Rbai Rafid al-Sabti, known in full as Rafid al-Rishama Abdallah al-Ganzibra Zahrun al-Rishama Abdallah al-Sabti ( ar, رافد الريشاما عبدالله الگنزبرا نجم الگنزبرا زهرون الريشاما عبدالله السبتي كنيانا عزيز; born 1965, Iraq
), is an Iraqi-Dutch
Mandaean priest in
Nijmegen
Nijmegen (;; Spanish and it, Nimega. Nijmeegs: ''Nimwèège'' ) is the largest city in the Dutch province of Gelderland and tenth largest of the Netherlands as a whole, located on the Waal river close to the German border. It is about 6 ...
, Netherlands.
Biography
Al-Sabti was born in 1965 to
Rishama Abdullah, son of
Sheikh Neǧm, in Baghdad, Iraq. He was initiated into the Mandaean priesthood by his father.
Al-Sabti later emigrated to the Netherlands.
Al-Sabti is the custodian of the Rbai Rafid Collection (RRC), a private collection of Mandaean manuscripts held in
Nijmegen
Nijmegen (;; Spanish and it, Nimega. Nijmeegs: ''Nimwèège'' ) is the largest city in the Dutch province of Gelderland and tenth largest of the Netherlands as a whole, located on the Waal river close to the German border. It is about 6 ...
, Netherlands.
Important manuscripts in the collection include different versions of the
Ginza Rabba and a copy of the ''
Alma Rišaia Zuṭa'' known as Ms. RRC 3F, as well as a ''
qulasta
The Qulasta, also spelled Qolastā in older sources ( myz, ࡒࡅࡋࡀࡎࡕࡀ, translit=Qulasta; mid, Qōlutā, script=Latn), is a compilation of Mandaean prayers. The Mandaic word ''qolastā'' means "collection".
The prayerbook is a coll ...
'' inscribed on lead plates.
Publications
*''
Mandaean prayer and various rituals'' (1988) / الصلاة المندائية - وبعض الطقوس الدينية
*''
Mandaean baptism'' (1990) / التعميد المندائي
*''
Masiqta: the ascension and the advancement'' (2004) / المسقثا - الصعود والارتقاء,
*''The treasure of Life: The holy book of the Mandaeans'' (2022), (
Ginza Rabba in Mandaic)
Family
His son, Ardwan Al-Sabti, is a researcher and graphic designer known for creating
Mandaic fonts.
References
External links
Interviewfrom ''The Worlds of Mandaean Priests''
Mandaean Museum(Rbai Rafid al-Sabti's YouTube channel)
TwitterAcademia.edu
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sabti, Rafid
1965 births
Living people
Iraqi emigrants to the Netherlands
Iraqi Mandaeans
Mandaean priests
Scholars of Mandaeism
Translators from Mandaic
Clergy from Nijmegen
Dutch people of Iraqi descent
Dutch book and manuscript collectors
Iraqi book and manuscript collectors
Dutch archivists
Mandaean diaspora
Ginza Rabba
Iraqi religious writers
21st-century Dutch clergy
Khaffagi family
People from Baghdad
Tarmidas