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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] |
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] |
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] |
Abatur
Abatur ( myz, ࡀࡁࡀࡕࡅࡓ, sometimes called Abathur; Yawar, myz, ࡉࡀࡅࡀࡓ; and the Ancient of Days) is an Uthra and the second of three subservient emanations created by the Mandaean God ''Hayyi Rabbi'' ( myz, ࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡓࡁࡉࡀ, “The Great Living God”) in the Mandaean religion. His name translates as the “''father of the Uthras''”, the Mandaean name for angels or guardians. His usual epithet is ''the Ancient'' (''Atiga'') and he is also called ''the deeply hidden and guarded''. He is described as being the son of the first emanation, or ''Yoshamin'' ( myz, ࡉࡅࡔࡀࡌࡉࡍ). He is also described as being the angel of Polaris. He exists in two different personae. These include Abatur Rama ( myz, ࡀࡁࡀࡕࡅࡓ ࡓࡀࡌࡀ, the "lofty" or celestial Abatur), and his "lower" counterpart, Abatur of the Scales ( myz, ࡀࡁࡀࡕࡅࡓ ࡌࡅࡆࡀࡍࡉࡀ, Abatur Muzania), who weighs the souls of the dead to determine their fate. In Manda ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Left Ginza
The Left 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 Right 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 is a four-part prose text on the salvation process, beginning with the ascension to heaven of Seth, in advance of his father Adam (compare Sethian Gnosticism). *Chapter 1.1 is about Adam and his three sons. One of Adam's sons, Sheetil (Seth), volunteers to die before his father. 49 paragraphs in Gelbert (2011). The c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Masiqta
The masiqta ( myz, ࡌࡀࡎࡉࡒࡕࡀ) is a mass or ritual practiced in the Mandaean religion in order to help guide the soul (''nišimta'') towards the World of Light in Mandaean cosmology. They are typically performed as funerary rites for Mandaeans who have just died. Although usually translated as "death mass", a few types of ''masiqta'' are also performed for living people, such as when priests are ordained. Purpose The complex ritual involves guiding the soul through the ''maṭarta'', or toll houses located between the Earth (Tibil) and the World of Light, which are guarded by various uthras and demons. A successful masiqta merges the incarnate soul ( myz, ࡍࡉࡔࡉࡌࡕࡀ ; roughly equivalent to the ''psyche'' or " ego" in Greek philosophy) and spirit ( myz, ࡓࡅࡄࡀ ; roughly equivalent to the ''pneuma'' or "breath" in Greek philosophy) from the Earth (Tibil) into a new merged entity in the World of Light called the ''ʿuṣṭuna''. The ''ʿuṣṭuna'' can ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Coptic Apocalypse Of Paul
The ''Coptic Apocalypse of Paul'' is one of the texts of the New Testament apocrypha found in the Nag Hammadi library of Codex V. The text is not to be confused with the ''Apocalypse of Paul'', which is unrelated. Steven A. Armstrong dates the text to on the basis of its content. Kaler, Painchaud, and Bussieres date the text to the late second or early third centuries. The text was part of a contested claim between Valentinian Gnostics and other groups about who was the true heir of Paul the Apostle. Synopsis While trying to find a way to Jerusalem, the apostle Paul meets a child on the road. The child turns out to be a heavenly messenger, and Paul then experiences a divine vision. The Holy Spirit takes Paul up into the third heaven, and then up into the fourth heaven, where he sees angels punishing sinners. He then ascends to the fifth heaven, where he sees an angel holding an iron staff who is accompanied by three other angels. The angels all have whips in the hands or pu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mandaean Cosmology
Mandaean cosmology is the Gnostic conception of the universe in the religion of Mandaeism. Mandaean cosmology is strongly influenced by Jewish, Babylonian, Persian, Egyptian, Greek, Manichaean and other Near Eastern religions and philosophies. Emanations The three major Emanations or "Lives" (''Hayyi'') in Mandaeism are: #The Second Life: Yushamin, the primal uthra #The Third Life: Abatur, the weigher of souls, and also the father of the '' uthri'' (plural of ''uthra'') #The Fourth Life: Ptahil, the creator of the material world The Second Life, Third Life, and Fourth Life are emanations of the First Life, Hayyi Rabbi (the Supreme God). Realms Mandaean cosmology divides the universe into three realms: #World of Light or Lightworld (''alma ḏ-nhūra'') #Tibil, or Earth #World of Darkness or underworld (''alma ḏ-hšuka'') According to Book 3 of the '' Right Ginza'', a "fruit (''pira'') within the fruit" and "ether (''ayar'') within the ether" had existed before the World of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Book Of Thomas
