Mandaean cosmology is the Gnostic conception of the universe in the religion of Mandaeism .
18-612: In Mandaean cosmology , Tibil ( Classical Mandaic : 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 ( alma ḏ-hšuka ) below by ayar ( aether ). To reach the World of Light ( alma ḏ-nhūra ) from Tibil, Mandaeans believe that need they to establish laufa (connection, union) to be reunited with
36-409: A maṭarta ( Classical Mandaic : ࡌࡀࡈࡀࡓࡕࡀ ; plural form: maṭarata ࡌࡀࡈࡀࡓࡀࡕࡀ ) is a "station" or "toll house" that is located between the World of Light ( alma ḏ-nhūra ) from Tibil (Earth). It has variously been translated as "watch-station", "toll-station", "way-station", or " purgatory ". Maṭartas are guarded by various uthras (celestial beings from the World of Light) and demons. Ruha ,
54-530: Is also their mother. However, individually, some of the planets can be associated with positive qualities. The names of the seven planets in Mandaic are borrowed from Akkadian , and are also reflected in the same sequence in Jewish sources The other earliest reference and being in Mandaic is the sequence occurring on a lead amulet in Mandaic. The planets are listed according to the traditional Mandaean order of
72-581: Is strongly influenced by ancient near eastern cosmology broadly and Jewish , Babylonian , Persian , Greek , Manichaean and other Near Eastern religions and philosophies particularly. The three major Emanations or "Lives" ( Hayyi ) in Mandaeism are: The Second Life, Third Life, and Fourth Life are emanations of the First Life, Hayyi Rabbi (the Supreme God). Mandaean cosmology divides
90-508: Is the primeval, transcendent world from which Tibil and the World of Darkness emerged. The Great Life ( Hayyi Rabbi or Supreme God / Monad ) and his uthras dwell in the World of Light. The World of Light is also the source of Piriawis , the Great Yardena ( Classical Mandaic : ࡉࡀࡓࡃࡍࡀ , romanized: iardna ), or " Jordan " of Life. In Mandaean cosmology, ether (Mandaic: aiar or ayar ) permeates outer space and
108-682: The Right Ginza , Book 6 of the Right Ginza (also known as the "Book of Dinanukht "), and Chapter 4 in Book 1 of the Left Ginza give detailed descriptions of the maṭartas. Some of the matarta guards are: Order of matarta guards in Right Ginza 5.3 : Order of matarta guards in Right Ginza 6 : Order of matarta guards in Left Ginza 1.4 : Left Ginza 3.51 is about
126-499: The dmuta , the soul's heavenly counterpart. The Scroll of Abatur mentions a heavenly tree called Shatrin ( Šatrin ) where the souls of unbaptized Mandaean children are temporarily nourished for 30 days. On the 30th day, Hibil Ziwa baptizes the souls of the children, who then continue on to the World of Light . The tree has a length of 360,000 parasangs according to the Scroll of Abatur . The idea has some parallels with
144-682: The First Apocalypse of James (33,2-27), which mentions "three detainers who carry off souls by theft," as well as angels torturing the soul in the Book of Thomas the Contender (141,36-39) and Pistis Sophia . Matartas in Mandaeism are also similar to aerial toll houses ( Bulgarian : митарство ; Russian : мытарства ) in Eastern Orthodox Christianity . (The aforementioned Slavic words are not cognate with
162-560: The Gnostic concept of pleroma . Tibil , or Earth, is the middle, earthly realm in Mandaean cosmology. It is separated form the World of Light above and the World of Darkness below by ayar ( aether ). Rituals mediated by priests allow for a laufa (or laupa , meaning 'connection' or 'union') to be made from Tibil to the World of Light. The World of Darkness is ruled by its king Ur ( Leviathan ) and its queen Ruha , mother of
180-575: The seven planets and twelve constellations . The great dark Sea of Suf lies in the World of Darkness. The great dividing river of Hiṭfon , analogous to the river Styx in Greek mythology , separates the World of Darkness from the World of Light. Mandaeism considers North , and hence also the North Pole and Polaris , to be auspicious and associated with the World of Light. Mandaeans face north when praying, and temples are also oriented towards
198-484: The World of Light. The laufa is re-created and reconfirmed by priests through rituals such as maṣbuta (baptism). Upon death, priests must perform masiqta rituals to help the departed soul successfully navigate from Tibil through the various maṭarta (watch-stations) that lie in between, in order to reach the World of Light. Häberl (2022) considers Tibil to be a borrowing from Hebrew tebel ( Hebrew : תֵבֵל ). Mandaean cosmology Mandaean cosmology
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#1732772178185216-416: The World of Light. Uthras travel by moving through ether. The Father is also sometimes mentioned as Ayar Rba ('Great Ether') or Ayar Ziwa ('Radiant Ether'). In Mandaeism, the "outer ether" ( aiar baraia ), mentioned in texts such as The Thousand and Twelve Questions , refers to the ether that permeates the cosmos, while the "inner ether" ( aiar gawaia ) refers to the "breath or pure air of Life within
234-476: The north. On the contrary, South is associated with the World of Darkness. Overall, the seven classical planets ( Classical Mandaic : ࡔࡅࡁࡀ šuba , "The Seven"; Classical Mandaic : ࡔࡉࡁࡉࡀࡄࡉࡀ šibiahia , "planets"; or, combined, šuba šibiahia "Seven Planets" ) are generally not viewed favorably in Mandaeism, since they constitute part of the entourage of Ruha , the Queen of the World of Darkness who
252-532: The planets as given by Masco (2012). Each planet is said to be carried in a ship. Drawings of these ships are found in various Mandaean scrolls , such as the Scroll of Abatur . In Mandaeism, people, spirits, and places are often considered to have both earthly and heavenly counterparts ( dmuta ), which dwell in the Mshunia Kushta ("Realm of Truth"). Ma%E1%B9%ADarta In Mandaean cosmology ,
270-458: The queen of the underworld , is the ruler or guardian of one of the maṭartas. To reach the World of Light ( alma ḏ-nhūra ) from Tibil (Earth), souls must pass through the various maṭartas that are situated in between. Rituals such as the masiqta can help guide souls past the various maṭarta so that they could reach the World of Light. In the Ginza Rabba , Chapter 3 in Book 5 of
288-539: The soul passing through seven matarta stations. The names of the matarta guards are simply the "First," "Second," "Third," "Fourth," "Fifth," "Sixth," and "Seventh," respectively. In the Nag Hammadi library , the Coptic Apocalypse of Paul describes an ascent through the seven lower heavens, which are guarded by various angels inflicting punishments on sinners. Heavenly "toll collectors" are mentioned in
306-570: The soul". The Mshunia Kushta is a section of the World of Light where spiritual counterparts or images called dmuta are found. 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 Arcs of Descent and Ascent and araf (Islam) ) before finally being reunited with
324-512: The universe into three realms: According to Book 3 of the Right Ginza , a "fruit ( pira ) within the fruit" and "ether ( ayar ) within the ether" had existed before the World of Light came into being. In a sort of " Big Bang ," the World of Light comes into being along with the Great Jordan and uthras . Tibil and the World of Darkness are then formed by Ptahil and others after the World of Light came into existence. The World of Light
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