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 ...

, Yushamin ( myz, ࡉࡅࡔࡀࡌࡉࡍ) and also known as the 'Second Life', is the primal

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 ...

(angel or guardian) and a subservient

emanation Emanation may refer to: * Emanation (chemistry), a dated name for the chemical element radon * Emanation From Below, a concept in Slavic religion * Emanation in the Eastern Orthodox Church, a belief found in Neoplatonism *Emanation of the state, a l ...

who was created by the Mandaean God 'The Great Life' (''

Hayyi Rabbi In Mandaeism, Hayyi Rabbi ( myz, ࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡓࡁࡉࡀ, translit=Hiia Rbia, lit=The Great Life), 'The Great Living God', is the supreme God from which all things emanate. He is also known as 'The First Life', since during the creation of th ...

'' or 'The First Life'), hence beginning the creation of the material world. Yushamin is the father of

Abatur Abatur ( myz, ࡀࡁࡀࡕࡅࡓ, sometimes called Abathur; Yawar, myz, ࡉࡀࡅࡀࡓ; and the Ancient of Days) is an Uthra and the second of three subservient emanations created by the Mandaean God ''Hayyi Rabbi'' ( myz, ࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡓࡁ� ...

Jorunn J. Buckley Jorunn Jacobsen Buckley (born Jorunn Jacobsen in 1944 in Norway) is an American religious studies scholar and historian of religion known for her work on Mandaeism and Gnosticism. She was a former Professor of Religion at Bowdoin College. She is k ...

identifies Yushamin as "both a Lightworld utra beyond reproach and the prototype of a priest who has made mistakes in ritual."

Name and epithets

The name may be derived from Iao ''haš-šammayim'' (in Hebrew: Yahweh "of the heavens"). In the ''

Diwan Masbuta d-Hibil Ziwa ''The Baptism of Hibil Ziwa'' or ''Diwan Maṣbuta ḏ-Hibil Ziwa'' ( myz, ࡃࡉࡅࡀࡍ ࡌࡀࡑࡁࡅࡕࡀ ࡖࡄࡉࡁࡉࡋ ࡆࡉࡅࡀ, "Scroll of the Baptism of Hibil Ziwa") is a Mandaean illustrated scroll. It describes the soteriolog ...

'', he is called the "pure Yušamin", "Yušamin the

Peacock Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera ''Pavo (genus), Pavo'' and ''Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female pea ...

", and "Yušamin, son of Dmut-Hiia", where Dmut-Hiia/Dmuth-Hayyi ("Likeness/Image of Life") refers to Yushamin's mother.

Role

Rebellion

Yushamin and his sons set in motion the events leading to creating the material world (''

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 (' ...

''), due to deciding to participate in creation without consulting the First Life; this is accounted in book 3 of the

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 ...

. The first ten chapters 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 ...

give further accounts related to the progress of the rebellion of Yushamin and his sons against the King of Light (, i.e.

), and their eventual reconciliation against the wishes of

Manda d-Hayyi In Mandaeism, Manda d-Hayyi or Manda ḏ-Hiia ( myz, ࡌࡀࡍࡃࡀ ࡖࡄࡉࡉࡀ, lit=the 'Gnosis of Life', 'Knowledge of Life', or 'Knower of the Life') is an uthra (angel or guardian) sent by the Great Life (''Hayyi Rabbi'', or the Transcend ...

. In the first two chapters,

Kushta In Mandaeism, kushta or kušṭa ( myz, ࡊࡅࡔࡈࡀ, lit=truth) can have several meanings. Its original literal meaning is "truth" in the Mandaic language, and is thus typically used to refer to the Mandaean religious concept of truth. The sa ...

asks questions which are answered by

Ptahil In Mandaeism, Ptahil ( myz, ࡐࡕࡀࡄࡉࡋ) also known as Ptahil-Uthra (uthra = angel or guardian), is the Fourth Life, the third of three emanations from the First Life, Hayyi Rabbi, after Yushamin and Abatur. Ptahil-Uthra alone does not con ...

and his son

Yukashar 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 'ut ...

( myz, ࡉࡅࡊࡀࡔࡀࡓ). Yushamin is mentioned in the first chapter as having set the eternal great conflict in motion, and in more detail in the second as having revealed the secret of the Great, and been cast down due to starting a fight with the Light, or the Mighty's house, lacking concern and humility, in contrast to

Yukabar 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 'u ...

