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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] |
Gnostic
Gnosticism (from grc, γνωστικός, gnōstikós, , 'having knowledge') is a collection of religious ideas and systems which coalesced in the late 1st century AD among Jewish and early Christian sects. These various groups emphasized personal spiritual knowledge (''gnosis'') above the orthodox teachings, traditions, and authority of religious institutions. Gnostic cosmogony generally presents a distinction between a supreme, hidden God and a malevolent lesser divinity (sometimes associated with the Yahweh of the Old Testament) who is responsible for creating the material universe. Consequently, Gnostics considered material existence flawed or evil, and held the principal element of salvation to be direct knowledge of the hidden divinity, attained via mystical or esoteric insight. Many Gnostic texts deal not in concepts of sin and repentance, but with illusion and enlightenment. Gnostic writings flourished among certain Christian groups in the Mediterranean world aro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
World Of Darkness (Mandaeism)
In Mandaeism, the World of Darkness ( myz, ࡀࡋࡌࡀ ࡖࡄࡔࡅࡊࡀ, translit=alma ḏ-hšuka) is the underworld located below Tibil (Earth). It is ruled by its king Ur (Leviathan) and its queen Ruha, mother of the seven planets and twelve constellations. Description The great dark Ocean of Sup (or Suf) lies in the World of Darkness. The great dividing river of Hitpun, analogous to the river Styx in Greek mythology, separates the World of Darkness from the World of Light. Siniawis is one of the regions of the World of Darkness. The ''Ginza Rabba'' mention the Abaddons ( myz, ʿbdunia) as part of the World of Darkness. The '' Right Ginza'' mentions the existence of the "upper Abaddons" () as well as the "lower Abaddons" (). The World of Darkness is sometimes referred to as Sheol ( myz, šiul) in the ''Ginza Rabba'' and other Mandaean scriptures. Inhabitants Various beings inhabit the World of Darkness. See also *Sheol *Ancient Mesopotamian underworld The ancie ... [...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] |
Mandaean
Mandaeans ( ar, المندائيون ), also known as Mandaean Sabians ( ) or simply as Sabians ( ), are an ethnoreligious group who are followers of Mandaeism. They believe that John the Baptist was the final and most important prophet. They may have been among the earliest religious groups to practice baptism, as well as among the earliest adherents of Gnosticism, a belief system of which they are the last surviving representatives today. The Mandaeans were originally native speakers of Mandaic, an Eastern Aramaic language, before they nearly all switched to Iraqi Arabic or Persian as their main language. After the invasion of Iraq by the United States and its allies in 2003, the Mandaean community of Iraq, which before the war numbered 60,000-70,000 persons, collapsed due to the rise of Islamic extremism and the absence of protection against it; with most of the community relocating to Iran, Syria and Jordan, or forming diaspora communities beyond the Middle East. Mandea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dmuta
In Mandaeism, a dmuta ( myz, ࡃࡌࡅࡕࡀ, lit=image) or dmut is a spiritual counterpart or "mirror image" in the World of Light. People, spirits, and places are often considered to have both earthly and heavenly counterparts (''dmuta'') that can dynamically interact with each other. A few examples include: *The heavenly Adam kasia corresponding to the earthly Adam pagria *The heavenly Piriawis (or "Great Jordan") corresponding to earthly ''yardnas'' (rivers) *Abatur Rama ("Lofty Abatur") corresponding to Abatur Muzania ("Abatur of the Scales") A dmuta dwells in the Mshunia Kushta, a section of the World of Light. Merging of the soul A successful masiqta merges the incarnate soul ( myz, ࡍࡉࡔࡉࡌࡕࡀ ) and spirit ( myz, ࡓࡅࡄࡀ ) from the Earth (Tibil) into a new merged entity in the World of Light called the ''ʿuṣṭuna''. The ''ʿuṣṭuna'' can then reunite with its heavenly, non-incarnate counterpart (or spiritual image), the ''dmuta'', in the World of L ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mshunia Kushta
In Mandaean cosmology, Mshunia Kushta ( myz, ࡌࡔࡅࡍࡉࡀ ࡊࡅࡔࡈࡀ, translit=Mšunia Kušṭa, lit=realm of truth) is a part of the World of Light considered to be the dwelling place of heavenly or ideal counterparts (''dmuta''). It is similar to Plato's concept of the hyperuranion (realm of Forms), which can be roughly described as a place in heaven where all ideas of real things are collected together. Mshunia Kushta is considered to be the shkina (dwelling) of Anush Uthra. See also *Hyperuranion in Platonism *Theory of forms The theory of Forms or theory of Ideas is a philosophical theory, fuzzy concept, or world-view, attributed to Plato, that the physical world is not as real or true as timeless, absolute, unchangeable ideas. According to this theory, ideas in th ... in Platonism * Abstract and concrete * Adam kasia References Mandaean cosmology Mandaean philosophical concepts Mandaic words and phrases Esoteric cosmology Conceptions of heaven My ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Thousand And Twelve Questions
