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In Sethian Gnostic texts, Yesseus Mazareus Yessedekeus is the personification of the Living Water. He is mentioned in the Nag Hammadi tractates of the Holy Book of the Great Invisible Spirit , Zostrianos , and Apocalypse of Adam . [1]
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In Sethian Gnostic texts, Yesseus Mazareus Yessedekeus is the personification of the Living Water. He is mentioned in the Nag Hammadi tractates of the Holy Book of the Great Invisible Spirit , Zostrianos , and Apocalypse of Adam . [1]
The etymology of the name is as follows. [1]
In Mandaeism, the uthra (celestial spirit) Piriawis Ziwa is the personification of the heavenly river of living water. [2] Qolasta prayers 13 and 17 mention Piriawis Ziwa and Piriafil Malaka together as uthras. [3]
In Mandaean scriptures such as the Ginza Rabba , Praš Ziwa (pronounced Fraš Ziwa) is mentioned as the personification of the Euphrates, [4] which is considered to be the earthly manifestation of the heavenly yardna or flowing river (similar to the Yazidi concept of Lalish being the earthly manifestation of its heavenly counterpart). [5]
The Holy Book of the Great Invisible Spirit, also known as the Coptic Gospel of the Egyptians, is a Sethian Gnostic text found in Codices III and IV of the Nag Hammadi library. The text describes the origin of three powers: the Father, the Mother, and the Son, who came forth from the great invisible Spirit. The text emphasizes Seth as the origin of the seed of eternal life and the great, incorruptible race. It concludes with a prayer and a statement that it was written by the great Seth and placed in the mountain Charaxio to be revealed at the end of times.
In Mandaeism, Rūha is the queen of the World of Darkness or underworld. She rules the underworld together with her son Ur, the king of the World of Darkness, and her entourage of the seven planets and twelve constellations, who are also her offspring with Ur.
Living water is a biblical term which appears in both the Old and New Testaments. In Jeremiah 2:13 and 17:13, the prophet describes God as "the spring of living water", who has been forsaken by his chosen people Israel. Later, the prophet Zechariah described Jerusalem as a source of "living water", "half [flowing] east to the Dead Sea and half of it west to the Mediterranean Sea, in summer and in winter". The Pulpit Commentary notes that the city of Jerusalem "was, as we know, abundantly supplied with water by many conduits and subterranean channels; but standing, as it does, surrounded by hills higher than itself, it is physically impossible that the waters could literally flow as stated. The description is symbolical …" However, this does not take into the account the various topological changes prophesied in the previous verses, such as Zechariah 14:4: "On that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward."
In Mandaeism, Gubran is an uthra. He is also referred to as Gubran Uthra. Guban is the female consort of Gubran.
An uthra or ʿutra is a "divine messenger of the light" in Mandaeism. Charles G. Häberl and James F. McGrath translate it as "excellency". Jorunn Jacobsen Buckley defines them as "Lightworld beings, called 'utras ." Aldihisi (2008) compares them to the yazata of Zoroastrianism. According to E. S. Drower, "an 'uthra is an ethereal being, a spirit of light and Life."
Mandaean cosmology is the Gnostic conception of the universe in the religion of Mandaeism.
In Mandaeism, Manda d-Hayyi or Manda ḏ-Hiia is an uthra sent by the Great Life as a messenger to John the Baptist. Manda d-Hayyi is considered to be the most important uthra, since he is the one bringing manda to Earth (Tibil).
In Mandaean cosmology, a maṭarta is a "station" or "toll house" that is located between the World of Light from Tibil (Earth). It has variously been translated as "watch-station", "toll-station", "way-station", or "purgatory". Maṭartas are guarded by various uthras and demons. Ruha, the queen of the underworld, is the ruler or guardian of one of the maṭartas.
Dinanukht is a mythological character in the Ginza Rabba, one of the main religious scriptures of Mandaeism, who is portrayed as an anthropomorphic book. Book 6 of the Right Ginza describes his ascension to the World of Light.
In Sethian Gnosticism, a luminary is an angel-like being. Four luminaries are typically listed in Sethian Gnostic texts, such as the Secret Book of John, the Holy Book of the Great Invisible Spirit, and Zostrianos. The luminaries are considered to be emanations of the supreme divine triad consisting of the Father, the Mother (Barbelo), and the Child (Autogenes). Listed from highest to lowest hierarchical order, they are:
In Mandaeism, Shilmai or Shalmai (Šalmai) is an uthra who serves as one of the two guardian spirits of Piriawis, the heavenly yardna (river) in the World of Light. In the Ginza Rabba and Qolasta, he is usually mentioned together with Nidbai.
In Mandaeism, Nidbai is an uthra who serves as one of the two guardian spirits of Piriawis, the heavenly yardna (river) in the World of Light. In the Ginza Rabba and Qolasta, he is usually mentioned together with Shilmai.
In Mandaeism, Bihram or Bihram Rabba is an uthra who presides over the masbuta, or baptism ritual. Bihram is mentioned in Mandaean texts such as the Qolasta. Many Mandaean masbuta ritual prayers invoke the name of Bihram.
In Mandaean cosmology, Piriawis, also known as the Yardna Rabba, is the sacred life-giving river (yardna) of the World of Light. It is the heavenly counterpart of rivers on earth (Tibil), which are considered by Mandaeans to be manifestations of the heavenly Piriawis.
In Mandaeism, Yawar Ziwa is an uthra from the World of Light. He is the personification of light.
In Mandaeism, Simat Hayyi or Simat Hiia, the personification of life, is an uthra from the World of Light who is married to Yawar Ziwa.
Ziwa is an Aramaic term that is typically translated as 'radiance' or 'splendor.' It is frequently used as an epithet for celestial beings and manifestations of God in Gnostic religions such as Mandaeism and Manichaeism.
In Mandaeism, a yardna or yardena is a body of flowing fresh water that is suitable for ritual use as baptismal water. The masbuta and other Mandaean rituals such as the tamasha can only be performed in a yardna. Stagnant fresh water, brackish water, and seawater are not considered to be yardnas.
In Sethian Gnostic texts, the Five Seals are typically described as a baptismal rite involving a series of five full immersions in holy running or "living water," symbolizing spiritual ascension to the divine realm. The Five Seals are frequently mentioned in various Sethian Gnostic texts from the Nag Hammadi library.
In Sethian Gnostic texts, Micheus, Michar, and Mnesinous are the three heavenly spirits that preside over the rite of baptism, performed in the wellspring of Living Water. They are mentioned in the Nag Hammadi tractates of the Holy Book of the Great Invisible Spirit, Trimorphic Protennoia, Zostrianos, and Apocalypse of Adam. In the texts, the trio is frequently mentioned along with Yesseus Mazareus Yessedekeus, the name of the Living Water.