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{{Short description|Baptism ritual practiced in the Mandaean religion}}
{{Mandaeism}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2022}}
'''Maṣbuta''' ({{lang-myz|ࡌࡀࡑࡁࡅࡕࡀ}}) is the ritual of immersion in water in the [[Mandaeism|Mandaean religion]].<ref name="Buckley 2002">{{cite book|last=Buckley|first=Jorunn Jacobsen|title=The Mandaeans: ancient texts and modern people|publisher=Oxford University Press|publication-place=New York|year=2002|isbn=0-19-515385-5|oclc=65198443}}</ref><ref>Segelberg, Eric (1958). ''Maṣbuta: Studies in the Ritual of Mandaean Baptism''. Uppsala: Almqvist and Wiksell.</ref>▼
[[File:Ganzibra Dakhil Mandi 019.jpg|thumb|250px|Artwork at [[Ganzibra Dakhil Mandi]] in [[Liverpool, New South Wales]], Australia depicting the masbuta]]
▲'''Maṣbuta''' ({{lang-myz|ࡌࡀࡑࡁࡅࡕࡀ}}; pronounced ''maṣwottā'' in [[Neo-Mandaic]]<ref name="Häberl 2022">{{cite book | last=Häberl | first=Charles | url=https://www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/doi/book/10.3828/9781800856271 | title=The Book of Kings and the Explanations of This World: A Universal History from the Late Sasanian Empire | location=Liverpool | publisher=Liverpool University Press | date=2022 | isbn=978-1-80085-627-1 | page=| doi=10.3828/9781800856271 | doi-broken-date=2024-02-21 }}</ref>{{rp|16}}) is the ritual of immersion in water in the [[Mandaeism|Mandaean religion]].<ref name="Buckley 2002">{{cite book|last=Buckley|first=Jorunn Jacobsen|title=The Mandaeans: ancient texts and modern people|publisher=Oxford University Press|publication-place=New York|year=2002|isbn=0-19-515385-5|oclc=65198443}}</ref><ref name="Segelberg">{{cite book |last=Segelberg, |first=Eric (|author-link=Eric Segelberg |date=1958). ''Maṣbuta|title=Maṣbūtā: Studies in the Ritual of Mandaean Baptism''. |location=Uppsala: |publisher=Almqvist and Wiksell.}}</ref>
 
==Overview==
[[Mandaeans]] revere [[John the Baptist]] and practice frequent [[baptism]] (''masbuta'') as a [[Ritual purification|ritual of purification]], not of initiation. They are possibly one of the earliest peoples to practice ritual [[baptism]].<ref>{{Citation|last=McGrath|first=James|title=The First Baptists, The Last Gnostics: The Mandaeans|website=YouTube-A lunchtime talk about the Mandaeans by Dr. James F. McGrath at Butler University|date=23 January 2015|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvv6I02MNlc |access-date=3 November 2021}}</ref> Mandaeans undergo baptism on [[Sunday]]s (''Habshaba''<ref>{{cite web |title=The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon |url=https://cal.huc.edu/oneentry.php?lemma=xd%40b%24b%29%20N&cits=all |website=cal.huc.edu}}</ref>), wearing a white sacral robe (''[[Rastarasta (Mandaeism)|rasta]]''). Baptism for Mandaeans consists of a triple full immersion in water, a triple ''signing'' of the forehead with water and a triple drinking of water. The priest (''[[Mandaean priest|rabbi]]'') then removes a ring made of myrtle (''[[klila]]'') worn by the baptized and places it on their forehead. This is then followed by a handshake (''[[kušṭa]]'' - hand of truth) with the priest. The final blessing involves the priest laying his right hand on the baptized person's head.<ref name="auto"/>{{rp|102}}

