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Dinanukht
Dinanukht (also spelled Dinanukt or Dananukt; myz, ࡃࡉࡍࡀࡍࡅࡊࡕ or ; from Persian 'the one who speaks in accordance with the religion') is a mythological character in the ''Ginza Rabba'', one of the main religious scriptures of Mandaeism, who is portrayed as an anthropomorphic book. Book 6 of the ''Right Ginza'' describes his ascension to the World of Light.Häberl, Charles G. (2007). Introduction to the New Edition, in The Great Treasure of the Mandaeans, a new edition of J. Heinrich Petermann's Thesaurus s. Liber Magni, with a new introduction and a translation of the original preface by Charles G. Häberl'. Gorgias Press, LLC. Buckley (2010) suggests a connection with Nbu (Mercury), who is associated with scribes and books. For instance, in the ''Zrazta ḏ-Hibil Ziwa'' (Drower Collection Ms. 44), Nbu is the Lord of Book and ink and wisdom. Similarly, Dinanukht is called the "ink-book of the gods" in ''Right Ginza'' 6. Spellings Petermann spells the name as ''Din ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Thunder, Perfect Mind
"The Thunder, Perfect Mind" is a text originally discovered among the Gnostic manuscripts in the Nag Hammadi library in 1945. It follows a poetic structure, and has received scholarly attention for its gnomic style and unclear subject. Form The content of "The Thunder, Perfect Mind" (the title may alternately be translated "The Thunder, Perfect Intellect") takes the form of an extended, riddling monologue, in which an immanent divine saviour speaks a series of paradoxical statements alternating between first-person assertions of identity and direct address to the audience. These paradoxical utterances echo Greek identity riddles, a common early poetic form in the Mediterranean. Moreover, it is a non-epistolic, non-narrative unmediated divine speech. It has been theorized that the text was originally composed in Greek due to its meter and phrasing, and it has been dated to a vaguely estimated period of time before 350 C.E., the date of the Coptic manuscript from which the text o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Matarta
In Mandaean cosmology, a maṭarta ( myz, ࡌࡀࡈࡀࡓࡕࡀ; plural form: ''maṭarata'') is a "station" or "toll house" that is located between the World of Light (''alma ḏ-nhūra'') from Tibil (Earth). It has variously been translated as "watch-station", "toll-station", "way-station", or "purgatory". Maṭartas are guarded by various uthras (celestial beings from the World of Light) and demons. Ruha, the queen of the underworld, is the ruler or guardian of the third maṭarta. To reach the World of Light (''alma ḏ-nhūra'') from Tibil (Earth), souls must pass through the various maṭartas that are situated in between. Rituals such as the ''masiqta'' can help guide souls past the various maṭarta so that they could reach the World of Light. In the Ginza Rabba In the Ginza Rabba, Chapter 3 in Book 5 of the ''Right Ginza'', Book 6 of the ''Right Ginza'' (also known as the "Book of Dinanukht"), and Chapter 4 in Book 1 of the ''Left Ginza'' give detailed descriptions of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Uthra
An uthra or ʿutra ( myz, ࡏࡅࡕࡓࡀ; plural: ʿutri) is a "divine messenger of the light" in Mandaeism. Charles G. Häberl and James F. McGrath translate it as "excellency". Jorunn J. Buckley defines them as "Lightworld beings, called 'utras (sing.: 'utra 'wealth', but meaning 'angel' or 'guardian')." p8 Aldihisi (2008) compares them to the ''yazata'' of Zoroastrianism. According to Ethel S. Drower, "an 'uthra is an ethereal being, a spirit of light and Life." Uthras are benevolent beings that live in '' škinas'' ( myz, ࡔࡊࡉࡍࡀ, celestial dwellings) in the World of Light (''alma ḏ-nhūra'') and communicate with each other via telepathy. Uthras are also occasionally mentioned as being in ''anana'' ("clouds"; e.g., in '' Right Ginza'' Book 17, Chapter 1), which can also be interpreted as female consorts. Many uthras also serve as guardians (''naṭra''); for instance, Shilmai and Nidbai are the guardians of Piriawis, the Great Jordan (''yardna'') of Life. Etymol ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ruha
