Mandaeans at prayer by the riverside, Ahvaz, Iran 2013

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 ...

, rishama (rišama) is a daily

ablution Ablution is the act of washing oneself. It may refer to: * Ablution as hygiene * Ablution as ritual purification ** Ablution in Islam: *** Wudu, daily wash *** Ghusl, bathing ablution *** Tayammum, waterless ablution ** Ablution in Christianity * ...

ritual. Unlike the

masbuta Maṣbuta ( myz, ࡌࡀࡑࡁࡅࡕࡀ) is the ritual of immersion in water in the Mandaean religion. Overview Mandaeans revere John the Baptist and practice frequent baptism (''masbuta'') as a ritual of purification, not of initiation. They ar ...

, it does not require the assistance of a priest. ''Rishama'' (signing) is performed before prayers and involves washing the face and limbs while reciting specific prayers such as the

rushma The rushma ( myz, ࡓࡅࡔࡌࡀ, translit=rušma, lit= sign) is one of the most commonly recited prayers in Mandaeism. It is a "signing" prayer recited during daily ablutions (rishama). The same word can also be used to refer to the ritual signin ...

. It is performed daily, before sunrise, with hair covered and after evacuation of bowels, or before religious ceremonies.

Tamasha Tamasha ( mr, तमाशा) is a traditional form of Marathi theatre, often with singing and dancing, widely performed by local or travelling theatre groups within the state of Maharashtra, India."Tamasha", in James R. Brandon and Martin Banham ...

(ṭamaša) is another type of ablution performed by Mandaeans in which the entire body is fully immersed three times in water.

Parallels

The ablution is comparable to

wudu Wuḍūʾ ( ar, الوضوء ' ) is the Islamic procedure for cleansing parts of the body, a type of ritual purification, or ablution. The 4 Fardh (Mandatory) acts of ''Wudu'' consists of washing the face, arms, then wiping the head and the feet ...

in Islam.

John D. Turner John D. Turner (15 July 1938 in Glen Ridge - 26 October 2019) was the Cotner Professor of Religious Studies and Charles J. Mach University Professor of Classics and History Classics & Religious Studies at the University of Nebraska. He was well ...

and other scholars have noted that in

Sethianism The Sethians were one of the main currents of Gnosticism during the 2nd and 3rd century CE, along with Valentinianism and Basilideanism. According to John D. Turner, it originated in the 2nd century CE as a fusion of two distinct Hellenistic ...

, rituals reminiscent of Mandaean ablutions (i.e., the rishama and tamasha) are mentioned in

Nag Hammadi texts The Nag Hammadi library (also known as the " Chenoboskion Manuscripts" and the "Gnostic Gospels") is a collection of early Christian and Gnostic texts discovered near the Upper Egyptian town of Nag Hammadi in 1945. Thirteen leather-bound papyrus ...

such as the ''

Trimorphic Protennoia The ''Trimorphic Protennoia'' is a Sethian Gnostic text from the New Testament apocrypha. The only surviving copy comes from the Nag Hammadi library ( Codex XIII). I mthe Thought of the Father, Protennoia, that is, Barbelo, the perfect Gl ...

'', since they involve triple immersion in water, signing, and other similar features.

References

External links

The Worlds of Mandaean Priests
(University of Exeter)
Rishama (Ablution)Brakha and Rishama instructional video

Afternoon brakha and ablution in Amarah, Iraq
Mandaic words and phrases Mandaean rituals Ritual purification Water and religion {{Mandaeism-stub

Parallels

See also

References

External links