Archive Notes
This text is taken from: The Haran Gawaita and the Baptism of Hibil-Ziwa: The Mandaic Text Reproduced Together with Translation, Notes, and Commentary by
E. S. Drower (Citta del Vaticano, 1953). This important source is long out of print and now very difficult to find. (The text verion presented here does not include the original footnotes that helped amplify the text.)
A complete scanned pdf copy of the original volume is also available in our library.
The Haran Gawaitha
The Haran Gawaita and the Baptism of Hibil-Ziwa:
The Mandaic Text Reproduced Together with Translation, Notes, and Commentary
translated and edited by
E. S. Drower
My Lord be praised. In the name of the Great Life, healing, vindication, health,
soundness, speaking and hearing, joy of heart and forgiving of sins be there for me, Zakia
Zihrun son of S'adia, and for my offspring and brothers (and sisters), and for my parents,
in the strength of Yawar Ziwa and Simat-Hiia!. Finis.
... and Haran Gawaita receiveth him and that city in which there were Nasoraeans,
because there was no road for the Jewish rulers. Over them was King Ardban . And sixty
thousand Nasoraeans abandoned the Sign of the Seven and entered the Median hills , a place
where we were free from domination by all other races. And they built cult-huts (bimandia)
and abode in the Call of the Life and in the strength of the high King of Light until they
came to their end . And they loved the Lord, that is, Adonai , until in the House of
Israel there was created something which was not placed in the womb of Mary , a daughter
of Moses. It was hidden in her womb for nine months and bewitched her until the nine
months were fulfilled and she was in labour and brought forth a messiah.
.. and he called the people to himself and spoke of his death and took away some of
mysteries of the (Sacred?) Meal and abstained from the Food. And he took to himself a
people and was called by the name of the False Messiah. And he perverted them all and made
them like himself who perverted words of life and changed them into darkness and even
perverted those accounted Mine. And he overturned all the rites. And he and his brother
dwell on Mount Sinai, and he joineth all races to him, and perverteth and joineth to
himself a people, and they are called Christians.
... and from Nisrat (Nazareth), a city of the Jews, which is called the city of Qum ...
... because it is a shrine ; for Mercury founded a community in Qum, and Saturn founded
a community in Sinai... ... (Jews were settled) in the Arab region which is called Basra,
which is (also) called Sufat-Zaba ...
... one. The First Life conceived a plan for gaining a grasp in order to destroy the
mysteries of Adonai from the seas and to destroy the plot of Ruha and Adonai which came
(emanated) from the House of Ruha; to ruin the scheme of Ruha before the presence of the
great Father of Glory and to propagate the mysteries (of the Great Life?)...
... in Tmari, the pure Jordan, and bore witness to the Truth . And in the great Jordan
a pure seed was formed... and came and was sown in the womb of 'Nisbai, so that from it a
child might come into being, a prophet of the great Father of Glory, praised be His name!
in order to destroy the building of Ruha and Adonai.
... in the House which Ruha and her seven sons built I sur- rounded all the district...
...Madai , which Ruha and her seven sons could not reach because on it (were people who
belonged?) to Hibil-Ziwa ...
... of the Life, and to propagate a race in the House which Ruha and her seven sons
built, so that she should not have dominion... in the midst of the worlds, and he shall be
called Yahia-Yuhana, the prophet of Kusta , the apostle... who dwelt at the city of
Jerusalem; a healer whose medicine was Water of Life, a healer that healeth... (evil
spirits?) which go forth from Ruha and Adonai to destroy the physical body.
... Then... when the boy was born Anus'-'Uthra came by com- mand of the great Father of
Glory and they came before Hibil-Ziwa by command of the great Father of Glory and
travelled over deserts towards Mount Sinai and proceeded ... towards a community called
Ruha's that is situated near the place where the Ark was built (...?) and she will be a
deliverer (midwifef) to the child ... into Parwan, the white mountain, an earthly place.
And (in?) that place the fruit and sky are large. There ... (groweth?) the Tree which
nourisheth infants . And they took back Sufnai the lilith to a (?) place so that when they
should perform a living baptism to purify the child, the apostle of Kusta, Yahia-Yuhana...
