Dehwa Rabba

Dehwa Rabba
Dehwa Rabba
Also called	Nauruz Rabba
Observed by	Mandaeans
Type	Religious, ethnic
Significance	First day of the Mandaean calendar

Dehwa Rabba (Classical Mandaic: ࡃࡉࡄࡁࡀ ࡓࡁࡀ, romanized: Dihba Rba, lit. 'Great Feast') or Nauruz Rabba (Classical Mandaic: ࡍࡀࡅࡓࡅࡆ ࡓࡁࡀ, 'Great New Year')^[1]^: 111 is the Mandaean New Year.^[2] It is the first day of Daula (or Dowla), the first month of the Mandaean calendar.^[3]

Kanshiy u-Zahly[]

Kanshī u-Zahli or Kanshiy u-Zahly (Classical Mandaic: ࡊࡀࡍࡔࡉࡀ ࡅࡆࡀࡄࡋࡉࡀ, romanized: Kanšia u-Zahlia, lit. 'cleaning and purification'^[1]{^: 113) is the day preceding Dehwa Rabba, or New Year's Eve. It is the 30th day of Gadia, the 12th month (i.e., the last day of the Mandaean year). On Kanshiy u-Zahly, Mandaeans do not work as it is a holy day. Mandaean priests spend the entire day performing prayers and masbuta until the afternoon, and also animals are slaughtered for consumption. Before the sun sets, Mandaeans prepare food for the following day of Dehwa Rabba and also perform ṭmasha, or ritual immersion in water that does not require the assistance of a priest.^[4]

36 hours of seclusion[]

At sunset, once the North Star appears in the sky, Mandaeans must stay inside their homes with their families for 36 hours. No one is permitted to go outside their homes during these 36 hours, since Mandaeans believe that the naṭria (guardian spirits) have left Tibil and returned to the World of Light, leaving people on Tibil vulnerable to misfortune.^[5]^: 110 As a result, Mandaeans will emerge only at noontime on the 2nd day of Daula (the day following Dehwa Rabba).^[6]

Deaths during these 36 hours are considered to be inauspicious (mbaṭṭal), and the masiqta of Adam needs to be performed when Mandaean deaths occur during this time.^[2]^[7]

References[]

^ ^a ^b Nasoraia, Brikha H.S. (2021). The Mandaean gnostic religion: worship practice and deep thought. New Delhi: Sterling. ISBN 978-81-950824-1-4. OCLC 1272858968.
^ ^a ^b Aldihisi, Sabah (2008). The story of creation in the Mandaean holy book in the Ginza Rba (PhD). University College London.
^ Bhayro, Siam (2020-02-10). Cosmology in Mandaean Texts. Brill. pp. 572–579. doi:10.1163/9789004400566_046. Retrieved 2021-09-03.
^ Gelbert, Carlos (2005). The Mandaeans and the Jews. Edensor Park, NSW: Living Water Books. ISBN 0-9580346-2-1. OCLC 68208613.
^ Masco, Maire (2012). The Mandaeans: Gnostic astrology as an artifact of cultural transmission. Tacoma, WA: Fluke Press. ISBN 978-1-938476-00-6. OCLC 864905792.
^ Gelbert 2005, p. 191-192.
^ Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2002). The Mandaeans: ancient texts and modern people. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-515385-5. OCLC 65198443.

External links[]

Kanshia u Zahla (New Year) Baptisms (unedited clips)

[Nasoraia_2021-1] Nasoraia, Brikha H.S. (2021). The Mandaean gnostic religion: worship practice and deep thought. New Delhi: Sterling. ISBN 978-81-950824-1-4. OCLC 1272858968.

[Aldihisi_2008-2] Aldihisi, Sabah (2008). The story of creation in the Mandaean holy book in the Ginza Rba (PhD). University College London.

[Bhayro_2020-3] Bhayro, Siam (2020-02-10). Cosmology in Mandaean Texts. Brill. pp. 572–579. doi:10.1163/9789004400566_046. Retrieved 2021-09-03.

[Gelbert_2005-4] Gelbert, Carlos (2005). The Mandaeans and the Jews. Edensor Park, NSW: Living Water Books. ISBN 0-9580346-2-1. OCLC 68208613.

[Masco_2012-5] Masco, Maire (2012). The Mandaeans: Gnostic astrology as an artifact of cultural transmission. Tacoma, WA: Fluke Press. ISBN 978-1-938476-00-6. OCLC 864905792.

[FOOTNOTEGelbert2005191-192-6] Gelbert 2005, p. 191-192.

[Buckley_2002-7] Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2002). The Mandaeans: ancient texts and modern people. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-515385-5. OCLC 65198443.

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Dehwa Rabba

Contents

Kanshiy u-Zahly[]

36 hours of seclusion[]

See also[]

References[]

External links[]

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