Dinanukht

Dinanukht (also spelled Dinanukt or Dananukt;^[1] Classical Mandaic: ࡃࡉࡍࡀࡍࡅࡊࡕ or ࡃࡀࡍࡀࡍࡅࡊࡕ; from Persian 'the one who speaks in accordance with the religion') 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.^[2]

Spellings[]

Petermann spells the name as Dinanukt, while Lidzbarski spells it as Dinanukht. However, the Mhatam Yuhana Ginza from Ahvaz, Iran, which Gelbert (2011) is based on, spells it as Dananukt.^[1]^: 228

Story in the Ginza Rabba[]

Dinanukht, who is half-man, half-book, unsuccessfully tries to destroy Diṣai, another half-man, half-book, by burning and drowning when he is disturbed by his speech. However, Ewath (an epithet for Ruha) soon appears to repeat this speech, which is reminiscent of the Nag Hammadi Gnostic poem The Thunder, Perfect Mind.^[3] Torgny Säve-Söderbergh (1949) also noted similarities with Psalms of Thomas 14, in which Hylē provides an answer of co-existing opposites (e.g., "death and life").^[4]

Then Ewath, the holy spirit [Ruha ḏ-Qudsha], approached me in my Škīnā and said to me, (u-atat ʿuat ruha ḏ-qudša b-škinatai qaimalia u-amr alia)
"Why did you lie there, Dīnānūkht? (mahu škibit dananukt)
Why did you like the sleep? (mahu šinta hnatalak)
I am the Life that was from time immemorial, (ana hu hiia ḏ-hun mn l-aqadmia)
I am the Kušṭā that was before in the beginning. (ana hu kušṭa ḏ-hua mn qudam briša)
I am the radiance (ziwa), I am the light. (ana hu ziua, ana hu nhura)
I am the death, I am the Life. (ana hu muta, ana hu hiia)
I am the darkness, I am the light. (ana hu hšuka, ana hu nhura)
I am the error, I am the truth. (ana hu ṭʿia, ana hu šrara)
I am the destruction, I am the construction. (ana hu hbila, ana hu biniana)
I am the blow, I am the healing. (ana hu mhita, ana hu asuta)
I am the exalted man, who is older (ana hu gabra iatira ḏ-qašiš)
and was there earlier than the builder of heaven and earth. (mn qudam ḏ-bania ʿšumia u-arqa hua)
I have no comrade among kings, (habrai b-malkia laiit)
and there is no other crown in my kingdom. (u-laiit taga b-malkutai)
There is not a single person who could give me a notice (u-laiit kul ʿniš br anaša ḏ-paršigna naitilia)
in the misty clouds of darkness. (b-rpilia ḏ-hšuka)"

— Right Ginza, Book 6 (Wikisource; Mandaic transcription from Gelbert (2021)^[5]^{: 352–353})

Din Mlikh, an uthra, then leads Dinanukht past six different maṭartas (watch-houses) as he ascends to the World of Light:^[6]

the maṭarta of Nbaz-Haila
the maṭarta of Zan-Haza-Zban
the maṭarta of Ewath-Ruha (a compound name combining the epithet Ewath with its synonymous name Ruha)
the maṭarta of Himun
the maṭarta of Ptahil
the maṭarta of Abatur

Each time Dinanukht starts his ascension to one of the maṭartas, the text begins with the poetic refrain:

Winds, winds take Dīnānūkht away, (ziqia ziqia nasbilḥ l-dananukt)
storms, storms drive him away, (ʿudamia ʿudamia mdabrilḥ)
ladders, ladders carry him aloft (siblia siblia sablilḥ)
and make him rise on rungs. (u-ʿl dirgia masqilḥ)

— Right Ginza, Book 6 (Wikisource; Mandaic transcription from Gelbert (2021)^[5]^: 353)

Dinanukht sees many wondrous things and then returns to earth, where his wife, Nuraita (also the name of Noah's wife in Book 18), thinks that Dinanukht has become insane. After Dinanukht's life on earth is over, he finally ascends to the World of Light.^[1]

References[]

^ ^a ^b ^c Gelbert, Carlos (2011). Ginza Rba. Sydney: Living Water Books. ISBN 9780958034630.
^ Häberl, Charles G. (2007). Introduction to the New Edition, in The Great Treasure of the Mandaeans, a new edition of J. Heinrich Petermann's Thesaurus s. Liber Magni, with a new introduction and a translation of the original preface by Charles G. Häberl. Gorgias Press, LLC. doi:10.7282/T3C53J6P
^ Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2002). The Mandaeans: ancient texts and modern people. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-515385-5. OCLC 65198443.
^ Säve-Söderbergh, Torgny (1949). Studies in the Coptic Manichaean Psalm-book. Uppsala: Almqvist & Wiksells Boktryckeri AB. OCLC 5687415.
^ ^a ^b Gelbert, Carlos (2021). گینزا ربَّا = Ginza Rba (in Arabic). Edensor Park, NSW, Australia: Living Water Books. ISBN 9780648795407.
^ Lidzbarski, Mark (1925). Ginza: Der Schatz oder das grosse Buch der Mandäer. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck and Ruprecht.

[GR_Gelbert-1] Gelbert, Carlos (2011). Ginza Rba. Sydney: Living Water Books. ISBN 9780958034630.

[Haberl_2007-2] Häberl, Charles G. (2007). Introduction to the New Edition, in The Great Treasure of the Mandaeans, a new edition of J. Heinrich Petermann's Thesaurus s. Liber Magni, with a new introduction and a translation of the original preface by Charles G. Häberl. Gorgias Press, LLC. doi:10.7282/T3C53J6P

[Buckley_2002-3] Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2002). The Mandaeans: ancient texts and modern people. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-515385-5. OCLC 65198443.

[Torgny-4] Säve-Söderbergh, Torgny (1949). Studies in the Coptic Manichaean Psalm-book. Uppsala: Almqvist & Wiksells Boktryckeri AB. OCLC 5687415.

[Gelbert_Arabic-5] Gelbert, Carlos (2021). گینزا ربَّا = Ginza Rba (in Arabic). Edensor Park, NSW, Australia: Living Water Books. ISBN 9780648795407.

[6] Lidzbarski, Mark (1925). Ginza: Der Schatz oder das grosse Buch der Mandäer. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck and Ruprecht.

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