Ur (Mandaeism)

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, 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. He is represented by the image of a serpent on the skandola talisman.^: 37

The Mandaean Book of John contrasts Ur, the King of Darkness, with the King of Light (Hayyi Rabbi).

Names

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).

Ur's epithets include Bar-Spag (Classical Mandaic: ࡁࡓ ࡎࡐࡀࡂ, lit. 'Son of Spag') and other names.

Parallels

Aldihisi (2008) compares Ur to Tiamat in Babylonian mythology and Samael in Gnostic literature.

See also

• Shdum, also known as the "King of Darkness"
• Leviathan
• Nagaraja
• Tiamat
• Yaldabaoth
• Ahriman
• Asrestar
• Prince of Darkness (Manichaeism)

References

1. Mandaeism
2. UR
3. World of Darkness (Mandaeism)
4. Nagaraja
5. Qin (Mandaeism)
6. Asrestar
7. Gaf (Mandaeism)
8. Shdum
9. Ruha
10. Mandi (Mandaeism)
11. Mandaean cosmology
12. Outline of Mandaeism
13. Gufna
14. Second death
15. World of Light
16. Sin (Mandaeism)
17. Yura (Mandaeism)
18. Kiwan
19. Bil (Mandaeism)
20. Demons in Mandaeism