In Mandaeism, Rūha ( myz, ࡓࡅࡄࡀ, lit=spirit/breath; also known as Namrūs or Hiwat (Ewath; myz, ࡏࡅࡀࡕ)) is the queen of the World of Darkness (''alma ḏ-hšuka'') or underworld. She rules the underworld together with her son Ur, the king of the World of Darkness, and her entourage of the seven planets and twelve constellations, who are also her offspring with Ur. Ruha is the daughter of Qin, the Mistress of Darkness in the first underworld. She is the ruler of the third ''maṭarta'' (watch-house or purgatory). She is associated with lust, uncleanness (i.e., menstrual impurity), and other negative feminine qualities. Names and epithets The ''Ginza Rabba'' refers to Ruha using various epithets, such as: *''Rūha Masṭanita'' "Ruha the Seductress" *''Rūha ḏ-Qudša'' "Holy Spirit" *''ḏlibat ʿstra amamit'' "Libat-Ishtar- Amamit" (i.e., Venus) Use of the term "Holy Spirit" for Ruha is primarily confined to polemical texts, and not found in esoteric or ritua ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Right Ginza
The Right Ginza is one of the two parts of the Ginza Rabba, the longest and the most important holy scripture of Mandaeism. The other part of the Ginza Rabba is the Left Ginza. Summaries of each book (or tractate), based mostly on Häberl (2007), are provided below.Häberl, Charles G. (2007). Introduction to the New Edition, in The Great Treasure of the Mandaeans, a new edition of J. Heinrich Petermann's Thesaurus s. Liber Magni, with a new introduction and a translation of the original preface by Charles G. Häberl'. Gorgias Press, LLC. Translated excerpts are from Gelbert (2011), while Mandaic transliterations are derived from Gelbert (2011, 2021). Book 1 Book 1 contains a history of creation and of Mandaeism. The book begins with the opening line (also in Chapter 2 of Book 1): :Praised be Thou, my Lord, with a pure heart (), :thou Lord of all worlds (). Book 2 Book 2 also contains a history of creation and of Mandaeism. It has a total of four sections, since it also contai ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nbaz
An uthra or ʿutra ( myz, ࡏࡅࡕࡓࡀ; plural: ʿutri) is a "divine messenger of the light" in Mandaeism. Charles G. Häberl and James F. McGrath translate it as "excellency". Jorunn J. Buckley defines them as "Lightworld beings, called 'utras (sing.: 'utra 'wealth', but meaning 'angel' or 'guardian')." p8 Aldihisi (2008) compares them to the ''yazata'' of Zoroastrianism. According to Ethel S. Drower, "an 'uthra is an ethereal being, a spirit of light and Life." Uthras are benevolent beings that live in '' škinas'' ( myz, ࡔࡊࡉࡍࡀ, celestial dwellings) in the World of Light (''alma ḏ-nhūra'') and communicate with each other via telepathy. Uthras are also occasionally mentioned as being in ''anana'' ("clouds"; e.g., in ''Right Ginza'' Book 17, Chapter 1), which can also be interpreted as female consorts. Many uthras also serve as guardians (''naṭra''); for instance, Shilmai and Nidbai are the guardians of Piriawis, the Great Jordan (''yardna'') of Life. Etymolog ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Psalms Of Thomas
The ''Psalms of Thomas'' (more correctly ''Psalms of Thom'') are a set of 3rd-century Judeo-Christian psalms found appended to the end of a Coptic Manichaean psalm book, which was in turn part of the Medinet Madi Coptic Texts uncovered in 1928. The psalms were originally published in 1938 by C. R. C. Allberry. The meter and structure of the psalms suggest that they were originally written in Eastern Aramaic. There are 20 psalms in total. The themes and content of the psalms bear a considerable resemblance to the Hymn of the Pearl from the Acts of Thomas. Authorship Considerable controversy continues as to whether the Thomas or Thom referred to could be the Apostle Thomas, Mani's disciple, also called Thomas, or the Gnostic concept of the divine twin. This is because the latter is referred to in other parts of the Coptic Manichaean Psalm-book as a distinct person from the Apostle. The enigma has since deepened with the publication of the Cologne Mani-Codex in the 1970s, which s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Din Mlikh
An uthra or ʿutra ( myz, ࡏࡅࡕࡓࡀ; plural: ʿutri) is a "divine messenger of the light" in Mandaeism. Charles G. Häberl and James F. McGrath translate it as "excellency". Jorunn J. Buckley defines them as "Lightworld beings, called 'utras (sing.: 'utra 'wealth', but meaning 'angel' or 'guardian')." p8 Aldihisi (2008) compares them to the ''yazata'' of Zoroastrianism. According to Ethel S. Drower, "an 'uthra is an ethereal being, a spirit of light and Life." Uthras are benevolent beings that live in ''škinas'' ( myz, ࡔࡊࡉࡍࡀ, celestial dwellings) in the World of Light (''alma ḏ-nhūra'') and communicate with each other via telepathy. Uthras are also occasionally mentioned as being in ''anana'' ("clouds"; e.g., in ''Right Ginza'' Book 17, Chapter 1), which can also be interpreted as female consorts. Many uthras also serve as guardians (''naṭra''); for instance, Shilmai and Nidbai are the guardians of Piriawis, the Great Jordan (''yardna'') of Life. Etymology ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hayyi Rabbi
