Mandaeism Mandaeism (Classical Mandaic: ࡌࡀࡍࡃࡀࡉࡉࡀ ; Arabic: المندائيّة ), sometimes also known as Nasoraeanism or Sabianism, is a Gnostic, monotheistic and ethnic religion. Its adherents, the Mandaeans, revere Adam, Abel, S ...

, 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 is also referred to in Mandaean scriptures as ''Hiia Rbia Qadmaiia'' ('The First Great Life') or ''Hiia Rbia Nukraiia'' ('The Alien/ Transcendental Great Life'). Other

names A name is a term used for identification by an external observer. They can identify a class or category of things, or a single thing, either uniquely, or within a given context. The entity identified by a name is called its referent. A persona ...

used are ('Lord of Greatness' or 'The Great Lord'), ('The Great Mind'), ('King of Light') and ('The First Life').Drower, Ethel Stefana. The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran. Oxford At The Clarendon Press, 1937. '' Kušṭa'' ('Truth', myz, ࡊࡅࡔࡈࡀ) is also another name for Hayyi Rabbi, as well as ''Parṣufa Rba'' ('Great Immanence, Great Countenance'). According to

E. S. Drower Ethel Stefana Drower ( Stevens; full name: Ethel May Stefana Drower; 1 December 1879 – 27 January 1972) was a British cultural anthropologist, orientalist and novelist who studied the Middle East and its cultures.Christa Müller-Kessler, Drowe ...

, the name Great Mind or Great Mana refers to the "over-soul" or "over-mind", the earliest manifestation of Hayyi, from which the soul of a human might be seen as a spark or temporarily detached part. In book three of the

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 ...

, Hayyi is said to have "formed Himself in the likeness of the Great Mana, from which He emerged". Brikha Nasoraia writes:

In prayers

Many Mandaean texts and prayers begin with the opening phrase ''b-šumaihun ḏ-hiia rabia'' ( myz, ࡁࡔࡅࡌࡀࡉࡄࡅࡍ ࡖࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡓࡁࡉࡀ), "In the name of the Great Life", ( ar, باسم الحي العظيم, ') (similar to the '' basmala'' in Islam and Christian Trinitarian formula).

References

{{Authority control Mandaeism Conceptions of God Names of God in Gnosticism Gnostic deities

Names

In prayers

See also

References