... And they did not alter the order or commands which emanated from the presence of
the great Father of Glory... Sufnai the lilith took him (the child) before the eyes of his
mother fell upon him... at the order of Anus'-'Uthra. And they mounted up towards Parwan,
the white mountain... (a place where) fruit and sky is (are?) large. There they set down
Yahia near the Tree which nourisheth nurslings... Then Sufnai the lilith returned to her
place. When thirty days had passed, Hibil-Ziwa came at the command of the great first
Father of Glory, and he came to the Median hill-country and sent Anus'-'Uthra to Bihram,
son of 'uthras and to the Median mountains. And they took Bihram from the Median hills and
went... (to Parwan?) and performed baptism and baptised the child beside the Tree that
nourisheth nurslings. And (when) he was seven years old, Anus'-'Uthra came and wrote for
him the A, Ba, Ga, Da .
... and, until he was twenty-two years old, he taught him about all nasirutha . '
... then, at the command of the great Father of Glory he set the crown on him and
seated him beside himself, until they came to the city of Jerusalem amongst the community
which Ruha founded... all belonged to her and to her seven sons except (those from?) the
Median hills , Aharan ...
.. Hibil-Ziwa, of the Median hills, upon which they wandered from mountain to mountain.
... mountain to the city of the Nasoraeans is a distance of six thousand parasangs; it is
called the enclave ('hdara') of Hibil-Ziwa... Then Yahia-Yuhana took the jordan and the
medicine Water (of Life)... and he cleansed lepers, opened (the eyes of) the blind and
lifted the broken (maimed) to walk on their feet ... by the strength of the lofty King of
Light - praised be his Name! - and gave speech and hearing to all who sought (him). And he
was called in the world " envoy of the High King of Light " - praised be his
Name! - (even) at the (very) abode and building of Ruha and Adonai and her seven sons.
And he taught disciples and proclaimed the Call of the Life in the fallen House
(Temple?). Forty-two years (he dwelt) therein, and then his Transplanter looked upon him
and he arose with his Transplanter, praised be his name! ---and a time arrived, sixty
years after Yahia-Yuhana had departed the body ... the Jews, just as their former strength
(returned?) to Ruha and Adonai, who became arrogant... Hence, after sixty years, Ruha and
Adonai planned to erect... the fallen House (Temple?) and spoke to Moses the prophet and
the children of Israel who had built the House (Temple)... Then they raised an idle cry
against the tribes of Anus'-'Uthra, the Head of the Age, and shed their blood so that not
a man of the disciples and Nasoraeans were left... Then the Jordan and its tributaries
shrank back and mounted the dry land beside it . And the light of the banners of Abatur
and Anus'-'Uthra (was quenched?) ... Then Ruha scattered the Jews... who is called ' of
the House of the Seven ', and then Adonai sent a staff... And he spoke over it and struck
Suf- Zaba and the waters that abide in Suf-Zaba were divided like the two mountains of a
gorge and there was a road. And Ruha brought those (Jews?) over Suf-Zaba. And she built
for them, and pressed out for them clay brick that is sacred, and constructed a budding
and they set up for it column after column of falsehood, and raised up each (fallen?)
column... and Darkness was formed therefrom, and they settled (therein?) the Jews, who
sinned and caused havoc... (The new Jerusalem had?) three walls, of which each was removed
from its fellow, and he teacheth about them... And Ruha surrounded the latter Jerusalem of
the Jews (with these walls) and then... Ruha... the Jews, and they could not remove the
walls from them ...
Then Anus'-'Uthra mounted up to his fathers and said to them, to his fathers: "
Thou didst bring the Jews and Ruha over Suf-Zaba and she (Ruha) has built a building and
has surrounded (it by) seven walls so that I am unable (to aid?) their armies . What have
ye ordered about us "?... (In this wise) did Anus'-'Uthra speak with his fathers, and
told them how it had happened. Then there came and arose the great Father of Glory
together with his mild son Hibil... and they acted 1, and then Hibil came... towards
Anus'-'Uthra and said to him: " Go down into Media and take seven shafts, that is
seven darts, and go and pronounce (magic) words over them. And take with thee seven guards
from Mount Parwan and take for them bows and they shall speak over them seven (magic)
words, and they will crumble the sacred brick in the House of Ruha; for at every place
where those arrows fall fire will break out and will devour (it, rising) into the sky and
eat into the ground for twelve nasks by virtue of those pure and important spells. And the
rule of Ruha and her seven sons and of the Jews will be brought to nought from now until
the end of the world ".
