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Mandaeism
New Religious Movementsor Mandaeanism (Arabic, )ﻣﻨﺪاﺋﻴﺔis a monotheistic religion with a strongly dualistic
Satanism
tendencies. Its adherents, known as Mandaeans, revere Adam, Abel, Seth, Enosh, Noah, Shem,
Indigenous Religions
Aram,
Historical and especially John the Baptist. They describe Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad as
Religions
Faith false Prophets. Mandaeans consider John the Baptist to be God’s most honorable messenger.
God
Atheism Worldwide, there are thought to be between 60,000 and 70,000 Mandaeans and until the 2003 Iraq
Conceptions Of God
war,
Attributes almost all of them lived in Iraq.[1] The 2003 Iraq War reduced the population of Iraqi Mandaeans
Of God
Names Of God
to approximately five thousand by 2007.[1] Most Iraqi Mandaeans fled to Syria and Jordan under the
The Existence Of God
Destinythreat of violence by Islamic extremists and the turmoil of the war. [2]
& Free Will
Sin
ProphetsMandaeism has historically been practiced primarily in the area around the mouth of the Euphrates
Jesus
and Tigris
Mary (Mother River Valley called the Shatt-al-Arab. This area is currently part of southern Iraq [3] and the
of Jesus)
MuhammadIranian province of Khuzestan. Persecution in Iraq and Iran [4] has caused many Mandaeans to leave
Extraterrestrial Life
Angels
for diaspora populations in Europ, Australia, and North America.
Spirit And Soul
Satan The Mandaeans have remained separate and intensely private—what has been reported of them and
their religion has come primarily from outsiders, particularly from the Orientalists J. Heinrich
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Mandaean beliefs
Mandaeism, as the religion of the Mandaean people, is based more on a common heritage than on
any set of religious creeds and doctrines. A
The Spiritual Life
“ W i n d o w s To S p i r i t u a l i t y ” basic guide to Mandaean theology does not
exist. The corpus of Mandaean literature,
though quite large, covers diverse topics such
as eschatology, the knowledge of God, the afterlife. Apart from the priesthood. These texts are known
only to a few laypeople.
Fundamental tenets
According to E.S. Drower, the Mandaean Gnosis is characterized by nine features, which appear in
various forms in other gnostic sects:
1. A supreme formless Entity, the expression of which in time and space is Mandaean Darfash,
creation of spiritual, etheric, and material worlds and beings. Production symbol of the
of these is delegated by It to a creator or creators who originated in It. Mandaean faith
The cosmos is created by Archetypal Man, who produces it in similitude to Mandaean Darfash, symbol
his own shape. of the Mandaean faith
2. Dualism: a cosmic Father and Mother, Light and Darkness, Right and Left,
syzygy in cosmic and microcosmic form.
3. As a feature of this dualism, counter-types, a world of ideas.
4. The soul is portrayed as an exile, a captive: her home and origin being the supreme Entity to
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Mandaeans believe in marriage and procreation, and in the importance of leading an ethical and
moral lifestyle in this world, placing a high priority upon family life. Consequently, Mandaeans do not
practice celibacy or asceticism. Mandaeans will, however, abstain from strong drink and red meat.
While they agree with other gnostic sects that the world is a “prison” governed by the planetary
archons, they do not view it as a cruel and inhospitable one.
Mandaean scriptures
The Mandaeans have a large corpus of religious scriptures, the most Abatur
important of which is the Genzā Rabbā or Ginza, a collection of history, Image of Abatur at the scales
theology, and prayers. The Genzā Rabbā is divided into two halves —
the Genzā Smālā or “Left Ginza” and the Genzā Yeminā or “Right Ginza.”
from Diwan Abatur
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By consulting the colophons in the Left Ginza, Jorunn J. Buckley has identified an uninterrupted chain
of copyists to the late second or early third c. C.E. The colophons attest to the existence of the
Mandaeans during the late Arsacid period at the very latest, a fact corroborated by the Harrān
Gāwetā legend, according to which the Mandaeans left Palestine after the destruction of Jerusalem in
the 1st century C.E., and settled within the Arsacid empire. Although the Ginza continued to evolve
under the rule of the Sassanians and the Islamic empires, few textual traditions can lay claim to such
extensive continuity.
Other important books include the Qolastā, the “Canonical Prayerbook of the Mandaeans,” which was
translated by E.S. Drower. One of the chief works of Mandaean scripture, accessible to laymen and
initiates alike, is the draša ḏ-iahia, the book of John the Baptist, which includes a dialogue between
John and Jesus. In addition to these works, there are also many other religious texts such as ritual
commentaries, which are generally only consulted by the members of the priesthood. The language in
which the Mandaean religious literature was originally composed is known as Mandaic, and is a
member of the Aramaic family of dialects. It is written in a cursive variant of the Parthian chancery
script. The majority of Mandaean lay people do not speak this language, though some members of the
Mandaean community resident in Iran (possibly 300-500 out of a total of about five thousand Iranian
Mandaeans) continue to speak Neo-Mandaic, a modern version of this language.
