Ziwa (Aramaic)
Part of a series on |
Mandaeism |
---|
Religion portal |
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.
The Hebrew cognate is ziv (זיו).
Scripts
Ziwa written in different scripts:
- Hebrew script: זיוא
- Mandaic script: ࡆࡉࡅࡀ
- Syriac script: ܙܝܘܐ
- Arabic/Persian scripts: زیوا
Mandaeism
In Mandaeism, uthras (celestial beings) often have the Mandaic term Ziwa / Ziua (Classical Mandaic: ࡆࡉࡅࡀ, meaning 'Radiance') attached after their names, due to their origins from the World of Light.
Pairs of uthras also typically have rhyming names. The names can be alliterative (e.g., Adathan and Yadathan), or one name may have an infixed consonant or syllable (e.g., Kapan and Kanpan).
Uthras commonly referred to as "Ziwa" include:
Manichaeism
In Manichaeism, the Syriac term Ziwa (Syriac: ܙܝܘܐ) is also used to refer to Jesus as Ishoʻ Ziwā (Syriac: ܝܫܘܥ ܙܝܘܐ, Jesus the Splendour), who is sent to awaken Adam and Eve to the source of the spiritual light trapped within their physical bodies.
Ṣfat Ziwā, or The Keeper of the Splendour (Syriac: ܨܦܬ ܙܝܘܐ; Latin: Splenditenens; Chinese: 催光明使; lit. 'Urger of Enlightenment'), who holds up the ten heavens from above, is one of the five sons of The Living Spirit (Syriac: ܪܘܚܐ ܚܝܐ ruḥā ḥayyā) in the second creation.
In Manichaeism, pairs of celestial beings can also have rhyming names, such as Xroshtag and Padvaxtag.
See also
- World of Light
- Nūr (Islam)
- Ohr in Jewish mysticism
- Ziv (Hebrew cognate)