Zihrun Raza Kasia

Zihrun Raza Kasia Zihrun, the Hidden Mystery
Information
Religion	Mandaeism
Language	Mandaic language

TheŠarḥ ḏ-Zihrun Raza Kasia(Classical Mandaic:ࡔࡀࡓࡇ ࡖࡆࡉࡄࡓࡅࡍ ࡓࡀࡆࡀ ࡊࡀࡎࡉࡀ;"The Scroll of Zihrun, the Hidden Mystery" ) is aMandaean religious textthat describes rituals such as themasbuta,masiqta,and other related topics. It is an illustratedscroll.

Zihrun(referred to as Zihrun Raza Kasia or "Zihrun the Hidden Mystery" in full) is the name of anuthra.

Manuscripts and translations

An illustrated scroll was purchased byE. S. Drowerfrom Shaikh Yahia atQal'at Saleh,southern Iraq in May 1937. Today, it is held as manuscript 27 in theDrower Collectionof theBodleian LibraryatOxford University,and is commonly abbreviatedDC 27.

Bogdan Burteatranslated the DC 27 manuscript intoGermanin 2008, and also provided a detailed commentary as part of the published translation.

The scroll consists of pieces of paper that have been glued together and is approximately 691 cm long, of which 660 cm contain writing and illustrations. The scroll is about 30 cm wide, with 26 cm used for writing. There are 559 lines of writing. A scribal note in the manuscript says that the text was copied in 1088 A.H. (1677 A.D.).

Contents

The contents of the DC 27 scroll are:

• Lines 1–22: Introduction
• Lines 23–190: The baptism (masbuta) of Zihrun Raza Kasia
• Lines 231–232: Illustrations, with explanations
• Lines 191–231: Esoteric content
• Lines 232–523: Themasiqtaof Zihrun Raza Kasia
• Lines 524–559:Colophon

Themasiqtaof Zihrun Razia Kasiais performed for people who have died during one of the minormbaṭṭaldays (inauspicious days during which all rituals are forbidden), etc.

Ritual and prayer sequences

See also:Qolasta § List of prayers

Below is the ritual and prayer sequence for both theMasiqtaandMasbutaof Zihrun Raza Kasia in theŠarḥ ḏ-Zihrun Raza Kasia,as summarized in Burtea (2008).All prayer numbers, originally inRoman numerals,are from Part 1 (the Qolastā) ofMark Lidzbarski'sMandäische Liturgien(ML) unless otherwise specified (e.g., theOxford Collection,which is Part 2 of Lidzbarski'sMandäische Liturgien,or CP, which is Drower's 1959Canonical Prayerbook).

Masiqta of Zihrun Raza Kasia

Below is the ritual and prayer sequence for theMasiqta of Zihrun Raza Kasiaas given in the text:

Example of apandama,or cloth covering the mouth (left) at a 2019Parwanayafestival in Iraq

Ritual/Action	Prayers recited
rising
raising thecrown	1, 3, 5, 19
wrapping mouth covering cloth (pandama)	32
hold bottle	33
incenseinto the fire	34
recitation	75–77, 9, 35
holding thewreath	46–47
oil	48
brushing with oil 3 times	49
3 strokes	50
3 strokes	51
pause drawing	52
3 strokes	53
separate thepihtafrom the wreath
break off a piece ofpihta
mi xing water withwine
recitation	54
remove thepandama	55–56
eat thepihta
drinkingmambuha(sacramental water)
drinkinghalalta(rinsing water)
rising	56
giving a bowl	57
recitation	58–71
putting hands on thebread	72
performingkušṭa
recitation	75–77
wrappingpandama	32
holding bottle	33
putting incense into the fire	34
recitation	75–77, 9, 35
recitation for the wine	44–45
recitation for the myrtle wreath	46–47
drawing with oil	48–49
holding the bottle	91
taking the qina	91
prepare 9 pihta	masiqta of the ancestors (dabahata)
wrapping the pandama	32
holding water	33
holding incense	34
incense into the fire	75
recitation	75–77, 9, 35
taking the pihta	36
recitation	36–43
taking the wine	44
recitation	45
recitation for the myrtle wreath	46–47
taking the oil	48
spread with oil	49
recitation	50
holding back the hands	51
spreading	51
holding back the hands	52
drawing
recitation	53
3 strokes
remove the pihta from the wreath
break a piece of the pihta
mix water with wine
dip the pihta in wine
recitation	54
remove the pandama	55
eat pihta and drink wine
put incense into the fire	56
recitation	57–58
setting the table (patura)	59–60
recitation	61–69, 91–99, 70, 100
recitation	71–72
recitation	sinner,rahmia
performing kušṭa	30f. (ML 50, 10f.)
recitation	101–103, 63, 3
not honoring the crown
recitation	Oxford book 1, prayer 3
bringing the ritual table and the patura
eating and drinking water
blessing the alms container
sealing with the great seal