Thereupon Anus'-'Uthra changed nothing of that which they commanded him (to do), and
Hibil-Ziwa came and burnt and destroyed Jerusalem and made it like heaps of ruins . And he
went to Baghdad and killed (there) all the cohens and took away government from them and
pounded (to) dust every city in which there were Jews . Moreover for the eight hundred
years that their government was in Baghdad they exercised an autonomy amongst themselves -
four hundred rulers - (for) the duration of a Jewish autonomy in Baghdad was eight hundred
years; four hundred rulers from the Jews (Jewish community) wielded kingly office. Thus
the House of the Jews came to naught and met its end, and the Host of darkness became
powerless.
Those seven guards, who (were of the? ) Chosen Elect , summoned by Anus'-'Uthra at the
word and command of Hibil-Ziwa, came as the great Father of Glory had commanded. And one
of them was Zazai son of Hibil-'Uthra . Him Anus'-'Uthra installed in the city of Baghdad.
And Anus'-'Uthra installed one whose name was Papa son of Guda upon the great Tigris and
at the mouth of the 'UIai (Karun river). And one, named Anus' son of Nat'ar-Hiia, Anus'-
'Uthra installed at its source. Anus'-S'aiar son of Njab (he installed) on the Euphrates,
and one whose name was Brik-Yawar son of Bihdad he placed at Pumbit (Pumbdita) a territory
situated at the end of Sura . And one, whose name was Njab son of Bihram, he placed on the
mountain(s) of Glazlak , and one whose name was Ska-Manda he set at the extremity of the
mountain of the Water- springs situated at the tail-end of the Parwan range at the place
from which those seven kings went forth and dispersed, (namely, those Seven guards) who
came with Anus'-'Uthra to conquer Dark- ness and to bring the plot of Ruha to nought. And
they annihilated the rulers of the Jews and made them as if they had never existed. And
Anus' -'Uthra placed them (the Seven viceroys) at the seven cor- ners of the House , upon
the seven horns of the worlds, in order to crush the power of Darkness and to establish
the Call of the Life and to make void the rebellious outcry.
When Anus'-'Uthra had done that by order of Hibil-Ziwa whom the great Father of Glory
commanded, Anus'-'Uthra went to the T'ura d Madai' (Median mountains), called Haran
Gawaita, and brought Bhira son of S'itil , a descendant of Artabanus king of the
Nasoraeans and set him up in Baghdad (Babylon) and installed him in sovereign power (as
its sovereign). And in his company there were sixty Nasoraeans, and the Nasoraeans in
Baghdad (Babylonia) multiplied and became many. Some of the tribe of Bhira son of S'itil,
Nasoraeans, came with him until there were four hundred mas'knia in Baghdad.
And it was revealed to me (?) and to all of them in this book, and they acted upon this
reliable baser acting according to this (its) light and removing nothing from this writing
of great revelation that was given to Adam the first man and to his descendants (and to)
all who bear witness unto this light and illumination until worlds' end. Nought shall pass
away from the Word of the great Father of Glory, praised be his name! Then the said Zazai,
one of the righteous elect , rose to the firmament and abode with Yurbas sixty-two days,
and ascended to his fathers; but those (other) six chosen righteous ones sent forth their
descendants into the world. And in the earthly world there are some of the children
(descendants) of disciples whom Yahia- Yuhana taught, and amongst the Nasoraeans some from
the first planting of kings from the beginning, middle and end; (yea) there are some
amongst the Nasoraeans at the latter end of the age, for they go forth that ye may be
filled, and Nasoraeans of the end of the age are amongst their descendants. (But) from the
Root of those disciples of Yahia-Yuhana there come forth (also) people of no degree', for,
when they speak of " descendants of kings of Bagh- dad, of the kingdom in Baghdad
", (they forget that?) two hundred and eighty years have passed since some of the
sons of those disciples of Yahia-Yuhana went forth, so that Ruha cometh and confuseth them
and twisteth words and perverteth seals and changeth phrases and prayers by agency of
descendants of those disciples, that is, those disciples that were propagated from Jewish
seed . For the Son of the Pure Drop, the Mystery, (was of? ) the Jews, Jerusalem of the
Jews . Ruha caused them to obey the mysteries of the body, and (so) they fell away from
purity (the pure doctrine?).
