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The Left Ginza () is one of the two parts of the
Ginza Rabba The Ginza Rabba (), Ginza Rba, or Sidra Rabba (), and formerly the Codex Nasaraeus, is the longest and the most important holy scripture of Mandaeism. The Ginza Rabba is composed of two parts: the Right Ginza (GR) and the Left Ginza (GL). T ...
, the longest and the most important holy scripture of
Mandaeism Mandaeism (Mandaic language, Classical Mandaic: ),https://qadaha.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/nhura-dictionary-mandaic-english-mandaic.pdf sometimes also known as Nasoraeanism or Sabianism, is a Gnosticism, Gnostic, Monotheism, ...
. The other part of the Ginza Rabba is the
Right Ginza The Right Ginza () is one of the two parts of the Ginza Rabba, the longest and the most important holy scripture of Mandaeism. The other part of the Ginza Rabba is the Left Ginza. Summaries of each book (or tractate), based mostly on Häberl ( ...
. As of 2024, a critical edition that includes an annotated translation of the Left Ginza is being prepared by
Bogdan Burtea Bogdan Burtea is a Romanian religious studies scholar and Semiticist currently based in Germany. His main interests are Mandaic language, Mandaic, Aramaic, and Ge'ez, Ethiopic studies. Early life and education Bogdan Burtea was born in Romania.H� ...
and . Summaries of each book (or tractate), based mostly on Häberl (2007), are provided below.Häberl, Charles G. (2007).
Introduction to the New Edition, in The Great Treasure of the Mandaeans, a new edition of J. Heinrich Petermann's Thesaurus s. Liber Magni, with a new introduction and a translation of the original preface by Charles G. Häberl
'. Gorgias Press, LLC.
Translated excerpts are from Gelbert (2011), which is mostly based on Lidzbarski (1925), while Mandaic transliterations are derived from Gelbert (2011, 2021). Opening lines of each chapter are provided below, since Mandaeans often refer to Mandaic prayers by their opening lines.


Book 1

Book 1 is a four-part prose text on the salvation process, beginning with the ascension to heaven of Seth, in advance of his father Adam (compare Sethian Gnosticism). *Chapter 1.1 is about
Adam Adam is the name given in Genesis 1–5 to the first human. Adam is the first human-being aware of God, and features as such in various belief systems (including Judaism, Christianity, Gnosticism and Islam). According to Christianity, Adam ...
and his three sons. One of Adam's sons,
Sheetil In Mandaeism, Shitil () is an uthra (angel or guardian) from the World of Light. Shitil is considered to be the Mandaean equivalent of Seth. Prayers in the Qulasta frequently contain the recurring formula, "In the name of Hibil, Šitil, and Anu ...
(
Seth Seth, in the Abrahamic religions, was the third son of Adam and Eve. The Hebrew Bible names two of his siblings (although it also states that he had others): his brothers Cain and Abel. According to , Seth was born after Abel's murder by Cain, ...
), volunteers to die before his father. 49 paragraphs in Gelbert (2011). The chapter begins with the opening lines: ::Who are the mountains that do not shake (), ::and the heavens of waters that do not change ()? *Chapter 1.2 continues the story of Adam after his soul is cast into a material body. 80 paragraphs in Gelbert (2011). 80 paragraphs in Gelbert (2011). *Chapter 1.3 is about Hawa (
Eve Eve is a figure in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. According to the origin story, "Creation myths are symbolic stories describing how the universe and its inhabitants came to be. Creation myths develop through oral traditions and there ...
) mourning the death of her husband and her encounters with the
uthra An uthra or ʿutra (, Neo-Mandaic ''oṯrɔ'', traditionally transliterated ''eutra''; plural: ʿuthrē, traditionally transliterated ''eutria'') is a "divine messenger of the light" in Mandaeism. Charles G. Häberl and James F. McGrath transl ...
s. It also describes the death of Hawa. 58 paragraphs in Gelbert (2011). * Chapter 1.4 is a detailed description of the ''
masiqta The masiqta () is a mass or ritual practiced in the Mandaean religion in order to help guide the soul ('' nišimta'') towards the World of Light in Mandaean cosmology. They are typically performed as funerary rites for Mandaeans who have just di ...
'' and the ''
maṭarta In Mandaean cosmology, a maṭarta (; plural form: ' ) is a "station" or "toll house" that is located between the World of Light (''alma ḏ-nhūra'') from Tibil (Earth). It has variously been translated as "watch-station", "toll-station", "way-s ...
'' (stations) that lie between Earth and the World of Light. 43 paragraphs in Gelbert (2011).