( myz, ࡉࡅࡊࡀࡁࡀࡓ) having brought calm. In the third chapter, twenty-one of the sons of the captive Yushamin, excluding the elder brother Sam ( myz, ࡎࡀࡌ) but including his favourite son

and led by

Etinṣib Ziwa In Mandaeism, Etinṣib Ziwa or Ītinṣib Ziwa ( myz, ࡏࡕࡉࡍࡑࡉࡁ ࡆࡉࡅࡀ, transl=ʿtinṣib Ziwa, lit=Splendid Transplant) is an uthra who starts a battle against Nbaṭ. Etinṣib Ziwa only appears in a few chapters of the ''Mand ...

( myz, ࡏࡕࡉࡍࡑࡉࡁ ࡆࡉࡅࡀ, lit=Splendid Transplant), start a battle against

Nbaṭ In Mandaeism, Nbaṭ ( myz, ࡍࡁࡀࡈ, lit=Sprout) is an uthra (angel or guardian) who is described as the "King of Air" or the "first great Radiance." He is also called Nbaṭ Rba ("the Great Nbaṭ" or "Great Sprout") or Nbaṭ Ziwa ("the Rad ...

( myz, ࡍࡁࡀࡈ, lit=Sprout), the King of Air, and are slaughtered upon the arrival of the forces of the King of Light. An irate Yushamin breaks his bonds and proceeds from the Nether Gate to the Realm of Air, destroying all in his wake and defeating the uthri, until Hayyi binds him again by the Nether Gate in 904 chains of zenyā ( myz, ࡆࡀࡉࡍࡀ). In the fourth chapter,

Nṣab Ziwa In Mandaeism, Nṣab ( myz, ࡍࡑࡀࡁ, lit=Plant) is an uthra (angel or guardian). He is also called Nṣab Rba ("the Great Nṣab") or Nṣab Ziwa ("the Radiant Nṣab" or "Splendid Plant"). Nṣab and Anan-Nṣab ('cloud of Nṣab', a female ...

( myz, ࡍࡑࡀࡁ ࡆࡉࡅࡀ, lit=Splendid Plant) admonishes his father Yushamin over his rebellion. In the fifth chapter, Hayyi sends Manda d-Hayyi to admonish Yushamin over his plots to overthrow him, who responds with threats of defeating Manda d-Hayyi had Yushamin come to Manda d-Hayyi as opposed to the latter having been sent as a messenger; the exceedingly brief sixth chapter contrasts this with a throned, non-captive Yushamin revering Manda d-Hayyi as the King of the Uthri. The seventh chapter recapitulates the rebellion of Yushamin and his sons. The eighth chapter gives an account of

Nṣab In Mandaeism, Nṣab ( myz, ࡍࡑࡀࡁ, lit=Plant) is an uthra (angel or guardian). He is also called Nṣab Rba ("the Great Nṣab") or Nṣab Ziwa ("the Radiant Nṣab" or "Splendid Plant"). Nṣab and Anan-Nṣab ('cloud of Nṣab', a female ...

bringing a petition for forgiveness for Yushamin to the King of Light, who accepts it against the wishes of Manda d-Hayyi, and cautions the latter for hating Yushamin for refusing him a wife. The ninth is a dialogue between Yushamin, Manda d-Hayyi and Nṣab; the tenth is a monologue by Yushamin.

Hibil's descent

Yushamin is dispatched to interrogate

Hibil Ziwa In Mandaeism, Hibil ( myz, ࡄࡉࡁࡉࡋ) or Hibil Ziwa ( myz, ࡄࡉࡁࡉࡋ ࡆࡉࡅࡀ) is an uthra (angel or guardian) from the World of Light. Hibil is considered to be the Mandaean equivalent of Abel. Prayers in the Qolasta frequently c ...

's identity and permit him re-entry to the World of Light when he returns from his descent to the World of Darkness.

Other

According to E. S. Drower, in documents giving ritual instruction, Yushamin serves as the spiritual prototype of a priest who makes errors in conducting a ritual.

Parallels

The story of Yushamin in

is one of the parallels to the Christian

Gnostic Gnosticism (from grc, γνωστικός, gnōstikós, , 'having knowledge') is a collection of religious ideas and systems which coalesced in the late 1st century AD among Jewish and early Christian sects. These various groups emphasized pe ...

story of Sophia, since both seek to create without the consent of the supreme deity, thereby starting the process of creating the material world. However, the origin of the demiurgic (

) is attributed to

, the Third Life, and the fallen Sophia pending redemption parallels

Ruha In Mandaeism, Rūha ( myz, ࡓࡅࡄࡀ, lit=spirit/breath; also known as Namrūs or Hiwat (Ewath; myz, ࡏࡅࡀࡕ)) is the queen of the World of Darkness (''alma ḏ-hšuka'') or underworld. She rules the underworld together with her son Ur ...

Footnotes

References

{{Authority control Individual angels Uthras War in mythology