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
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 ...
.
It is the highest rank out of all the Mandaean clergical ranks.
The next ranks are the ''
ganzibra'' and ''
tarmida'' priests (see
Mandaean priest).
In Iraq, the current rishama is
Sattar Jabbar Hilo.
In Australia, the Rishama and head of the Mandaean community is
Salah Choheili
(, plural , romanized: or Old Arabic ͡sˤaˈloːh, ( or Old Arabic ͡sˤaˈloːtʰin construct state) ), also known as ( fa, نماز) and also spelled , are prayers performed by Muslims. Facing the , the direction of the Kaaba with ...
.
Notable ''rishama'' or patriarchs
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Anush bar Danqa, the leader of the Mandaeans, who appeared before Muslim authorities at the beginning of the Muslim conquest of Mesopotamia
*
Yahya Bihram
Yahya Bihram (also spelled Yahia Bihram; myz, ࡉࡀࡄࡉࡀ ࡁࡉࡄࡓࡀࡌ) was a 19th-century Mandaean priest. Although initially a learned layman (''yalufa''), he became known for reviving the Mandaean priesthood after a cholera epidemi ...
, who revived the entire Mandaean priesthood during the 1830s
*
Sattar Jabbar Hilo, the current Mandaean patriarch in Iraq
*
Dakhil Aidan, patriarch from 1917 to 1964 in Iraq
*
Jabbar Choheili
Sheikh (''Rabbi'') Ganzibra 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, w ...
(d. 2014), rishama in Iran
*
Salah Choheili
(, plural , romanized: or Old Arabic ͡sˤaˈloːh, ( or Old Arabic ͡sˤaˈloːtʰin construct state) ), also known as ( fa, نماز) and also spelled , are prayers performed by Muslims. Facing the , the direction of the Kaaba with ...
, the current rishama and head of the
Mandaean community in Australia
*
Zazai d-Gawazta bar Hawa, patriarch datable to around the year 270 CE and earliest known copyist of
Alma Rišaia Zuṭa
The ''Alma Rišaia Zuṭa'' ( myz, ࡀࡋࡌࡀ ࡓࡉࡔࡀࡉࡀ ࡆࡅࡈࡀ, "The Smaller Supreme World" or "The Smaller First World") is a Mandaean religious text. The text is used for Mandaean priestly initiation ceremonies. It is written a ...
,
Qolasta,
The Thousand and Twelve Questions
''The Thousand and Twelve Questions'' ( myz, ࡀࡋࡐ ࡕࡓࡉࡎࡀࡓ ࡔࡅࡉࡀࡋࡉࡀ ) is a Mandaean religious text. The ''1012 Questions'' is one of the most detailed texts on Mandaean priestly rituals.
The text contains detailed com ...
,
The Baptism of Hibil Ziwa,
Scroll of Exalted Kingship and
The Wedding of the Great Šišlam
''The Wedding of the Great Šišlam'' ( myz, ࡔࡀࡓࡇ ࡖࡒࡀࡁࡉࡍ ࡖࡔࡉࡔࡋࡀࡌ ࡓࡁࡀ ) is a Mandaean religious text. As a liturgical rather than esoteric text, it contains instructions and hymns for the Mandaean marriage c ...
. The
Ginza Rabba, however, predates Zazai's time.
See also
*
Chief Rabbi
Chief Rabbi ( he, רב ראשי ''Rav Rashi'') is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities. Since 1911, through a ...
*
Kohanim
*
Nasoraeans
The Nazarenes (or Nazoreans; Greek: Ναζωραῖοι, ''Nazōraioi''). were an early Jewish Christian sect in first-century Judaism. The first use of the term is found in the Acts of the Apostles () of the New Testament, where Paul the Apostle ...
*
Samaritan High Priest
*
Archbishop
In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
References
External links
The Worlds of Mandaean Priests
*
Mandaic words and phrases
Mandaean titles
{{Mandaeism-stub