RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Mandseans
" thought," and Arabic ma'na, " mind," " meaning." It probably corresponds to the Indian atman, " principle of life or individuality." With it, as female potency, Demutha, " image," is joined, and a triad of Pira-Ayar, Mana Rabba, and Demutha is formed. Thus far no visible world or life existed, only the transcendental. Hence there appears Hayye Kadmaye, " First Life," formed from Mana Rabba; and in Mandaean prayers he is always the first invoked. From him proceeded the countless emanations of gods, eons, and angels, whose task it was to create the visible world. (This theogony is not the only one present in the system, since other parts speak of a Nitufta, " Material of Life," corresponding to Hayye Kadmaye; another name given is Nebat, " sprout," who creates 800 eons and other beings.) From Mana Rabba proceed in fantastic completeness other Manas, called also Piras, more commonly Uthriyye (Uthras), " dominions " or " powers." From " First Life " emanated Hayye Tinyaniyye, " Second Life," called also Yoshamin (cf. Hebr. shamayim, " heavens "), who evoked Uthras, erected dwellings, and called a " Jordan " into existence. Three of these Uthras desired to enter upon the work of creation, to which Second Life agreed, but First Life was averse and called into existence Kebar Rabba or Manda de hayye, " Spirit of Life," which personifies knowledge of life. This last creation becomes the center of Mandaean theology and its preexistent Christ, with which Hibil Ziwa, the power acting as redeemer in the world of fact, was identified. Yet this redemption and this " Christ " are not at all parallel to the conceptions carried by the same names in the Christian system. Manda de hayye is to be derived from Marduk, and his work may be equated with Marduk's in vanquishing the monster Tiamat. Many epithets applied to Marduk are applied also to Manda de hayye, such as " beloved son," " good shepherd," " word of life "; and, like Marduk, Manda de hayye became potent in creation, acting in opposition to the presumptuous Uthras and Second Life. Before this, however, he had to make a " descent into hell," during which he came into conflict with the powers of darkness, including one Ruba (Heb. ruah, the " Spirit of God " of Gen. i. 2, converted by the Mandseans in their anti-Christian bias into a chief devil), conquered them and appointed as their punishment that their food should be fire and their drink foul water. He created Gabriel, who was to be the demiurge (known also as Petahil, who appears elsewhere as an emanation of " Second Life "). The seven planets and the twelve signs of the zodiac are created, land, water, and the firmament follow in order, then the first man, in whose creation Hibil, Sitil, and Anos (cf. the Biblical Abel, Seth, and Enos), " brothers " of Manda de hayye, cooperate, after which they marry Adam to Eve. The " seven " (planets) attempt to lead the pair into sin, but are prevented by the creators of man; vain attempts are also made to destroy man. Yet the evil spirits maintain their hold on the world, the " twelve " (zodiacal signs) divide the world-age among themselves, and the " seven " found false
religions and call into existence beasts of prey and other evil beings.
When the religion began to develop toward monotheism (ut sup., § 2, end), the divine figures took another form. Pira, Ayar, Yora, and Mana
disappear, and instead of them the
4. Later " great king of light " reigns alone.
Theogony The portrayal of the world of light,
and in which this being sits enthroned,
Cosmogony, agrees with the Manichean picture of
the " kings of the paradise of light." The address to him at the beginning of the Ginza is noteworthy: '' Praised, blessed, glorified, celebrated and highly honored be thou, O god of truth, whose might is great, who hast no bounds, who art pure glory and sheer light which nothing dims; a gracious, approachable and spiritual existence [art thou], a kind deliverer of all who are faithful, supporting and upholding all good in strength and wisdom." The bridge to the creation of the visible world is found, according to this phase of Mandaean thought, in the unfolding of the light-god in his shining ether. From this early epitome of light go forth the numerous eons ('Uthre, " splendors "), Second Life, sometimes called Yoshamin (" Yahweh of the heavens "), then Manda de hayye, the life-spirit, mediator and savior of Mandaean theology, the first man. Second Life seeks to gain supremacy over First Life, fails, and is exiled from the world of pure ether into that of dimmer light. Then there issue a series of emanations, the first of whom are Hibil, Sitil and Anos (ut sup.). The last is John the Baptist. These appear both as brothers and as sons of Manda de hayye, and also in other relationships. Of these Hibel, or Hibil Ziwa, is the most celebrated. He receives the same titles as Manda, has the same activity, and indeed is merged as though he were the same being. From Second Life also emanate sons, the last one named variously Third Life and Abathur, the " Ancient One," also called Father of Uthra. He sits at the outermost bound of the world of light, where is the great gate which leads to the middle and lower regions; there he weighs the deeds of the departed who come to him, returning to the lower regions those spirits whose deeds prove too light, while to the others Abathur opens the way to the higher regions of light. In the beginning there was under Abathur an immense void, and at the bottom the troubled black water. As he looked into this and saw his image reflected, Petahil (the material nature of the deep of Chaos) came into existence as his son to become the demiurge of the Mandseans, equivalent to the Yaldabaoth (" Chaosson ") of the Ophites. He was commanded by his father to create the earth and man. Some passages make him do this alone, others assign to him demons as his helpers, especially the seven spirits of the planets. From this point confusion exists as to the sequence of events. Here begin " the entanglements of Mandaean theology " (A. J. H. W. Brandt, ut. sup., pp. 48-55). The course of action follows in part the usual Semitic cosmogony — Petahil erects the heaven, reduces the diffused, floating matter into form as the earth and fixes it in position, and creates the bodies of Adam and
Mandeeans