Šganda Salem Choheili ( fa, سالم چحیلی; born 1935 in Ahvaz, Iran} is an Iranian Mandaean scribe, teacher, and author. He is also a

shganda In Mandaeism, a shganda (''šganda''; myz, ࡔࡂࡀࡍࡃࡀ) or ashganda (''ašganda'')Drower, E. S. 1960. ''The Secret Adam: A Study of Nasoraean Gnosis''. Oxford: Clarendon Press. is a ritual assistant who helps Mandaean priest, priests with r ...

and ''yalufa'' (learned Mandaean layman) and is one of the leaders of the

Mandaean Council of Ahvaz The Mandaean Council of Ahvaz ( fa, انجمن صابئین مندایی, literally the Sabian–Mandaean Association of Ahvaz) is the main organization of the Mandaean religion and the primary authority of the Mandaean ethnic community in Ahvaz ...

. Salem Choheili is one of the last remaining fully fluent speakers of Neo-Mandaic.

Biography

Salem Choheili was born in Ahvaz, Iran in 1935 into the Kuhailia (Persian pronunciation: ''Choheili'') family. His Mandaean baptismal name is Bayan bar Šarat ( myz, ࡁࡀࡉࡀࡍ ࡁࡓ ࡔࡀࡓࡀࡕ, translit=Baian br Šarat, lit=Bayan, son of Šarat). As a child, he learned to speak colloquial Mandaic from his parents. Salem Choheili later served as Slovak linguist

Rudolf Macúch Rudolf Macuch (16 October 1919, in Bzince pod Javorinou – 23 July 1993, in Berlin) was a Slovak linguist, naturalized as German after 1974. He was noted in the field of Semitic studies for his research work in three main areas: (1) Mandaic stu ...

's primary Neo-Mandaic linguistic informant in 1989, as well as a guide for Norwegian-American scholar Jorunn Jacobsen Buckley during her 1996 field trip to Iran. After serving in the Iranian military, Salem Choheili focused on transcribing Mandaic manuscripts. On April 12, 1989, he finished copying a handwritten manuscript 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 ...

. Dr.

Sinan Abdullah Sinan Abdul Jabbar Abdullah (born 1947; ar, سنان عبد الله) is a Mandaean-American dentist and community leader. He and his twin brother Haithem are known as the first Mandaean Americans, American-born Mandaeans. Biography Sinan Abdul ...

, the son of physicist

Abdul Jabbar Abdullah Abdul Jabbar Abdullah ( ar, عبد الجبار عبد الله) (1911 – July 9, 1969) was an Iraqi wave theory physicist, dynamical meteorologist, and President Emeritus of Baghdad University. Abdullah earned his Sc.D. degree in meteorology fro ...

, brought a photocopy of the manuscript to Niskayuna, New York, United States, which was later transferred to

Colonie, New York Colonie is a town in Albany County, New York, United States. It is the most-populous suburb of Albany, and is the third-largest town in area in Albany County, occupying approximately 11% of the county. Several hamlets exist within the town. ...

. In addition to publishing

Mandaean scriptures This article contains a list of Mandaean texts (Mandaean religious texts written in Classical Mandaic). Well-known texts include the ''Ginza Rabba'' (also known as the ''Sidra Rabbā'') and the '' Qolastā''. Texts for Mandaean priests include ...

printed in the original Mandaic alphabet, Salem Choheili has written various Persian-language books on Mandaean history, religion, and language. In 2021 (1400 A.H.), he completed a Persian translation of the Ginza Rabba. Although not a formally ordained Mandaean priest, Salem Choheili serves as a

(priestly assistant) in the Iranian Mandaean community and is currently a member of the

. He has taught Mandaic to Iranian Mandaeans for decades and runs a Mandaic language school in Ahvaz.Škanda Salem Choheili Salman (2002). ''A school for Mandaic language and literatures in Ahwaz''. Lecture given on 9 July 2002 at the ARAM 17th International Conference, Oriental Institute, University of Oxford.

Family

As a member of the Choheili family, his relatives include

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 ...

(1923–2014), Salah Choheili, and Najah Choheili.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Choheili, Salem Living people 1935 births Iranian Mandaeans Choheili family Religious leaders from Ahvaz Mandaean scribes Iranian scribes Translators from Mandaic Language teachers Translators of the Ginza Rabba Mandaic-speaking people 20th-century Persian-language writers 21st-century Persian-language writers