Second Book — The Vestment Ceremony
The Second Book of the Oxford Collection is the Mandaean liturgy of sacred vestment — the prayers recited as each piece of the priestly rasta is donned, each one recounting the mythological prototype: the day when Manda d-Hayye first received that garment from the Uthras. The eight vestment prayers (I–VIII) cover the throne, the garment, the belt, the covering, the stola, the crown, the breeches, and the olive staff. These are followed by the wreath responsions (IX–XX), the radiance litanies (XXI–XXXIII), and three rubrics confirming the ceremony's dual use: the same prayers are read over "the priest who conducts the Mass and over the bride." The concluding rubric directs the bishop, priests, and bridegroom to the bride's tent, revealing the Second Book as the liturgy of both priestly investiture and the Mandaean wedding.
Lidzbarski notes that the heading preserved in the manuscripts — "When the Chosen, Pure One went forth" — is misplaced and properly belongs to the Third Book. The Second Book has no surviving title of its own. Its content names it: the Rasta Ceremony.
Good Works Translation from Classical Mandaic. Translated from the Mandaic text in Hebrew-letter transcription as published in Mark Lidzbarski's edition, Mandaische Liturgien (Berlin: Weidmann, 1920), pages 232–250 (PDF pages 261–279). Lidzbarski's German translation was consulted as a reference for verification of difficult passages, proper names, and liturgical instructions. The English below was independently derived from the Classical Mandaic source text.
The Heading
In the name of the great Life, may my mind, my knowledge, and my understanding be illuminated, for me NN, through these responsions.
I. The Throne of Jawar
In the name of the great Life.
The Uthras gathered and the Shekhinas gathered.
They built a throne for Jawar, king of the Uthras.
For Jawar, king of the Uthras, they built a throne
and placed upon his head shining wreaths.
His radiance rose over the Uthras and Shekhinas.
When the Uthras and Shekhinas beheld the radiance of Jawar, king of the Uthras,
they all gathered about him.
All gathered about him
and laid their pure right hands upon him.
They blessed him with the great blessing,
with which the king Jawar was blessed in his Shekhina.
And the Life is victorious.
II. The Garment
In the name of the great Life.
On the day when Manda d-Hayye put on his garment,
his radiance rose above the light-worlds.
Above the light-worlds his radiance rose.
When the light-worlds beheld his radiance,
all gathered about him.
All gathered about him,
opened their mouths, blessed Manda d-Hayye,
and spoke to him:
"Blessed be your radiance that rose above the waters.
As your radiance shines,
may your form shine and not grow dark."
(Give him to drink.)
III. The Belt
In the name of the great Life.
On the day when they bound the belt upon Manda d-Hayye,
his radiance rose above the Uthras and Shekhinas.
When the Uthras and Shekhinas beheld the radiance of Manda d-Hayye,
they all trembled before his radiance.
All trembled before his radiance,
and all gathered about him.
All gathered about him,
opened their mouths, blessed Manda d-Hayye, and spoke to him:
"Blessed are you, our Father Manda d-Hayye,
and blessed be this belt of water that they have bound upon you."
(Give him to drink.)
IV. The Covering
In the name of the great Life.
On the day when they made the covering for Manda d-Hayye,
his radiance rose above the Uthras and Shekhinas.
When the Uthras and Shekhinas beheld the radiance of Manda d-Hayye,
all gathered about him.
All gathered about him,
laid their pure right hands upon him,
blessed Manda d-Hayye and spoke to him:
"Blessed are you, our Father Manda d-Hayye,
and blessed be this covering that they have made for you,
and blessed be the olive staff of living water,
the staff through which all rebels are struck down."
(Give him to drink.)
V. The Stola Samiel
In the name of the great Life.
On the day when they made the stola Samiel for Manda d-Hayye,
three hundred and sixty springs of radiance sprang up upon it.
Three hundred and sixty springs of radiance sprang up,
and the radiance of the springs appeared above the Jordans.
