Misplaced Pages

#430569

24-616: As of 2024, a critical edition that includes an annotated translation of the Left Ginza is being prepared by Bogdan Burtea and Christoph Markschies  [ de ] . Summaries of each book (or tractate), based mostly on Häberl (2007), are provided below. 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

48-509: A mana of the Great Life ( mana ana ḏ-hiia rbia ) 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

72-594: A bachelor's degree from the same university. He then became a research assistant at the Seminar for Semitic and Arabic Studies at the Free University of Berlin, which was chaired by Rainer Voigt . He obtained his doctorate in Semitic Studies at the Free University of Berlin in 2003, with his dissertation supervised by Rainer Maria Voigt  [ de ] and Kurt Rudolph . After graduation, in 2004, Burtea became

96-573: A bishop named Theodore, the nephew of the patriarch Yohannan IV (900–5), who was appointed to the diocese of Lashom in Beth Garmaï in 893, and his dating was followed by Wright. Chabot and Baum and Winkler, however, both place him at the end of the eighth century. Theodore was the author of the Scholion ( Kṯāḇā d-ʾeskoliyon ), a set of scholia on both the Old and New Testaments (edited between 1908 and 1912 by

120-438: 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). Hymns 17 and 58 contain the following refrain: Hymns 18, 37, and 45 all contain variations of

144-670: A research assistant at the Department of Islamic Studies at the University of Erfurt , where he worked on the research project "The Influence of Globalization and Regionalization Processes in the History of the Eastern Church on the Emergence, Spread and Early Development of Islam in the 6th and 7th Centuries". From 2011 to 2016, he was a research assistant at the Department of Religious Studies of

168-416: Is a comparison of Psalm of Thomas 6 and Left Ginza 3.43 (= Qulasta prayer 66 ). I was clothed, as I stood, in a robe without spot, a robe without spot, wherein there was no waning or diminution ever. The living ones passed my cry ... my care, I arose; they grasped ... me to that which ... gave to me; the light no longer ... they said to me, "Thou ... the light" ... full of light; when

192-476: 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). Book 2 , poetic, comprises 28 hymns. All of the hymns in Book 2 of the Left Ginza, in which the mana laments that it has been cast into the physical world, begin with the following refrain: I am a mana of the Great Life ( mana ana ḏ-hiia rbia ) I am

216-620: Is not mentioned in the Left Ginza's colophon, although he is an important figure mentioned in the Right Ginza 's colophons. Several of the prayers in Drower's 1959 Canonical Prayerbook of the Mandaeans ( CP ), mostly ʿniania (" responses ") and masiqta prayers, correspond to hymns in Book 3 of the Left Ginza (GL 3): Several of the Left Ginza hymns correspond to some of the Psalms of Thomas . Below

240-609: The Book of the Scholion , mentions the Mandaean uthras Abatur ( Abitur ) and Ptahil ( Ptaḥil ) (cf. Right Ginza 15.13; 18), Hamgai and Hamgagai (cf. Right Ginza 15.5), as well as Dinanukht ("Dinanus" or Dynnws ) and Diṣā (cf. Right Ginza 6). He considers the founder of Mandaeism to be a man called Ado from Adiabene . Ado's brothers are named as Šilmai , Nidbai , Bar-Ḥayye, Abi-zkā, Kušṭai , and Sethel ( Štʾyl ). Theodore writes that

264-751: The German Research Foundation (DFG). In 2017, he was a visiting scholar in the BabMed (Babylonian Medicine) research project at the Free University of Berlin. Since 2018, he has been a research associate at the Faculty of Theology of the Humboldt University of Berlin , supported by funding from the German Research Foundation . Burtea is known for his German-language translations of several Mandaean religious texts , including: Theodore bar Konai Theodore Bar Konai ( Syriac : ܬܐܕܘܪܘܣ ܒܪ ܟܘܢܝ )

SECTION 10

#1732849134431

288-610: The University of Zurich , where he worked on a research project relating to Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity that was funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation . From 2004 to 2011, he was a research assistant at the Seminar for Semitic and Arabic Studies at the Free University of Berlin , where he worked on several Mandaic textual translation projects funded by the Fritz Thyssen Foundation and

