PEOPLEof the Euphrates in the Sawad -of Hira, who dealt directly with the
Muslims for his lands at the time of the conquest.^16 It might be sug-
gested that from a cultural point of view, there was very little to
distinguish local Aramaean notables such as ~aliiba from their Persian
counterparts among the dahaqtn. This is confirmed by conditions at
Nippur, where the evidence from the proper names on the incantation
bowls suggests a mixture of Persian and Aramaean influences.
Nippur had been resettled in the Parthian period. Its inhabitants
during the Sasanian period originally may have been Persians who
had been Aramaicized by intermarriage with the natives of the Sawad.
It is possible to identify in the bowl texts some people who were
probably village notables; at least they seem to be better off than other
patrons of the sorcerers and found it necessary to protect themselves
from the evil eye. Marada and his wife Hindultha bath Dodai, whose
Mandaic bowl seeks protection for their mansion, barn, cattle, and
household vessels seem very Aramaean. By the same token Xaro bar
Mehanosh, who seeks magical protection for his mansion, barn, and
cattle--asses, bulls, goats, and swine--on a Mandaic bowl seems more
Persian or Persianized. Another Mandaic text identifies a certain Shrula
bar Duktanuba as a man with property, cattle, slaves, and hand-
maids,17 The mixture of names of Persian or Aramaean origin in the
same family may be seen in the case of Farrukusrao bar Duktanosh,
his wife Kewashizag bath Papa, their daughter Apridoe, and their
grandsons Masdanaspas and Rashnenduk.^18 It may also be seen in the
family of Hormiz bar Mahlapta and his wife Ahata bath Dade, and16 Abii Yiisuf, Khariij, p. 225; Baladhuri, Futiii}, pp. 244-45; Tabari, Ta'rikh, I, 2017,
2019, 2049-51, 2052; Yaqiit, Buldiin, I, 483-84.
17 Montgomery, Incantation Texts, pp. 244-45, 252, 254; E. Yamauchi, Mandaic
Incantation Texts (New Haven, 1967), pp. 257, 263, 277, 279. Xaro may be compared
to Xaroe in F. Justi, Iranisches Namenbuch (Marburg, 1895), p. 171. Montgomery
explains Mehanosh as an abbreviated combination of Mithra and the Magian angel
Anosh. For the use of Anosh in Persian names; see Justi (pp. 17-18), but here the name
might also be that of one of the Mandaean angels (Anosh). The Mandaean significance
of this name seems to be indicated by the popularity of names formed with Anosh in
the Mandaic bowl texts (Yamauchi, Incantation Texts, pp. 163, 177, 179,267).
18 Yamauchi, Incantation Tex'ts, pp. 227, 229. Farrukusrao is an abbreviation of
Farriikh-Khusraw and probably corresponds to actual speech. Duktanosh may be com-
pared to Duxmosh-"maiden (given by) Anosh" Ousti, Namenbuch, pp. 227, 229).
Masdanaspas probably means steed of Mazda or of the Mazdaean religion. For Rashnan
used as a proper name derived from the Magian demigod Rashnu, see Justi, Namenbuch,
p. 259. Kewashizag and Apridoe appear to be Aramaic names, the latter with a Persian
diminutive ending. For the possible Manichaean meaning of Kewashizag, see de Me-
nasce, "Autour d'une texte syriaque inedit sur la religion des Mages," BSOAS 9 (1939),
593.