Mandaeism Mandaeism (Mandaic language, Classical Mandaic: ),https://qadaha.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/nhura-dictionary-mandaic-english-mandaic.pdf sometimes also known as Nasoraeanism or Sabianism, is a Gnosticism, Gnostic, Monotheism, ...

, kushta or kušṭa () can have several meanings. Its original literal meaning is "

truth Truth or verity is the Property (philosophy), property of being in accord with fact or reality.Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionarytruth, 2005 In everyday language, it is typically ascribed to things that aim to represent reality or otherwise cor ...

" in the

Mandaic language Mandaic, or more specifically Classical Mandaic, is the liturgical language of Mandaeism and a South Eastern Aramaic variety in use by the Mandaean community, traditionally based in southern parts of Iraq and southwest Iran, for their religiou ...

, and is thus typically used to refer to the Mandaean religious concept of

. The same word is also used to refer to a sacred handclasp between the right hands of two people that is used during Mandaean rituals such as the

masbuta Maṣbuta (; pronounced ''maṣwottā'' in Neo-Mandaic) is the ritual of immersion in water in the Mandaean religion. Overview Mandaeans revere John the Baptist and practice frequent baptism (''masbuta'') as ritual purification, not of initia ...

masiqta The masiqta () 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 di ...

, and priestly initiation ceremonies.Drower, Ethel Stefana (1937). ''The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran''. Oxford at the Clarendon Press.

In the World of Light

Mandaeans Mandaeans (Mandaic language, Mandaic: ࡌࡀࡍࡃࡀࡉࡉࡀ) ( ), 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 ...

believe that in the

World of Light In Mandaeism, the World of Light or Lightworld () is the primeval, transcendental world from which Tibil and the World of Darkness emerged. Description *The Great Life ('' Hayyi Rabbi'' or Supreme God/ Monad) is the ruler of the World of Ligh ...

, the

Mšunia Kušṭa In Mandaean cosmology, Mshunia Kushta () 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 roug ...

, or the world of ideal counterparts, exists, where everything has a corresponding spiritual pair (''

dmuta In Mandaeism, a dmuta () 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 ea ...

''). Alternatively, ''kušṭa'' can be used as a synonym for

Hayyi Rabbi In Mandaeism, Hayyi Rabbi ( Neo-Mandaic; ), 'The Great Living God', is the supreme God from which all things emanate. Hayyi Rabbi is also known as "The First Life", since during the creation of the material world, Yushamin emanated from Hayyi ...

, or God in Mandaeism. In the 69th chapter of the

Mandaean Book of John In Mandaeism, the Book of John () is a Mandaean holy book in Mandaic Aramaic which Mandaeans attribute to their prophet John the Baptist. The book contains accounts of John's life and miracles, as well as a number of polemical conversations w ...

Manda d-Hayyi In Mandaeism, Manda d-Hayyi or Manda ḏ-Hiia () is an uthra (angel or guardian) sent by the Great Life ('' Hayyi Rabbi'', or the Transcendent God) as a messenger to John the Baptist. Manda d-Hayyi is considered to be the most important uthra, si ...

addresses

Etinṣib Ziwa In Mandaeism, Etinṣib Ziwa or Ītinṣib Ziwa () is an uthra who starts a battle against Nbaṭ. Etinṣib Ziwa only appears in a few chapters of the ''Mandaean Book of John''. Battle against Nbaṭ In Chapter 3 of the ''Mandaean Book of John' ...

(Splendid Transplant), son of

Yushamin In Mandaeism, Yushamin () and also known as the 'Second Life', is the primal uthra (angel or guardian) and a subservient emanation who was created by the Mandaean God 'The Great Life' (''Hayyi Rabbi'' or 'The First Life'), hence beginning the cre ...

, as "Truth, beloved by all excellencies." E. S. Drower interprets a reference in the

Haran Gawaita The ''Haran Gawaita'' ( Mandaic: , meaning "Inner Harran" or "Inner Hauran"; Modern Mandaic: ''(Diwān) Harrān Gawāythā'') also known as the ''Scroll of Great Revelation'', is a Mandaean text which recounts the history of the Mandaeans as ...

to being looked upon by and rising with Transplant upon death as a reference to Ṣauriel, the Angel of Death. Book 1, chapter 1 of the Left Ginza likewise observes that Ṣauriel is called "Death" in this world, but "Truth" (Kushta) by those who know about him. Carl H. Kraeling interprets the concept of Kushta as having developed from an entity in the

pleroma Pleroma (, literally "fullness") generally refers to the totality of divine powers. It is used in Christian theological contexts, as well as in Gnosticism. The term also appears in the Epistle to the Colossians, which is traditionally attributed ...

representing truth as the directive force of

Hayyi In Mandaeism, Hayyi Rabbi (Neo-Mandaic; ), 'The Great Living God', is the supreme God from which all things emanationism, emanate. Hayyi Rabbi is also known as "The First Life", since during the creation of the material world, Yushamin emanated ...

's actions, alongside

as his hypostatic reason.

In rituals

The ''kušṭa'' handclasp is exchanged dozens of times between the novice and initiator during priest initiation ceremonies. It is also exchanged during rituals that need to be performed by priests, such as

and

rituals. A two-volume study (''Kushṭā: a monograph on a principal word in Mandaean texts'') has been published by Waldemar Sundberg (1953, 1994). A common formula used in at the beginnings of Mandaean prayers and during rituals is ' (), which can also be translated as 'May truth heal you' or 'May truth make you whole'. The word ''asinkun'' is derived from the

root In vascular plants, the roots are the plant organ, organs of a plant that are modified to provide anchorage for the plant and take in water and nutrients into the plant body, which allows plants to grow taller and faster. They are most often bel ...

''a-s-a'', which can mean 'to strengthen' or 'to heal'. Ethel S. Drower and Rudolf Macuch. 1963. ''A Mandaic Dictionary''. Oxford: Clarendon Press. The singular form, also commonly used, is ' (). During rituals (

, etc.), priests also often say ' () as a blessing for the Mandaeans being baptized.

References

External links

Sydney 2014 Masbuta 11: Kushta (Oath)
{{Mandaeism footer Mandaean philosophical concepts Mandaic words and phrases Truth Hand gestures Mandaean rituals

In the World of Light

In rituals

See also

References

External links