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Three Mandaean Phylacteries
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 March 2011
Extract
The following three qmahia are all inscribed on a long, narrow slip of yellowed Persian paper originally kept in a metal tube and worn by the owner. It is number 33 of my collection. The list of copiers together with their genealogies which usually ends such documents is missing and the writing is poor. The scribe makes mistakes, for instance, being unfamiliar with the word lilipiatha he writes at first “liliatha piamana” (nonsense), then several times “liliatha”, but becoming convinced at last that he is mistaken, he transcribes thereafter lilipiatha as written in the roll from which he copied. He occasionally omits a word though it is obvious that he intended to write it. In such cases I have inserted what is missing in brackets. Another peculiarity is that the laqab or worldly name of the person for whom the phylactery was written is given as well as the religious or magical name. In most magic documents the latter alone is given. From the laqab, Shabur br Dahba, it may be deduced that the owner was of the Iranian group of Mandæans who dwell on the banks of the Karun River.
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References
page 401 note 1 The himiana is the sacred girdle, the ksuiia is the sacred shirt. These are worn on all religious occasions.
page 402 note 1 The himiana is the sacred girdle, the ksuiiais the sacred shirt. These are worn on all religious occasions.
page 402 note 2 Qurahia. The word occurs frequently in exorcisms in lists of protective pieces of armour.
page 402 note 3 'Uṣṭuna, literally “column” or “support” is used in Mandaic as synonymous with “body”, particularly the lower part of the body.
page 402 note 4 'Uṣṭamumia. Occurs in lists of weapons, and appears to be synonymous with giria shmimia (poisoned arrows). The thickening of the “t” of the ethpael after ṣ and s is a common occurrence, according to Nöldeke. The root is of course 
“to poison”, the ṣ thickening to ṣ and the t to ṭ. Huṣṭamumia and 'uṣṭimimia, however, which occur in the Sfar Malwasha, come from 
(to be pressed together, restrained), e.g. dahil mn hizda umn 'uṣṭamumia d asqh “he fears shame and bonds of restraint imposed upon him.”
page 402 note 5 The root is kht, not found elsewhere. The E. Syr. word for a stony place, chihta (meaning “difficult to walk on” ?) occurs to one, so my translation is tentative.
page 402 note 6 Banh. One would expect Ibanh, or lbinianh. I suspect miscopying.
page 403 note 1 Yawar Ziwa is one of the great redeeming spirits.
page 403 note 2 The soul of man is sometimes represented as coming from the water of the heavenly river Frat Ziwa.
page 403 note 3 akla means both “hammer” and “consuming ray of light”.
page 403 note 4 I suspect that this curious negative phrase was originally 'da d 'lawai 'da d hilfa hlif “the hand upon me is of one who makes great redemption.”
page 403 note 5 An angel is usually an evil being, but here plainly good.
page 404 note 1 As indicated in the prefatory note, this should be lilipiatha. I have not met the word elsewhere. The root must be LAF “to bind together” (the doubling of the first syllable is not uncommon in Mandaic), hence the meaning might be “fasces”, or “bundles of twigs woven together to form a weapon” ?
page 404 note 2 garṭufiatha. Parel of gṭf “to cut”. “Knives” ? “Scissors” ?
page 404 note 3 It will be noticed that the first magic figure (p. 400) is here represented as entering a triple square in the second figure. It is probably a phallic symbol.
page 404 note 4 Pir Piran. Pira is a fruit, and root PRA is “to produce, bear fruit”. Pirun Malka is the name of a fertility spirit which has become confused in Mandsean legend with Pharaoh, hence, probably, the adoption of Pharaoh legends into the Mandæan group.
page 404 note 5 I cannot suggest a meaning for Ṭaiial (= Ṭai'il ?—the suffix 'il indicates a good genius or spirit). The root TRQ (= DRQ ?) seems to mean “to thrust”.
page 404 note 6 The 'l is superfluous.
page 404 note 7 Gimra. See Lidzbarski's, note on this word, Mandäische Liturgien (Berlin, 1920), p. 23, note 3Google Scholar. I translate “perfection” but this is usually gmura, or gumra.
page 405 note 1 Cf. arqa shnat mn sadanh ushumia shnat mn gargilia, “the earth was removed from its axis and the skies removed from the spheres” (Bit Mishqal Ainia). A Mandæan Phylactery, Iraq, vol. v, pt. 1, 1938, British School of Archæology in Iraq).
page 405 note 2 Usually marksabatha dshuba 'star. Ruhbaihun is “their knees”, but the meaning is clear.
page 405 note 3 nsh to pour, pour into.
page 405 note 4 See above, p. 404, note 7.
page 405 note 6 See my The Mandæans of Iraq and Iran, pp. 10–13.
page 405 note 6 dinish. The dinish or danish is often found in lists of demons. Rt. DUSH “to trample” ?).
page 405 note 7 It will be noticed that the north is not mentioned, for the north is the abode of good spirits, not evil.
page 406 note 1 afkin “twist”. Here, “in travail.” Cf. the Arabic use of the root 
for “to be in labour”, “to be pregnant”.
page 406 note 2 See above, p. 405, note 6.
page 406 note 3 The word is misspelt by the scribe, who has written in a d beneath the word. Sarwadta “night-terror,” often occurs in exorcisms.
page 406 note 4 Phylacteries are usually read aloud by the exorcist over a bowl of water in which freshly placed greenery has been placed. The cylinder of iron probably refers to the amulet-case into which the phylactery is to be placed so that it can be worn on the person.