A ganzibra (singular form in myz, ࡂࡀࡍࡆࡉࡁࡓࡀ, plural form in myz, ࡂࡀࡍࡆࡉࡁࡓࡉࡀ , literally 'treasurer' in
Mandaic Mandaic may refer to:
* Mandaic language
* Mandaic alphabet
** Mandaic (Unicode block)
Mandaic is a Unicode block containing characters of the Mandaic script used for writing the historic Eastern Aramaic, also called Classical Mandaic, and the m ...
; fa, گنزورا) is a
high priest
The term "high priest" usually refers either to an individual who holds the office of ruler-priest, or to one who is the head of a religious caste.
Ancient Egypt
In ancient Egypt, a high priest was the chief priest of any of the many gods rever ...
in
Mandaeism.
Tarmidas, or junior priests, rank below the ganzibras.
[Drower, E. S. 1960. ''The Secret Adam: A Study of Nasoraean Gnosis''. Oxford: Clarendon Press.]
Symbolically, ganzibras are considered to be
uthras on earth (
Tibil
In Mandaean cosmology, Tibil ( myz, ࡕࡉࡁࡉࡋ) or occasionally Arqa ḏ-Tibil (lit. "Tibil-Earth") is the Earth (World) or earthly middle realm. It is separated from the World of Light (''alma ḏ-nhūra'') above and the World of Darkness (' ...
). Their responsibilities include performing
masbuta,
masiqta,
wedding ceremonies, and other rituals, all of which can only be performed by priests. They must prepare their own food to maintain ritual purity.
Ganzibra priests are also prohibited from consuming stimulants such as wine, tobacco, and coffee.
Ordination
The ganzibras go through an elaborate set of initiation rituals that are separate from those performed for the
tarmidas.
According Drower (1937), a ganzibra can only be initiated immediately before the death of a pious member of the Mandaean community. Two ganzibras and two
shganda
In Mandaeism, a shganda (''šganda''; myz, ࡔࡂࡀࡍࡃࡀ) or ashganda (''ašganda'')Drower, E. S. 1960. ''The Secret Adam: A Study of Nasoraean Gnosis''. Oxford: Clarendon Press. is a ritual assistant who helps Mandaean priest, priests with r ...
s are required to perform the initiation.
[ Drower, E. S. 1937. ''The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran''. Leiden: Brill (1962 reprint).]
The ''bukra'' is the first
masiqta performed by a ganzibra priest just after ordination.
Notable ''ganzibria''
Notable ''ganzibria'' include:
*
Brikha Nasoraia (Australia)
See also
*
Mandaean priest
*
Bishop
*
Kohanim
*
Rishama
References
External links
The Worlds of Mandaean Priests
*
Mandaic words and phrases
Mandaean titles
{{Mandaeism-stub