Reed houses, Iraq marshes 1978 - panoramio

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 ...

, a shkinta ( myz, ࡔࡊࡉࡍࡕࡀ, translit=škinta, lit= shekinah) or shkina (''škina'') is a celestial dwelling inhabited by uthras 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 Rabbi ...

that is analogous to the

shekhinah Shekhinah, also spelled Shechinah ( Hebrew: שְׁכִינָה ''Šəḵīnā'', Tiberian: ''Šăḵīnā'') is the English transliteration of a Hebrew word meaning "dwelling" or "settling" and denotes the presence of God, as it were, in a plac ...

Jewish mysticism Academic study of Jewish mysticism, especially since Gershom Scholem's ''Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism'' (1941), distinguishes between different forms of mysticism across different eras of Jewish history. Of these, Kabbalah, which emerged in 1 ...

. In

Tibil In Mandaean cosmology, Tibil ( myz, ࡕࡉࡁࡉࡋ) or occasionally Arqa ḏ-Tibil (lit. "Tibil-Earth") is the Earth (World) or earthly middle realm. It is separated from the World of Light (''alma ḏ-nhūra'') above and the World of Darkness (' ...

(the physical earth), it refers to a reed hut that is used during Mandaean priest initiation ceremonies, since Mandaean priests represent uthras on earth. Drower, E. S. 1937. ''The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran''. Leiden: Brill (1962 reprint).

Ceremonial usage

During the priest initiation ceremony, the shkinta is constructed to the north of the andiruna. It symbolizes the

and it covered by a white cloth roof. In contrast, the andiruna has a blue cloth roof to symbolize the color of Ruha. Together, the two adjacent huts symbolize complementary masculine and feminine elements.

Symbolism

The ''škinta'' (

cognate In historical linguistics, cognates or lexical cognates are sets of words in different languages that have been inherited in direct descent from an etymology, etymological ancestor in a proto-language, common parent language. Because language c ...

with the Hebrew word

; from the

Semitic root The roots of verbs and most nouns in the Semitic languages are characterized as a sequence of consonants or " radicals" (hence the term consonantal root). Such abstract consonantal roots are used in the formation of actual words by adding the vowel ...

''š-k-n'', associated with dwellings) symbolizes the "male" side, and is associated with the

, priests, the right side, gold, and the

taga Taga may refer to: Places ;Japan * Taga District, Ibaraki, Ibaraki Prefecture * Hitachi-Taga Station in Ibaraki Prefecture * Yamashiro-Taga Station in Kyoto Prefecture * Taga, Shiga in Shiga Prefecture *Taga-taisha, a Shinto shrine in Shiga Prefec ...

(crown). In contrast, the andiruna symbolizes the "female" side, and is associated with the earth (

), laypeople, the left side, silver, and the klila (myrtle wreath). Similarly, in a traditional Persian house, the women's quarters are known as ''andirūn''.

References

Mandaean buildings Mandaic words and phrases Religious buildings and structures Mandaean cosmology Mandaean given names {{mandaeism-stub

Ceremonial usage

Symbolism

See also

References