Mandaean calendar

TheMandaean calendaris a 365-daysolar calendarused by theMandaean people.^[1]It consists of twelve 30-day months, with five extra days at the end ofŠumbulta(the 8th month). TheParwanaya(or Panja) festival takes place during those five days.^[2]There is no leap year therefore every four years all Mandaean dates (like beginnings of the months or festivals) move one day back with respect to theGregorian calendar.

Months[edit]

Each month (iahraoryahra^[3]^: 220) is named after a constellation (manzalta^[4]).^[2]The Mandaic names of the 12 constellations of theZodiacare derived fromAramaiccommon roots. As with theseven planets,overall the 12 constellations, frequently known as thetrisar(Classical Mandaic:ࡕࡓࡉࡎࡀࡓ,"The Twelve" ) ortrisar malwašia( "Twelve Constellations" ) inMandaean scriptures,^[5]are generally not viewed favorably in Mandaeism, since they constitute part of the entourage ofRuha,the Queen of the World of Darkness who is also their mother.^[6]

Order of month	Constellation	Written Mandaic name	Mandaic script	Modern Mandaic pronunciation^[3]
1	Aquarius	Daula	ࡃࡀࡅࡋࡀ	Dawlā
2	Pisces	Nuna	ࡍࡅࡍࡀ	Nunā
3	Aries	ʿmbra	ࡏࡌࡁࡓࡀ	Embərā
4	Taurus	Taura	ࡕࡀࡅࡓࡀ	Tawrā
5	Gemini	Ṣilmia	ࡑࡉࡋࡌࡉࡀ	Ṣelmi
6	Cancer	Sarṭana	ࡎࡀࡓࡈࡀࡍࡀ	Ṣ/Sarṭānā
7	Leo	Aria	ࡀࡓࡉࡀ	Aryā
8	Virgo	Šumbulta	ࡔࡅࡌࡁࡅࡋࡕࡀ	Šomboltā
9	Libra	Qaina	ࡒࡀࡉࡍࡀ	Qaynā
10	Scorpio	Arqba	ࡀࡓࡒࡁࡀ	Arqəwā
11	Sagittarius	Hiṭia	ࡄࡉࡈࡉࡀ	Heṭyā
12	Capricorn	Gadia	ࡂࡀࡃࡉࡀ	Gadyā

Each month consists of exactly 30 days.^[7]TheParwanayafestival comes between the 8th month (Šumbulta) and 9th month (Qaina) to make up for 5 extra days in the solar calendar.

Due to a lack of aleap yearincluded in the Mandaean calendar, dates change by one day every four years with respect to theGregorian calendar.Currently, for example in 2022 CE,Sarṭana,meaningCancer,corresponds to December / January in the Gregorian calendar, instead of June / July.

Days and hours[edit]

The hours of the day are counted starting at dawn (ṣipra),^[2]^[1]^: 75although Mandaeans formerly counted the hours of the day starting at sunset or evening (paina).^[8]In Mandaic, a 24-hour day is known as ayuma,daytime asʿumama,and nighttime aslilia.^[8]An hour is called ašaia,5 minutes is called ašuša,and a minute is called apigia.^[3]^{: 218–219}

Some days are considered to be auspicious, while others are ominous (mbaṭṭal).^[2]

The days of the week are as follows.Habšaba(Sunday) is considered to be the first day of the week.

Day of the week	English	Mandaic
1	Sunday	Habšaba (ࡄࡀࡁࡔࡀࡁࡀ)
2	Monday	Trin Habšaba
3	Tuesday	Tlata Habšaba
4	Wednesday	Arba Habšaba
5	Thursday	Hamša Habšaba
6	Friday	Yuma ḏ-Rahatia
7	Saturday	Yuma ḏ-Šafta (Shabta)

Seasons[edit]

The four seasons are as follows, with the year starting with winter.^[2]The three months of each season, given below, are also referred to in Mandaic as the beginning, middle, or end of the season.^[3]^: 17

sitwa(winter):Daula,Nuna,ʿmbra
abhar(spring):Taura,Ṣilmia,Ṣarṭana
giṭa(summer):Aria,Šumbulta,Qaina
paiz(autumn):Arqba,Hiṭia,Gadia

Years[edit]

A Mandaean year is called ašidta.^[3]^: 219

The Mandaean calendar is calculated from the year that Adam was born,^[9]or approximately 443,370 BCE.Charles G. Häberlcalculates the date 18 July 2019 CE corresponds to 1Dowla481,343 AA (AA = after the creation of Adam).^[10]The latter half of 2023 would correspond to 481,347 AA.