Book 2

Book 2, poetic, comprises 28 hymns. All of the hymns in Book 2 of the Left Ginza, in which the ''
mana Mana may refer to: Religion and mythology * Mana (Oceanian cultures), the spiritual life force energy or healing power that permeates the universe in Melanesian and Polynesian mythology * Mana (food), archaic name for manna, an edible substance m ...
'' laments that it has been cast into the physical world, begin with the following refrain: Since Mandaean priestly commentary texts often refer to hymns and prayers by their opening lines, the opening lines of each of the 28 hymns in the book are provided below. The English translations below are from Gelbert (2011), while the Mandaic transliterations are derived from Gelbert (2011, 2021). Many of the opening lines are repeated but with the individual words ordered differently; in such cases, both versions are provided and are separated by semicolons. #Who has let me dwell in the Tibil? / #Who has thrown me into the (place) of secrets and winks? / #Who has thrown me into the misery of the worlds? / #Who took me out of my treasure-house? / #A son of great radiance, a son of the lustrous glory / #I am confirmed through the goodness of my Father / #Who threw me into the misfortune of the angels? / #I went away in order to come into the world. / #Why did my appearance change? / #From Thee, my Father, I am learning / #Who has let me dwell in the bodily vestment? / #They went and brought me into the Tibil. / #Who brought me here? / #Into this world they sent him / #Arise, go the house of the Seven! / #In the reliable treasure he sits / #There is no treachery or cunning in him / #Who brought me out of the house of the Life? / #There is (something) in me from the treasure of the Life. / #I lived among the hidden fosterers. / #When did they take me into captivity / #I was in the hidden treasure-house / #Who has planted me, sent me away / #They brought me out of the house of the Great (Life) / ; I have come in order to raise the stem on high / #Who brought me away from my place? / #Here I stayed with the generations. / #Who brought me away from my place? / #Who brought me away from my place? /


