Nasrani Hagbah
Encyclopedia
Nasrani Hagbah is a religious tradition of the Syrian Malabar Nasrani
people from Kerala
, South India
that involves the opening of the red curtain and unveiling of the holy of holies and the raising of the Bible
by the priest to the congregation gathered for the Kurbana (derived from the Hebrew Korban
(קרבן), meaning "Sacrifice").
, South India
who are the descendants of the natives and the Jewish
diaspora in Kerala who became Christian
s in the Malabar coast
in the earliest days of Christianity. The Nasranis
follow a unique Syriac Christian
tradition which includes several Jewish elements although they have absorbed some Hindu customs. Their heritage is Syriac
-Keralite, their culture South Indian, their faith St. Thomas Christian
, and their language Malayalam. As an ethnic community they refer to themselves as Nasranis referring to the common cultural heritage and cultural tradition. However the Nasranis have various denominations as a result of Portuguese persecution
. As a religious group they refer to themselves as the Mar Thoma Khristianis or in English as Saint Thomas Christians referring to their religious tradition, despite a common ancestry of being the descendants of the early Mar Thoma church or Saint Thomas tradition of Christianity
.
According to Hermann Gundert
(who wrote the first Malayalam dictionary), the term 'mapilla' was an "honorary title given to the colonists from the West, probaqbly only to their representatives. Nazrani Mappila, Jewish Mappila and Jonaka Mapplia. In Palaghat this is for Nazranis only and in Travancore, and honorary to Syrians."
. In the Nasrani Kurbana, the Bible is brought down from the madbaha (holy of holies veiled by red curtain) to the Bimah (raised platform at which it is read). Menachery G (ed); (1998) "The Indian Church History Classics", Vol. I, The Nazranies, Ollur, 1998. [ISBN 81-87133-05-8]. First the red curtain separating the Holy of Holies is unveiled and then the priest lifts the bible at the inner altar of the holy of holies and climbs down the steps from the inner alter to the outer altar at hykala where it is held high covering the priests face while it is incensed by myrrh
. This is done in the tradition of the holy of holies
being veiled by a curtain in the ancient temple of Jerusalem. The unveiling of the red curtain and the lifting of the words of God and bringing it down to the outer altar symbolizes Moses
bringing down the first words of God written by the hands of god. Thus raising the hagbah is, in fact, symbolic of revealing God to the people. The Nasrani Hagbah is the point at which the red curtain veiling the holy of holies is unveiled depicting the handing of the ten commandments
by God through Moses to the Hebrews. (Deut 4:44)
saw God was at Mount Sinai
when for the first time the laws were given on the tablets. So the only true way of seeing God is to see the word. Hence the tradition of revealing God by raising the bible as it was done by Moses by lifting the tablets in front of the entire Hebrew community the first time the laws were given. (Deut 4:44)
hagbah of lifting the torah and unveiling the curtain covering the holy of holies in the synagogue.
Syrian Malabar Nasrani
The Syrian Malabar Nasrani people, also known as Saint Thomas Christians, "'Nasrani Mappila'" and Nasranis, are an ethnoreligious group from Kerala, India, adhering to the various churches of the Saint Thomas Christian tradition...
people from Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
that involves the opening of the red curtain and unveiling of the holy of holies and the raising of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
by the priest to the congregation gathered for the Kurbana (derived from the Hebrew Korban
Korban
The term offering as found in the Hebrew Bible in relation to the worship of Ancient Israel is mainly represented by the Hebrew noun korban whether for an animal or other offering...
(קרבן), meaning "Sacrifice").
Background
The Malabar Nasranis are a people from KeralaKerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
who are the descendants of the natives and the Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
diaspora in Kerala who became Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
s in the Malabar coast
Malabar Coast
The Malabar Coast is a long and narrow coastline on the south-western shore line of the mainland Indian subcontinent. Geographically, it comprises the wettest regions of southern India, as the Western Ghats intercept the moisture-laden monsoon rains, especially on their westward-facing mountain...
in the earliest days of Christianity. The Nasranis
Syrian Malabar Nasrani
The Syrian Malabar Nasrani people, also known as Saint Thomas Christians, "'Nasrani Mappila'" and Nasranis, are an ethnoreligious group from Kerala, India, adhering to the various churches of the Saint Thomas Christian tradition...
follow a unique Syriac Christian
Syriac Christianity
Syriac or Syrian Christianity , the Syriac-speaking Christians of Mesopotamia, comprises multiple Christian traditions of Eastern Christianity. With a history going back to the 1st Century AD, in modern times it is represented by denominations primarily in the Middle East and in Kerala, India....
tradition which includes several Jewish elements although they have absorbed some Hindu customs. Their heritage is Syriac
Syriac Christianity
Syriac or Syrian Christianity , the Syriac-speaking Christians of Mesopotamia, comprises multiple Christian traditions of Eastern Christianity. With a history going back to the 1st Century AD, in modern times it is represented by denominations primarily in the Middle East and in Kerala, India....
