List of Mandaean priests

Last updated February 06, 2024

This article contains a list of historical and active Mandaean priests, all of whom have the ranks of Rishama, Ganzibra or Tarmida.

List of Mandaean priests

Active

Most of the following list of currently active Mandaean priests is based on Buckley (2023)^[2] and from The Worlds of Mandaean Priests website curated by Christine Robins, Yuhana Nashmi et al.^[3]

Rishamma Salah Choheili, Australia
Rishamma Sattar Jabar Hilow, Iraq
Ganzibra Professor Brikha Nasoraia, Australia
Ganzibra Khaldoon Majid Abdullah, Australia
Ganzibra Waleed Khashan, Australia
Ganzibra Salam Ghaiad, Sweden
Ganzibra Walid Abdul Razzak, Sweden
Ganzibra Taleb Dorragi, Iran
Ganzibra Walid Ebadfardzadeh, United States
Tarmida Bassam Fadhil al-Haider, United States
Tarmida Asaad Muttar al-Othmani, Australia
Tarmida Thamir Shamkhi, Australia
Tarmida Peyam Jizan, Australia
Tarmida Saleem al-Zuhairi, Australia
Tarmida Yuhana Nashmi, Australia
Tarmida Qais Edan (Qais Aidan), Sweden
Tarmida Salwan Shakir Khamas, Sweden
Tarmida Rafid Al-Sabti, Netherlands
Tarmida Behram Khafajy (Bihram Khaffagi), Iran
Tarmida Sam Zahrooni, Iran

Historical

This list of historical Mandaean priests, along with the accompanying notes, is primarily adapted from Buckley (2010).^[1]^{: 349–355} The majority of the names are from colophons (tarikࡕࡀࡓࡉࡊ) in Mandaean texts that provide detailed information about the scribes who had transcribed them. Note that written Mandaic br means "son of," while written Mandaic pt means "daughter."^[1]

