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 ...
, Tarwan ( myz, ࡕࡀࡓࡅࡀࡍ, translit=Taruan) is a section of 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 typically described as a "pure land."
The "land of Tarwan" is mentioned in
Qolasta
The Qolastā, Qulasta, or Qolusta ( myz, ࡒࡅࡋࡀࡎࡕࡀ; mid, Qōlutā, script=Latn) is the canonical prayer book of the Mandaeans, a Gnostic ethnoreligious group from Iraq and Iran. The Mandaic word ''qolastā'' means "collection". The p ...
prayers 190 and 379 and ''
Right Ginza
The Right Ginza is one of the two parts of the Ginza Rabba, the longest and the most important holy scripture of Mandaeism. The other part of the Ginza Rabba is the Left Ginza.
Summaries of each book (or tractate), based mostly on Häberl (2007 ...
'' 15.17, while "pure Tarwan" (''taruan dakita''), or sometimes "the pure land of Tarwan," is mentioned as a heavenly place in ''Right Ginza'' 15.2, 15.8, 15.16, and 16.1.
"Tarwan-Nhura" (Tarwan of Light) is mentioned in Qolasta prayers
4 and
25.
Etymology
The etymology of ''Tarwan'' is obscure. Gelbert (2005) suggests a connection with ''Parvaim'', a mythical land mentioned in
2 Chronicles
The Book of Chronicles ( he, דִּבְרֵי־הַיָּמִים ) is a book in the Hebrew Bible, found as two books (1–2 Chronicles) in the Christian Old Testament. Chronicles is the final book of the Hebrew Bible, concluding the third sect ...
3:6 as a source of gold.
As an uthra
Tarwan is also the name of an
uthra
An uthra or ʿutra ( myz, ࡏࡅࡕࡓࡀ; plural: ʿutri) is a "divine messenger of the light" in Mandaeism. Charles G. Häberl and James F. McGrath translate it as "excellency". Jorunn J. Buckley defines them as "Lightworld beings, called 'utr ...
who is usually mentioned together with Tar. The duo ''Tar and Tarwan'' is mentioned in prayers such as the ''
Asiet Malkia
The ''Asiet Malkia'' ("Salutation of Kings") is one of the most commonly recited prayers in Mandaeism. In the prayer, the reciter wishes health and victory (''asuta u-zakuta'' ) upon dozens of heavenly and ancestral figures. According to E. S. Dr ...
'' (
Qolasta
The Qolastā, Qulasta, or Qolusta ( myz, ࡒࡅࡋࡀࡎࡕࡀ; mid, Qōlutā, script=Latn) is the canonical prayer book of the Mandaeans, a Gnostic ethnoreligious group from Iraq and Iran. The Mandaic word ''qolastā'' means "collection". The p ...
prayer 105).
As an uthra, Tarwan is also mentioned in ''
Right Ginza
The Right Ginza is one of the two parts of the Ginza Rabba, the longest and the most important holy scripture of Mandaeism. The other part of the Ginza Rabba is the Left Ginza.
Summaries of each book (or tractate), based mostly on Häberl (2007 ...
'' 8.
See also
*
Mandaean cosmology
Mandaean cosmology is the Gnostic conception of the universe in the religion of Mandaeism.
Mandaean cosmology is strongly influenced by Jewish, Babylonian, Persian, Egyptian, Greek, Manichaean and other Near Eastern religions and philosophies.
E ...
*
Mshunia Kushta
In Mandaean cosmology, Mshunia Kushta ( myz, ࡌࡔࡅࡍࡉࡀ ࡊࡅࡔࡈࡀ, translit=Mšunia Kušṭa, lit=realm of truth) is a part of the World of Light considered to be the dwelling place of heavenly or ideal counterparts (''dmuta''). It ...
*
Pure land
A pure land is the celestial realm of a buddha or bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism. The term "pure land" is particular to East Asian Buddhism () and related traditions; in Sanskrit the equivalent concept is called a buddha-field (Sanskrit ). Th ...
in Buddhism
*
Pure Land Buddhism
Pure Land Buddhism (; ja, 浄土仏教, translit=Jōdo bukkyō; , also referred to as Amidism in English,) is a broad branch of Mahayana Buddhism focused on achieving rebirth in a Buddha's Buddha-field or Pure Land. It is one of the most wid ...
References
Mandaean cosmology
Mandaic words and phrases
Conceptions of heaven
Uthras
Pure lands
Afterlife places
{{cosmology-stub