The drabshaDrower, Ethel Stefana (1937). ''The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran''. Oxford at the Clarendon Press. (;

Modern Mandaic Neo-Mandaic, also known as Modern Mandaic, sometimes called the "''ratna''" ( "jargon"), is the modern reflex of the Mandaic language, the liturgical language of the Mandaean religious community of Iraq and Iran. Although severely endangered, ...

: ''drafšā'') or darfash () is the symbol of the Mandaean faith. It is typically translated as '

banner A banner can be a flag or another piece of cloth bearing a symbol, logo, slogan or another message. A flag whose design is the same as the shield in a coat of arms (but usually in a square or rectangular shape) is called a banner of arms. Also, ...

Etymology

The Mandaic term ''drabša'' is derived from the

Middle Persian Middle Persian, also known by its endonym Pārsīk or Pārsīg ( Inscriptional Pahlavi script: , Manichaean script: , Avestan script: ) in its later form, is a Western Middle Iranian language which became the literary language of the Sasania ...

word ''drafš'', which means 'banner or standard; a flash of light; sunrise'. In Mandaic, ''drabša'' can also mean 'a ray or beam of light'. An uncommon variant spelling is ''drapša'', which may have been the original spelling.

Description and symbolism

The drabša is a banner in the shape of a cross made of two branches of

olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'' ("European olive"), is a species of Subtropics, subtropical evergreen tree in the Family (biology), family Oleaceae. Originating in Anatolia, Asia Minor, it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean ...

wood fastened together and half covered with a piece of white cloth traditionally made of pure silk, and seven branches of myrtle. The drabša white silk banner is not identified with the

Christian cross The Christian cross, seen as representing the crucifixion of Jesus, is a religious symbol, symbol of Christianity. It is related to the crucifix, a cross that includes a ''corpus'' (a representation of Jesus' body, usually three-dimensional) a ...

. Instead, the four arms of the drabsha symbolize the four corners of the universe, while the pure

silk Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), c ...

cloth represents the Light of God (

Hayyi Rabbi In Mandaeism, Hayyi Rabbi ( Neo-Mandaic; ), 'The Great Living God', is the supreme God from which all things emanate. Hayyi Rabbi is also known as "The First Life", since during the creation of the material world, Yushamin emanated from Hayyi ...

). The seven branches of myrtle represent the seven days of creation. The drabsha is viewed as a symbol of light and the light of the sun, moon and stars is envisaged to shine from it. It may be of pre-Christian origin and used originally to hang a prayer shawl during immersion in the river (

masbuta Maṣbuta (; pronounced ''maṣwottā'' in Neo-Mandaic) is the ritual of immersion in water in the Mandaean religion. Overview Mandaeans revere John the Baptist and practice frequent baptism (''masbuta'') as ritual purification, not of initia ...

In Mandaean manuscripts

Mandaean manuscripts often contain descriptions and illustrations of named ''drabšia''. The most common names for ''drabšia'' are Shishlameil,

Shishlam In Mandaeism, Shishlam (;) is a figure representing the prototypical Mandaean priest or Mandaean. He is also frequently referred to in Mandaean texts as Šišlam Rabba (. Shishlam is sometimes identified with Adam Kasia, the "Perfect Man". I ...

, and

Bihram In Mandaeism, Bihram () or Bihram Rabba (, "Bihram the Great") is an uthra (angel or guardian) who presides over the ''masbuta'', or baptism ritual. Bihram is mentioned in Mandaean texts such as the ''Qulasta''. Many Mandaean masbuta ritual praye ...

. The following ''drabšia'' names are mentioned in various Mandaean manuscripts: *'' Scroll of the Rivers'' (DC 7): Šišlamʿil, Bihram, Nahriel *''

Diwan Abatur The ''Diwan Abatur'' (; "Scroll of Abatur"; Modern Mandaic: ''Diwān Abāthor'') is a Mandaean religious text. It is a large illustrated scroll that is over 20 ft. (6.1 m) long. A similar illustrated Mandaean scroll is the '' Diwan Nahraw ...

'' (DC 8):

Nbaṭ In Mandaeism, Nbaṭ () 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 Radiant Nbaṭ", literally "Radia ...

, Šamišiel *''

Zihrun Raza Kasia The ''Šarḥ ḏ-Zihrun Raza Kasia'' (; "The Scroll of Zihrun, the Hidden Mystery") is a Mandaean religious text that describes rituals such as the masbuta, masiqta, and other related topics. It is an illustrated scroll. Zihrun (referred to a ...

'' (DC 27): Šišlamʿil, Bihram *''

Scroll of Exalted Kingship The ''Scroll of Exalted Kingship'' ( ; Modern Mandaic: ''Diwān Malkuthā Əlaythā'') is a Mandaean religious text. Written as a large illustrated scroll, the text consists of 1363 lines. The scroll is a commentary on the initiation of the tar ...

