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The Diwan Abatur (ࡃࡉࡅࡀࡍ ࡀࡁࡀࡕࡅࡓ; "Scroll of Abatur"; Modern Mandaic: Diwān Abāthor[1]) is a Mandaean religious text. It is a large illustrated scroll that is over 20 ft. (6.1 m) long.[2]
A similar illustrated Mandaean scroll is the Diwan Nahrawata ("The Scroll of the Rivers"), a lavishly illustrated geographical treatise which translated into German and published by Kurt Rudolph in 1982.[2]
An English translation of the text was published by E. S. Drower in 1950 A.D., which was based on manuscript 8 of the Drower Collection (abbreviated DC 8).[3]
A manuscript of the Diwan Abatur, MS Borgiani Siriaci 175 (abbreviated BS 175), is held at the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana in Vatican City.[3] A facsimile copy of the manuscript, photographed by B. Pörtner, was published by Julius Euting in 1904.[4]
From 2018 to 2024, Bogdan Burtea worked on a translation project for the Diwan Abatur.[5][6]
The Diwan Abatur mentions a heavenly tree called Shatrin (Šatrin) where the souls of unbaptized Mandaean children are temporarily nourished for 30 days. On the 30th day, Hibil Ziwa baptizes the souls of the children, who then continue on to the World of Light. The tree has a length of 360,000 parasangs according to the Diwan Abatur.[7] Another tree mentioned in the Diwan Abatur is Gabriel Rihmat ('she-loved-Gabriel', a date palm).[8]
Additionally, the Diwan Abatur mentions a ship called Shahrat (Šahrat; lit. "she kept watch") that ferries souls from Tibil across the Hitpun and into the house of Abatur.[3]
The Scroll of Abatur lists several matartas belonging to the sons of Ptahil, namely Raglʿil, Sharhabiel, El-Sfar, Nbaṭ, Bhaq, and Shitil. There are also illustrations and descriptions of matartas belonging to each of the seven planets, with each matarta having an area of 2,000 parasangs and being 2,000-3,000 parasangs away from the next matarta.[3] The matartas are frequently guarded by zanghaiia, or chained animals such as dogs, wolves, or lions.[8]
In the Diwan Abatur, the sons of Ptahil who each rule different matartas are:[3]
The scroll also contains illustrations of several female uthras and underworld figures such as:[8]
