Ganzibra
A ganzibra (singular form in , plural form in , literally 'treasurer' in Mandaic; ) is a high priest in Mandaeism. Tarmidas, or junior priests, rank below the ganzibras.Drower, E. S. 1960. ''The Secret Adam: A Study of Nasoraean Gnosis''. Oxfor ...
Salwan Alkhamas (, also known as Salwan Shakir Khamas;
born 27 March 1970,
Basra Governorate
Basra Governorate ( ), also called Basra Province, is a governorate in southern Iraq in the region of Arabian Peninsula, bordering Kuwait to the south and Iran to the east. The capital is the city of Basra, located in the Basrah district. Other ...
, Iraq) is an Iraqi-Swedish
Mandaean priest
A Mandaean priest or ''Tarmida'' () refers to an ordained religious leader in Mandaeism.
Overview
All priests must undergo lengthy ordination ceremonies, beginning with tarmida initiation. Mandaean religious leaders and copyists of religious text ...
currently serving as the head priest of the
Mandaean community in Sweden.
Salwan Alkhamas initially served as a priest in
Sandviken
Sandviken is a locality and the seat of Sandviken Municipality in Gävleborg County, Sweden with 26,438 inhabitants in 2023. It is situated about 25 km west of Gävle and lies approximately 190 km north of Stockholm. The rail journey t ...
during the early 2000s.
He then became the head priest of the
Södertälje
Södertälje ( , ) is a Urban areas in Sweden, city in Stockholm County, Sweden and seat of Södertälje Municipality. It is also a part of Stockholm urban area, Greater Stockholm Metropolitan Area. As of 2020, it has 73,872 inhabitants. Södertà ...
mandi and currently serves as the
Rishama
A rishama (''rišama''; ''riš-ama''), rishamma, or rishema (; ; ; ) is a religious patriarch in Mandaeism. It is the highest rank out of all the Mandaean clergical ranks. The next ranks are the ''ganzibra'' and ''tarmida'' priests (see Mandaean ...
of the Mandaean community in Sweden and Finland.
See also
*
List of Mandaean priests
*
Mandaeans in Sweden
Sweden is home to one of the largest communities of the Mandaean ethnoreligious group, numbering between 10,000-20,000 people (2019).Hanish, Shak (2019). The Mandaeans In Iraq. In
References
1970 births
Living people
Mandaean priests
Iraqi Mandaeans
People from Basra Province
Iraqi emigrants to Sweden
Swedish people of Iraqi descent
21st-century Swedish clergy
Ganzibras
Khamisi family
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