'' (DC 34): Šišlamʿil *''

Baptism of Hibil Ziwa ''The Baptism of Hibil Ziwa'' or ''Diwan Maṣbuta ḏ-Hibil Ziwa'' (, "Scroll of the Baptism of Hibil Ziwa") is a Mandaean illustrated scroll. It describes the soteriological descent of Hibil Ziwa to the World of Darkness, and his baptisms befo ...

'' (DC 35): Bihram, Šišlam, Mašriel *'' Alma Rišaia Zuṭa'' (DC 48): Azahʿil, Azazʿil, Kliliaiil, Nhurʿil, Nurʿil, Ramʿil, Šišlamʿil *''

Secrets of the Ancestors ''Diwan u-tafsir ḏ-razia ḏ-abahata'' ( "Scroll and Tafsir xplanationof the Secrets of the Ancestors", or simply "The Secrets of the Ancestors") is a Mandaean religious text. It is written as a scroll. Manuscripts and translations The Bodl ...

'' (MS Asiat. Misc. C. 13): Barmʿil (twice), Bihram, Bihdad, Manharʿil (four times), Nurʿil, Rʿil, Sahqʿil, Šišlam, Šišlamʿil (twice)

Qulasta

E. S. Drower Ethel, Lady Drower ( Ethel May Stefana Stevens; 1 December 1879 – 27 January 1972) was a British cultural anthropologist, orientalist and novelist who studied the Middle East and its cultures.Christa Müller-Kessler, Drower ée Stevens Ethe ...

's version of the ''

Qulasta The Qulasta, also spelled Qolastā in older sources (; ), is a compilation of Mandaean prayers. The Mandaic word ''qolastā'' means "collection". The prayerbook is a collection of Mandaic prayers regarding baptisms ('' maṣbuta'') and other sa ...

'', prayers 330–347 (corresponding to Part 4 of

Mark Lidzbarski Mark Lidzbarski (born Abraham Mordechai Lidzbarski, Płock, Russian Empire, 7 January 1868 – Göttingen, 13 November 1928) was a Polish philologist, Semiticist and translator of Mandaean texts. Early life and education Lidzbarski was born in Ru ...

's ''Oxford Collection'') are dedicated to the drabša. In many of these prayers, which mention the unfurling of drabshas, individual drabshas have given names. *Šišlamiel (various prayers) *Šašlamiel (prayer 347) *Manhariel (prayer 334) *

Pirun In Mandaeism, a gufna or gupna () is an uthra that is described as a personified grapevine in the World of Light. List of gufnas In various Mandaean texts, several heavenly beings are described as personified grapevines (''gupna'') in the World o ...

(prayer 333) (also the name of a

gufna In Mandaeism, a gufna or gupna () is an uthra that is described as a personified grapevine in the World of Light. List of gufnas In various Mandaean texts, several heavenly beings are described as personified grapevines (''gupna'') in the World o ...

) *

Zihrun Zihrun (; sometimes also spelled Zahrun or Zahroon), is an uthra (angel or guardian) in the World of Light. He is the main subject of the Mandaean scroll ''Zihrun Raza Kasia''. The uthra Zhir (meaning 'secured') is often mentioned as part of a ...

(prayers 332, 340, 341, 374)

Drabsha prayer

During

Parwanaya Parwanaya (; ) or Panja (Mandaic: , from Persian 'five') is a 5-day religious festival in the Mandaean calendar. The 5 epagomenals (extra days) inserted at the end of every Šumbulta (the 8th month) constitute the Parwanaya intercalary feast. ...

, th
''buta drabša''
(

prayers CP 337–339 = Oxford Collection 4. 8– 11) is recited by Mandaean laypeople, who repeat the prayer after a priest as they put

klila In Mandaeism, the klila () is a small Myrtus, myrtle () wreath or ring (translated as "circlet" by E. S. Drower) used during Mandaean religious rituals. The klila is a female symbol that complements the ''taga (Mandaeism), taga'', a white crown w ...

s onto the drabsha. Below is a transliteration of the prayer based on Lidzbarski (1920), which was originally transcribed using the

Hebrew alphabet The Hebrew alphabet (, ), known variously by scholars as the Ktav Ashuri, Jewish script, square script and block script, is a unicase, unicameral abjad script used in the writing of the Hebrew language and other Jewish languages, most notably ...

.Lidzbarski, Mark. 1920. ''Mandäische Liturgien''. Abhandlungen der Königlichen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen, phil.-hist. Klasse, NF 17.1. Berlin. The English translation below is partially based on Gelbert & Lofts (2025) and has been revised. The prayer describes the drabsha as a ray of light (since in Mandaic, ''drabša'' can also mean 'ray of light') originating from the

World of Light In Mandaeism, the World of Light or Lightworld () is the primeval, transcendental world from which Tibil and the World of Darkness emerged. Description *The Great Life ('' Hayyi Rabbi'' or Supreme God/ Monad) is the ruler of the World of Ligh ...