All Mandaean years consist of exactly 365 days (12 regular months of 30 days each, plus the 5 intercalary days of theParwanaya). Since Mandaean months do not haveleap yearsaccounted for every four years, seasons "slip back" and will not correspond to the same Gregorian months over time.^[5]

World chronology[edit]

A chronology of the world according toBook 18of theRight Ginzais as follows.^[3]^{: 269–271}

216,001 AA – first cataclysm: destruction and pestilence
372,001 AA – second cataclysm: flame and fire
472,001 AA – third cataclysm:flood
478,001 AA – founding of Jerusalem
478,401 AA – birth ofJesus(Ešu Mšiha)
479,853 AA – rise of the Arab kings
530,001 AA – green waters; final cataclysm;Bil(Jupiter) assumes the throne ofPtahil.
530,043 AA – the end of the worlds:Ur(Leviathan) devoursTibiland the planets, while "splendor and light" (ziwau-nhura) are created.

Epochs[edit]

According toBook 18of theRight Ginza,there are fourepochs(oreras;Classical Mandaic:dara^[3]^: 215) of the world, which is given a duration of 480,000 years.^[11]^[12]

Epoch ofAdam and Hawa:1st generation of humans (216,000 years; 30 generations according toRight GinzaBook 1)
Epoch ofRam and Rud:2nd generation of humans (156,000 years; 25 generations according toRight GinzaBook 1)
Epoch ofŠurbai and Šarhabʿil:3rd generation of humans (100,000 years; 15 generations according toRight GinzaBook 1)
Epoch ofNoahandhis wifeNuraita/Nhuraita (current and final epoch): 4th generation of humans (remaining years, which would be 8,000 years if taking the 480,000 years into account)

Festivals[edit]

Mandaean festivals are:^[2]^[13]

Parwanaya:Five days thatHayyi Rabbicreated the angels and the universe. The 5epagomenals(extra days) inserted at the end of every Šumbulta (the 8th month) constitute the Parwanaya intercalary feast.
Dehwa DaimanaorDehwa Daymaneh(Dihba ḏ-Yamana,Dihba Daimana,orDihba Rba ḏ-Daima): Birthday ofJohn the Baptist.Children are baptized for the first time during this festival.^[5]^: 28
Kanshiy u-Zahly:New Year's Eve
Dehwa Rabba:New Year's Day
Dehwa d-Šišlam Rabba(Classical Mandaic:ࡃࡉࡄࡁࡀ ࡖࡔࡉࡔࡋࡀࡌ ࡓࡁࡀ) orNauruzZūṭa(Classical Mandaic:ࡍࡀࡅࡓࡅࡆ ࡆࡅࡈࡀ): Little New Year, on the 6th-7th days of Daula, corresponding toEpiphanyin Christianity. The Night of Power takes place on the night of the 6th day (similar toQadr Night), during which the heavenly gates ofAbaturare open to the faithful. Priests visit Mandaean households and give them myrtle wreaths to hang on their houses for the rest of the year to protect against evil. The households also donate alms to the priests.
Dehwa Hanina(Classical Mandaic:ࡃࡉࡄࡁࡀ ࡄࡀࡍࡉࡍࡀ,romanized:Dihba Hanina) orDehwa Ṭurma(Dihba ḏ-Tirma): the Little Feast, begins on the 18th day of Taura. This holiday commemorates the ascension ofHibil Ziwafrom the underworld to the Lightworld. The feast lasts for three days. On the first day, Mandaean families visit each other and have a special breakfast of rice, yogurt, and dates. Baptisms are performed, and the dead are commemorated withlofani(ritual meals).
Ead Fel:Crushed dates with roasted sesame seeds (shoshma^[14]) are eaten.
Abū al-Harīs(Arabic:أبو الهريس) or Ashoriya, "Day of remembrance": on the 1st day of the 6th month,Sarṭana.^[3]^: 17Day of remembrance for the drowned people ofNoah's flood.Grains and cereals are eaten as part of a speciallofani.Mandaeans believe that on this day, Noah and his son Sam made the food of forgiveness of sins for the souls of those who died in the flood. The food of forgiveness consists of seven grains representing the seven days of the week, and from the grounding of these seven grains came the name Abu Al-Harees. (SeeAshureor Noah's pudding.)