''Living water'' (fresh, natural, flowing water, called ''mia hayyi'')<ref name="auto">{{cite book|last=Drower|first=Ethel Stefana|year=1937|title=The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran|publisher=Oxford at the Clarendon Press}}</ref> is a requirement for baptism, therefore can only take place in rivers. All rivers are named ''[[Jordan River|JordanYardna]] ('' "[[yardna|yardenaJordan River]]'')" and are believed to be nourished by the ''[[World of Light]]''. By the river bankriverbank, a Mandaean's forehead is anointed with [[sesame oil]] (''[[Mishamisha (Mandaeism)|misha]]'') and partakes in a communion of [[sacramental bread]] (''[[pihta]]'') and water. Baptism for Mandaeans allows for salvation by connecting with the ''World of Light'' and for forgiveness of sins.<ref>{{Citation|url=https://www.usnews.com/usnews/culture/articles/030609/9mandeans_2.htm |title=Mandeans |newspaper=US News |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021205653/http://www.usnews.com/usnews/culture/articles/030609/9mandeans_2.htm |archive-date=October 21, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{Citation | title = Gnostic Ethics and Mandaean Origins | first = Edwin M | last = Yamauchi | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=bBccilWD5n0C&pg=PA20 | publisher = Gorgias Press | year=2004 | isbn = 978-1-931956-85-7 | page = 20}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|url=http://www.mandaeanunion.org/History/EN_History_007.htm |title=History |publisher=Mandean union |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130317051057/http://mandaeanunion.org/History/EN_History_007.htm |archive-date=March 17, 2013}}</ref>
 
Although masbuta rituals are typically held only in the presence of Mandaeans, a historic commemorative masbuta ceremony was held at the 13th conference of the ARAM Society (titled "The Mandaeans"), which took place during 13–15 June 1999 on the banks of the [[Charles River]] at [[Harvard University]].<ref>Coakley, J.F. (1999). "[https://poj.peeters-leuven.be/secure/POJ/downloadpdf.php?ticket_id=6129e3fdccb2f The Thirteenth Conference of the ARAM Society: The Mandaeans]". ''ARAM'', 11-12 (1999-2000), 199-208.</ref><ref>ARAM, "[https://mandaeanpriests.exeter.ac.uk/items/show/44 Masbuta (full Baptism) Harvard 1999," The Worlds of Mandaean Priests.]</ref>
 
==Types==
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*'''[[Masbuta of Zihrun Raza Kasia]]''', described in the ''[[Zihrun Raza Kasia]]'' scroll.<ref name="DC27">{{cite book|last=Burtea|first=Bogdan|title=Zihrun, das verborgene Geheimnis|publisher=Harrassowitz|publication-place=Wiesbaden|year=2008|isbn=978-3-447-05644-1|oclc=221130512|language=de|url=https://www.harrassowitz-verlag.de/%26Zihrun_das_verborgene_Geheimnis%26/titel_115.ahtml}}</ref>
 
''Masbuta'' is distinct from ''[[ṭamaša]]'' (or ''[[ṭmaša]]'')"immersion" and ''[[rishama (ablution)|rišama]]'' "ablution", which are personal [[Ritualritual purification|ablution]] rituals that do not require the presence of a priest. TamašaṬamaša is typically performed after bodily pollutions, such as [[semen|seminal discharge]], [[sexual activity]], or after subsiding from unclean thoughts or anger at another person. This ablution is comparable to [[tevilah]] in Judaism and [[ghusl]] in Islam. Rišama is performed daily before prayers and religious ceremonies or after bowel evacuation and is comparable to [[wudu]] in Islam.<ref name="Gelbert 2005">{{cite book|last=Gelbert|first=Carlos|title=The Mandaeans and the Jews|publisher=Living Water Books|publication-place=Edensor Park, NSW|year=2005|isbn=0-9580346-2-1|oclc=68208613}}</ref>
 
==Parallels with other religious traditions==
[[Birger A. Pearson]] finds many parallels between the [[Sethianism|Sethian]] ritual of the [[Five Seals]] and the Mandaean baptismal ritual of masbuta.<ref name="Pearson">{{cite book|last=Pearson|first=Birger A.|author-link=Birger A. Pearson|title=Ablution, Initiation, and Baptism|chapter=Baptism in Sethian Gnostic Texts|publisher=De Gruyter|date=2011-07-14|doi=10.1515/9783110247534.119|pages=119–144|isbn=978-3-11-024751-0 }}</ref>▼
 
