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 ...

, kushta or kušṭa ( myz, ࡊࡅࡔࡈࡀ, lit=truth) can have several meanings. Its original literal meaning is "

truth Truth is the property of being in accord with fact or reality.Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionarytruth 2005 In everyday language, truth is typically ascribed to things that aim to represent reality or otherwise correspond to it, such as beliefs ...

" in the

Mandaic language Mandaic is a southeastern Aramaic variety in use by the Mandaean community, traditionally based in southern parts of Iraq and southwest Iran, for their religious books. Classical Mandaic is still employed by Mandaean priests in liturgical rites. ...

, 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 that is used during Mandaean rituals such as

masbuta Maṣbuta ( myz, ࡌࡀࡑࡁࡅࡕࡀ) is the ritual of immersion in water in the Mandaeism, Mandaean religion. Overview Mandaeans revere John the Baptist and practice frequent baptism (''masbuta'') as a Ritual purification, ritual of purificati ...

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 f ...

, 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 ( 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 ...

believe that in the

World of Light In Mandaeism, the World of Light or Lightworld ( myz, ࡀࡋࡌࡀ ࡖࡍࡄࡅࡓࡀ, translit=alma ḏ-nhūra) is the primeval, transcendental world from which Tibil and the World of Darkness emerged. Description *The Great Life (''Hayyi Rab ...

, the

Mšunia Kušṭa 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 ...

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

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 ...

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

Hayyi Rabbi In Mandaeism, 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 th ...

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

Mandaean Book of John The Mandaean Book of John (Mandaic language ࡃࡓࡀࡔࡀ ࡖࡉࡀࡄࡉࡀ ') is a Mandaean holy book in Mandaic Aramaic which is believed by Mandeans to have been written by their prophet John the Baptist. The book contains accounts of Jo ...

Manda d-Hayyi In Mandaeism, Manda d-Hayyi or Manda ḏ-Hiia ( myz, ࡌࡀࡍࡃࡀ ࡖࡄࡉࡉࡀ, lit=the 'Gnosis of Life', 'Knowledge of Life', or 'Knower of the Life') is an uthra (angel or guardian) sent by the Great Life ('' Hayyi Rabbi'', or the Transcen ...

addresses

Etinṣib Ziwa In Mandaeism, Etinṣib Ziwa or Ītinṣib Ziwa ( myz, ࡏࡕࡉࡍࡑࡉࡁ ࡆࡉࡅࡀ, transl=ʿtinṣib Ziwa, lit=Splendid Transplant) is an uthra who starts a battle against Nbaṭ. Etinṣib Ziwa only appears in a few chapters of the ''Mand ...

(Splendid Transplant), son of

Yushamin In Mandaeism, Yushamin ( myz, ࡉࡅࡔࡀࡌࡉࡍ) 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 Lif ...

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

Haran Gawaita The ''Haran Gawaita'' ( Mandaic ࡄࡀࡓࡀࡍ ࡂࡀࡅࡀࡉࡕࡀ "Inner Harran" or "Inner Hauran") also known as the ''Scroll of Great Revelation'', is a Mandaean text which recounts the history of the Mandaeans and their arrival in Media ...

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 The Left 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 Right Ginza. Summaries of each book (or tractate), based mostly on Häberl (200 ...

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 ( grc-koi, πλήρωμα, literally "fullness") generally refers to the totality of divine powers. It is used in Christian theological contexts, especially in Gnosticism. The term also appears in the Epistle to the Colossians, which is t ...

representing truth as the directive force of

Hayyi In Mandaeism, 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 th ...

'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.

References

{{Mandaeism footer Mandaean philosophical concepts Mandaic words and phrases Truth Hand gestures Mandaean rituals

In the World of Light

In rituals

See also

References