Example calendar[edit]

Below is an example of a calendar year for the Mandaean year 445375, which corresponds to theGregorian calendaryears 2005–2006 orJewish calendaryear 5766 (Gelbert 2005: 274).^[7]Fasting (Classical Mandaic:ࡑࡀࡅࡌࡀ,romanized:ṣauma^[5]) is practiced on some days.

No.	Mandaean month	Gregorian month	Festival(s)
1	Dowla	July / August	1st and 2nd day of Dowla: the New Year –Dehwa Rabba 6th and 7th day of Dowla: festival ofŠišlam Rabba(festival of trees). Eating meat, fish and eggs is not permitted.
2	Nuna	August / September	25th of Nuna: light fasting
3	Ambero	September / October
4	Towra	October / November	1st of Toura: Memorial Day (Ead Fel) 2nd, 3rd, and 4th of Toura: light fasting 18th of Towra:Dehwa Hanina(celebration of the completed creation)
5	Selmi	November / December
6	Saratana	December / January	1st of Saratana: Noah returned to dry land (Ashoriya) 9th of Saratana: light fasting 15th of Saratana: light fasting 23rd of Saratana: light fasting
7	Aria	January / February
8	Shumbolta	February / March	From 26th to 30th of Shumbolta: full fasting
(Panja)	(Panja)		Panja orParwanaya– 5intercalary days:days of remembrance (or "days without night" ). Single and group baptizing (masbuta) is permitted. Eating bread with yeast is not allowed.
9	Qina	March / April	1st of Qina: light fasting
10	Arqwa	April / May
11	Heṭia	May / June	1st of Heṭia:Dehwa Daimana(birthday ofYehya Yehanna).
12	Gadia	June / July	28th and 29th of Gadia: light fasting 30th of Gadia (New Year's Eve):Kanshiy u-Zahly(cleaning and washing the whole household, baptism and buying new clothes). At sunset, Mandaeans will close their doors and stay inside for 36 hours to commemorate the assembly of the angels in heaven.

Below are some Mandaean holiday dates for 2024:^[15]

March 13-17 –Parwanaya
May 17 –Dehwa Daymaneh
July 15 –Kanshiy u-Zahly
July 16 –Dehwa Rabba
October 14 – Ead Fel
October 31 –Dehwa Hanina
December 13 – Ashoriya (Abu al-Haris)

Calendar makers[edit]

Dakhil Shooshtary,an Iranian-American Mandaean, was known for making Mandaean calendars.^[16]^: xxxii

References[edit]