The Jordans and the radiance of the springs shine
and illuminate all the light-worlds beyond measure.
(Give him to drink.)
VI. The Crown
In the name of the great Life.
On the day when they set the crown upon Manda d-Hayye,
its radiance rose above the eggs.
Above the eggs its radiance rose.
When the king beheld the radiance of the crown of Manda d-Hayye,
he sprang up and arose from his throne.
He sprang up and arose from his throne,
and three hundred and sixty thousand Uthras stood before the king.
They laid their pure right hands upon him,
blessed Manda d-Hayye and spoke to him:
"Blessed are you, our Father Manda d-Hayye,
and blessed be this crown that they have set upon you.
All worlds shine through it beyond measure."
(Give him to drink.)
VII. The Breeches Nsab
In the name of the great Life.
On the day when they made the breeches Nsab for Manda d-Hayye,
his radiance rose above the eggs.
Above the eggs his radiance rose.
When the women beheld the radiance of Manda d-Hayye,
they spoke to one another:
"Where has this radiance come from, that has risen above us?"
Then the youth who stood before them answered them:
"This radiance comes from the breeches Nsab of Manda d-Hayye."
All the women stand upon the rooftops,
bless Manda d-Hayye and speak to him:
"Blessed are you, our Father Manda d-Hayye,
and blessed be the one who made these garments for you,
whose radiance is so rich."
(Give him to drink.)
VIII. The Olive Staff
In the name of the great Life.
On the day when they made the olive staff for Manda d-Hayye,
his radiance rose above the Jordan.
When the Jordan beheld the radiance of the staff of Manda d-Hayye,
it leapt and rejoiced in the radiance of Manda d-Hayye
and spoke to him:
"As your Jordan is rich,
so may the fruits, grapes, and trees upon it be everlasting.
May your radiance be rich, and may your root be preserved in perfect manner."
(Give him to drink.)
These songs for the olive staff and the crown are read over both the priest who conducts the Mass and over the bride; recite also those hymns.
IX. The Wreath of Myrtle
In the name of the great Life.
From myrtle and oregano I wound a wreath
and laid it upon the head of Jawar, king of the Uthras.
I spoke to him:
Rejoice, Jawar, rejoice —
rejoice in your shining wreath.
Rejoice, Jawar, rejoice —
rejoice in the cloud of radiance that they have made for you.
Rejoice, Jawar, rejoice —
rejoice in the kingship that they have bestowed upon you.
Rejoice, Jawar, rejoice —
rejoice in the Jordans that they have drawn for you.
Rejoice, Jawar, rejoice —
rejoice in the radiant cloud Sarhath that they have made for you,
which moves through your Jordans and walks
in great splendor.
X. Whose Wreath Is This?
In the name of the great Life.
Who is this among the Uthras,
upon whose head the wreath of the great Life has been laid?
The wreath of the great Life was laid upon his head,
and the Tannas and women embrace one another in the shadow
of his wreath.
In the shadow of his wreath they embrace one another.
They laid their pure right hands upon him
and blessed him with the great blessing,
with which Jawar-Ziwa was blessed at the Light-place.
And the Life is victorious.
XI. Head Over Tarwan
Our Father! They made you head over Tarwan
and bestowed upon you the Word at the Light-place.
Jawar set the crown upon you,
through whose radiance the Uthras shine.
The Uthras shine through its radiance,
and the planets tremble before it.
XII. The Banner of Radiance
Our Father! They bestowed upon you the pure kingship
and the command that the great Life has entrusted to you.
They bestowed upon you the banner of radiance,
through which all the light-worlds shine.
XIII. Who Sent You?
Who sent you, new king,
from whom all these works go forth?
You illuminate the earth of the Ether
and brighten the whole Tibil beyond measure.
XIV. Who Sent You? (Second Response)
Who sent you, new king,
who sit in the domains of the great Life?
You condense the great condensation,
illuminate and brighten the Uthras in their Shekhinas
beyond measure.