Book 3

Book 3, poetic, comprises 62 hymns, several of which are identical to or based on prayers in the
Qulasta The Qulasta, also spelled Qolastā in older sources (; ), is a compilation of Mandaean prayers. The Mandaic word ''qolastā'' means "collection". The prayerbook is a collection of Mandaic prayers regarding baptisms ('' maṣbuta'') and other sa ...
. Poems in Book 3 poetically describe the
masiqta The masiqta () is a mass or ritual practiced in the Mandaean religion in order to help guide the soul ('' nišimta'') towards the World of Light in Mandaean cosmology. They are typically performed as funerary rites for Mandaeans who have just di ...
(ascension) of the soul to World of Light. They typically describe the soul (''
nišimta In Mandaeism, the nishimta ( ; plural: ) or nishma ( ) is the human soul. It is can also be considered as equivalent to the " psyche" or " ego". It is distinct from '' ruha'' ('spirit'), as well as from ''mana'' ('nous'). In Mandaeism, humans are ...
'') being taken out of the ''ʿuṣṭuna'', or "bodily trunk," and being guided by
uthra An uthra or ʿutra (, Neo-Mandaic ''oṯrɔ'', traditionally transliterated ''eutra''; plural: ʿuthrē, traditionally transliterated ''eutria'') is a "divine messenger of the light" in Mandaeism. Charles G. Häberl and James F. McGrath transl ...
s through the
matarta In Mandaean cosmology, a maṭarta (; plural form: ' ) is a "station" or "toll house" that is located between the World of Light (''alma ḏ-nhūra'') from Tibil (Earth). It has variously been translated as "watch-station", "toll-station", "way-s ...
s and past
Ruha Ruha (pronounced /ˈruːhə/) is a term with spiritual connotations found across various religious traditions. In Arabic, Ruh () signifies "spirit" or "soul" and is a fundamental concept in Islam, referring to the divine breath of life.Esposito, ...
and the Seven Planets, as well as being taken up by the right hand into the
World of Light In Mandaeism, the World of Light or Lightworld () is the primeval, transcendental world from which Tibil and the World of Darkness emerged. Description *The Great Life ('' Hayyi Rabbi'' or Supreme God/ Monad) is the ruler of the World of Ligh ...
and clothed in radiant garments of light. The
masiqta The masiqta () is a mass or ritual practiced in the Mandaean religion in order to help guide the soul ('' nišimta'') towards the World of Light in Mandaean cosmology. They are typically performed as funerary rites for Mandaeans who have just di ...
hymns in Book 3, many of which have close parallels in the
Qulasta The Qulasta, also spelled Qolastā in older sources (; ), is a compilation of Mandaean prayers. The Mandaic word ''qolastā'' means "collection". The prayerbook is a collection of Mandaic prayers regarding baptisms ('' maṣbuta'') and other sa ...
and Manichaean ''
Psalms of Thomas The ''Psalms of Thomas'' (more correctly ''Psalms of Thom'') are a set of third-century psalms found appended to the end of a Coptic Manichaean psalm book, which was in turn part of the Medinet Madi library excavated in 1929. The psalms were orig ...
'' (e.g., hymns 2-5, 7, 10, 15, 19-20, 22, 27, 41, and 43), are among the oldest Mandaic texts. Van Bladel (2017) suggests that these hymns may have a common Elchasaite source. Since Mandaean priestly commentary texts often refer to hymns and prayers by their the opening lines, the opening lines of each of the 62 hymns in the book are provided below. The English translations below are from Gelbert (2011), while the Mandaic transliterations are derived from Gelbert (2011, 2021). #After the firmament was spread out () #Provided and provisioned I am () (see Qulasta prayer 96 and ''
Psalms of Thomas The ''Psalms of Thomas'' (more correctly ''Psalms of Thom'') are a set of third-century psalms found appended to the end of a Coptic Manichaean psalm book, which was in turn part of the Medinet Madi library excavated in 1929. The psalms were orig ...
'' 13, 18) #Hail to thee, hail to thee, soul () (see Qulasta prayer 94) #Go in peace, chosen one, pure one () (see Qulasta prayer 92) #Repose and peace will prevail () (see Qulasta prayer 69) #Repose and peace prevail () #On the day on which the soul goes out (), on the day on which the perfect one ascends on high () (see Qulasta prayer 98) #On the day on which the soul goes forth (), on the day on which the perfect one ascends on high () #Between the concealment and the radiance (), and between the revelation and the hidden place () #Among the chosen ones I am the head of the well-versed () (see Qulasta prayer 93) #Let the Great (Life) be mentioned in goodness (), let the Mighty (Life) be mentioned in goodness () #How greatly I rejoice () #Faith in the Good came to me (), they say: "thou shalt go forth" (). #When the darkness was thinking, Adam departed his body () #My measure has come to an end and I am heading out (), the spirit speaks to the soul () (see ''
Psalms of Thomas The ''Psalms of Thomas'' (more correctly ''Psalms of Thom'') are a set of third-century psalms found appended to the end of a Coptic Manichaean psalm book, which was in turn part of the Medinet Madi library excavated in 1929. The psalms were orig ...