^^a ^bDrower, Ethel Stefana.The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran.Oxford At The Clarendon Press, 1937.
^^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^fAldihisi, Sabah (2008).The story of creation in the Mandaean holy book in the Ginza Rba(PhD). University College London.
^^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^hHäberl, Charles (2022).The Book of Kings and the Explanations of This World: A Universal History from the Late Sasanian Empire.Liverpool: Liverpool University Press.ISBN 978-1-80085-627-1.
^Häberl, Charles G. (Spring 2017). "The Origin and Meaning of Mandaic".Journal of Semitic Studies.62(1). Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/jss/fg?000.
^^a ^b ^c ^dNasoraia, Brikha H.S.(2021).The Mandaean gnostic religion: worship practice and deep thought.New Delhi: Sterling.ISBN 978-81-950824-1-4.OCLC 1272858968.
^Bhayro, Siam (2020-02-10).Cosmology in Mandaean Texts.Brill. pp. 572–579.doi:10.1163/9789004400566_046.Retrieved2021-09-03.
^^a ^bGelbert, Carlos (2005).The Mandaeans and the Jews.Edensor Park, NSW: Living Water Books.ISBN 0-9580346-2-1.OCLC 68208613.
^^a ^bHäberl, Charles (2021-01-07). "The Mandaean Day".Academia Letters.doi:10.20935/al122.
^Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2002).The Mandaeans: ancient texts and modern people.New York: Oxford University Press.ISBN 0-19-515385-5.OCLC 65198443.
^Charles G. Häberl (13 January 2021). "Of Calendars—and Kings—and Why the Winter is Boiling Hot".Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society.31:535-544.
^Lidzbarski, Mark (1925).Ginza: Der Schatz oder Das große Buch der Mandäer.Göttingen: Vandenhoek & Ruprecht.
^Gelbert, Carlos (2011).Ginza Rba.Sydney: Living Water Books.ISBN 9780958034630.
^"Mandaean Calendar".Mandaean Synod of Australia.Retrieved3 November2021.
^"Sydney 2014 Masbuta 08: Shoshma (Sesame)".The Worlds of Mandaean Priests.2014-03-01.Retrieved2023-12-16.
^"Universal Calendar Project".Universal Calendar Project.2024-03-18.Retrieved2024-03-18.
^Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2023).1800 Years of Encounters with Mandaeans.Gorgias Mandaean Studies. Vol. 5. Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press.ISBN 978-1-4632-4132-2.ISSN 1935-441X.

External links[edit]

Mandaean calendarfrom the Mandaean Synod of Australia

[auto2-1] Drower, Ethel Stefana.The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran.Oxford At The Clarendon Press, 1937.

[Aldihisi_2008-2] Aldihisi, Sabah (2008).The story of creation in the Mandaean holy book in the Ginza Rba(PhD). University College London.

[Häberl_2022-3] ^^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^hHäberl, Charles (2022).The Book of Kings and the Explanations of This World: A Universal History from the Late Sasanian Empire.Liverpool: Liverpool University Press.ISBN 978-1-80085-627-1.

[Haberl_2017-4] Häberl, Charles G. (Spring 2017). "The Origin and Meaning of Mandaic".Journal of Semitic Studies.62(1). Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/jss/fg?000.

[Nasoraia_2021-5] Nasoraia, Brikha H.S.(2021).The Mandaean gnostic religion: worship practice and deep thought.New Delhi: Sterling.ISBN 978-81-950824-1-4.OCLC 1272858968.

[Bhayro_2020-6] Bhayro, Siam (2020-02-10).Cosmology in Mandaean Texts.Brill. pp. 572–579.doi:10.1163/9789004400566_046.Retrieved2021-09-03.

[Gelbert_2005-7] Gelbert, Carlos (2005).The Mandaeans and the Jews.Edensor Park, NSW: Living Water Books.ISBN 0-9580346-2-1.OCLC 68208613.

[Häberl_2021-8] Häberl, Charles (2021-01-07). "The Mandaean Day".Academia Letters.doi:10.20935/al122.

[Buckley_2002-9] Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2002).The Mandaeans: ancient texts and modern people.New York: Oxford University Press.ISBN 0-19-515385-5.OCLC 65198443.

[10] Charles G. Häberl (13 January 2021). "Of Calendars—and Kings—and Why the Winter is Boiling Hot".Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society.31:535-544.

[GR_Lidzbarski-11] Lidzbarski, Mark (1925).Ginza: Der Schatz oder Das große Buch der Mandäer.Göttingen: Vandenhoek & Ruprecht.

[GR_Gelbert-12] Gelbert, Carlos (2011).Ginza Rba.Sydney: Living Water Books.ISBN 9780958034630.

[13] "Mandaean Calendar".Mandaean Synod of Australia.Retrieved3 November2021.

[14] "Sydney 2014 Masbuta 08: Shoshma (Sesame)".The Worlds of Mandaean Priests.2014-03-01.Retrieved2023-12-16.

[15] "Universal Calendar Project".Universal Calendar Project.2024-03-18.Retrieved2024-03-18.

[Buckley_2023-16] Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2023).1800 Years of Encounters with Mandaeans.Gorgias Mandaean Studies. Vol. 5. Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press.ISBN 978-1-4632-4132-2.ISSN 1935-441X.

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