Sheikh (''Rabbi'')

Ganzibra A ganzibra (singular form in myz, ࡂࡀࡍࡆࡉࡁࡓࡀ, plural form in myz, ࡂࡀࡍࡆࡉࡁࡓࡉࡀ , literally 'treasurer' in Mandaic; fa, گنزورا) is a high priest in Mandaeism. Tarmidas, or junior priests, rank below the ganzib ...

Jabbar Choheili ( fa, جبار چحیلی, also known as Sheikh Jabbar Tawūsī Al-Kuhaili, ar, جبار طاووس الكحيلي; born 1923, died December 27, 2014) was the head of the

Mandaean Council of Ahvaz The Mandaean Council of Ahvaz ( fa, انجمن صابئین مندایی, literally the Sabian–Mandaean Association of Ahvaz) is the main organization of the Mandaean religion and the primary authority of the Mandaean ethnic community in Ahva ...

, which presides over the

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. ...

community of

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

Biography

Jabbar Choheili held the Mandaean clergical ranks of ''

'' (head priest) and ''

Rishama A rishama (rišama; riš-ama) or rishema ( myz, ࡓࡉࡔࡀࡌࡀ, lit='head/leader of the people'; ar, ريشما; fa, ریشا اد اما) is a religious patriarch in Mandaeism. It is the highest rank out of all the Mandaean clergical ranks ...

'' (patriarch), the highest Mandaean clergical rank. He was born in 1923 in the city of

Ahvaz Ahvaz ( fa, اهواز, Ahvâz ) is a city in the southwest of Iran and the capital of Khuzestan province. Ahvaz's population is about 1,300,000 and its built-up area with the nearby town of Sheybani is home to 1,136,989 inhabitants. It is hom ...

Khuzestan Province Khuzestan Province (also spelled Xuzestan; fa, استان خوزستان ''Ostān-e Xūzestān'') is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. It is in the southwest of the country, bordering Iraq and the Persian Gulf. Its capital is Ahvaz and it covers ...

, Iran into the Kuhailia (Persian pronunciation "Choheili") clan. His ''malwasha'' (

baptismal name A Christian name, sometimes referred to as a baptismal name, is a religious personal name given on the occasion of a Christian baptism, though now most often assigned by parents at birth. In English-speaking cultures, a person's Christian name ...

) is Mhatam Yuhana ( myz, ࡌࡄࡀࡕࡀࡌ ࡉࡅࡄࡀࡍࡀ; full name: ''Rabbi Ganzibra Mhatam Yuhana bar Sharat''; also known as ''Mhatam Yuhana bar Yahya''; or in Arabic: ''Shaikh Jabar, the son of Ṭawoos'') (note: Mandaeans typically have both a birth name and a baptismal name). In 1948, he traveled from Iran to

Qal'at Saleh The town of Qal'at Saleh ( ar, قلعة صالح) is the district centre of Qal'at Saleh District, Maysan Governorate, southern Iraq. It is located along the road that links Basra to Amarah, a mere 40 km away. Qalat Saleh’s nearest towns a ...

, Iraq to become initiated as a

tarmida A tarmida (singular form in myz, ࡕࡀࡓࡌࡉࡃࡀ, lit=disciple, plural form in myz, ࡕࡀࡓࡌࡉࡃࡉࡀ ; fa, ترمیدا; ar, ترميذة) is a junior priest in Mandaeism. Ganzibras, or head priests, rank above tarmidas.Drower, E ...

by Sheikh Abdullah, son of Sh. Sam. Sh. Jabbar. After he was ordained, Jabbar Choheili completely copied the ''

Ginza Rabba The Ginza Rabba ( myz, ࡂࡉࡍࡆࡀ ࡓࡁࡀ, translit=Ginzā Rbā, lit=Great Treasury), Ginza Rba, or Sidra Rabba ( myz, ࡎࡉࡃࡓࡀ ࡓࡁࡀ, translit=Sidrā Rbā, lit=Great Book), and formerly the Codex Nasaraeus, is the longest ...

'' by hand. Carlos Gelbert's ''Ginza Rabba'' (2011, 2021) is primarily based on the "Mhatam Yuhana ''Ginza''" (2004). Ganzibra Jabbar Choheili was the chairman and secretary general of the

. He was also a

goldsmith A goldsmith is a metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Nowadays they mainly specialize in jewelry-making but historically, goldsmiths have also made silverware, platters, goblets, decorative and servicea ...

by profession. He died on the morning of Sunday, December 27, 2014. He was buried in a Mandaean cemetery in

Gallery

File:Parwanaya 2015 Ahvaz 02.jpg, Mandaean priests preparing for the funeral ceremony of Jabbar Choheili in

, Iran File:Ganzibra Taleb Doraji shop 07.jpg, The Sheikh Jabbar Tawusi jewellery shop (), owned by Taleb Doraji in

, Iran, is named in honor of Jabbar Choheili.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Choheili, Jabbar 1923 births 2014 deaths Mandaean priests Iranian religious leaders People from Ahvaz Iranian Mandaeans Iranian scribes Iranian goldsmiths

Biography

Gallery

See also

References