. It is passed to

Hibil Ziwa In Mandaeism, Hibil () and/or Hibil Ziwa () and sometimes pronounced Hīwel is referred to an uthra ("excellency", an angel or guardian) from the World of Light or the son of Adam (then; only referred as Hibil). Hibil, the man, is considered to b ...

and then to Adam Kasia, and finally to the chosen Nasoraeans. The drabsha, now manifested as a physical banner, is set up so that the water of the

yardna In Mandaeism, a yardna () or yardena ([]; ) is a body of flowing fresh water (or in ; pronounced ''meyya heyyi'') that is suitable for ritual use as baptismal water. The masbuta and other Mandaean rituals such as the tamasha (ablution), tamasha ...

and the

radiance In radiometry, radiance is the radiant flux emitted, reflected, transmitted or received by a given surface, per unit solid angle per unit projected area. Radiance is used to characterize diffuse emission and reflection of electromagnetic radiati ...

(''ziwa'') of the banner, representing light, can come together.

Gallery

File:درابشا.jpg, Artistic rendition of the Mandaean drabsha File:Yahya Yuhana Mandi drabsha 2024 002.jpg, Drabsha planted into the floor at

Yahya Yuhana Mandi Yahya Yuhana Mandi (officially registered as Mandi Yehya Youhanna) is a Mandaean temple ( mandi) in Prestons, New South Wales, Australia. It is named after John the Baptist, who is known as ''Yahya Yuhana'' in Mandaic. Unlike Ganzibra Dakhil ...

in Sydney, Australia File:Yahya Yuhana Mandi drabsha 2024 001.jpg, Tarmida

Sahi Bashikh Tarmida Sahi Bashikh Al-Zahrooni (, also known as Sahi Khamisi ; born 1966, in Susangerd, Khuzestan, Iran) is an Iranian-Australian Mandaean priest. He is a priest at Yahya Yuhana Mandi in Sydney, Australia. Biography He was born in Susangerd, K ...

preparing the drabsha at

in Sydney, Australia File:Tarmida Sahi Bashikh drabsha.jpg, Tarmida Sahi Bashikh standing next to a drabsha, at

during

2025 File:Ganzibra Dakhil Mandi 04.jpg, An actual drabsha (left) next to a symbolic drabsha (center) at

Ganzibra Dakhil Mandi Ganzibra Dakhil Mandi (officially registered as Mandi Genzvra Dakhil) is a Mandaean temple ( mandi) in downtown Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia. It is named after Rishama Dakhil Aidan, who was the head priest of the Mandaean community i ...

Liverpool, Sydney Liverpool is a Suburbs and localities (Australia), suburb of South Western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, south-west of the Sydney CBD. It is the administrative seat of the City of Liverpool (New South Wales), City of Li ...

, Australia File:Ganzibra Dakhil Mandi 028.jpg, Front side of a drabsha at

, Australia File:Ganzibra Dakhil Mandi 026.jpg, Back side of a drabsha at

, Australia File:Mandaeans celebrating the Creation Day (Brunaya), Maysan, Iraq - Mar 17, 2019 09.jpg, A ''drabsha'' (center) carried during a

festival held in

Maysan Governorate Maysan Governorate () is a governorate in southeastern Iraq, bordering Iran. Its administrative centre is the city of Amarah, and it is composed of six districts. Before 1976, it was named Amara Province. Etymology This region was called ''Messè ...

, southern Iraq in March 2019 File:Mandaeans celebrating the Creation Day (Brunaya), Maysan, Iraq - Mar 17, 2019 13.jpg, A ''drabsha'' being carried to the

Tigris The Tigris ( ; see #Etymology, below) is the eastern of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of the Armenian Highlands through the Syrian Desert, Syrian and Arabia ...

River File:Mandaeans 03.jpg, Example of a ''drabsha'' (right), with a priest reciting from a prayerbook during a

ritual by the

Karun The Karun (, ) is the Iranian river with the highest water flow, and the country's only navigable river. It is long. The Karun rises in the Zard Kuh mountains of the Bakhtiari district in the Zagros Range, receiving many tributaries, such as ...

River in

Ahvaz Ahvaz (; ) is a city in the Central District of Ahvaz County, Khuzestan province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is home to Persians, Arabs and other groups such as Qashqai and Kurds. Languages spok ...

, Iran (center) File:Mandaeans 02.jpg, Example of a ''drabsha'' (right), with a

tarmida A tarmida (singular form in , plural form in ; ; ) is a junior Mandaean priest, priest in Mandaeism. Ganzibras, or head priests, rank above tarmidas.Drower, E. S. 1960. ''The Secret Adam: A Study of Nasoraean Gnosis''. Oxford: Clarendon Press. ...

priest reciting from a prayerbook during a

ritual by the

River in

, Iran (center) File:درفش مندائي darfash mandaean.jpg, A drabsha (darfash) golden necklace

Notes

References

External links

*
Preparing the drabsha
(video) {{Mandaeism footer Cross symbols Mandaean religious objects Mandaic words and phrases Symbols of Abrahamic religions