Piriawis
Heavenly river in Mandaeism
In Mandaean cosmology, Piriawis (Classical Mandaic: ࡐࡉࡓࡉࡀࡅࡉࡎ; sometimes also spelled Biriawiš ࡁࡉࡓࡉࡀࡅࡉࡔ[1]), also known as the Yardna Rabba (ࡉࡀࡓࡃࡍࡀ ࡓࡁࡀ "Great Jordan"), 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.[2][3][4]
Shilmai and Nidbai are the two guardian uthras (celestial beings) watching over Piriawis.[2]
Qolasta prayers 13 and 17 mention Piriawis-Ziwa and Piriafil-Malaka together as uthras.[5]
Other names
In Book 4 of the Right Ginza, Sindiriawis is mentioned as "the great yardna of the Life" (sindiriauis, iardna rba ḏ-hiia).[2]
See also
- Yardna
- Ganga (goddess) in Hinduism
- Siniawis, its corresponding opposite in the World of Darkness
- Jordan River
- Yesseus Mazareus Yessedekeus, the name of the Living Water in Sethianism
References
- ^ Lidzbarski, Mark. 1920. Mandäische Liturgien. Abhandlungen der Königlichen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen, phil.-hist. Klasse, NF 17.1. Berlin.
- ^ a b c Gelbert, Carlos (2011). Ginza Rba. Sydney: Living Water Books. ISBN 9780958034630.
- ^ Al-Saadi, Qais Mughashghash; Al-Saadi, Hamed Mughashghash (2012). Ginza Rabba: The Great Treasure. An equivalent translation of the Mandaean Holy Book. Drabsha.
- ^ Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2002). The Mandaeans: ancient texts and modern people. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-515385-5. OCLC 65198443.
- ^ Drower, E. S. (1959). The Canonical Prayerbook of the Mandaeans. Leiden: E. J. Brill.
