A tarmida (singular form in myz|ࡕࡀࡓࡌࡉࡃࡀ|lit=disciple, plural form in myz|ࡕࡀࡓࡌࡉࡃࡉࡀ ; fa|ترمیدا; ar|ترميذة) is a junior priest in Mandaeism. Ganzibras, or head priests, rank above tarmidas.[1]
Häberl (2022) considers the Mandaic word tarmida to be a borrowing from Hebrew talmid (he|[[wikt:תלמיד|תַלמִיד]]).[2]
Tarmida initiates or novices (ࡔࡅࡀࡋࡉࡀ) can come from any "pure" family. In other words, the families must be ritually pure, meaning that there are no family members who have committed grave sins. Ritually pure laymen are also known as hallali in Mandaic. Typically, the novices have been trained as ritual assistants (šganda or ašganda) when they were children. Initiates may or may not be married, although typically they are not yet married.
In order to be ordained as a tarmida, the initiate (ࡔࡅࡀࡋࡉࡀ) must go through a complex series of initiation rituals lasting 68 days. Various rituals are performed by the initiator priest (ࡓࡁࡀ), who recites from priestly esoteric texts such as The Coronation of the Great Shishlam,[3] the Scroll of Exalted Kingship,[4] The Great Supreme World,[5] and the Qulasta. Ritual helpers (šganda or ࡔࡂࡀࡍࡃࡀ), who represent emissaries from the World of Light, also help perform the rituals, many of which are held in a specially constructed priest initiation hut (škinta) and also a nearby temporary reed hut (andiruna).
See also: List of Qulasta prayers. Below is the sequence of Qulasta prayer numbers for the tarmida initiation according to both the Coronation and Exalted Kingship. Exalted Kingship contains more detailed descriptions of the rituals, while the Coronation is shorter. During the prayers, pihta ࡐࡉࡄࡕࡀ (sacramental bread) and mambuha ࡌࡀࡌࡁࡅࡄࡀ (sacramental water) are also consumed. Ritual handclasps (kušṭa) are often exchanged between the novice and the initiator, and sometimes also with the ritual assistant (šganda). Various names of the deceased (zhara ࡆࡄࡀࡓࡀ) are also uttered along with the prayers.[6]
| Coronation | Exalted Kingship | |
|---|---|---|
| 323 | 323 | |
| 1–103 (novice’s recital in škinta) | 1–103 | |
| 324–327 (coronation prayers) | 324–327 | |
| 3, 5, 19 | 3, 5, 19 | |
| 79, 81 | 79, 80, 81 |
| Coronation | Exalted Kingship | |
|---|---|---|
| 1, 3, 5, 19 | 1, 3, 5, 19 | |
| 32 | 32 | |
| 8, 34 (incense prayers) | 8, 34 | |
| 75–77 | 75–77 | |
| 35 (with zharas) | 35 |
| Coronation | Exalted Kingship | |
|---|---|---|
| 10–13 | ||
| 18 | ||
| 414 | ||
| 19 | ||
| 1st kušṭa | ||
| 82 | ||
| 20–24 | ||
| 2nd kušṭa | ||
| 36–45 (pihta and mambuha) | ||
| 3rd kušṭa | ||
| 25–28 (sealing prayers) | ||
| 29, 30, 83–86, 88, 90 | ||
| 71–72 (1st concurrence) | ||
| 4th kušṭa | ||
| 18, 109 (rahmas [devotions]) | ||
| 58 (with zhara) | 58 | |
| 65 | 65 | |
| 168–169 | 168–169 | |
| 71–72 | 71–72 (2nd concurrence) | |
| 36–45 (pihta and mambuha) | ||
| 59–60 | 59–60 | |
| 31, 8 | 31, 8 | |
| 72 | 72 | |
| 171 | ||
| mqaimitun ["be raised up!"] (repeated 61 times) | mqaimitun ["be raised up!"] | |
| 80 | 80 | |
| kušṭa with šganda | 5th kušṭa | |
| 63 (masiqta oil) | 63 | |
| 178 | 178 | |
| 1, 3, 9, 15 | ||
| 344–345 | ||
| 233–256 (kḏ azil[7]) | 233–256 | |
| 330–347 (drabša prayers) |
The Coronation contains 3 sets of prayers during the final part of the ritual that are not listed in Exalted Kingship.
| Coronation | Exalted Kingship | |
|---|---|---|
| 1, 3, 5, 19 | 1, 3, 5, 19 | |
| 35, 9 | 35, 9 | |
| 15–17 | 15–17 | |
| 25–28 (haṭamtas [sealing prayers]) | 25–28 |
| Coronation | Exalted Kingship | |
|---|---|---|
| 180–199 | 180–199 | |
| 305–321 (antiphons) | 305–321 |
| Coronation | Exalted Kingship | |
|---|---|---|
| 72, 31, 8, 94, 63, kḏ azil | ||
| 106–108 | 106–108 | |
| 1, 3, 5, 19 | 1, 3, 5, 19 | |
| 8, 34 | 8 | |
| 165–169 | ||
| 113 (a Sunday prayer) | 113 | |
| 114–117 | 114–116 | |
| 77, 9, 35 | 77, 9, 35 | |
| 15–17 | 15–17 | |
| 25–28 | 25–28 | |
| 58, 65 | 58, 65 | |
| 119–122 | ||
| 165–169 | 165 | |
| 71–72 | 71–72 (3rd concurrence) | |
| 36–45 | 36–45 | |
| 59–60 | 59–60 | |
| 72 | 72 | |
| 171 | ||
| 80 | 80 | |
| kušṭa | kušṭa |
Prayers 34 and 119–122 are included in the Coronation, but not Exalted Kingship.
The gallery below contains images of a tarmida initiation held in Baghdad in 2008.[8]