I will tell you, (O ye ) priests who live in the Arab age, (of that which occurred)
before the Son-of-Slaughter , the Arab, went out and prophesied as a prophet in the world
so that they performed circumcision like Jews and changed sayings - for he is the most
degraded of false prophets. Mars accompanieth him because he is the Seal of prophets of
the Lie, (although) the Messiah will appear after him at the end of the age! I will inform
you, Nasoraeans, that before the Son-of-Slaughter, the Arab, emerged and was called
prophet in the world and Mars descended with him, he drew the sword and converted people
to himself by the sword. About eighty-six years before the Son-of-Slaughter, the Arab,
Adonai sent S'urbis'- Ruha who is his spouse, to the city of T'ib, called locally the City
of As'ganda because of all that was done (during) his rule in Baghdad. (For) As'ganda
(dwelt?) in T'ib; it was his native place; and it was called " the city of S'ganda
" (also) because in it there were Nasoraeans and ris'amia (ethnarchs)". And
there was one ris'ama called Qiqil.
And Adonai sent S'urbis'-Ruha into this world and said to her: " Go, appear to
Qiqil of the Nasoraeans disguised as Hibil-Ziwa, so as to take his judgement away from
him. And distort the words by which the structure of (their faith) is defined. When thou
hast done this, the whole nation of the Nasoraeans will turn to us ". And
Ruha-S'urbis', wife of Adonai, went and dwelt upon (entered into) Qiqil of the Nasoraeans
and disguised herself as Hibil-Ziwa - and there is none lovelier than Hibil-Ziwa whom the
Soul acknowledge! And She taketh away the judgement of Qiqil and instructeth him and saith
to him: " I, Hibil-Ziwa, have brought parch- ment and reed-pen , so write a Root of
Life and a Saying and a Mystery, and disseminate (them) send (them) forth and act in
accordance with them. For the Life hath sent me and I have come to thee ".
Thereupon Qiqil brought parchment and reed-pen and wrote and distributed (doctrine
emanating) from Ruha, whilst his understanding was reft from him. So schism ensued amongst
the Nasoraeans and candidates for priesthood as result of those writings which he had
written. Then She removed herself from his presence, and Qiqil's mind and understanding
returned and he recanted his words and revoked phylaeteries (scrolls?) of her construction
and that which had been taught to him by Ruha, yea, every writing that he had by him of
those writings (dictated) by Ruha, he burnt in the fire. And he sent to the Nasoraeans and
candidates for priest- hood (saying): " Bring the writings which I give (gave?) you;
burn them with fire, for she (Ruha) deluded me when I knew not from whom she came ".
And he took away his writing from such Nasoraeans as practised the orthodox faith , and
they gave it to him and he burnt it in the fire. But all those who were of the Root of the
Jews did not bring it back nor give it to Qiqil, and some of those writings remained with
them.
And Hibil-Ziwa hath delivered this saying and warning to Nasoraeans who exist at the
end of the last age: " Beware, and again beware! Act only (in accordance) with this
writing of the Great Revelation . The (Mandaean) Root (Church) shall be steadfast, shall
testify, shall act and not neglect this pure warning, and (so) will ascend to the presence
of the Father . (But) any man who doth not testify to this Way or lay hold of it, seeketh
darkness and will fall. (0) ye Nasoraeans that shall exist at the end of the last age, I
exhort you, be firm and act according to this book - its name is the Great Revelation. For
at that time peoples, nations and tongues will multiply, and every individual will seek
his own gain. And books and religious treatises of Ruha and Adonai ('s making) will be
many, and through them souls will sink down to the Darkness ". Thus, before the
appearance of the Son-of-Slaughter, the Arab, the Christian, Idumaean, Jewish, Hurdabaean
and Dilbilaean peoples became many. The peoples were divided and languages became
numerous; even the languages of Nasoraeans multiplied. This; and then sovereignty was
taken from the descendants of King Artabanus, and (they were driven) from Baghdad; the
Hardbaeans (Sasanians) taking over the kingdom. (Nevertheless) there remained one hundred
and seventy banners and bimandiaia in Baghdad.
