Qulasta

The Qulasta is a book of many prayers.

The name means "collection." It has many special songs for people. Some prayers are for weddings. Other prayers are for baptisms. The book can have many different prayers inside. Some versions have about 340 prayers. Some versions have more. These prayers are very old. People have used them for a long time. It is a special book for a faith.

The Qulasta is a special book of prayers. In the Mandaic language, its name means "collection."

This book is used by the Mandaean people. It contains many different types of prayers. Some are for baptisms. Others are for weddings or for new priests. Some prayers help with the journey of the soul.

There is no single version of the Qulasta. Different books may have a different number of prayers. Some versions have about 340 prayers. Other versions have more. Scholars have studied many old copies. One famous version was translated by E. S. Drower in 1959. It contains 414 prayers.

These prayers are very old. Some thinkers believe they were written a long time ago. They might date back to the first or third centuries. A scribe named Nukraya once copied the text. He used at least seven old manuscripts to do his work. This shows that these holy texts were kept in many places. Even people from other faiths had these books in their libraries.

The Qulasta is a very important collection of Mandaean prayers. In the Mandaic language, the word qolastā simply means a "collection."

This book is used by the Mandaean people for many sacred rituals. Some prayers are for baptisms, which are called maṣbuta. Other prayers are for the masiqta, which is the journey of the soul. People also use it for weddings and for making new priests. There is no single standard version of this prayerbook. Because of this, different books can have different numbers of prayers.

One complete version might have about 340 prayers.

Different scholars have studied these prayers in many ways. The way the prayers are organized can change between versions. For example, Mark Lidzbarski published a German translation in 1920. His version included a special part called the Oxford Collection. This collection had 132 prayers divided into four parts. These parts included devotional prayers for different days of the week. There were also prayers for marriage and for carrying a banner. Another famous version was translated by E. S. Drower in 1959. His version, called the Canonical Prayerbook, contains 414 prayers.

Finding out when the Qulasta was first made is a big mystery. Many thinkers debate the exact date of the text. Some believe it was written as early as the first century. Others think it might date to the second or third centuries. A scholar named Torgny Säve-Söderbergh suggested it is very old. He thought some parts were used by the Manichaeans before the 3rd century. However, another scholar named Kevin van Bladel has a different idea. He thinks the text might be newer because it mentions Arab armies.

We know a lot about the history of these manuscripts. A scribe named Nukraya lived during the early Islamic period. He wrote that he copied the text using seven different manuscripts. One of these manuscripts came from a library of "a People of the Book." Another came from a Byzantine Christian town. This tells us that Mandaean texts were kept in many different places. In 1867, Julius Euting published a printed Mandaic version. Later, Carlos Gelbert translated many prayers into Arabic in 2002. In 2025, he and Mark J. Lofts published a full English translation.

Learning about the Qulasta helps us understand Mandaean traditions. The book connects many parts of life through prayer. It covers daily life, like prayers for every day of the week. It also covers big life changes, like marriage or becoming a priest. Some prayers are even used for special ceremonies like the tarmida.

By looking at these old writings, we see how people express their faith. The Qulasta remains a central part of their sacred life. It shows how people have kept their traditions alive for a long time.

The Qulasta is a vital compilation of Mandaean prayers. In the Mandaic language, the term *qolastā* literally means a "collection."

This sacred text serves as a guide for various religious rituals. It contains prayers for *maṣbuta*, which refers to baptisms. It also includes prayers for the *masiqta*, the ritual process for the soul's ascension. Beyond these, the collection covers life events like marriage and the initiation of priests. Because there is no single standardized version, different manuscripts contain different numbers and orders of prayers. Most complete versions include approximately 340 unique prayers.

The structure of the Qulasta varies significantly depending on the specific manuscript or translation used. For example, the German translation by Mark Lidzbarski from 1920 includes a section called the Oxford Collection. This collection consists of 132 prayers divided into four distinct parts. The first part contains *rahmia*, or devotional prayers, organized by the days of the week. The second part focuses on *qabin*, or marriage prayers. The third part includes a series of prayers for a new priest. The fourth part contains *drabsha* prayers, which involve the use of sacred banners.

Other versions, such as the 1959 English translation by E. S. Drower, offer a different organization. Drower's version is often called the Canonical Prayerbook, or CP. It contains 414 prayers categorized into several major sections. The first section is the *Sidra ḏ-Nišmata*, also known as the Book of Souls. This section includes the baptismal liturgy and the *masiqta* liturgy. Other sections in the CP include the *rahmia* for daily devotions and *hadaiata* hymns for marriage. The collection even includes specific prayers for the *drabša* banners and the *zidqa brikha*, or blessed oblation.

Determining the exact age of the Qulasta is a subject of intense scholarly debate. Some historians believe the text was conceived during the first century. Others suggest the authorship dates to the second or third centuries. A study of the text's colophons, which are notes added by scribes, suggests a date no later than the third century. The scholar Torgny Säve-Söderbergh argued that the text is very old. He proposed that Manichaean psalms were actually translations of Mandaean prayers. This would place much of the Qulasta before the third century and before the life of Mani.

However, other scholars provide different perspectives on this timeline. Kevin van Bladel suggests that the material shared with Manichaean texts might come from a common, older source. He notes that the current form of the text likely appeared after the early Muslim conquests. This is because the Qulasta contains references to the advancement of Arab armies. These historical details help researchers trace how the text evolved over time. The debate highlights how difficult it is to date ancient religious literature.

We gain important historical clues from the scribes who preserved these texts. A scribe named Nukraya, active during the early Islamic period, left a significant record. He noted that he copied his version of the Qulasta by consulting at least seven different manuscripts, or *ṭupsia*. Interestingly, one manuscript came from a library belonging to "a People of the Book." Another originated from a Byzantine Christian town.

This evidence shows that Mandaean liturgical texts were stored in non-Mandaean libraries.

Modern scholars continue to translate and study the Qulasta to preserve its meaning. Julius Euting published a printed Mandaic version in 1867. Carlos Gelbert translated many of the prayers into Arabic in 2002. In 2025, Gelbert and Mark J. Lofts released a full English translation. These works allow for a deeper understanding of Mandaean belief systems. By studying these prayers, researchers can see how faith is expressed through ritual. The Qulasta remains a central pillar of Mandaean religious life and history.