Priest	Other names	Notes	Years
Sh. Abdullah Khaffagi of Ahwaz	Sam Yuhana br Bihram		d. 1975
Sh. Abdullah br Sh. Negm		rishama; emigrated to the United Kingdom	d. 2009
Adam br Mhatam Yuhana, Manduia	Sh. ‛Idan
Adam br Ram Gadana
Adam br Yahia Papia
Adam br Sarwan Ruzbia/Ruzba
Adam br Sam, Ram Ziwa			fl. 1658
Adam Abu‛l Faraš br Bihram Šitil		"head of the people"
Adam Bahran/Bihram br Zakia Mašhadia		older brother of Yahia Sam br Hibil Zihrun
Adam Bayan br Šadan Zarzuia		brother of Sarwan Bulbul br Adam Bayan	fl. early 1400s
Adam Yuhana br Yahia Anuš, Šu‛ilia, Busa‛id
Adam Yuhana br Sam, Kamisia, Riš Draz		father of Yahia Bihram	fl. 1788–early 1800s
Adam Paraš br Zihrun, ‛Ubadia and Baṭahaiia			fl. 1615
Adam (Sabur) br Ninia
Adam Zakia br BrHiia
Adam Zihrun br Bihram Šitlan			fl. 1529–1564
Adam Zihrun br Sam, Manduia	Sh. Abdullah	ganzibra in Baghdad; initiator of Jabbar Choheili in 1948; father of Abdul Jabbar Abdullah	d. 1981
Adam Zihrun br Yahia Yuhana Bihdad
Adam Zihrun br Yahia Bihram, Manduia
Adam Zihrun br Mhatam, Ram Ziwa			fl. 1690
Adam Zihrun br Zakia Šitil, Quṭana		yalufa	fl. 1629
Anhar pt Sam Bihram
Anhar Kumraita		ganzibra; in Qolasta prayer 170
Anuš br Naṭar
Anuš br Buran		in Qolasta prayer 170
Anuš Bihdad br Yahia (Sam) Adam
Anuš br Danqa			fl. 638
Anuš Ma‛ilia/Mu’ilia br Anuš Bihdad (the elder)
Anuš Ma‛ilia br Bihdad Zakia (the younger)
Anuš Šaiar br Nṣab
Badriiah pt Šuraš		book owner
Bayan br Yahia Diqnana
Bayan Hibil br Brik Yawar			fl. mid-700s
Bayan Hibil ‛Qaiam br Zindana
Bainai br Zakia and Haiuna
Baktiar br Adam Mhatam, Kuhailia
Baktiar Bulbul br Ram Ziwa, Ram Ziwa clan			fl. 1632
Baktiar Tilidia (and his unnamed mother)
Banan/Bahram br Brik Yawar	Bayan
Bhira br Šitil
Bibia Mudalal pt Adam Yuhana, Sa‛dan, Kamisia		survivor of 1831 cholera; wife of Ram Zihrun br Sam Bihram, Kupašia; sister of Yahia Bihram br Adam Yuhana	fl. 1831
Bihdad br Zihrun		ethnarch; grandson of ‛Qaiam br Zindana
(Yahia) Bihram br Adam Zarzuia
Bihram br Ram Zihrun			fl. 1831
(Bihram) Bayan br Adam Šupartaiia
Bihram Bayan br Yahia Baz
Bihram BrHiia br Adam Zakia, Kuhailia (the elder)		one of the earliest known ancestors of the Kuhailia clan, including Brikha Nasoraia	fl. 1400s
Bihram BrHiia br (Adam) Baktiar, Kuhailia (the younger)		nephew of Bihram BrHiia, above
Bihram Sam br Yahia Yuhana, Dihdaria	Sam Bihram	a ganzibra, exiled in 1818, Qurna	fl. 1818
Bihram Šitil br Yahia Yuhana, Sumaqa
Bihram Zakia br Bayan Šupartaiia
BrHiia br Yuhana
Brik Yawar br Bihdad			c. 560–600
Brik Manda (Šitil) br Sku/Ska Hiia
Dihdar ‛Id br Adam Bihram
Dihdar Mhatam Bulbul br Sam Bihram, ‛Asikir
Dihdar Zihrun br Sam Sakara/‛Asikir		"head of the people"
‛Qaiam br Zindana
‛Uda br Yuhana
Sh. Farraj br Sh. Sam	Adam br Sam		fl. 1900s
Faruk br Marspindu Abuzdaqad
Haiašum br Sku Hiia
Sh. Haithem	Sam br Sam Yuhana Haiuna pt Tihwia and Yahia	ethnarch; in Qolasta prayer 170
Harmuzdukt/Hurmuzdukt
Hawa pt Daiia		ganzibra; in Qolasta prayer 170
Hawa pt Nukraya			c. 750–800
Hawa pt Yahia/Yuhana		editor	c. 1300
Hawa Mahnuš pt Yahia			fl. mid-1400s
(Hida) Hawa Simat pt Adam			c. 1700
