| In the Mandaean faith, the most important literature is the Genza Rabba, or the Ginza. This text is a collection of the history, theology and prayers of the Mandaean people. The Ginza is divided into two halves, called the Left and the Right. Coincidentally, this is reflective of the dualist nature of Mandaeanism.
Another authoritative Mandaean book is the Qolastam. This work is regarded as “The Canonical Prayer book of the Mandaeans” and was translated by E.S. Dower. The Book of John the Baptist (the Draša-d-iania) is considered to be one of the paramount books in all of Mandaean Gnosticism. The Draša-d-iania also includes dialogue between John the Baptist and Jesus.
While these books are only a small number of the books that formulate the Mandaean Library, there are several religious texts that include ritual commentaries. However, these texts are only consulted by members of the Mandaean priesthood.
The language of Mandaean texts is known as Mandaic. Mandaic is a member of the Aramaic dialect family. Today, some still speak a modernized for of Mandaic, referred to as Neo-Mandaic. |
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