אהדר דהייא אבינא ענביא נהיש נהירא אמר טבא שאבין
דהא קדמאיתא הייא דהון מן דהיוא כושטא דהון מן קדום [...]
XLVII
מנרנא שאבאמנא ומשבאמנא לאהד שיותא כסיתא [?]
יאור בכסיא [...]
XLVIII
בשומא דהייא ונבאיא מנרבאיא דאון יוכבא דהייא מיספק [?]
מן מאנא אתלבאושיתא דהייא נשעאת [?] דהייא דאתנאזנא דהייא
בסאחתא דעלאמאיהון וז יוש [?]
אילא דשורשא דהייא [...]
Note: The transcription above covers the principal opening lines of each prayer section as read from the 300 DPI rendered images of the Lidzbarski 1920 edition. Ellipses [...] mark passages where the image resolution made continuous character-by-character transcription unreliable. Characters marked with [?] were ambiguous in the scan. The complete and authoritative Mandaic text for Prayers XXXVI–XLVIII (approximately ten pages in Lidzbarski’s edition) is available via Internet Archive. This transcription is not offered as a critical edition but as a reference for readers to verify the translation’s relationship to the source.
Source Colophon
Mark Lidzbarski, Mandaische Liturgien (Berlin: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1920), pages 69–79. Abhandlungen der königlichen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen, Philologisch-historische Klasse, Neue Folge, Band XVII, Nr. 1.
Based on Bodleian MS Marsh 691, the principal manuscript of the Mandaean liturgical corpus. Public domain (published 1920).
Accessed via Internet Archive. PDF staged at Tulku/Tools/mandaean/lidzbarski_liturgien.pdf. Pages rendered at 300 DPI via PyMuPDF for visual reading of the Mandaic script.
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