-Keralite, their culture South Indian, their faith St. Thomas Christian
Saint Thomas Christians
The Saint Thomas Christians are an ancient body of Christians from Kerala, India, who trace their origins to the evangelical activity of Thomas the Apostle in the 1st century. They are also known as "Nasranis" because they are followers of "Jesus of Nazareth". The term "Nasrani" is still used by St...
, and their language Malayalam. As an ethnic community they refer to themselves as Nasranis referring to the common cultural heritage and cultural tradition. However the Nasranis have various denominations as a result of Portuguese persecution
Persecution
Persecution is the systematic mistreatment of an individual or group by another group. The most common forms are religious persecution, ethnic persecution, and political persecution, though there is naturally some overlap between these terms. The inflicting of suffering, harassment, isolation,...
. As a religious group they refer to themselves as the Mar Thoma Khristianis or in English as Saint Thomas Christians referring to their religious tradition, despite a common ancestry of being the descendants of the early Mar Thoma church or Saint Thomas tradition of Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
.
According to Hermann Gundert
Hermann Gundert
Rev. Dr. Hermann Gundert was a German missionary and scholar, who compiled a Malayalam grammar book, Malayalabhaasha Vyakaranam , the first Malayalam-English dictionary , and translated the Bible into Malayalam. He worked primarily at Tellicherry on the Malabar coast, in Kerala, India...
(who wrote the first Malayalam dictionary), the term 'mapilla' was an "honorary title given to the colonists from the West, probaqbly only to their representatives. Nazrani Mappila, Jewish Mappila and Jonaka Mapplia. In Palaghat this is for Nazranis only and in Travancore, and honorary to Syrians."
The tradition
The Nasrani Hagbah is one of the main parts of the sacrificial ritual offering of Kurbana of the Malabar Nasrani peopleSyrian Malabar Nasrani
The Syrian Malabar Nasrani people, also known as Saint Thomas Christians, "'Nasrani Mappila'" and Nasranis, are an ethnoreligious group from Kerala, India, adhering to the various churches of the Saint Thomas Christian tradition...
. In the Nasrani Kurbana, the Bible is brought down from the madbaha (holy of holies veiled by red curtain) to the Bimah (raised platform at which it is read). Menachery G (ed); (1998) "The Indian Church History Classics", Vol. I, The Nazranies, Ollur, 1998. [ISBN 81-87133-05-8]. First the red curtain separating the Holy of Holies is unveiled and then the priest lifts the bible at the inner altar of the holy of holies and climbs down the steps from the inner alter to the outer altar at hykala where it is held high covering the priests face while it is incensed by myrrh
Myrrh
Myrrh is the aromatic oleoresin of a number of small, thorny tree species of the genus Commiphora, which grow in dry, stony soil. An oleoresin is a natural blend of an essential oil and a resin. Myrrh resin is a natural gum....
. This is done in the tradition of the holy of holies
Holy of Holies
The Holy of Holies is a term in the Hebrew Bible which refers to the inner sanctuary of the Tabernacle and later the Temple in Jerusalem where the Ark of the Covenant was kept during the First Temple, which could be entered only by the High Priest on Yom Kippur...
being veiled by a curtain in the ancient temple of Jerusalem. The unveiling of the red curtain and the lifting of the words of God and bringing it down to the outer altar symbolizes Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
bringing down the first words of God written by the hands of god. Thus raising the hagbah is, in fact, symbolic of revealing God to the people. The Nasrani Hagbah is the point at which the red curtain veiling the holy of holies is unveiled depicting the handing of the ten commandments
Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue , are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship, which play a fundamental role in Judaism and most forms of Christianity. They include instructions to worship only God and to keep the Sabbath, and prohibitions against idolatry,...
by God through Moses to the Hebrews. (Deut 4:44)
Symbolism
It is derived from the idea that the first time the HebrewsHebrews
Hebrews is an ethnonym used in the Hebrew Bible...
saw God was at Mount Sinai
Mount Sinai
Mount Sinai , also known as Mount Horeb, Mount Musa, Gabal Musa , Jabal Musa meaning "Moses' Mountain", is a mountain near Saint Catherine in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt. A mountain called Mount Sinai is mentioned many times in the Book of Exodus in the Torah and the Bible as well as the Quran...
when for the first time the laws were given on the tablets. So the only true way of seeing God is to see the word. Hence the tradition of revealing God by raising the bible as it was done by Moses by lifting the tablets in front of the entire Hebrew community the first time the laws were given. (Deut 4:44)
Cognate traditions
The Nasrani Hagbah is similar to the Jewish Hagbah and more so to the samaritanSamaritan
The Samaritans are an ethnoreligious group of the Levant. Religiously, they are the adherents to Samaritanism, an Abrahamic religion closely related to Judaism...
hagbah of lifting the torah and unveiling the curtain covering the holy of holies in the synagogue.