The Ṭabahatan (Classical Mandaic: ࡈࡀࡁࡀࡄࡀࡕࡀࡍ, lit. 'Our Ancestors'[1]) is one of the most commonly recited prayers in Mandaeism, in which the reciter asks for the forgiveness of sins. As a commemoration prayer with a long list of names, the prayer starts with the line ṭab ṭaba l-ṭabia (Classical Mandaic: ࡈࡀࡁ ࡈࡀࡁࡀ ࡋࡈࡀࡁࡉࡀ, lit. 'Good is the Good for the Good'). A different version of this prayer is found in DC 42, Šarḥ ḏ-Ṭabahata ("The Scroll of Ṭabahata" [Parents]), which is used during Parwanaya rituals.[1]
The Ṭabahatan prayer is numbered as Prayer 170 in E. S. Drower's version of the Qulasta, which was based on manuscript 53 of the Drower Collection (abbreviated DC 53).[2] The Šal Šulta (Prayer 171) directly follows the Ṭabahatan prayer.[3]
Drower's (1959) version of the Tabahatan lists the following uthras and ancestors.[2]
"Our forefathers":
- Yušamin, son of Dmut-Hiia
- Abatur, son of Bihrat
- Habšaba and Kana-d-Zidqa
- the 24 ʿuthras, sons of light
- Ptahil, son of Zahriel
- Adam, son of Qin and Eve, his wife
- Šitil, son of Adam
- Ram and Rud
- Šurbai and Šarhabiel
- Sam, son of Noah, and Nuraita his wife
- Yahia-Yuhana, son of ʿNišbai, and Qinta, and Anhar, his wife
- those 360 priests who went forth from Jerusalem
- our good fathers
- me, Adam-Zihrun, son of Mahnuš
- my father, Yahia-Bihram, son of Hawa-Mamania
- my mother, Mahnuš, daughter of Simat
- my teacher, Bihram, son of Mudalal
- his wife, Anhar, daughter of Hawa
- my children, Anhar, daughter of Anhar
- my brothers (and sisters), Anhar, and Sam, and Mudalal, and Ram
- Muhatam-Yuhana, and Adam-Yuhana, the sons of Mahnuš
"Mandaeans":
- Ram, son of Šarat-Simat
- Zihrun, son of Simat
- Anhar, daughter of Simat
- Simat, daughter of Hawa
- Ram, son of Simat
- Yasmin, daughter of Yasman
- our good fathers
- me, Adam-Zihrun, son of Mahnuš
"Priests":
- my teacher, Bihram, son of Mudalal
- Adam-Zihrun, son of Mamania
- Yahia-Anuš, son of Maliha
- Yahia-Ram-Zihrun, son of Hawa-Simat
- Yahia-Zihrun, son of Mudalal
- Sam-Bihram, son of Mudalal
- our good forefathers
- me, Adam-Zihrun, son of Mahnuš
"Ganzibria":
- my teacher, Bihram, son of Mudalal
- Yahia-Yuhana, son of Hawa-Simat
- Zihrun, son of Simat
- Sam-Bihram, son of Simat
- Bihram-Šitil, son of Šarat
- Zihrun, son of Maliha
- Adam, son of Šadia-Maliha
- Yahia-Bayan and Yahia-Bihram, sons of Hawa-Mamania
- Ram-Yuhana, son of Mamania
- Bayan-Zangia, son of Anhar-Simat
- Sam-Saiwia, son of Šarat
- Bihram, son of Madinat
- Yahia, son of Anhar-Ziwa
- Ram-Sindan and Šaria
- Hawa, daughter of Daia
- Anhar-Kumraita, daughter of Simat
- Yahia-Ramuia, son of Ramuia
- Sam-Bihram, son of Mudalal
- Adam, son of Bihram (Bihrat?)-Dihgan
- Adam-Br-Hiia, son of Simat
- Brik-Yawar, son of Buran
- Bihram Bisḥaq, son of Hawa
- Šabur, son of Dukt
- Mhatam and Šitil, sons of Haiuna
- Anuš, son of Mihria-Zad
- Šaiar-Ziwa and Šabur, son (sons?) of Kaizarʿil (them?)
- Bhira, son of Kujasta
- Zakia, son of Hawa
- Ardaban-Malka-Baktiar, son of Simat
- our good fathers
- me, Adam-Zihrun, son of Mahnuš
"The ethnarchs":
- my teacher, Bihram, son of Mudalal
- Adam-Bul-Faraz, son of Hawa-Mamania
- Anuš Muʿailia, son of Hawa-Zadia
- Yahia-Adam, son of Zadia-Anuš, Hawa (?) (them?)
- Bihdad, son of Šadia
- Bainia, son of Haiuna
- Haiuna, daughter of Tihwia
- Ramuia, son of ʿQaimat
- Šganda, son of Yasman
- Zazai-d-Gawazta, son of Hawa
Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2010). The great stem of souls: reconstructing Mandaean history. Piscataway, N.J: Gorgias Press. ISBN 978-1-59333-621-9.
Drower, E. S. (1959). The Canonical Prayerbook of the Mandaeans. Leiden: E. J. Brill.
Drower, E. S. (1960). The secret Adam: a study of Nasoraean gnosis. Oxford: Clarendon Press.