A tarmida (singular form in , plural form in ; ; ; ) is a junior priest in Mandaeism. Ganzibras, or head priests, rank above tarmidas.Drower, E. S. 1960. The Secret Adam: A Study of Nasoraean Gnosis. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Etymology Häberl (2022) considers the Mandaic word tarmida to be a borrowing from Hebrew talmid ().
Ordination
Tarmida initiates or novices ( ) can come from any "pure" family. In other words, the families must be ritually pure, meaning that there are no family members who have committed grave sins. Ritually pure laymen are also known as hallali in Mandaic. Typically, the novices have been trained as ritual assistants (šganda or ašganda) when they were children. Initiates may or may not be married, although typically they are not yet married.
In order to be ordained as a tarmida, the initiate ( ) must go through a complex series of initiation rituals lasting 68 days. Various rituals are performed by the initiator priest ( ), who recites from priestly esoteric texts such as The Coronation of the Great Shishlam (),Drower, E. S. 1962. The Coronation of the Great Šišlam: Being a Description of the Rite of the Coronation of a Mandaean Priest according to the ancient Canon. Leiden: Brill. the Scroll of Exalted Kingship (), The Great Supreme World (),Drower, E. S. 1963. A Pair of Naṣoraean Commentaries: Two Priestly Documents, the Great First World and the Lesser First World. Leiden: Brill. and the Qulasta. Ritual helpers (šganda or ), who represent emissaries from the World of Light, also help perform the rituals, many of which are held in a specially constructed priest initiation hut (škinta) and also a nearby temporary reed hut (andiruna).
Stages For the first 7 of the 68 days, both the novice and the initiator stay in the škinta without sleeping. This period is concluded by the novice baptizing the initiator. Next, the novice goes through 60 days of seclusion, maintains his ritual purity, and cooks his own food. Only the šganda, who visits everyday to exchange kušṭa, is allowed to come in contact with the novice. 180 rahmas (devotional prayers) are recited during these 60 days, with 60 prayers each meant for the soul, spirit, and body (hence 3 sets of 60) as the Coronation text explains. After the 60 days of seclusion are over, additional rituals are performed with priests, including a zidqa brikha (blessed oblation; ) ritual meal. Finally, the novice baptizes his initiator again, and the 68-day ordination ceremony is complete.
Prayer sequence
Below is the sequence of Qulasta prayer numbers for the tarmida initiation according to both the Coronation and Exalted Kingship. Exalted Kingship contains more detailed descriptions of the rituals, while the Coronation is shorter. During the prayers, pihta (sacramental bread) and mambuha (sacramental water) are also consumed. Ritual handclasps (kušṭa) are often exchanged between the novice and the initiator, and sometimes also with the ritual assistant (šganda). Various names of the deceased (zhara ) are also uttered along with the prayers.
Initiation begins
Coronation Exalted Kingship 323 323 1–103 (novice’s recital in škinta) 1–103 324–327 (coronation prayers) 324–327 3, 5, 19 3, 5, 19 79, 81 79, 80, 81
Preparation for baptizing novice
Coronation Exalted Kingship 1, 3, 5, 19 1, 3, 5, 19 32 32 8, 34 (incense prayers) 8, 34 75–77 75–77 35 (with zharas) 35
Baptism of novice begins
Coronation Exalted Kingship 10–13 18 414 19 1st kušṭa 82 20–24 2nd kušṭa 36–45 (pihta and mambuha) 3rd kušṭa 25–28 (sealing prayers) 29, 30, 83–86, 88, 90 71–72 (1st concurrence) 4th kušṭa 18, 109 (rahmas [devotions]) 58 (with zhara) 58 65 65 168–169 168–169 71–72 71–72 (2nd concurrence) 36–45 (pihta and mambuha) 59–60 59–60 31, 8 31, 8 72 72 171 mqaimitun ["be raised up!"] (repeated 61 times) mqaimitun ["be raised up!"] 80 80 kušṭa with šganda 5th kušṭa 63 (masiqta oil) 63 178 178 1, 3, 9, 15 344–345 233–256 (kḏ azil24 prayers called kḏ azil bhira dakia ("When the proven, pure one went"), which describe and praise the new priest, now included among his fellow uthras.) 233–256 330–347 (drabša prayers)
The Coronation contains 3 sets of prayers during the final part of the ritual that are not listed in Exalted Kingship.
Novice crowned
Coronation Exalted Kingship 1, 3, 5, 19 1, 3, 5, 19 35, 9 35, 9 15–17 15–17 25–28 (haṭamtas [sealing prayers]) 25–28
Hamra ceremony
Coronation Exalted Kingship 180–199 180–199 305–321 (antiphons) 305–321
Cult hut (škinta) period begins
Coronation Exalted Kingship 72, 31, 8, 94, 63, kḏ azil 106–108 106–108 1, 3, 5, 19 1, 3, 5, 19 8, 34 8 165–169 113 (a Sunday prayer) 113 114–117 114–116 77, 9, 35 77, 9, 35 15–17 15–17 25–28 25–28 58, 65 58, 65 119–122 165–169 165 71–72 71–72 (3rd concurrence) 36–45 36–45 59–60 59–60 72 72 171 80 80 kušṭa kušṭa
Prayers 34 and 119–122 (first 4 Sunday rahma prayers) are included in the Coronation, but not Exalted Kingship.
Gallery The gallery below contains images of a tarmida initiation held in Baghdad in 2008.Yuhana Nashmi, "Initiation of a Priest (Slideshow)." The Worlds of Mandaean Priests. Accessed February 23, 2022.
See also Mandaean priest List of Mandaean priests Rishama Ganzibra
References
External links
The Worlds of Mandaean Priests Initiation of a Priest (Slideshow)