Cosmology
Mandaean theology is not systematic. There is no one single authoritative account of the creation of
the cosmos, but rather a series of several accounts. Some scholars, such as Edmondo Lupieri,
maintain that comparison of these different accounts may reveal the diverse religious influences upon
which the Mandaeans have drawn and the ways in which the Mandaean religion has evolved over
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time.[6] On the other hand, Steve Wilson has suggested that these may be more akin to meditation
manuals resembling the Merkabah and Heikhalot texts of first millennium Jewish mysticism, than
explanatory texts for the entire faith.
The earliest Mandaean religious texts suggest a strictly dualistic theology, typical of other Iranian
religions such as Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism, and the teachings of Mazdak. In these texts,
instead of a large pleroma, there is a discrete division between light and darkness. The ruler of
darkness is called Ptahil (similar to the Gnostic Demiurge), and the originator of the light (i.e. God) is
only known as “the great first Life from the worlds of light, the sublime one that stands above all
works.” When this being emanated, other spiritual beings became increasingly corrupted, and they
and their ruler Ptahil created our world. The similarity between the name Ptahil and the
Egyptian Ptah, followed by the semitic -il added to “spiritualise” a word should also be noted – the
Mandaeans believe that they were resident in Egypt for awhile.
The issue is further complicated by the fact that Ptahil alone does not constitute the demiurge but
only that he fills that role insofar as he is the creator of our world. Rather, Ptahil is the lowest of a
group of three ‘demiurgic’ beings, the other two being Yushamin (a.k.a. Joshamin) and Abathur.
Abathur’s demiurgic role consists of his sitting in judgment upon the souls of mortals. The role of
Yushamin, the senior being, is more obscure; wanting to create a world of his own, he was severely
punished for opposing the King of Light.
Chief prophets
Mandaeans recognize several prophets, among whom John the Baptist (Mandaic Iahia Iuhana) is
accorded a special status, higher than his role in Christianity and Islam. In contrast to common belief,
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Mandaeans do not consider John the Baptist to be the founder of their religion but merely revere him
as one of their greatest teachers, tracing their beliefs back to Adam.
Mandaeans maintain that Jesus was a mšiha kdaba or “false messiah” who perverted the teachings
entrusted to him by John. The word k(a)daba, however, derives from two roots in Mandaic: the first
root, meaning “to lie,” is the one traditionally ascribed to Jesus; the second, meaning “to write,” might
provide a second meaning, that of “book;” hence some Mandaeans, motivated perhaps by an
ecumenical spirit, maintain that Jesus was not a “lying Messiah” but a “Book Messiah,” the “book” in
question presumably being the Christian Gospels. This however seems to be a folk etymology without
support in the Mandaean texts.[7]
Likewise, the Mandaeans believe that Abraham, Moses, and Muhammad were false prophets, but
recognize other prophetic figures from the monotheistic traditions, such as Adam, his sons Hibil (Abel)
and Šitil (Seth), and his grandson Anuš (Enosh), as well as Nuh (Noah), his son Sam (Shem), and his
son Ram (Aram). The latter three they consider to be their direct ancestors.
[T]hose amongst the community who possess secret knowledge are called Naṣuraiia – Naṣoreans (or, if the heavy ‘ṣ‘ is written as ‘z’,
Nazorenes). At the same time the ignorant or semi-ignorant laity are called ‘Mandaeans’, Mandaiia – ‘gnostics’. When a man
becomes a priest he leaves ‘Mandaeanism’ and enters tarmiduta, ‘priesthood’. Even then he has not attained to true enlightenment,
for this, called ‘Naṣiruta’, is reserved for a very few. Those possessed of its secrets may call themselves Naṣoreans, and ‘Naṣorean’
today indicates not only one who observes strictly all rules of ritual purity, but one who understands the secret doctrine.”[8]
There are three grades of priesthood in Mandaeism: the tarmidia (Neo-Mandaic tarmidānā) or
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“disciples,” the ganzibria (Neo-Mandaic ganzeḇrānā) or “treasurers,” and the rišamma or “leader of
the people.” This last office, the highest level of the Mandaean priesthood, has lain vacant for many
years. At the moment, the highest office currently occupied is that of the ganzeḇrā, a title which
appears first in a religious context in the Aramaic ritual texts from Persepolis (ca. third century B.C.E.)
and which may be related to Kamnaskires (from Elamite <qa-ap-nu-iš-ki-ra> kapnušgir “treasurer”),
the title of the rulers of Elymais (modern Khuzestan) during the Hellenistic age. Traditionally,
any ganzeḇrā who baptizes seven or more ganzeḇrānā may qualify for the office of rišamma, though
the Mandaean community has yet to rally as a whole behind any single candidate.
