Qolasta

The Qolasta is the primary liturgical prayerbook in Mandaeism. It is written in Mandaic, an Eastern Aramaic dialect.

Quotes

Drower, Ethel S. (1959). The Canonical Prayerbook of the Mandaeans. Leiden: E. J. Brill.

• I went to the jordan, but not I alone,

(for) Šilmai and Nidbai, my helpers, went with me to the jordan;

Hibil and Šitil and Anuš went with me to the jordan –

they who baptise with the great baptism of Life.

• Prayer 13 (p. 9)

• I rose up from the jordan

And I met a group of souls,

A group of souls I met,

who surrounded our father Šitil

Saying to him "By thy life, our father Šitil,

Go with us to the Jordan."!

"If I go with you to the jordan

Who will be your witness?"

(...)

"The jordan and its two banks

Will bear witness for us;

Pihta, kušṭa and mambuha

Will bear witness for us;

Habšaba (Sunday) and Kana-ḏ-Zidqa

Will bear witness for us;

The sanctuary in which we worship

Will bear witness for us;

The alms that is in our laps

Will bear witness for us;

And our father who is our head

Will bear witness for us."

• Prayer 21 (pp. 16-18)

• Good is the Good for the good,

and His nature is set upon those who love His name.

We will seek and find, speak and be heard.

We have sought and found, have spoken and been heard in thy presence,

my lord, Manda-ḏ-Hiia, Lord of all healings.

• Prayer 72 (pp. 60-61)

• Šilmai hath baptised us with his baptism,

Nidbai hath signed us with his pure sign,

The great Anuš-'uthra hath placed living wreaths on our heads.

• Prayer 85 (p. 60)

• Her Sunday, her kušṭa and her alms

Bear witness for the soul.

Ye will be her witnesses

And will pass her through at the toll-house.

• Prayer 95 (p. 98)

See also

• Ginza Rabba
• Psalms

References

• Drower, Ethel S. (1959). The Canonical Prayerbook of the Mandaeans. Leiden: E. J. Brill.

External links

• Encyclopedic article on Qolasta on Wikipedia
• Works related to Qolasta on Wikisource