'' 2) #The soul in the fruit of the Life () #The voice of the soul of the Life I hear () #Although a child, my lifespan ended () #I am standing upon my high place (), and my eyes look upon the earthly world () (see ''
Psalms of Thomas The ''Psalms of Thomas'' (more correctly ''Psalms of Thom'') are a set of third-century psalms found appended to the end of a Coptic Manichaean psalm book, which was in turn part of the Medinet Madi library excavated in 1929. The psalms were orig ...
'' 18) #Between the concealment and the radiance (), between the light and the uthras () (see Qulasta prayer 68) #The soul is going out (); her measure is full, and her time has come (). #I am redeemed, my measure is full () (see ''
Psalms of Thomas The ''Psalms of Thomas'' (more correctly ''Psalms of Thom'') are a set of third-century psalms found appended to the end of a Coptic Manichaean psalm book, which was in turn part of the Medinet Madi library excavated in 1929. The psalms were orig ...
'' 13) #A voice called out from the heights () #I passed by the gate of the prisoners () #I have a soul in the Tibil (); she is dying and sleeping in the world; she is dying and sleeping in the world () #Whose soul is this (), who is edified and cultivated ()? #It is a sealed letter () which goes out of the world () (see Qulasta prayer 73) #I am going out from my body () #I was saved, my measure was full () #At the garden gate I passed by (), I heard the voice of the gardener (). #At the door of the house of detention (), the radiance of Sunday () passed by (). #When will my measure be full () #What do the good ones look like (), when they go out of their body ()? #Whose soul is this (), who is edified and cultivated ()? #She (the soul) spoke: They arranged me in () of the Life (). #My measure is full and I am heading out (). #As a child my lifespan ended () #The sound, the sound of a sound () #Good is the Truth for the good one () #I hear the voice of the soul () # ama mana from the house of the Great (Life) () (see ''
Psalms of Thomas The ''Psalms of Thomas'' (more correctly ''Psalms of Thom'') are a set of third-century psalms found appended to the end of a Coptic Manichaean psalm book, which was in turn part of the Medinet Madi library excavated in 1929. The psalms were orig ...
'' 13) #The soul, the soul of the Life speaks (), Who held me down in the earthly world ()? #I came to my end and am sleeping () (see Qulasta prayer 66 and ''
Psalms of Thomas The ''Psalms of Thomas'' (more correctly ''Psalms of Thom'') are a set of third-century psalms found appended to the end of a Coptic Manichaean psalm book, which was in turn part of the Medinet Madi library excavated in 1929. The psalms were orig ...
'' 6) #My measure has come to an end and I am heading out () #As a child, my lifespan ended () #The mana weeps through the generations () #The mana speaks to the generations (), I am a circlet of beryl () #I am a good one, a son of the Great (Life) I am () #A great radiance am I () #Out of a righteous place () #My soul longed for the Life () #How long hast thou been standing here ()? #I passed by the door of the prisoners () #O ye birds of the
carob The carob ( ; ''Ceratonia siliqua'') is a flowering evergreen tree or shrub in the Caesalpinioideae sub-family of the legume family, Fabaceae. It is widely cultivated for its edible fruit, which takes the form of seed pods, and as an ornam ...
trees () (see also Tree of Jiva and Atman in Hinduism) #At the construction (), at the beginning of the whole construction () #My measure has come to an end and I am heading out (), an expert () who has learnt from the watchful ones () #I hear the voice of a soul (), who is tearing herself away from the dwelling of the evil ones () #I hear the voice of a soul (), who is going out from the body of grossness () #One of children of kušṭa () #A being of radiance, I am a son of a being of radiance (), I am a being of radiance, a son of the Mighty (Life) () #Whom and whom, soul didst thou () #At the door of the house of the
Abaddon The Hebrew term Abaddon ( , meaning "destruction", "doom") and its Greek equivalent Apollyon (, ''Apollúōn'' meaning "Destroyer") appear in the Bible as both a place of destruction and an angel of the abyss. In the Hebrew Bible, ''abaddon'' ...
s (), a throne for the spirit is set up () Hymns 17 and 58 contain the following refrain: :Naked they brought me into the world (), ::and naked they take me out of it (). :Naked they take me out of it (), ::like a bird that is unaccompanied by anything (). Hymns 18, 37, and 45 all contain variations of the opening line, "As a child, my lifespan ended" (). Hymn 62 contains the refrain, "Come, fall into the vessel (''
mana Mana may refer to: Religion and mythology * Mana (Oceanian cultures), the spiritual life force energy or healing power that permeates the universe in Melanesian and Polynesian mythology * Mana (food), archaic name for manna, an edible substance m ...
'')" ().


