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In Mandaeism, the World of Light or Lightworld [1] ( Classical Mandaic: ࡀࡋࡌࡀ ࡖࡍࡄࡅࡓࡀ, romanized: alma ḏ-nhūra) 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 Light.
- Countless uthras dwell in škintas in the World of Light. (A škinta is a celestial dwelling where uthras, or benevolent celestial beings, live in the World of Light. [2])
- The World of Light is the source of the Great Yardna ( Jordan River) of Life, also known as Piriawis.
- Ether/Air (ࡀࡉࡀࡓ), which can be thought of as heavenly breath or energy, permeates the World of Light. [2]
- The Mšunia Kušṭa is a part of the World of Light considered to be the dwelling place of heavenly or ideal counterparts ( dmuta). [1]
- In some Mandaean texts, Tarwan is a part of the World of Light that is described as a "pure land." [3]
- Water flows from the World of Light to Tibil via hapiqia miia, or cosmic streams of water, also known as Hitpun. [4]: 215
Ascension
When a Mandaean person dies, priests perform elaborate death rituals or death masses called masiqta in order to help guide the soul ( nišimta) towards the World of Light. In order to pass from Tibil (Earth) to the World of Light, the soul must go through multiple maṭarta (watch-stations, toll-stations or purgatories; see also Aerial toll house, Arcs of Descent and Ascent, and Araf) before finally being reunited with the dmuta, the soul's heavenly counterpart. [2]
Parallels
The idea has some parallels with the Gnostic concept of pleroma.
See also
- Heaven
- Divine light
- Pleroma in Gnosticism
- Form of the Good in Platonism
- Nūr (Islam)
- Ohr in Jewish mysticism
- Tabor Light
References
- ^ a b Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2002). The Mandaeans: ancient texts and modern people. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-515385-5. OCLC 65198443.
- ^ a b c Aldihisi, Sabah (2008). The story of creation in the Mandaean holy book in the Ginza Rba (PhD). University College London.
- ^ Gelbert, Carlos (2011). Ginza Rba. Sydney: Living Water Books. ISBN 9780958034630.
- ^ Häberl, Charles (2022). The Book of Kings and the Explanations of This World: A Universal History from the Late Sasanian Empire. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press. ISBN 978-1-80085-627-1.
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| Part of a series on |
| Mandaeism |
|---|
|
|
| Religion portal |
In Mandaeism, the World of Light or Lightworld [1] ( Classical Mandaic: ࡀࡋࡌࡀ ࡖࡍࡄࡅࡓࡀ, romanized: alma ḏ-nhūra) 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 Light.
- Countless uthras dwell in škintas in the World of Light. (A škinta is a celestial dwelling where uthras, or benevolent celestial beings, live in the World of Light. [2])
- The World of Light is the source of the Great Yardna ( Jordan River) of Life, also known as Piriawis.
- Ether/Air (ࡀࡉࡀࡓ), which can be thought of as heavenly breath or energy, permeates the World of Light. [2]
- The Mšunia Kušṭa is a part of the World of Light considered to be the dwelling place of heavenly or ideal counterparts ( dmuta). [1]
- In some Mandaean texts, Tarwan is a part of the World of Light that is described as a "pure land." [3]
- Water flows from the World of Light to Tibil via hapiqia miia, or cosmic streams of water, also known as Hitpun. [4]: 215
Ascension
When a Mandaean person dies, priests perform elaborate death rituals or death masses called masiqta in order to help guide the soul ( nišimta) towards the World of Light. In order to pass from Tibil (Earth) to the World of Light, the soul must go through multiple maṭarta (watch-stations, toll-stations or purgatories; see also Aerial toll house, Arcs of Descent and Ascent, and Araf) before finally being reunited with the dmuta, the soul's heavenly counterpart. [2]
Parallels
The idea has some parallels with the Gnostic concept of pleroma.
See also
- Heaven
- Divine light
- Pleroma in Gnosticism
- Form of the Good in Platonism
- Nūr (Islam)
- Ohr in Jewish mysticism
- Tabor Light
References
- ^ a b Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2002). The Mandaeans: ancient texts and modern people. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-515385-5. OCLC 65198443.
- ^ a b c Aldihisi, Sabah (2008). The story of creation in the Mandaean holy book in the Ginza Rba (PhD). University College London.
- ^ Gelbert, Carlos (2011). Ginza Rba. Sydney: Living Water Books. ISBN 9780958034630.
- ^ Häberl, Charles (2022). The Book of Kings and the Explanations of This World: A Universal History from the Late Sasanian Empire. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press. ISBN 978-1-80085-627-1.
| People | | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Historical identities | |||||||||||||||
| Priesthood | |||||||||||||||
| Literature |
| ||||||||||||||
| Cosmology |
| ||||||||||||||
| Important figures | |||||||||||||||
| Legendary figures | |||||||||||||||
| Concepts |
| ||||||||||||||
| Objects and symbols | |||||||||||||||
| Ritual food and drink |
| ||||||||||||||
| Clothing | |||||||||||||||
| Rituals and practices | |||||||||||||||
| Buildings and structures | |||||||||||||||
| Calendar |
| ||||||||||||||
| Language | |||||||||||||||
| Other topics | |||||||||||||||