Hibil BrHiia br Sam Nangara		from Gazania
Sh. Jabbar Tawoosie	Mhatam Yuhana br Tawoos	from Ahwaz
Sh. Kumait			fl. 1900s
Kiria pt Salim, Quṭana
Mamania pt Hibil
Mamul Dihgan pt ‛sta Bihram
Mariuaria pt Adam Šapur
Marspindu Abuzdaqad
Mhatam br Yahia Bihram, Kamisia, Riš Draz			fl. 1910
Mhatam br Yahia Bayan, Dihdaria
Mhatam Bayan br Dihdar Zihrun, Ša‛puria		"father of kings"
Mhatam Yuhana br Yahia Sam, Manduia	Sh. Damouk	great-grandfather of Lamia Abbas Amara
Mhatam Yuhana br Adam Yuhana, Sabur	Sh. Šukar br Sh. Fulad		fl. 1849
Mhatam Zihrun br Baktiar/Yahia BrHiia, Kuhailia		husband of Yasmin Mudalal; uncle of Bihram BrHiia the elder
Mhatam Zihrun br Bahran/Bihram Mušarah
Mhatam Zihrun br Adam, Manduia	Sh. Dakhil/Dukhayl		d. 1964
Miriai pt Simat
Mudalal pt Dihdar Salim			fl. 1700s
Mula Abd‛l Šik		a fighter for the Mandaeans
Sh. Negm/Nejm	Adam Negm br Zakia Zihrun; Sh. Negm, son of Sh. Zahroon		fl. 1900s
Nṣab br Maškna
Nṣab br Bihram
Nukraya br Šitil
Papa br Guda
Qinta pt Zihrun Adam		aunt of Yahia Yuhana br Zihrun Adam, Dihdaria	fl. early 1500s
Qiqel
Ram br Adam, Manduia		ganzibra in Huwaiza	fl. 1560
Ram Bayan br Sam Daudania
Ram Baktiar br Bihram Šadan, Quṭana			fl. 1560
Ram Yuhana br Ram, Dihdaria, Sabur			fl. 1743–53
Ram Yuhana br Yahia Zihrun, Manduia
Ram Yuhana br Yahia Baktiar, Kuhailia			c. 1580
Ram Kuhailia		ganzibra in Huwaiza	fl. 1560
Ram Ṣilai br Daimir
Ram Zihrun br Sam Bihram, Kupašia		survivor of 1831 cholera; cousin of Yahia Bihram; husband of Bibia Mudalal; grandfather of Sh. Abdullah Khaffagi	fl. 1831
Ram Zihrun Bihdad		great-grandson of Zindana
Ram Ziwa br Bayan Hibil/Bihram Bihdad
Ram Ziwa br Šaiar		"bad priest"	c. 800
Ram Ziwa Baktiar br Bayan Zihrun		an ancestor of the ethnarch Bihdad br Zihrun
Ramuia br ‛Qaimat and Bayan Hibil			fl. 638
Ruzba son of Hawa
Šabur br Zazai
Šad Manda br Sku Yawar
Šadan br Brik Yawar
Šadia Mamania pt Hibil			c. 1300
Šaha pt Aziz Sakma, Wašia			fl. early 1500s
Šaiar (Ziwa) br Bayan Hibil
Sam Adam br Zakia, Manduia		initiator of his brothers Yahia Mhatam and Sam Yuhana	fl. 1500s
Sam Bihdad br Bihram Gadana
Sam Bihram br Bibia Mudalal
Sam Bihram, Laiit, Diqnana
Sam Šitlan br Ram Bayan, Ša‛puria			fl. 1599
Sam (Ziwa) br Bayan Hibil
Sam Hibil br Adam		erroneously: "maknušta"
Sam Yuhana br Mhatam Bulbul, ‛Asikir
Sam Yuhana br Yahia Adam, ‛Asikir
Sam Yuhana br Sam Adam, Manduia		brother of Yahia Mhatam br Sam Adam	c. 1560
Sam Saiwia		ganzibra; maternal grandson of Bainai br Haiuna	c. 800
Sarwan Baz		"king of Naṣoraeans"
Sarwan Bulbul br Adam Bayan, Zarzuia			fl. early 1400s
Šamiat pt Yahia Bayan, Manduia, ‛Kuma		mother of Ram Yuhana br Yahia Zihrun
Šarat Yasmin pt Zakia, Diqnana		mother of Yahia Bihram br Adam Zarzuia; grandmother of Yasmin Mudalal pt Adam Bihram, Zarzuia	fl. mid-1400s
Šganda br Yasmin and Yahia Yuhana		ethnarch	fl. before 600
Simat pt Adam Yuhana, Zakia and Buhaiir
Ska Manda
Sku Hiia br ‛Idai
Šlama pt Qidra			c. 200
Ṭabia br Zazai
Yahia br Zihrun, Manduia		ganzibra in Maqdam	fl. 1560
Yahia br Adam Kuhailia
Yahia Adam br Baktiar Bulbul, Ram Ziwa			fl. 1680
Yahia Adam br Yuhana Šitlan, Riš Draz