''The Thousand and Twelve Questions'' ( myz, ࡀࡋࡐ ࡕࡓࡉࡎࡀࡓ ࡔࡅࡉࡀࡋࡉࡀ ) is a Mandaean religious text. The ''1012 Questions'' is one of the most detailed texts on Mandaean priestly rituals. The text contains detailed commentaries on Mandaean religious rituals, such as death masses (''masiqta'') to help guide souls into the World of Light, and the Mandaean wedding ceremony. It is written as a scroll. A detailed overview of the contents can be found in Drower (1941). Manuscripts and translations An English translation of the text was published by E. S. Drower in 1960, which was based on manuscript 36 of the Drower Collection (abbreviated DC 36). DC 6 is an incomplete manuscript of ''The Thousand and Twelve Questions'' in the Drower Collection missing books 1-2, but DC 36 is the complete version with all 7 books included. Contents Contents of the 7 parts of the ''1012 Questions'': *Book 1 **Part 1: The Questions which Shishlam-Rba and Hibil-Ziwa asked of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aether (classical Element)
According to ancient and medieval science, aether (, alternative spellings include ''æther'', ''aither'', and ''ether''), also known as the fifth element or quintessence, is the material that fills the region of the universe beyond the terrestrial sphere. The concept of aether was used in several theories to explain several natural phenomena, such as the traveling of light and gravity. In the late 19th century, physicists postulated that aether permeated all throughout space, providing a medium through which light could travel in a vacuum, but evidence for the presence of such a medium was not found in the Michelson–Morley experiment, and this result has been interpreted as meaning that no such luminiferous aether exists. Mythological origins The word (''aithḗr'') in Homeric Greek means "pure, fresh air" or "clear sky". In Greek mythology, it was thought to be the pure essence that the gods breathed, filling the space where they lived, analogous to the ''air'' breathed ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jordan River
The Jordan River or River Jordan ( ar, نَهْر الْأُرْدُنّ, ''Nahr al-ʾUrdunn'', he, נְהַר הַיַּרְדֵּן, ''Nəhar hayYardēn''; syc, ܢܗܪܐ ܕܝܘܪܕܢܢ ''Nahrāʾ Yurdnan''), also known as ''Nahr Al-Sharieat'' ( ar, نهر الشريعة), is a river in the Middle East that flows roughly north to south through the Sea of Galilee (Hebrew: כנרת Kinneret, Arabic: Bohayrat Tabaraya, meaning Lake of Tiberias) and on to the Dead Sea. Jordan and the Golan Heights border the river to the east, while the West Bank and Israel lie to its west. Both Jordan and the West Bank take their names from the river. The river holds major significance in Judaism and Christianity. According to the Bible, the Israelites crossed it into the Promised Land and Jesus of Nazareth was baptized by John the Baptist in it. Geography The Jordan River has an upper course from its sources to the Sea of Galilee (via the Bethsaida Valley), and a lower course south of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yardna
In Mandaeism, a yardna ( myz, ࡉࡀࡓࡃࡍࡀ, lit=Jordan) or yardena ([]; ar, یردنا) is a body of flowing fresh water (or in myz, ࡌࡉࡀ ࡄࡉࡉࡀ, translit=mia hiia, lit=living water; pronounced ''mia h(a)yya'') that is suitable for ritual use as baptismal water. The masbuta and other Mandaean rituals such as the tamasha can only be performed in a yardna. Stagnant fresh water, brackish water, and seawater are not considered to be yardnas. Examples of yardnas Although etymologically related to the Hebrew word ''yarden'' (), or the Jordan River, a yardna in Mandaeism can refer to any flowing river. Traditionally, these were typically the Euphrates (Mandaic: ''Praš''), Tigris (Mandaic: ''Diglat''), and Karun (Mandaic: ''ʿUlat'') rivers. The Euphrates is called (; pronounced ) in the ''Ginza Rabba''. In Mandaean scriptures, the Euphrates is considered to be the earthly manifestation of the heavenly yardna or flowing river (similar to the Yazidi concept of Lali ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Monad (Gnosticism)
The Monad in Gnosticism is an adaptation of concepts of the Monad in Greek philosophy to Christian gnostic belief systems. Overview The term ''monad'' comes from the Greek feminine noun ''monas'' (nominative singular, μονάς), "one unit," where the ending ''-s'' in the nominative form resolves to the ending ''-d'' in declension. In some gnostic systems, the Supreme Being is known as the Monad, the One, the Absolute, Aiōn Teleos (the Perfect Aeon, ), Bythos (Depth or Profundity, ), Proarchē (Before the Beginning, ), Hē Archē (The Beginning, ), the Ineffable Parent, and/or the primal Father. Prominent early Christian gnostics like Valentinus taught that the Monad is the high source of the Pleroma, the region of light constituting "the fullness of the Godhead." Through a process of emanation, various divine entities and realms emerge from the One. Arranged hierarchically, they become progressively degraded due to their remoteness from the Father. The various emanations of t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Piriawis
In Mandaean cosmology, Piriawis ( myz, ࡐࡉࡓࡉࡀࡅࡉࡎ; sometimes also spelled Biriawiš Lidzbarski, Mark. 1920. ''Mandäische Liturgien''. Abhandlungen der Königlichen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen, phil.-hist. Klasse, NF 17.1. Berlin.), also known as the Yardna Rabba ( "Great Jordan"), is the sacred life-giving river (''yardna'') of the World of Light. It is the heavenly counterpart of rivers on earth (Tibil), which are considered by Mandaeans to be manifestations of the heavenly Piriawis. Shilmai and Nidbai are the two guardian uthras (celestial beings) watching over Piriawis. Qolasta prayers 13 and 17 mention Piriawis-Ziwa and Piriafil-Malaka together as uthras. Other names In Book 4 of the ''Right Ginza'', Sindiriawis is mentioned as "the great ''yardna'' of the Life" () See also *Yardna *Ganga (goddess) in Hinduism *Siniawis, its corresponding opposite in the World of Darkness *Jordan River *Yesseus Mazareus Yessedekeus, the name of the Living W ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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