In Mandaic, Christian baptism is not referred to as ''maṣbuta'', but rather as ''mamiduta'' ({{lang-myz|ࡌࡀࡌࡉࡃࡅࡕࡀ}}; cognate with [[Syriac language|Syriac]] {{lang|syc|ܡܥܡܘܕܝܬܐ}} {{transliteration|syc|mʿmudita}}, used by Syriac Christians to refer to baptism<ref>{{cite web | title=Dukhrana Analytical Lexicon of the Syriac New Testament | website=Dukhrana Biblical Research | date=2021-02-13 | url=http://dukhrana.com/lexicon/ | access-date=2023-12-30}}</ref>), which Mandaean texts describe as unclean since it is performed in standing rather than flowing water.<ref name="MandaicDictionary">{{cite book|first1=Ethel Stefana|last1=Drower|author-link1=E. S. Drower|first2=Rudolf|last2=Macúch|author-link2=Rudolf Macúch|title=A Mandaic dictionary|publisher=Oxford University Press|date=1963|location=London|page=245}}</ref>
==Parallels==
▲[[Birger A. Pearson]] finds many parallels between the [[Sethianism|Sethian]] ritual of the [[Five Seals]] and the Mandaean baptismal ritual of masbuta.<ref name="Pearson">{{cite book|last=Pearson|first=Birger A.|author-link=Birger A. Pearson|title=Ablution, Initiation, and Baptism|chapter=Baptism in Sethian Gnostic Texts|publisher=De Gruyter|date=2011-07-14|doi=10.1515/9783110247534.119|pages=119–144}}</ref>
 
==Gallery==
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*[[Baptism in early Christianity]]
*[[Immersion baptism]]
*[[Ritual washing in Judaism]]
*[[Mikveh]] in [[Judaism]]
*[[Five Seals]] in [[Sethianism]]
*{{slink|Valentinianism|Baptism}}
*''[[The Baptism of Hibil Ziwa]]''
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==Further reading==
*{{cite thesis |url=https://digitalcollections.drew.edu/UniversityArchives/ThesesAndDissertations/THEO/MA/2017/Bahoor/openaccess/NBahoor.pdf |title=The Mandean Gnostic Religion |degree=M.A. |first=Nadia Majar |last=Bahoor |publisher=[[Drew University]] |date=2017 |location=Madison, New Jersey}}
*{{cite journal|last=Buckley|first=Jorunn Jacobsen|title=Why Once Is Not Enough: Mandaean Baptism (Maṣbuta) as an Example of a Repeated Ritual|journal=History of Religions|publisher=University of Chicago Press|volume=29|issue=1|year=1989|issn=00182710|doi=10.1086/463169|jstor=1062837|pages=23–34|url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/1062837}}▼
*{{cite journal|last=Buckley|first=Jorunn Jacobsen|title=PolemicsWhy andOnce ExorcismIs inNot Enough: Mandaean Baptism (Maṣbuta) as an Example of a Repeated Ritual|journal=History of Religions|publisher=University of Chicago Press|volume=4729|issue=2/31|year=20071989|issn=0018-2710|doi=10.1086/524208463169|jstor=1062837|pages=156–17023–34|s2cid=161224842 |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/1062837}}
▲*{{cite journal|last=Buckley|first=Jorunn Jacobsen|title=WhyPolemics Onceand IsExorcism Not Enough:in Mandaean Baptism (Maṣbuta) as an Example of a Repeated Ritual|journal=History of Religions|publisher=University of Chicago Press|volume=2947|issue=12/3|year=19892007|issn=001827100018-2710|doi=10.1086/463169|jstor=1062837524208|pages=23–34156–170|urls2cid=http://www.jstor.org/stable/1062837162202078 }}
*{{cite book|last=McGrath|first=James F.|author-link=James F. McGrath|title=Christmaker: A Life of John the Baptist|publisher=William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company|publication-place=Grand Rapids, Michigan|date=2024|isbn=978-0-8028-8400-8}}
*{{cite book|last=McGrath|first=James F.|author-link=James F. McGrath|title=John of History, Baptist of Faith: The Quest for the Historical Baptizer|publisher=William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company|publication-place=Grand Rapids, Michigan|date=2024|isbn=978-1-4674-6798-8}}
*[[Brikha Nasoraia|Nasoraia, Brikha]] (2022). ''Masbuta: The Mandaean Baptism'' (forthcoming). Belgium: Brepols Publishers.
 
==References==
{{Reflistreflist}}
 
==External links==
*[http://mandaeanpriests.exeter.ac.uk/items/browse?collection=18&sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CTitle Videos and images] from the Worlds of Mandaean Priests (University of Exeter)
**[https://mandaeanpriests.exeter.ac.uk/items/show/95 Children's Baptism Day (River and Pool) - Sydney (January 2015)]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRJIHYraJPM Mandaean masbuta performed at the 13th13 June 1999 ARAM conference]
 
{{Mandaeism footer}}
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[[Category:Baptism]]
[[Category:Mandaic words and phrases]]
[[Category:Mandaean rituals]]
[[Category:Ritual purification]]
[[Category:Water and religion]]
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