312-584: The matartas and past Ruha and the Seven Planets, as well as being taken up by the right hand into the World of Light and clothed in radiant garments of light. The masiqta hymns in Book 3, many of which have close parallels in the Qulasta and Manichaean Psalms of Thomas (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

336-527: The Tigris dries from its stream, and all the rivers dry up, and all the stream-beds are leveled, then relief will come to the souls.’ I recite hymns and go along to all the souls. When they caught sight of me, they assembled themselves and came out towards me. They assembled themselves and came out towards me, and they all greeted me. They speak: "Son of the Good One! Speak to thy Father: when will

360-451: The captives be redeemed When will the captives be redeemed and will those who are anxious be relieved?" "Before I speak to my father, I will say it to you: ... until the Euphrates dries up at its mouth and the Tigris changes its course, until all the seas dry up and all the rivers, brooks and springs have overflowed There will be relief for the souls who live here in

384-456: The celebrated scholar Addai Scher ), believed to have been written circa 792. The Scholia offer an apologetic presentation in nine chapters, similar to a catechism, of East Syrian Christianity, and contain a valuable overview, in a tenth and eleventh chapter, of heretical doctrines and non-Christian religions such as Zoroastrianism , Manichaeism , Mandaeism , and Islam , with which Theodore sharply disagreed. Theodore, c.  792 in

408-469: The darkness and the darkness was filled with light. On the day when the light ascends on high, the darkness will turn back to its place. Theodore bar Konai , c.  792 in the Book of the Scholion ( Syriac : Kṯāḇā d-ʾeskoliyon ), quotes the following passage as part of the teachings of the Kentaeans . The passage has close parallels with much of Left Ginza 3.11. I am hastening and going to

432-560: The followers of Ado's religion are known as Mandaeans or Mašknaeans in Meshan (around present-day Basra ), and as Nāṣrāye, Adonaeans (or Adoites), and Dostaeans in Bet Arāmāye (i.e., Asoristan , around Ctesiphon in central Mesopotamia). Theodore was also the author of an ecclesiastical history, a treatise against Monophysitism , a treatise against the Arianism , a colloquy between a pagan and

456-550: The house of trial (purgatory)." Bogdan Burtea Bogdan Burtea is a Romanian religious studies scholar and Semiticist currently based in Germany. His main interests are Mandaic , Aramaic , and Ethiopic studies. Bogdan Burtea was born in Romania . In 1999, Burtea obtained his Master's degree in Semitic Studies and Religious Studies, with a focus on History of Religions, at Free University of Berlin after graduating with

480-458: The individual words ordered differently; in such cases, both versions are provided and are separated by semicolons. Book 3 , poetic, comprises 62 hymns, several of which are identical to or based on prayers in the Qulasta . Poems in Book 3 poetically describe the masiqta (ascension) of the soul to World of Light. They typically describe the soul ( nišimta ) being taken out of the ʿuṣṭuna , or "bodily trunk," and being guided by uthras through

504-444: The light therefore goes to its place the darkness shall fall and not rise again henceforth. I came to my end and am sleeping in a garment, which is without a defect, in a garment in which the defects are none; no blemish nor deficiency is in it. The Life knew about me; Adam, who was sleeping, awoke. He grasped me by the palm of my right (hand) and did [not] put a palm branch ( baiin ) in my hand. He cast light into

SECTION 20

#1732849134431

528-522: The opening line, "As a child, my lifespan ended" ( ianuq šilman kʿlai ). Hymn 62 contains the refrain, "Come, fall into the vessel ( mana )" ( atun l-mana pil; atun pil l-mana ). 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 is the earliest Mandaean scribe named in the Left Ginza's colophon. Zazai of Gawazta ( fl.  270 AD)

552-457: The souls. When they saw me, they assembled before me. They greeted me a thousand times and wailed and said to me, ‘O Son of Light, go and say to our Father, "When will those in bonds be set free? When will relief come to the pained who are in pain? When will relief come to the souls who bear difficulty in Tibil?"’ I spoke and said to them, ‘When the Euphrates goes dry at its mouth, and

576-561: Was a distinguished Syriac exegete and apologist of the Church of the East who seems to have flourished at the end of the eighth century. His most famous work was a book of scholia on the Old and New Testaments. Bar Konai appears to have lived during the reign of Timothy I (780–823), Patriarch of the Church of the East , though some scholars have placed him a century later. Assemani identified him with

#430569