In Mandaeism, Hayyi Rabbi ( myz, ࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡓࡁࡉࡀ, translit=Hiia Rbia, lit=The Great Life), 'The Great Living God', is the supreme God from which all things emanate. He is also known as 'The First Life', since during the creation of the material world, Yushamin emanated from Hayyi Rabbi as the 'Second Life'. According to Qais Al-Saadi, "the principles of the Mandaean doctrine: the belief of the only one great God, Hayyi Rabbi, to whom all absolute properties belong; He created all the worlds, formed the soul through his power, and placed it by means of angels into the human body. So He created Adam and Eve, the first man and woman." Mandaeans recognize God to be the eternal, creator of all, the one and only in domination who has no partner.Hanish, Shak (2019). The Mandaeans In Iraq. In "God is worshiped alone and praised as the Supreme Force of the universe. He presides over all the worlds and all of creation." In Mandaeism, is the belief in One God. Names Hayyi Rabbi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kushta
In Mandaeism, kushta or kušṭa ( myz, ࡊࡅࡔࡈࡀ, lit=truth) can have several meanings. Its original literal meaning is "truth" in the Mandaic language, and is thus typically used to refer to the Mandaean religious concept of truth. The same word is also used to refer to a sacred handclasp that is used during Mandaean rituals such as masbuta, masiqta, and priestly initiation ceremonies.Drower, Ethel Stefana (1937). ''The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran''. Oxford at the Clarendon Press. In the World of Light Mandaeans believe that in the World of Light, the Mšunia Kušṭa, or the world of ideal counterparts, exists, where everything has a corresponding spiritual pair (''dmuta''). Alternatively, ''kušṭa'' can be used as a synonym for Hayyi Rabbi, or God in Mandaeism. In the 69th chapter of the Mandaean Book of John, Manda d-Hayyi addresses Etinṣib Ziwa (Splendid Transplant), son of Yushamin, as "Truth, beloved by all excellencies." E. S. Drower interprets a reference in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Persian Language
Persian (), also known by its endonym Farsi (, ', ), is a Western Iranian language belonging to the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian subdivision of the Indo-European languages. Persian is a pluricentric language predominantly spoken and used officially within Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan in three mutually intelligible standard varieties, namely Iranian Persian (officially known as ''Persian''), Dari Persian (officially known as ''Dari'' since 1964) and Tajiki Persian (officially known as ''Tajik'' since 1999).Siddikzoda, S. "Tajik Language: Farsi or not Farsi?" in ''Media Insight Central Asia #27'', August 2002. It is also spoken natively in the Tajik variety by a significant population within Uzbekistan, as well as within other regions with a Persianate history in the cultural sphere of Greater Iran. It is written officially within Iran and Afghanistan in the Persian alphabet, a derivation of the Arabic script, and within Tajikistan in the Tajik alphabet, a der ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ziwa (Aramaic)
Ziwa is an Aramaic term that is typically translated as 'radiance' or 'splendor.' It is frequently used as an epithet for celestial beings and manifestations of God in Gnosticism, Gnostic religions such as Mandaeism and Manichaeism. The Hebrew cognate is ''Ziv (other), ziv'' (). Scripts ''Ziwa'' written in different scripts: *Hebrew script: *Mandaic script: *Syriac script: *Arabic script: Mandaeism In Mandaeism, uthras (celestial beings) often have the Mandaic language, Mandaic term ''Ziwa'' / ''Ziua'' ( myz, ࡆࡉࡅࡀ, meaning 'Radiance'; Neo-Mandaic language, Neo-Mandaic pronunciation ) attached after their names, due to their origins from the World of Light. Pairs of uthras also typically have rhyming names. The names can be alliterative (e.g., Adathan and Yadathan), or one name may have an infixed consonant or syllable (e.g., Kapan and Kanpan). Uthras commonly referred to as "Ziwa" include: *Hibil Ziwa *Sam Ziwa (or Sam Smira Ziwa) *Yawar Ziwa *Qmamir Ziwa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