Yahia Adam, Baliq Hiwia
Yahia Bihram br Adam Yuhana, Sa‛dan, Kamisia		survivor of 1831 cholera	fl. 1831
Yahia Bihram br Adam, Manduia, ‛Kuma			fl. 1735–36
Yahia Bihram br Sam (Sarwan) Bihran, Zakia			c. 1500
Yahia Halal
Yahia Yuhana br Ram, Kuhailia		brother of Zakia Zihrun	fl. 1600s
Yahia Yuhana (Bihdad/Bihram) br Anuš Bihdad
Yahia Yuhana br Adam Zihrun, Dihdaria		uncle of Yahia Bihram br Adam Yuhana; nephew of Qinta; exiled 1818 with Sam Bihram and other ganzibras; initiator of eight novices
Yahia Mhatam br Anuš, clan name Anuš		"head of all Mandaeans," Huwaiza
Yahia Mhatam br Sam Adam, Manduia, ‛Kuma		brother of Sam Yuhana br Sam Adam	fl. also 1560
Yahia (Ram Zihrun) br Zakia Zihrun		brother of Sh. Negm	fl. 1900s
Yahia Ram Zihrun br Mhatam, Sabur and Batahaiia		grandson of Yahia Yuhana br Adam Zihrun, Dihdaria	fl. 1815–1818
Yahia (Sam) Adam br Sam Saiwia		brother/cousin of Bihdad br Zihrun, both of whom were ethnarchs. He is the maternal grandson of Bainai br Haiuna.	fl. late 800s
Yahia Bayan/Bihram br Sam Bihram, Diquana, Laiit		biologically of the Manduias, but initiated into the Diqnana clan and has three brothers who are priests
Yahia Sam br Hibil Zihrun		father-in-law of Dihdar Mhatam Bulbul
Yahia Sam br Sarwan
Yahia Šaiar br Adam Baktiar, Durakia
Yahia Zakia br Brik Yawar			c. 600
Yahia Zihrun br Yahia Ram Zihrun
Yasmin Bana pt Yahia Bihram
Yasmin Mudalal pt Adam Bihram, Zarzuia		wife of Mhatam Zihrun	fl. 1400s
Yuhana br Zindana
Yuhana Šitlan br Zakia Šitlan, Buhair			fl. 1480
Yuzaṭaq br Sasa Zakia Bayan br Yuhana/Yahia Bihram, Šapuria			c. 1480
Zakia Šitlan br Sam Yuhana, Bakšia
Zakia Zihrun br Ram Kuhailia		brother of Yahia Yuhana br Ram	fl. 1677
Zazai of Gawazta br Naṭar
Zihrun br Yahia Mhatam ‘Asikir
Zihrun br Adam		a rejected teacher
Zihrun br Adam, Paraš and ‘Kuma			fl. 1617

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References

1 2 3 Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2010). The great stem of souls: reconstructing Mandaean history. Piscataway, N.J: Gorgias Press. ISBN 978-1-59333-621-9.
↑ Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2023). 1800 Years of Encounters with Mandaeans. Gorgias Mandaean Studies. Vol. 5. Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press. ISBN 978-1-4632-4132-2. ISSN 1935-441X.
↑ "Mandaean priests". The Worlds of Mandaean Priests. 2016. Retrieved 2023-09-27.

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[Buckley_2010-1] 1 2 3 Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2010). The great stem of souls: reconstructing Mandaean history. Piscataway, N.J: Gorgias Press. ISBN 978-1-59333-621-9.

[Buckley_2023-2] Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2023). 1800 Years of Encounters with Mandaeans. Gorgias Mandaean Studies. Vol. 5. Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press. ISBN 978-1-4632-4132-2. ISSN 1935-441X.

[World-3] "Mandaean priests". The Worlds of Mandaean Priests. 2016. Retrieved 2023-09-27.

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List of Mandaean priests

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