A ganzibra (singular form in , plural form in , literally 'treasurer' in
Mandaic Mandaic may refer to:
* Mandaic language
* Mandaic alphabet
The Mandaic alphabet is a writing system primarily used to write the Mandaic language. It is thought to have evolved between the second and seventh century CE from either a cursive fo ...
; ) is a
high priest
The term "high priest" usually refers either to an individual who holds the office of ruler-priest, or to one who is the head of a religious organisation.
Ancient Egypt
In ancient Egypt, a high priest was the chief priest of any of the many god ...
in
Mandaeism
Mandaeism (Mandaic language, Classical Mandaic: ),https://qadaha.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/nhura-dictionary-mandaic-english-mandaic.pdf sometimes also known as Nasoraeanism or Sabianism, is a Gnosticism, Gnostic, Monotheism, ...
.
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.
...
s, or junior priests, rank below the ganzibras.
[Drower, E. S. 1960. ''The Secret Adam: A Study of Nasoraean Gnosis''. Oxford: Clarendon Press.]
Symbolically, ganzibras are considered to be
uthra
An uthra or ʿutra (, Neo-Mandaic ''oṯrɔ'', traditionally transliterated ''eutra''; plural: ʿuthrē, traditionally transliterated ''eutria'') is a "divine messenger of the light" in Mandaeism. Charles G. Häberl and James F. McGrath transl ...
s on earth (
Tibil
In Mandaean cosmology, Tibil () 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 (Mandaeism), World of D ...
). Their responsibilities include performing
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 ...
,
masiqta
The masiqta () is a mass or ritual practiced in the Mandaean religion in order to help guide the soul ('' nišimta'') towards the World of Light in Mandaean cosmology. They are typically performed as funerary rites for Mandaeans who have just di ...
,
wedding ceremonies, and other rituals, all of which can only be performed by priests. They must prepare their own food to maintain ritual purity.
Ganzibra priests are also prohibited from consuming stimulants such as wine, tobacco, and coffee.
Ordination
The ganzibras go through an elaborate set of initiation rituals that are separate from those performed for the
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.
...
s.
According Drower (1937), a ganzibra can only be initiated immediately before the death of a pious member of the Mandaean community. Two ganzibras and two
shganda
In Mandaeism, a shganda (''šganda''; ), shkanda (), or ashganda
(''ʔšganda'')Drower, E. S. 1960. ''The Secret Adam: A Study of Nasoraean Gnosis''. Oxford: Clarendon Press. is a ritual assistant who helps priests with ritual duties.
In the Man ...
s are required to perform the initiation.
[ Drower, E. S. 1937. ''The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran''. Leiden: Brill (1962 reprint).]
The ''bukra'' is the first
masiqta
The masiqta () is a mass or ritual practiced in the Mandaean religion in order to help guide the soul ('' nišimta'') towards the World of Light in Mandaean cosmology. They are typically performed as funerary rites for Mandaeans who have just di ...
performed by a ganzibra priest just after ordination.
The ''ʿngirta'' (; also refers to
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 73–74) is a ceremony used to inform the World of Light about the ordination of a ganzibra.
In Mandaean texts
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 ( ...
'' 15.7, 15.8, 16.1, and 17.1, the
uthra
An uthra or ʿutra (, Neo-Mandaic ''oṯrɔ'', traditionally transliterated ''eutra''; plural: ʿuthrē, traditionally transliterated ''eutria'') is a "divine messenger of the light" in Mandaeism. Charles G. Häberl and James F. McGrath transl ...
Yura is mentioned as ''Yura Rba Ganzibra'', or "Great Yura the Ganzibra."
Notable ''ganzibria''
Notable ''ganzibria'' include:
*
Brikha Nasoraia
Rishama Brikha H. S. Nasoraia (full name: Brikha Haithem Saed Naṣoraia; ; born 1964 in Iraq) is an Iraqi-Australian Mandaean priest and scholar based in Sydney, Australia. He is affiliated with the University of Sydney and Mardin Artuklu Univ ...
(Australia)
*
Khaldoon Majid Abdullah
Ganzibra Khaldoon Majid Abdullah (; born 16 March 1963, in Amarah, Maysan Governorate, Iraq) is an Iraqi-Australian Mandaean priest. He is currently the ganzibra (senior priest) of Yahya Yuhana Mandi (also known as Mandi Yehya Yahana or Mandi Yeh ...
(Australia)
*
Salwan Alkhamas
Ganzibra Salwan Alkhamas (, also known as Salwan Shakir Khamas; born 27 March 1970, Basra Governorate, Iraq) is an Iraqi-Swedish Mandaean priest currently serving as the head priest of the Mandaean community in Sweden.
Salwan Alkhamas initially ...
(Sweden)
*
Najah Choheili
Ganzibra Najah Choheili () is an Iranian Mandaean priest who currently serves as the head of the Mandaean community in Iran.
Biography
Najah Choheili was born in Ahvaz, Iran into the Kuhailia (Persian pronunciation: ''Choheili'') family. His fa ...
(Iran)
*
Taleb Doraji
Ganzibra Taleb Doraji (also spelled Taleb Doragi, Taleb Dorragi, or Talib Durašia (); born 1937 in Ahvaz, Iran) is an Iranian Mandaean priest and goldsmith from Ahvaz, Khuzestan.
He became a tarmida in 1998 and later attained the rank of ganzi ...
(Iran)
*
Negm bar Zahroon
Ganzibra Negm bar Zahroon (Mandaean baptismal name, baptismal name: Adam Negm bar Zakia Zihrun ; ; born 1892, Huwaiza; died 1976, Qal'at Saleh District) was a Mandaean priest. He is known for his role as E. S. Drower's main field consultant who he ...
(1892–1976, lived in both Iraq and Iran)
See also
*
Mandaean priest
A Mandaean priest or ''Tarmida'' () refers to an ordained religious leader in Mandaeism.
Overview
All priests must undergo lengthy ordination ceremonies, beginning with tarmida initiation. Mandaean religious leaders and copyists of religious text ...
*
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...
*
Grand Mufti
A Grand Mufti (also called Chief Mufti, State Mufti and Supreme Mufti) is a title for the leading Faqīh, Islamic jurist of a country, typically Sunni, who may oversee other muftis. Not all countries with large Sunni Muslim populations have Gra ...
*
Kohanim
Kohen (, ; , ، Arabic كاهن , Kahen) is the Hebrew word for "priest", used in reference to the Aaronic priesthood, also called Aaronites or Aaronides. They are traditionally believed, and halakhically required, to be of direct patriline ...
*
Rishama
A rishama (''rišama''; ''riš-ama''), rishamma, or rishema (; ; ; ) is a religious patriarch in Mandaeism. It is the highest rank out of all the Mandaean clergical ranks. The next ranks are the ''ganzibra'' and ''tarmida'' priests (see Mandaean ...
References
External links
The Worlds of Mandaean Priests
{{Mandaeism footer
*
Mandaic words and phrases
Mandaean titles