Philosophy:Manda (Mandaeism)

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Short description: Concept of knowledge

In Mandaeism, manda (Classical Mandaic: ࡋࡀࡅࡐࡀ‎) is the concept of gnosis or spiritual knowledge.[1] Mandaeans stress salvation of the soul through secret knowledge (gnosis) of its divine origin.[2] Mandaeism "provides knowledge of whence we have come and whither we are going."[3]:531

Etymology

On the basis of cognates in other Aramaic dialects, Semiticists such as Mark Lidzbarski and Rudolf Macúch have translated the term manda as "knowledge" (cf. Aramaic: מַנְדַּע‎ mandaʻ in Dan. 2:21, 4:31, 33, 5:12; cf. Hebrew: מַדַּע‎ maddaʻ, with characteristic assimilation of /n/ to the following consonant, medial -nd- hence becoming -dd-[4]). In his 1965 Mandaic handbook, Macúch suggests that due to the special religious use of the word, -n- was added in order to make it unique from other words with the same root.[5]

Derived terms

Mandaeism ('having knowledge') comes from the Mandaic word manda, meaning "knowledge".[6]:15 Mandaean priests formally refer to themselves as Naṣuraia (Nasoraeans), meaning guardians or possessors of secret rites and knowledge.[7][8]

Mandaia (Classical Mandaic: ࡌࡀࡍࡃࡀࡉࡉࡀ‎, lit. 'Gnostic, Knower, Enlightened One'; plural: Mandaiia) is a Mandaic term that refers to a Mandaean layperson, as opposed to a Naṣuraia (Mandaean priest).[9]:116

The beth manda (beit manda, bit manda, ࡁࡉࡕ ࡌࡀࡍࡃࡀ, 'house of knowledge'), also called a mandi, is a Mandaean building that serves as a community center and place of worship.

The name of the uthra Manda d-Hayyi literally means the manda (gnosis) of Hayyi Rabbi ("The Life"). Manda d-Hayyi is considered to be the most important uthra, since he is the one bringing manda (knowledge or gnosis) to Earth (Tibil).[10]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Aldihisi, Sabah (2008). The story of creation in the Mandaean holy book in the Ginza Rba (PhD). University College London.
  2. ↑ Drower, Ethel Stephana (1960). The secret Adam, a study of Nasoraean gnosis. London UK: Clarendon Press. p. xvi. http://holybooks.lichtenbergpress.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Secret-Adam-A-Study-of-Nasoraen-Gnosis.pdf. Retrieved 19 February 2014. 
  3. ↑ Deutsch, Nathaniel. (2003) Mandaean Literature. In The Gnostic Bible (pp. 527–561). New Seeds Books
  4. ↑ Angel Sáenz-Badillos, A History of the Hebrew Language. Cambridge University Press, 1993 (ISBN:978-0521556347), p. 36 et passim. (See also Biblical Hebrew phonology#Classification: "Hebrew also shares with the Canaanite languages ... assimilation of non-final /n/ to the following consonant.")
  5. ↑ Macúch, Rudolf (1965). Handbook of Classical and Modern Mandaic. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter. 
  6. ↑ Rudolph, Kurt (1977). "Mandaeism". in Moore, Albert C.. Iconography of Religions: An Introduction. 21. Chris Robertson. ISBN 9780800604882. https://books.google.com/books?id=chWcZcYcyeQC. 
  7. ↑ Rudolph, Kurt (7 April 2008). "MANDAEANS ii. THE MANDAEAN RELIGION". https://iranicaonline.org/articles/mandaeans-2-religion. 
  8. ↑ Drower, Ethel Stefana (1953). The Haran Gawaita and the Baptism of Hibil-Ziwa. Biblioteca Apostolica Vatican. 
  9. ↑ Nasoraia, Brikha H.S. (2021). The Mandaean gnostic religion: worship practice and deep thought. New Delhi: Sterling. ISBN 978-81-950824-1-4. OCLC 1272858968. 
  10. ↑ Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2002). The Mandaeans: ancient texts and modern people. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-515385-5. OCLC 65198443. 



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