World of Light

A painting at Yahya Yuhana Mandi depicting the ascension of Yahya Yuhana (John the Baptist) from Tibil to the World of Light during his meeting with Manda d-Hayyi, who appears as a boy at the yardna. The story is from Right Ginza Book 5, Chapter 4.

In Mandaeism, the World of Light or Lightworld (Classical Mandaic: ࡀࡋࡌࡀ ࡖࡍࡄࡅࡓࡀ, romanized: alma ḏ-nhūra), also the Worlds of Light (Classical Mandaic: ࡀࡋࡌࡉࡀ ࡖࡍࡄࡅࡓࡀ, romanized: almia ḏ-nhūra, Modern Mandaic pronunciation: [ˈɑlmi dənˈhura]), is the primeval, transcendental world from which Tibil and the World of Darkness emerged.

Description

Ascension

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 Aerial toll house, Arcs of Descent and Ascent, and Araf) before finally being reunited with the dmuta, the soul's heavenly counterpart.

Parallels

The idea has some parallels with the Gnostic concept of pleroma.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2002). The Mandaeans: ancient texts and modern people. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-515385-5. OCLC 65198443.
  2. 1 2 3 Aldihisi, Sabah (2008). The story of creation in the Mandaean holy book in the Ginza Rba (PhD). University College London.
  3. ↑ Gelbert, Carlos (2011). Ginza Rba. Sydney: Living Water Books. ISBN 978-0-9580346-3-0.
  4. ↑ Häberl, Charles (2022). The Book of Kings and the Explanations of This World: A Universal History from the Late Sasanian Empire. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press. ISBN 978-1-80085-627-1.