Matarta


In Mandaean cosmology, a maṭarta is a "station" or "toll house" that is located between the World of Light from Tibil. It has variously been translated as "watch-station", "toll-station", "way-station", or "purgatory". Maṭartas are guarded by various uthras and demons. Ruha, the queen of the underworld, is the ruler or guardian of one of the maṭartas.
To reach the World of Light from Tibil, 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.

In the Ginza Rabba

In the Ginza Rabba, Chapter 3 in Book 5 of the Right Ginza, Book 6 of the Right Ginza, and Chapter 4 in Book 1 of the Left Ginza give detailed descriptions of the maṭartas.
Some of the matarta guards are:
  • Nbaz
  • Nbu
  • Zan-Haza-Zban
  • Yur
  • Arhum
  • Pilpin-Pipin
  • Jesus the Messiah
  • Ruha
  • Himun
  • Ptahil
  • Abatur
Order of matarta guards in Right Ginza 5.3:
  1. the Virgin
  2. Zan-Hazazban
  3. Yur, Yahur, and Arhum
  4. Pilpin-Pipin
  5. Jesus the Messiah
  6. the userers
  7. Ruha ḏ-Qudša
Order of matarta guards in Right Ginza 6:
  1. Nbaz-Haila
  2. Zan-Hazazban
  3. Ewat-Ruha
  4. Himun
  5. Ptahil
  6. Abatur
Order of matarta guards in Left Ginza 1.4:
  1. Nbaz and the clergy
  2. Nbu and the scribes
  3. Seven of Ptahil and the sinners
  4. userers
  5. The Messiah and the celibates
  6. Ewat and the fasting hypocrites
  7. Ptahil and the wicked rulers
  8. 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.

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, which mentions "three detainers who carry off souls by theft," as well as angels torturing the soul in the Book of Thomas the Contender and Pistis Sophia.
In Zostrianos, a Sethian text in the Nag Hammadi library, the Aeonic Copies form a lower realm or purgatory containing the orbiting planets and probably also the fixed stars.
Matartas in Mandaeism are also similar to aerial toll houses in Eastern Orthodox Christianity.
The Second Book of Enoch, a Jewish apocryphal text written in the first century CE, describes the mystical ascent of the patriarch Enoch through a hierarchy of Ten Heavens. Enoch passes through the Garden of Eden in the Third Heaven on his way to meet the Lord face-to-face in the Tenth. Along the way he encounters vividly described populations of angels who torment wrongdoers; he sees homes, olive oil, and flowers.