And so a Hardabaean (Sasanian) dynasty ruled for three hun- dred and sixty years , and
then the Son of Slaughter, the Arab, set up as king, went forth and took a people to
himself and performed circumcision. (Even then), after this had happened and these events
had taken place, sixty banners (still) remained and pertained to me in Baghdad. Then he
took the sword and put to the sword from the city of Damascus unto Bit Dubar, which is
called Bdin . He governed it aII and ruled over the lord of the hill-country of the
Persians who are called Hardbaeans and took away sovereignty from them.
Then, when this had taken place, in time there came (one) Anus', called the son of
Danqa, from the uplands of the Arsaiia [from (to? ) the city of Baghdad bis'us' kings of
the planting of Artabanus, and brought in his own, belonging to Muhammad son of 'Abdallah
son-of-Slaughter, the Arab , when he was seven hundred years old] . And he took him from
his city to Suf-Zaba which is called Basrah, and showed him the hill-country of the
Persians (unto) the city of Baghdad. And Anus' (-'Uthra?) instructed the Son-of-Slaughter,
as he had instructed Anus'-son-of Danqa, about this Book (compiled) by his fathers, upon
which all kings of the Nasoraeans stood firm. And a list of kings is in this book, which
teacheth (chronicleth) from Adam, king of the world, unto King Artabanus, (yea even) unto
Anus'-son-of-Danqa, who were (all? ) of the Chosen Root. Then he told him about the king
of the Ardubaiia (Sasanians); about aII he sought to do and (of) his connection with the
children of the great Nation of Life , in order that they (the Moslems) should not harm
the Nasoraeans who lived in the era of his government . Thus did Anus'-son-of-Danqa
explain and speak so that, through the power of the lofty King of Light - praised be his
name! - it was not permitted to the Son-of-Slaughter, the Arab, to harm the congregation
of souls, owing to the protection afforded by these explanations of the Great Revelation -
praised be its name! And, concerning that which I found in these commentaries on the Great
Revelation , I found not (its equal?) amongst all the treatises and mis'rria and
miscellanies about the Great Life which were in libraries and in my possession. I went
round to all the Nasoraean ris'-amia that there were; I saw many scripts, writings of
research and manuscripts of the Great Revelation, but saw not the like of this
well-established Source. For it is reliable, existing from ancient times and eternally,
from the beginning of the eighth world unto worlds' end. (These are) writings which teach
orthodox procedure, that are all clarity. Instruction about the beginnings of all light
and the end of all darkness is found in these writings of the Great Revelation and not
found in any other books. That which is taught in this book and Road of the Righteous hath
been bestowed upon the righteous unto worlds' end; this Road of the Righteous hath been
bestowed upon (every) son of the True Root, upon (every) son of the Pure Drop who, when
listening to the words and teachings of this writing of the righteous, witnesseth publicly
thereto, and his mind testifieth thereto and is enlightened. But when a foolish person
heareth these trustworthy words his mind groweth dark and he doth not appreciate them, nor
can (such a person) discern that they are pure sayings. And (their) colours die away from
his mind like as a burgeoning plant (fadeth) and the root from which it appeared".
Hibil-Ziwa expounded these interpretations and revealed and declared: " Any
Nasoraean man in whose library these explanations are found should beware lest he reveal
in the presence of foolish persons (mysteries) penetrated and revealed by deeply thinking
theologians ; because he that revealeth anything that is weighty in this writing (book) in
the presence of foolish and ill-conditioned 'uthras who would bring pure words into
contempt, layeth up for himself sixty causes of stumbling and sixty sins . (But he that is
silent before foolish persons concerning such interpretations) sixty offences and sixty
sins shall be forgiven him and Abathur win grasp (his hand) in honourable kus'ta .
Then Hibil-Ziwa - praised be his name! - taught that every man who concealeth (the
Great Reuelation?) it but observeth it, when his measure is full he will rise up without
sin and (moreover) will loose and take with him sixty (souls) who are bound. And he will
rise up towards his fathers and his Father will take his hand in honourable kust'a and he
will be acclaimed as one in a thousand like Abathur Rama. And he will behold the great
Countenance of Glory and will take His hand in honourable kus'ta and will be set at the
King's right hand. (For) he whose mind testifieth to these teachings about orthodox
procedures belongeth to the portion of the lofty and great King of Light, and hell-beasts
and purgatory demons have no power over him ".
