Matarta
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To reach the World of Light (alma ḏ-nhūra) from Tibil (Earth), souls must pass through the various maṭartas that are situated in between. Rituals such as the masiqta can help guide souls past the various maṭarta so that they could reach the World of Light.[2]
In the Ginza Rabba
In the Ginza Rabba, Chapter 3 in Book 5 of the Right Ginza, Book 6 of the Right Ginza (also known as the "Book of Dinanukht"), and Chapter 4 in Book 1 of the Left Ginza give detailed descriptions of the maṭartas.[3]
Some of the matarta guards are:[4]
- Nbaz(Nbaz Haila)
- Nbu (Mercury)
- Zan-Haza-Zban
- Yur (Yur-Yahur)
- Arhum
- Pilpin-Pipin
- Jesus the Messiah (ʿšu Mšiha / Īšu Mšiha)
- Ruha
- Himun
- Ptahil
- Abatur
Order of matarta guards in Right Ginza 5.3:
- the Virgin (ptula)
- Zan-Hazazban
- Yur, Yahur, and Arhum
- Pilpin-Pipin
- Jesus the Messiah
- the userers
- Ruha ḏ-Qudša
Order of matarta guards in Right Ginza 6:
Order of matarta guards in Left Ginza 1.4:
- Nbaz and the clergy
- Nbu and the scribes
- Seven of Ptahil and the sinners
- userers
- The Messiah (Jesus) and the celibates
- Ewat (i.e., Ruha) and the fasting hypocrites
- Ptahil and the wicked rulers
- Abatur and the unobservant Naṣoraeans
Left Ginza 3.51 is about the soul passing through seven matarta stations. The names of the matarta guards are simply the "First," "Second," "Third," "Fourth," "Fifth," "Sixth," and "Seventh," respectively.[4]
Parallels in other religions
In the Nag Hammadi library, the Coptic Apocalypse of Paul describes an ascent through the seven lower heavens, which are guarded by various angels inflicting punishments on sinners. Heavenly "toll collectors" are mentioned in the First Apocalypse of James (33,2-27), which mentions "three detainers who carry off souls by theft," as well as angels torturing the soul in the Book of Thomas the Contender (141,36-39) and Pistis Sophia.[5]
Matartas in Mandaeism are also similar to aerial toll houses (Bulgarian: митарство; Russian: мытарства) in Eastern Orthodox Christianity.
The
See also
- Aerial toll houses in Eastern Orthodox Christian theology
- Araf (Islam)
- Arcs of Descent and Ascent in Neoplatonism
- Body of light
- Bardo in Buddhism
- Barzakh in Islam
- Chinvat Bridge in Zoroastrianism
- Dinanukht's heavenly ascension
- Gehenna
- Limbo in Roman Catholic theology
- Masiqta, a Mandaean ritual
- Seven Heavens
- Apocryphal texts
- Coptic Apocalypse of Paul
- Ascension of Isaiah
- Book of Enoch
- 2 Enoch
- Testament of Abraham
- Apocalypse of Abraham
- Other texts
References
- ^ a b Aldihisi, Sabah (2008). The story of creation in the Mandaean holy book in the Ginza Rba (PhD). University College London.
- ^ OCLC 65198443.
- ^ Häberl, Charles G. (2007). Introduction to the New Edition, in The Great Treasure of the Mandaeans, a new edition of J. Heinrich Petermann’s Thesaurus s. Liber Magni, with a new introduction and a translation of the original preface by Charles G. Häberl. Gorgias Press, LLC. https://doi.org/10.7282/T3C53J6P
- ^ ISBN 9780958034630.
- OCLC 124538398.
- ISBN 978-1-62564-991-1.