Summary of the prayer sequence listed above:

• 1, 3, 5, 19
• 32–34
• 75–77, 9, 35
• 46–72
• 75–77
• 32–34
• 75–77, 9, 35
• 44–49
• 91
• dabahata
• 32–34
• 75
• 75–77, 9, 35
• 36
• 36–69, 91–99, 70, 100
• 71–72
• sinner,rahmia;30f.
• 101–103, 63, 3
• 3

Masbuta of Zihrun Raza Kasia

Below is the ritual and prayer sequence for theMasbuta of Zihrun Raza Kasiaas given in the text:

Ritual preliminaries

Ritual/Action	Prayers recited
recitation	Oxford book 1, prayer 1
raising of thecrown	3, 5, 19
incense into the fire	8
honoring the crowns	quote from 71
preparation of the myrtle wreath	79
going to the river bank	80, 81
recitation	quote from 18
taking pandama	7
reciting for the incense	8
recitation	85–87, 35

Baptism in the river

Ritual/Action	Prayers recited
recitation	9–11
reciting for theturban	12
entry of the priest	13
preparation of the olivestaff	14
recitation of the exorcism prayers	15–18
entrance of the baptized
immersion,3 times
drawing, 3 times	76
3 times immersion with river water
erection of the myrtle wreath	9, 5
pronouncing the names
rising of the baptized
performingkušṭa	kušṭaheal you, and strengthen you
recitation	82
deconsecration of the river	20
ascension of the priest	21

Oil drawing

Ritual/Action	Prayers recited
recitation of the oil	22–24
performing kušṭa	kušṭa heal you, my wreath

The meal for the baptized

Ritual/Action	Prayers recited
recitation	8 prayers of the pihta
recitation for mambuha	44–45
eating pihta
drinking mambuha
performing kušṭa	kušṭa heal you
recitation of the sealing prayers	25–28
rising	29
recitation of the hymn of baptism	30
recitation of the baptismal prayers	82–90
drinking water 3 times	71
recitation	72
performing kušṭa	kušṭa heal you

Priestly meal

Ritual/Action	Prayers recited
eating pihta
drinking mambuha
recitation	59–60

Conclusion

Ritual/Action	Prayers recited
recitation	57, 72, CP 171
performingkušṭawith theašganda
recitation	63
baptism of the banner (drabša)
recitation of names (zharia)

Summary of the entire masbuta prayer sequence listed above:

• 1, 3, 5, 19
• 8
• 71
• 79–81
• 18
• 7–8
• 85–87, 35
• 9–18
• 76
• 9, 5
• 82
• 20–24
• 8pihtaprayers
• 44–45
• 25–30
• 82–90
• 71–72
• 59–60
• 57, 72, 171
• 63

See also

• Scroll of Exalted Kingship
• The Thousand and Twelve Questions
• The Baptism of Hibil Ziwa

External links

• Zihrun, das verborgene Geheimnis(in German)