And then Hibil-Ziwa - praised be his name! - taught Nasoraeans about the end of the
last age. For evil will increase and pollutions will be many and abound in the world,
since it is decreed that wickedness will increase and pollutions multiply greatly in the
world; because it is destined in that age. So that of a great shekel of gold but
half-a-draehma's weight will rise up to the Light; everything will sink down into
Darkness. In that period and epoch - from the rule of the Arab Son-of-Slaughter unto the
end of the worlds - persecution and tribulation will increase for Nasoraeans; purity will
decrease and pollutions, adultery, theft and fraud will increase.
And men will be polluted and during that period man will drink the blood of fellow-man.
All that is fair (will disappear) , (but), amongst Nasoraeans, he that is steadfast in and
holdeth to these teachings and this great revelation will rise up by the path of believers
and will behold the great Countenance of Glory. Hibil-Ziwa taught concerning this age -
that is, the age of the Arab Law - that it must needs occupy its destined span , for the
Law is constituted of four mysteries; part therein is (of) the Light, and part therein
wholly Root of Darkness. And it endureth for (?) two kings . To it was imparted a kind of
order. It is formed from four natural humours: the Root of Darkness is composed of and
arrayed in blood, gall, (wind) , and mucus.
(But) the habiliments of the soul are formed of mystery , light and the jordan; the
soul is formed by proper observance of the three mysteries, by purification of the four
natural humours is the soul's vestment formed . For this is the eighth world, and it will
turn from this habiliment, this garment in which it dwelleth; it will not tarry therein.
(During) this Arab age every evil creature multiplieth like evil weeds that grow apace,
and peoples, nations and languages disperse and become measureless and numberless, like
the Darkness that came into being with abundance .
Hibil-Ziwa taught that " At the latter end of the world, when the Arab, the
Son-of-Slaughter, hath completed his (allotted) four thousand years, it will come to pass
that the false Messiah, son of Miriam, will succeed him, and that he will come and will
show forth signs (wonders) in the world until the birds and the fish from sea and rivers
open their mouths and bless him and give testimony, until (even) the clay and mudbrick in
a building bear witness to him, and until four-legged creatures open their mouths and
testify to him "
And Hibil-Ziwa explained (further): " (But) you, O Nasoraeans, and righteous elect
men, testify not to him, for he is a false Messiah that walketh by fraud and sorcery. He
is Mercury, who attracteth attention and doth whatsoever he wisheth and his mind is filled
with sorcery and frauds. I declare to you , (ye) chosen righteous ones and (ye) perfect
ones that that are stedfast, abide by this pure line of separation and alter no word or
command of the great Father of Glory, that He may take you by the hand, watch over you and
deliver you out of the hands of the children of Krun " .
Hibil-Ziwa taught: " When the Messiah hath returned, ascending to the sky - and
his reign will last six thousand years - he will ascend and assume his first body. From
that epoch until worlds' end, wickedness will depart from the world; that which issued
from the earth will enter the earth and that which descended from the sky will return and
enter the sky. And there will be righteous people in the world, and no man will covet his
neighbour's goods. And people's senses will return to them and they will not perform
circumcision; they will be converted and Nasoraeans will increase in the world. The eye of
envy will be lifted from them and the sword will depart from the world. It will be as if
the sword brought by the Son of Darkness , he whose sword was of the world of Satan ?, had
never been in the world . And with it (goeth?) a force which he possessed not in the world
; until Mars came and set up his sign and bound him thereto by oath.
" (Yea), there will be righteous people and government will revert to sons of the
Great Family of Life, and they will be diligent and have the ascendance. (But) kings bring
accusation against the age, just as the Root of Nasoraeans reprove it , for, before all
(else) they cared for agriculture and gladdened the king (?). And people will be
converted, and there will be righteous people and righteousness will increase. And fifty
thousand years will pass in calm ease without disturbance, and all will keep to one word
(Speak one language?), and there will be no hatred, envy or dissension amongst them, and
ill-will shall be removed from the minds of all peoples, nations and tongues ".