XV. The Crown of Sihlun-Ziwa
Our Father Sihlun-Ziwa rejoices in his crown,
and the Great Ones rejoice in his word.
The Shekhinas of the Great Ones rejoice and shine
through the king Jawar-Ziwa, who made them.
Our Father! May they guard your wreath for you,
and may the adornment of the great Life rest upon you.
May your eyes shine for you, Good One,
you who have come here at the head of the community of the Life.
XVI. The Guarding of the Wreath
Our Father! May they guard your wreath for you,
and may the adornment of the great Life rest upon you.
May your eyes shine for you, Good One,
you who have gone forth at the head of the community of the Life.
XVII. The Vine Rwaz
Our Father! Your wreath is from the vine Rwaz;
the man, its twiner, is from the Light-place.
Our Father! Lovely be the fragrance of your wreath,
like Anosh, the great Uthra, in his Shekhina.
XVIII. The Planter's Prayer
Planter of plants, plant him.
Twiner of wreaths, twine him.
Fastener of bonds, fasten him
for the bridegroom NN, and let him flourish in splendor.
XIX. The Young Uthra
Small am I among the Uthras,
a nursling am I among the luminaries,
yet I am great, and great is my soul,
for I have drunk water from the mouth of the Euphrates.
XX. The Blessing of the Root
May the pure guardians guard you.
May your root wind upward and flourish in splendor.
May your works be well ordered for you,
and may you rise up and behold the great place, the House of Perfection.
And the Life is victorious.
These songs are recited over the priest who conducts the Mass, and over the bride.
XXI. The Hanging of the Lamps
O you who hang up radiance,
hang thereon lamps of radiance.
O you who hang up radiance,
hang thereon candles of light.
XXII. Whose Radiance?
Whose radiance is this?
Whose light is this?
Whose holiness is this,
that stretches out without end?
XXIII. The Radiance of Hibil
This is the radiance of Hibil.
These songs are recited over the priest who conducts the Mass, and over the bride.
XXVI. Whose Building?
Whose is this building? This building — whose is it?
Whose is this building, whose fragrance is so lovely?
So lovely is its fragrance,
and fine trees have their place within it.
XXVII. The Building of Jawar
This is the building of Jawar;
this is Jawar's building.
This is the building of Jawar,
whose fragrance is so lovely.
So lovely is its fragrance,
and fine trees have their place within it.
XXVIII. The Fragrance of the Trees
Lovely is the fragrance of the trees,
through the fragrance of Jawar that rests upon them.
Lovely is the fragrance of the trees,
through the fragrance of Manda d-Hayye that rests upon them.
XXIX. The Hanging of the Lamps (Echo)
O you who hang up radiance,
hang thereon lamps of radiance.
O you who hang up radiance,
hang thereon candles of light.
XXX. The Message of Hibil-Ziwa
They sent Hibil-Ziwa forth
to bring a message to the Uthras who sit there.
He spoke to them:
"From radiance came light,
from light came the Ether,
and radiance was made for the Uthras who sit there."
XXXI. The Voice in Adam's Garden
Lovely is your voice, boy Hibil,
who speaks in the garden of Adam
and recites wondrous hymns.
Lovely is your voice, and your voice went forth.
XXXII. The Sending of the Great One
Power you possess, Great One.
Go, spread honor there.
Spread honor there;
through our honor and yours, may they be honored.
Through that honor may they be honored,
and with the blessing that we sent them, may they be received.
With the blessing that we sent them, may they be received
and obtain your goodness.
May the Uthras know
that you are greater than all Uthras;
you open and show them radiance
and grant them their praise.
XXXIII. The Blessing of the Disciples
The disciples bless in secret the Great One,
who honored them and spread honor over them.
The Concluding Rubric
Then let a priest seat himself in the booth, and let the bishop and the priests and the bridegroom go to the tent of the bride. Then let the bishop read "Come in goodness, Kushta."
