Mandaeism Mandaeism (Mandaic language, Classical Mandaic: ),https://qadaha.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/nhura-dictionary-mandaic-english-mandaic.pdf sometimes also known as Nasoraeanism or Sabianism, is a Gnosticism, Gnostic, Monotheism, ...

, Yawar

Ziwa Ziwa is an archaeological site in Nyanga District, Zimbabwe, containing the remains of a vast late Iron Age agricultural settlement dated to the 15th century. It is one of many sites that compose the Nyanga Iron Age ruins. Ziwa was declared a N ...

(; also known as Yawar Kasia "Hidden Yawar", or Yawar Rabba "Great Yawar") is an

uthra An uthra or ʿutra (, Neo-Mandaic ''oṯrɔ'', traditionally transliterated ''eutra''; plural: ʿuthrē, traditionally transliterated ''eutria'') is a "divine messenger of the light" in Mandaeism. Charles G. Häberl and James F. McGrath transl ...

(angel or guardian) from the

World of Light In Mandaeism, the World of Light or Lightworld () 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 Ligh ...

. He is the personification of light, as well as the head of reproductive powers.

Simat Hayyi In Mandaeism, Simat Hayyi or Simat Hiia (), the personification of life, is an uthra (angel or guardian) from the World of Light who is married to Yawar Ziwa. The name ''Simat Hayyi'' ("Life's Treasure"), along with the name ''Niṭufta'' ("Dro ...

, the personification of life, is married to Yawar Ziwa.

Etymology

E. S. Drower translates ''Yawar Ziwa'' as "Dazzling Radiance",Drower, Ethel Stefana. 1937. ''The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran''. Oxford At The Clarendon Press.Drower, E. S. 1960. ''The Secret Adam: A Study of Nasoraean Gnosis''. Oxford: Clarendon Press. although

Mark Lidzbarski Mark Lidzbarski (born Abraham Mordechai Lidzbarski, Płock, Russian Empire, 7 January 1868 – Göttingen, 13 November 1928) was a Polish philologist, Semiticist and translator of Mandaean texts. Early life and education Lidzbarski was born in Ru ...

translates ''Yawar'' as "helper."

In the ''Ginza Rabba''

Book 14 of the ''

Right Ginza The Right Ginza () is one of the two parts of the Ginza Rabba, the longest and the most important holy scripture of Mandaeism. The other part of the Ginza Rabba is the Left Ginza. Summaries of each book (or tractate), based mostly on Häberl ( ...

'' mentions Yawar as one of the first

s to have been created, along with

Yushamin In Mandaeism, Yushamin () and also known as the 'Second Life', is the primal uthra (angel or guardian) and a subservient emanation who was created by the Mandaean God 'The Great Life' (''Hayyi Rabbi'' or 'The First Life'), hence beginning the cre ...

. Yawar is identified in ''Right Ginza'' 15.8 as "the first Gupna."

In other Mandaean texts

In ''

Dmut Kušṭa ''Diwan ḏ-Qadaha Rba Šuma ḏ-Mara ḏ-Rabuta u-Dmut Kušṭa'' (; "The Scroll of the Great Prayer, the Name of the Lord of Greatness and the Image of Truth"), or simply ''Dmut Kušṭa'' (or ''Dmuth Kushta''), is a Mandaean religious text. I ...

'' (MS Asiatic. Misc. C. 12), Yawar Ziwa is the name of one of the heavenly trees.

As an epithet

Yawar Ziwa is also an epithet for several figures in Mandaean scripture, including: *

Abatur Abatur (, sometimes called Abathur; Yawar, ; and the Ancient of Days and also pronounced Awāthur) is an Uthra and the second of three subservient emanations created by the Mandaean God ''Hayyi Rabbi'' (, “The Great Living God”) in the Mand ...

Hibil Ziwa In Mandaeism, Hibil () and/or Hibil Ziwa () and sometimes pronounced Hīwel is referred to an uthra ("excellency", an angel or guardian) from the World of Light or the son of Adam (then; only referred as Hibil). Hibil, the man, is considered to b ...

Manda d-Hayyi In Mandaeism, Manda d-Hayyi or Manda ḏ-Hiia () is an uthra (angel or guardian) sent by the Great Life ('' Hayyi Rabbi'', or the Transcendent God) as a messenger to John the Baptist. Manda d-Hayyi is considered to be the most important uthra, si ...

''Šum Yawar Ziwa''

The ''Šum Yawar Ziwa'' () is a sacred gold ring worn by

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 ...

References