Hibil-Ziwa explained (further): " When (these) portents occur and the time hath
come, those fifty thousand years I will be my allotted portion, mine, Yawar-Ziwa's,
because the first age was (the age of) Anus'-'Uthra and its consummation (or "
development ") was bestowed upon me, Hibil-Yawar-Ziwa.
" Then the latter part of the age and the decadence and end of the world will be
given to Mamit the Least-of-her-Brethren ; (her portion) followeth my portion,
Hibil-Yawar-Ziwa's.
" Thus the latter end of the age and the decadence and final end of the world is
given to Mamit daughter of Qin , the mother of the Seven (what ) occupied seven portions,
and the eighth was given to Amamit as hers, for her own. And, as the utter end of light
meaneth the beginning of total darkness, so the portion of Qin, the decadence of the Arab
age and the end of the eighth world (succeeded mine) " .
Hibil-Ziwa - praised be his name! - taught concerning the Word, that is the Great
Mystery: " This writing, that is the Diwan of the Great Revelation from the beginning
of worlds of light unto the end of the eighth world, this Road of the Righteous shall not
fail, because it is (concerneth? ) the portion of Father-Life, the Ancient, the First -
praised be His name!
" Let every man of the Nasoraeans and Mandaeans who may be living in the eighth
world be steadfast and bear testimony and act according to this reliable basis, and with a
sincere heart and believing lips be of my allotted portion, mine the High King of fight,
so that thereby Habs'aba (Sunday) may be his deliverer, and save him from the children of
Krun; and I will set him at my right hand. (But) any Nasoraean or Mandaean that is of the
True Root, yet doth not bear testimony to this Road of the Righteous but testifieth
according to the Way of Ruha, their words have I rejected. (Such a one) will not be my
allotted portion but will belong to Ruha and the Messiah. Habs'aba will not be his helper,
and he will not be delivered out of the hands of the sons of Krun ".
These doctrines were imparted by Hibil-Ziwa to the sons of the great Family of Life.
And he enlighteneth their minds and instructed their intelligence about the King of Light
- praised be His name!
And this is a copy of the Diwan d Gadana Rabtia . Finis .
This is the Diwan of Great Revelation called the Haran Gawaita which I copied for
myself for the third time. I am poor, striving and childlike, a slave that is all sin,
(unworthy to) kiss the shoes on the feet of Nasoraeans, dust beneath the feet of the pious
and least amongst my fellow ganzivri . I am Zakia-Zihrun son of Rabbi Ram Son Of Rabbi
Yahia-Yuhana son of Rabbi Ram son of Yahia- Baktiar son of Rabbi Adam-Mhatam son of Rabbi
Bihram-Brhiia son of Rabbi Adam-Zakia son of Rabbi Brhiia, family name Kuhailia. I copied
from my own copy a third time. I am Zakia-Zihrun son of Rabbi Ram son of Rabbi
Yahia-Yuhana son of Rabbi... family name Kuhailia... from a copy of a Diwan belonging the
great, lofty and respected one, a reliable priest, Rabbi Mhatam son of Yahia-Bayan son of
Yuhana-S'adan son Of Zakria-Br-Hibil son of Zakria known as Dihdaria, and his family name
Sabur. And he had no copy but this. And Life is victorious . finis.
Thus this venerated Diwan, Explanations and Great Revelation called the Haran Gawaita
was set in order and conlpleted on Friday the twenty-sixth of the Month of Second Sowing,
which is Nisan (in the sign of) the Ram, the year of Friday in the year one thousaud and
eighty-eight of Arab chronology - may the (world) founder upon them and Manda-d-Hiia make
impotent their raging against the great Congregation of Souls! (it Was Copied) in the City
of Shustar by the waters of the Duganda and in the court of the respected craftsman Nairuz
son of Hadat, his name being Yahia son of Bihram son of Adam son of Yuhaua-S'adan son of
Zakria-br-Hibil son of Zakria son of Zihrun, known as Dihdaria, his faulily name being
Sabur - may Manda-d-Hiia forgive him his sins! these venerated Diwans were assembled from
beginning to end with care, knowledge and meticulous research. And my co-editor was my
elder brother, a reliable and skilful priest, Rabbi Yahia- Yuhana son of Rabbi Ram, (his)
family name being Kuhailia.
Manda-d-Hiia forgive him his sins!