The ''Book of Thomas the Contender'', also known more simply as the ''Book of Thomas'' (not to be confused with the Gospel of Thomas and the Infancy Gospel of Thomas), is one of the books of the New Testament apocrypha represented in the Nag Hammadi library ( CG II), a cache of Gnostic gospels secreted in the Egyptian desert. The title derives from the first line of text. The colophon appended to the text gives the title ''The Contender writing to the Perfect''. Composition There are two competing theories as to the composition of the text: *Firstly, since it is only the initial 3/5 which constitute dialogue, with the remainder being a monologue, it may have originally been two works, one of dialogue, one of monologue. *Alternatively, and not in the least because of the two titles, the work is thought to have originated as a letter, with a name of the form ''Epistle of the Contender'', written by a Jew who upheld Hellenic philosophy. The text is thought to have later been g ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pistis Sophia
''Pistis Sophia'' ( grc-koi, Πίστις Σοφία) is a Gnostic text discovered in 1773, possibly written between the 3rd and 4th centuries AD. The existing manuscript, which some scholars place in the late 4th century, relates one Gnostic group's teachings of the transfigured Jesus to the assembled disciples, including his mother Mary, Mary Magdalene, and Martha. (In this context, "transfigured" refers to Jesus after his death and resurrection, not the event during his life where he spoke to appearances of Moses and Elijah on a mountain.) In this text, the risen Jesus had spent eleven years speaking with his disciples, teaching them only the lower mysteries. After eleven years, he receives his true garment and is able to reveal the higher mysteries revered by this group. The prized mysteries relate to complex cosmologies and knowledge necessary for the soul to reach the highest divine realms. Much of the first two books of the manuscript are dedicated to outlining the my ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Second Book Of Enoch
The Second Book of Enoch (abbreviated as 2 Enoch and also known as Slavonic Enoch, Slavic Enoch or Secrets of Enoch) is a pseudepigraphic text in the apocalyptic genre. It describes the ascent of the patriarch Enoch, ancestor of Noah, through ten heavens of an Earth-centered cosmos. The Slavonic edition and translation of 2 Enoch is of Christian origin in the 8th century but is based on an earlier work. 2 Enoch is distinct from the Book of Enoch, known as 1 Enoch, and there is also an unrelated 3 Enoch, although none of the three books are considered canonical scripture by the majority of Jewish or Christian bodies. The numbering of these texts has been applied by scholars to distinguish each from the others. The cosmology of 2 Enoch corresponds closely with beliefs of the Early Middle Ages about the metaphysical structure of the universe. It may have been influential in shaping them. The text was lost for several centuries, then recovered and published at the end of the ninetee ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aerial Toll House
Aerial toll houses (also called "telonia", from the / ''telonia'', customs) are a belief held by some in the Eastern Orthodox Church which states that "following a person's death the soul leaves the body, and is escorted to God by angels. During this journey the soul passes through an aerial realm, which is inhabited by wicked spirits (Ephesians 6:12). The soul encounters these demons at various points referred to as ''toll-houses'' where the demons then attempt to accuse it of sin and, if possible, drag the soul into hell." A number of the Eastern Orthodox saints, modern elders and theologians have openly endorsed it, but some theologians and bishops have condemned it as heretical and gnostic in origin. Aerial toll houses are part of the particular judgment. Teaching The most detailed account of the aerial toll-houses is found in the biography of Basil the Younger, found in the ''Lives of Saints'' for 26 March. In this rendering, Theodora, spiritual student of Basil, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