The modern priesthood dates to the first half of the nineteenth century. In 1831, an outbreak
of cholera devastated the region and eliminated most if not all of the Mandaean religious authorities.
Two of the surviving acolytes (šgandia), Yahia Bihram and Ram Zihrun, reestablished the priesthood
on the basis of their own training and the texts that were available to them.
Influences
According to the Fihrist of ibn al-Nadim, Mani, the founder of Manichaeism, was brought up within
the Elkasaites (Elcesaites or Elchasaite) sect. The Elkasaites were a Christian baptismal sect which
may have been related to the Mandaeans. The members of this sect, like the Mandaeans, wore white
and performed baptisms. They dwelled in east Judea and northern Mesopotamia, whence the
Mandaeans claim to have migrated to southern Mesopotamia, according to the Harran
Gawaitā legend. Mani later left the Elkasaites to found his own religion. In a remarkable comparative
analysis, Mandaean scholar Säve-Söderberg demonstrated that Mani’s Psalms of Thomas were closely
related to Mandaean texts. This would imply that Mani had access to Mandaean religious literature.
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This leads to the question of just how close the origins of the Elkasaites, the Manichaeans, and the
Mandaeans are to one other.
Fred Aprim has suggested that the Mandaeans may be the descendants of the Babylonians. [9]
Other groups that have been identified with the Mandaeans include the “Nasoraeans” described by
Epiphanius and the Dositheans mentioned by Theodore Bar Kōnī in his Scholion. Ibn al-Nadim also
mentions a group called the Mughtasila, “the self-ablutionists,” who may be identified with one or the
other of these groups. The members of this sect, like the Mandaeans, wore white and
performed baptisms.
Whether it can be said that the Elkasaites, the Mughtasila, the Nasoraeans, and/or the Dositheans are
to be identified with the Mandaeans is a separate question. While it seems certain that a number of
distinct groups are intended by these names, the nature of their sects and the connections between
them are less than clear.
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The Mandaean canon is also utilized by a modern religious movement called the Order of Nazoraean
Essenes; material from the former can be found on the latter’s websites. This latter movement,
however, is entirely independent of Mandaeism.
Persecution
In 2007, Mandaeans in Iraq were subjected to forced conversions, rape and murder by Islamic
extremists. There were also reports of attacks on women who refuse to veil themselves. Most Iraqi
Mandaeans fled as a result, and the Mandaean community in Iraq faces extinction. [2][10]
Mandaeans in Iran are not subject to sectarian violence as they are in Iraq, but are prohibited from
fully participating in civil life in Iran by the Gozinesh Law (passed in 1985). This law and
other gozinesh provisions make access to employment, education, and a range of other areas
conditional upon a rigorous ideological screening, the principal prerequisite for which is devotion to
the tenets of Islam.[11] These laws are regularly applied to discriminate against religious and ethnic
groups that are not officially recognized, such as the Mandaeans. [4]
Diaspora
Out of the over sixty thousand Mandaeans in Iraq in the early 1990s, only about five thousand to
seven thousand remain there; as of early 2007, over 80 percent of Iraqi Mandaeans are
now refugees in Syria and Jordan. There are small Mandaean diaspora populations in Australia (about
3500 as of 2006), Canada, the USA (about 1500) and Sweden (5000). [2][12][13][14][15]
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Symbolism
A darfash, “a cross with cloth hanging off it” is used by Mandaeans as a symbol of their religion. [12]
Notes
1. Jump up to:1.0 1.1
Nathaniel Deutsch, October 6, 2007, Op-Ed contributor, “Save the Gnostics” The New
York Times. Retrieved November 2, 2007.
2. Jump up to:2.0 2.1 2.2
Angus Crawford, BBC News, Damascus, Iraq’s Mandaeans ‘face extinction’ –
Retrieved November 2, 2007.
3. Iraqi demography – Retrieved November 2, 2007.
4. Jump up to:4.0 4.1
Iran, Amnesty International report 2005 – Retrieved November 2, 2007.
5. E.S. Drower. The Secret Adam. xvi
6. Edmondo Lupieri. The Mandaeans: The Last Gnostics. (Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans,
2002, ISBN 080283924X), 38-41
7. Rudolf Macuch. Handbook of Classical and Modern Mandaic. (Berlin: De Gruyter & Co, 1965, OCLC
512701), 61 fn. 105
8. E.S. Drower (The Secret Adam, p. ix)
9. Fredrick Aprim, Mandaeans: The True Descendents of Ancient Babylonians and
Chaldeans ninevah.com. Retrieved November 2, 2007.
10. Genocide Watch: Mandaeans of Iraqgenocidewatch.org. Retrieved November 2, 2007.
11. Ideological Screening (ROOZ :: English) – Retrieved November 2, 2007.
12. Jump up to:12.0 12.1
Chris Newmarker, Associated Press, Feb. 9, 2007, Survival of Ancient Faith
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