The Thousand and Twelve Questions


The Thousand and Twelve Questions is a Mandaean religious text. The 1012 Questions is one of the most detailed texts on Mandaean priestly rituals. It is kept by Mandaean priests in the shkinta during certain rituals.
The text contains detailed commentaries on Mandaean religious rituals, such as death masses to help guide souls into the World of Light, and the Mandaean wedding ceremony. It is written as a scroll. A detailed overview of the contents can be found in Drower.

Manuscripts and translations

An English translation of the text was published by E. S. Drower in 1960, which was based on manuscript 36 of the Drower Collection. DC 6 is an incomplete manuscript of The Thousand and Twelve Questions in the Drower Collection missing books 1 and 2, but DC 36 is the complete version with all 7 books included.
Manuscripts from the Rbai Rafid Collection that correspond to parts of Alf Trisar Šuialia are:
  • RRC 2M: Diuan Mhita u-Asuta. Copied by Zihrun br Yahia Sam in 1086 A.H.. Longest RRC manuscript. Contains Neo-Mandaic features.
  • RRC 3R: Tafsir u-Afrašta Kasita. Copied in 1173 A.H.. Transliterated text published online in the Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon.
  • RRC 6D: Sigia ḏ-Dihbaiia. Copied in Šuštar in 1085 A.H..

    Contents

Contents of the 7 parts of the 1012 Questions:
  • Book 1
  • *Part 1: The Questions which Shishlam-Rba and Hibil-Ziwa asked of their father Nbaṭ
  • *Part 2: The explanation of the body
  • Book 2
  • *Part 3.1: Accidental impurity and its cure
  • *Part 3.2: "The Three"
  • *Part 4: The agreed form of the masiqta of Shitil; of the Ṭabahata and of the Dukrania
  • *Part 5.1: Blow and healing
  • *Part 5.2: The celebration of the marriage of Shishlam-Rba, son of Lihdaia-Rba-Zadiqa
  • *Part 6.1: Burial
  • *Part 6.2: Of postulants and priesthood
  • *Part 7: Concerning the postulant's first baptism – admonitions

    Parallels in other religions

The 1012 Questions has various similarities to Jewish mysticism and Kabbalah.