Colophon
Good Works Translation from Classical Mandaic.
Source: Mark Lidzbarski, ed., Mandaische Liturgien (Mandaean Liturgies), Berlin: Weidmann, 1920, pages 232–250. The Oxford Collection (Part II of Lidzbarski's edition) draws on Bodleian manuscripts A and B. Lidzbarski notes variant readings between A and B throughout.
Translator: Tanken, Expeditionary Tulku, Life 167, New Tianmu Anglican Church.
Blood Rule statement: This translation was independently derived from the Classical Mandaic text in Hebrew-letter transcription as published in Lidzbarski's edition. Lidzbarski's German translation was consulted as a reference for verification of difficult passages, proper names, and liturgical instructions. No existing English translation of the Second Book was consulted. The German confirmed readings of the Mandaic but did not generate the English.
Notes:
- The manuscript heading "When the Chosen, Pure One went forth" is, per Lidzbarski's note, misplaced — it belongs to the Third Book. The Second Book has no surviving title of its own.
- Prayers XXIV and XXV are absent from Lidzbarski's numbering of the Oxford Collection Second Book. The numbering proceeds directly from XXIII to XXVI. This may reflect the manuscript's own section markers.
- The rubric "Give him to drink" appears after each vestment prayer (II–VIII). This is a sacramental instruction — the newly vested person receives a drink, likely of sacramental water.
- "The eggs" in Prayers VI and VII refers to cosmological structures in Mandaean thought — the celestial spheres or primordial eggs of creation, attested elsewhere in the Qolasta (cf. First Book Prayer XXV, "The Day of the Eggs").
- The stola Samiel (Prayer V) and the breeches Nsab (Prayer VII) bear proper names, following the Mandaean practice of naming liturgical objects as heavenly beings.
- "NN" in the heading and in Prayer XVIII is nomen nescio — a placeholder for the actual name of the person being vested or married.
- The Second Book serves dual liturgical function: priestly investiture and the wedding ceremony. Three rubrics explicitly state that the songs are read "over the priest who conducts the Mass and over the bride." The concluding rubric describes the physical procession to the bride's tent. Lidzbarski notes that the olive staff and crown are worn only by the priest; those prayers are therefore recited only when the bridegroom is a priest.
First free independent English translation of the Qolasta Second Book (Oxford Collection).
Scribal credit: Typeset by Tanken. April 2026.
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Source Text: The Oxford Collection, Second Book
Classical Mandaic text in Hebrew-letter transcription from Mark Lidzbarski, ed., Mandaische Liturgien (Berlin: Weidmann, 1920), pages 232–250. The transcription below covers the opening lines of each prayer as legible from 300 DPI rendered images of the edition. Individual characters that were ambiguous at the available resolution have been rendered according to the most probable reading. The complete and authoritative Mandaic text is in Lidzbarski's edition, accessible via Internet Archive.
Heading
בשומאידון דהויא רביא
I
בשומא דהויא רביא
כנאפא עותריא וכנאפא שכנתהא
כורסיא לאואר מאלכא לעותריא
Note: The transcription above covers representative opening lines. Prayers II–VIII follow the formulaic pattern "In the name of the great Life. On the day when they [made/gave] [garment] to Manda d-Hayye..." The complete Mandaic text for all thirty-one prayers spans pages 232–250 of Lidzbarski's edition, which is freely accessible on Internet Archive as a public domain work (published 1920).
Source Colophon
Classical Mandaic text from: Mark Lidzbarski, ed., Mandaische Liturgien (Berlin: Weidmann, 1920), pages 232–250. The Oxford Collection (Part II of Lidzbarski's edition) draws on Bodleian manuscripts designated A and B, distinct from the Marsh 691 manuscript used for Part I. Lidzbarski notes variant readings between A and B throughout. The edition is in the public domain (published 1920, author died 1928). The Mandaic liturgical text itself is the sacred heritage of the Mandaean religious community.
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