Colophon

Book 3 of the Left Ginza is followed by a colophon. There is only one colophon in the Left Ginza, whereas the Right Ginza has six colophons.
Shlama beth Qidra Shlama beth Qidra (Šlama, daughter of Qidra, ), also known as Shalma beth Qidra, was a female Mandaean priest and scribe who was active around 200 AD. Her name is found in the colophons of Left Ginza manuscripts, which do not bear the name of ...
is the earliest Mandaean scribe named in the Left Ginza's colophon.
Zazai of Gawazta Zazai of Gawazta (Zazai ḏ-Gawazta, ; also Zazai ḏ-Gawazta bar Hawa, or Zazai of Gawazta, son of Naṭar) was a 3rd-century Mandaean priest. He is listed as the first copyist in the colophons of many Mandaean texts. Zazai of Gawazta is ment ...
( AD) is not mentioned in the Left Ginza's colophon, although he is an important figure mentioned in the
Right Ginza The Right Ginza () is one of the two parts of the Ginza Rabba, the longest and the most important holy scripture of Mandaeism. The other part of the Ginza Rabba is the Left Ginza. Summaries of each book (or tractate), based mostly on Häberl ( ...
's colophons.


External parallels


Qulasta

Several of the prayers in Drower's 1959 ''Canonical Prayerbook of the Mandaeans'' (''CP''), mostly ''
ʿniania In Mandaeism, a ʿniana or eniana (; plural form: ''ʿniania'' ) prayer is recited during rituals such as the masiqta and priest initiation ceremonies. They form part of the Qulasta. The rahma (Mandaeism), rahma prayers are often considered to be ...
'' (" responses") and
masiqta The masiqta () is a mass or ritual practiced in the Mandaean religion in order to help guide the soul ('' nišimta'') towards the World of Light in Mandaean cosmology. They are typically performed as funerary rites for Mandaeans who have just di ...
prayers, correspond to hymns in Book 3 of the Left Ginza (GL 3):


''Psalms of Thomas''

Several of the Left Ginza hymns correspond to some of the ''
Psalms of Thomas The ''Psalms of Thomas'' (more correctly ''Psalms of Thom'') are a set of third-century psalms found appended to the end of a Coptic Manichaean psalm book, which was in turn part of the Medinet Madi library excavated in 1929. The psalms were orig ...
''. Below is a comparison of Psalm of Thomas 6 and Left Ginza 3.43 (= Qulasta prayer 66).


Theodore bar Konai

Theodore bar Konai, in the ''Book of the Scholion'' ( Syriac: ''Kṯāḇā d-ʾeskoliyon''), quotes the following passage as part of the teachings of the
Kentaeans The Kentaeans were a Gnostic religious group of Mesopotamia from around the 5th century AD. They were closely related to but distinct from the Mandaeans. Historical sources The Kentaeans are mentioned near the end of Book 3 and at the beginning ...
. The passage has close parallels with much of Left Ginza 3.11.


See also

*
Ginza Rabba The Ginza Rabba (), Ginza Rba, or Sidra Rabba (), and formerly the Codex Nasaraeus, is the longest and the most important holy scripture of Mandaeism. The Ginza Rabba is composed of two parts: the Right Ginza (GR) and the Left Ginza (GL). T ...
*
Right Ginza The Right Ginza () is one of the two parts of the Ginza Rabba, the longest and the most important holy scripture of Mandaeism. The other part of the Ginza Rabba is the Left Ginza. Summaries of each book (or tractate), based mostly on Häberl ( ...
*
Book of Genesis The Book of Genesis (from Greek language, Greek ; ; ) is the first book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. Its Hebrew name is the same as its incipit, first word, (In the beginning (phrase), 'In the beginning'). Genesis purpor ...
*
Psalms The Book of Psalms ( , ; ; ; ; , in Islam also called Zabur, ), also known as the Psalter, is the first book of the third section of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) called ('Writings'), and a book of the Old Testament. The book is an anthology of B ...
*''
Bardo Thodol The ''Bardo Thodol'' (, 'Liberation through hearing during the intermediate state'), commonly known in the West as ''The Tibetan Book of the Dead'', is a terma text from a larger corpus of teachings, the ''Profound Dharma of Self-Liberation ...
'' in Tibetan Buddhism *''
Book of the Dead The ''Book of the Dead'' is the name given to an Ancient Egyptian funerary texts, ancient Egyptian funerary text generally written on papyrus and used from the beginning of the New Kingdom of Egypt, New Kingdom (around 1550 BC) to around 50 BC ...
'' in Ancient Egyptian religion *
Funerary text Funerary texts or funerary literature feature in many belief systems. Its purpose is usually to provide guidance to the newly deceased or the soon-to-be-deceased about how to survive and prosper in the afterlife. Antiquity The most famous exampl ...
*
Near-death experience A near-death experience (NDE) is a profound personal experience associated with death or impending death, which researchers describe as having similar characteristics. When positive, which the great majority are, such experiences may encompa ...
, descriptions of which often resemble the contents of the Left Ginza


Notes


References


External links


Transliterated text
(''The
Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon (CAL) is an online database containing a searchable dictionary and text corpora of Aramaic dialects. CAL includes more than 3 million lexically parsed words. The project was started in the 1980s and is currently ...
'') based on MS Paris Codex Sabéen 1 and also consults the Codex Sabéen 2 and 3 manuscripts {{DEFAULTSORT:Ginza, Left * Books about death Religion and death Funerary texts Mandaean texts