The Origin and History of the Mandaean Language
Lets us begin with the Mandaean language today at the end of this century and work backwards.
1900’s
The Mandaean Language spoken today is referred to as Modern Mandaic. The language is limited to that of the priest hood, although there still are a few laymen today who speak the language. This author has heard reports from both Iraq and Iran of a re-emergence in the learning and teaching of the language. In both cases there are schools being run where there is an interest from the local people to learn.
Modern Mandaic, although contaminated with foreign elements, can be considered the final stage in the development of the classical Mandaic in the areas of phonetical and morphological. The date of just when Modern Mandaic came in to being is undetermined. It can be sure that in the oldest known copy of Mandaean literature there is a wedding formula already composed in a form of Modern Mandaic. This literature is date at 1529/1530 AD. The wedding formula according to Macuch is centuries older than the dated literature.
The pronunciation of a dead language and words with forgotten meanings is certainly a large stumbling block in the study of Mandaic. The vernacular is a language spoken with out hesitation and sure of its phonetic forms. It is in tradition that the strength of the classical language is preserved. If it were not for he priest having to memorize the Book of Souls along with other texts from the most ancient in the Mandaean language. It is the rhythm of this memorization that helped to retain the pronunciation and accentuation. Without this memorization classical Mandaic pronunciation might have been impossible to decipher. The main problem crops up when the priests are asked to read books, which they have not committed to memory. Then the pronunciation is difficult and less reliable.
Modern Mandaic can also be divided into two sub sects—the language spoken by the priest and the language spoken by the laymen. Although much of the language is the same there are differences in specific words used and in the pronunciation.
In 1953 Rudolph Macuch visited Ahwaz in Iran where he discovered an unknown dialect of the Mandaic. This dialect, spoken by the Mandaean laymen in Khuzistan. Maucuh viewed this dialect as a form much closer to the original classical Mandaic.
1800’s
In the early 1800’s the Mandaeans suffered a terrible devastation that could have doomed the language as well as the religion and culture. A cholera epidemic spread like wildfire throughout the Mandaean priesthood. The last of the ancient priest hood- a nasiruta die in 1831. It was up to the remaining sons of the priests to being anew. These sons took it upon themselves to baptize each other to the status of priest. If it weren’t for this act—there would have been no Mandaeans for Drower to study in the early 1900’s.
1600’s
The Mandaean language first became known to the west when the Portuguese sent missionaries to the area and brought back the first of many books to be opened to western eyes. These missionaries arrived in Iraq in the 17th century. They called the Mandaeans “Christians of St. john” or Christiani di San Giovanni. In 1652, Ignatius a Jesu brought the first Mandaean literature (the Diwan Abatur) to Europe. It might be of interest to the reader that the first reference to the Mandaean in western books was in 1560 and by the lates1800’s literally dozens and dozens of books either mention or deal with the Mandaeans.
700's
The Syrian theologian Theodore Bar Konai includes sections of the Ginza in his book Scholion (Book of the Schools) in his description of the Mandaeans or Dostaeans.
600's
This period is known as the PostClassical Mandaic. There is evidence that there is still the classical Mandaic being spoken but already the written literature show the introduction of Arab words and Islamic influences. The Ginza was once again redacted during this time. The Book of John and the Book of the Zodiac are first put into the written form, as we know them today.
639
The copyist Ramuai son of Qaimat from the Tib lived. He copied the Qolasta along with other scrolls. He says in the Qolasta that he has collected the Mandaean writings including the Qolasta into a scroll called the "Great Wellspring" His writings are considered Post Classical because of the addition of the Arab words and Islamic references.
600 - 639
Sometime during this period, before the Islamic invasion, another copyist by the name of Asganda son of Yasmin lived. He is from Tib also and was the copyist on the Qolasta.
400 to 500's
Clay bowls, used for the purpose of protection against evil mark this period of time. A majority of these bowls are considered pre-Islamic because there is no mention of Islam or addition of Arab words. These bowls also show no anti-Christian verses that, which a period before intense Christian influence.
200's
Mani is born and begins his religion of Manichaeanism--Mani may have been a Mandaean or at least influenced by the Mandaeans for it was said he father was an el-Mughtasilah. Save-Soderberg showed how sections of the Ginza LEFT SIDE (in particular the mastiqta texts) were used in the creation of Mani's new religion. Proof of this was found in the Coptic Gospel of Thomas--Thomas was the first disciple to Mani. It is regarded that Thomas was in contact with the Mandaeans sometime before his visit to Judea.
275 AD
There is an inscription, called the Kaftir inscription at Naqsh-I-Rustam in which the Pahlavi wrtting using Parsik characters mentions the religious groups that were persecuted during the early Sassanian period.
"…and Jews (YHWD-y) and Buddhist monks (SMN-y?) …and Brahmins (BRMN-y)….and Nazarenes (N'C=SL=R'-y) and Christians (KL=RSTYDAN)…and MKTKY-y …and Zandik (ZNDYK-y) within the empire were driven out."
If the group Nazarenes is the Mandaeans--it lends proof to the name Nazarenes before Mandaeans. Also it shows the Mandaeans were in the area when the Sassanians under the time of Shapur were persecutions people (241 to 272 A.D)
272 AD
This is the date associated with the earliest Mandaean copyist named Zazai d-Gawazta, son of Hawa. He is the earliest copyist on the following: The Thousand and Twelve Questions, Alma Risaia Zuta, Diwan Masbuta d-Hibil Ziwa, Qolasta, and he is mention in the Abahatan Qadmaiia
81 BC –224 AD
Kingdom of Elymais existed in which there is a form of script copied from the Mandaic. This form is called Elymaean and is considered by Macuch to be a late form of Mandaic instead of an earlier form. The main writing comes from a few inscriptions found in Khuzistan at Tang-e Sarvak and the Shimbar Valley.
129 BC 111 AD
The kingdom of Mesen or Characenia was in existence. There is also a form of Mandaic used called Characenian. This is also considered by Macuch to be a later form of Mandaic. The writing from this kingdom is known only through coins.
What we know is that when the Mandaeans left the Palestine area---before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD---they brought when them a language and a religion that was complete. The theology that exists in the books copied by Zazai d-Gawazta is complex, contradictory, combination of various religious ideas, thus showing a religion of some age rather than a new religion made up in the 3rd century by one man. Also the fact that the classical Mandaic is a fully functional language both written and spoken cannot be created in just a short time upon the arrival of the Mandaeans in the Mesopotamian area. We know that the Mandaic language is based on Nabatean script (the Nabateans were next door to Palestine) and is of the Eastern Aramaic branch, which includes the Babylonian Talmud. So where does this take us only to the beginning and the theories on where the Mandaeans come from and on what is the religion based on or influenced from? But that is a whole another paper…..
