Ur (Mandaeism)
| Ur | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Leviathan, Bar-Spag |
| Abode | World of Darkness |
| Symbol | Serpent or snake (in the skandola) |
| Parents | Ruha and Gaf |
| Equivalents | |
| Judaism | Leviathan |
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In Mandaeism, ʿUr (Classical Mandaic: ࡏࡅࡓ) is the king (Classical Mandaic: ࡌࡀࡋࡊࡀ, romanized: malka) of the World of Darkness (alma ḏ-hšuka) or underworld. He is the son of Ruha, the queen of the underworld,[1] and her brother Gaf (also spelled Gap), one of the giants in the World of Darkness described in book 5 of the Ginza Rabba. Ur is typically portrayed as a large, ferocious dragon or snake.[2] He is represented by the image of a serpent on the skandola talisman.[3]: 37
The Mandaean Book of John contrasts Ur, the King of Darkness, with the King of Light (Hayyi Rabbi).[4]
Names
[edit]Ur has also been referred in Mandaean texts as Leviathan (Classical Mandaic: ࡋࡉࡅࡉࡀࡕࡀࡍ, romanized: liuiatan; from Right Ginza 15.1). According to the Right Ginza 5.1, his mother Ruha called him "the Great Giant, the Power of Darkness" (gabara rba, haila ḏ-hšuka).[5]
Ur's epithets include Bar-Spag (Classical Mandaic: ࡁࡓ ࡎࡐࡀࡂ, lit. 'Son of Spag') and other names.[5]
Parallels
[edit]Aldihisi (2008) compares Ur to Tiamat in Babylonian mythology and Samael in Gnostic literature.[2]
See also
[edit]- Shdum, also known as the "King of Darkness"
- Leviathan
- Nagaraja
- Tiamat
- Yaldabaoth
- Ahriman
- Asrestar
- Prince of Darkness (Manichaeism)
References
[edit]- ^ Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2002). The Mandaeans: ancient texts and modern people. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-515385-5. OCLC 65198443.
- ^ a b Aldihisi, Sabah (2008). The story of creation in the Mandaean holy book in the Ginza Rba (PhD). University College London.
- ^ Drower, Ethel Stefana (1937). The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran. Oxford At The Clarendon Press.
- ^ Häberl, Charles (2020). The Mandaean Book of John: critical edition, translation, and commentary. Boston: De Gruyter. ISBN 978-3-11-048651-3. OCLC 1129155601.
- ^ a b Gelbert, Carlos (2011). Ginza Rba. Sydney: Living Water Books. ISBN 9780958034630.
