Hibil

In Mandaeism, Hibil (Classical Mandaic: ࡄࡉࡁࡉࡋ) or Hibil Ziwa (Classical Mandaic: ࡄࡉࡁࡉࡋ ࡆࡉࡅࡀ, lit. 'Splendid Hibil') is an uthra ("excellency", an angel or guardian) from the World of Light. Hibil is considered to be the Mandaean equivalent of Abel.^[1]

Hibil
Other names	Hibil Ziwa
Abode	World of Light
Mantra	"In the name of Hibil, Šitil, and Anuš" (b-šumaihun ḏ-Hibil u-Šitil u-Anuš)
Texts	The Baptism of Hibil Ziwa
Equivalents
Jewish	Abel
Aramean	Yarhibol

Prayers in the Qulasta frequently contain the recurring formula "In the name of Hibil, Shitil, and Anuš" (ࡁࡔࡅࡌࡀࡉࡄࡅࡍ ࡖࡄࡉࡁࡉࡋ ࡅࡔࡉࡕࡉࡋ ࡅࡀࡍࡅࡔ b-šumaihun ḏ-Hibil u-Šitil u-Anuš).^[2]

Overview

According to Mandaean beliefs and scriptures including the Qolastā, the Mandaean Book of John and Genzā Rabbā, Abel is cognate with the angelic soteriological figure Hibil Ziwa,^[3] (ࡄࡉࡁࡉࡋ ࡆࡉࡅࡀ, sometimes translated "Splendid Hibel"),^[4] who is spoken of as a son of Hayyi^[5] or of Manda d-Hayyi,^[6][7] and as a brother to Anush (Enosh) and to Shitil (Seth),^[8] who is the son of Adam.^[9] Elsewhere, Anush is spoken of as the son of Sheetil, and Sheetil as the son of Hibil, where Hibil came to Adam and Eve as a young boy when they were still virgins, but was called their son.^[10] Hibil is an important lightworld being (uthra) who conquered the World of Darkness.^[6] As Yawar Hibil, he is one of multiple figures known as Yawar (Classical Mandaic: ࡉࡀࡅࡀࡓ, lit. 'Helper'), being so named by and after his father.^[8] Brikha Nasoraia (2022)^[11]: 34 and Sandra van Rompaey (2011)^[12] note many resemblances between the Aramean deity Yarhibol and Yawar Hibil, in terms of both the names and artistic representations.

According to Brikha Nasoraia (2022), Hibil Ziwa is also occasionally referred to as Gabreil Šliha (or Gabriel ǝ-Šlihā).^[11]

In the Scroll of Abatur, Hibil tells the uthra Abatur to go and reside in the boundary between the World of Light and the World of Darkness, and weigh for purity those souls which have passed through all the purgatories and wish to return to the light.

Descent to the World of Darkness

Hibil's soteriological descent to the World of Darkness and his baptisms before and after are detailed in book 5 of the Right Volume of the Ginza Rabba,^[8] and also in a separate text named The Baptism of Hibil Ziwa (ࡃࡉࡅࡀࡍ ࡌࡀࡑࡁࡅࡕࡀ ࡖࡄࡉࡁࡉࡋ ࡆࡉࡅࡀ). Hibil battles and defeats Krun and seals the abodes of the rulers of darkness.^[8] Some versions of this account have parallels with the Hymn of the Pearl included in the Acts of Thomas.^[13]

In response to an upset of the dualistic balance of the universe, Manda d-Hayyi summons Hibil,^[8] whom the King of Light proceeds to baptise in 360,000^[14] or 360^[8] yardeni. In connection with this baptism, Hibil is bestowed with 360 robes of light, the Great Mystery,^[14] seven staves,^[14] and the name Yawar,^[8] amongst other attributes.

Hibil is dispatched to the World of Darkness and enters the world of Ruha, lingering for many ages until the Great Mystery instructs him to descend further. He descends to the world of Zartai-Zartanai, remaining there undetected for many ages while aiding the beings of light accompanying him with prayers and supplications, before descending through the worlds of Hag and Mag and of Gaf and Gafan, and confronting Shdum over the disturbance in the world of light. Shdum directs Hibil further down to Giu, who directs Hibil further down to Giu's brother Krun, whom Hibil battles. Krun surrenders and hands over seals to secure Hibil's passage through the World of Darkness^[8] (see also skandola).

Hibil ascends, sealing the abodes of Giu and Shdum, to the world of Qin. According to The Baptism of Hibil Ziwa, Qin-Anatan is the consort of Gaf;^[14] according to the Right Ginza, Hibil assumes the appearance of Anathan, who is the husband of Qin.^[8] Hibil asks Qin what they are made from, and Qin shows him the murky waters, which the Great Mystery informs him is utter bitterness and the sole constant of the World of Darkness.^[8] Hibil then ascends back to the world of Gaf and Gafan. In the Diwan Masbuta d-Hibil Ziwa, Qin had also revealed the mysteries of the jewel, mirror and bitter herb (explained as supplying the strength of the World of Darkness) to Hibil in response to his questions, and he had secretly taken them,^[14] while in the Right Ginza, Hibil marries Zahreil, the daughter of Qin, while undercover in the world of Gaf and Gafan, and she shows him the spring with the mirror (said to show the past and future), which he takes.^[8] In this version, Hibil is said not to have copulated with Zahreil, since his intention was to locate the mysteries rather than to get married,^[8] although some other accounts consider Ptahil a son of Hibil and Zahreil.^[15]

Hibil disguises himself as Gaf and appears to Ruha, who is pregnant with Ur. He leads her out of the world of Gaf and Gafan, sealing its gates, seals the gates of the world of Zartai-Zartanai, commands the Great Mystery to confound Ruha, and seals her in her world.^[8] The Diwan Masbuta d-Hibil Ziwa also mentions Hibil taking away dark waters and Ptahil.^[14]

Hibil offers prayers to the King of Light, who sends for Manda d-Hayyi to send a Letter of Kushta and phial of oil to Hibil, which are received, but Hibil and his companions remain detained by the powers of darkness, until a masiqta is performed, following which they ascend to the middle world. This alarms the guards, in response to which the Great Mana dispatches Yushamin, who interrogates Hibil's identity and permits him re-entry to the World of Light, upon which he is baptised 360 times again.^[14]

Invocation

In modern times, some Mandaeans invoke the name of Hibil Ziwa ("Ya, Hibil Ziwa") during times of danger.^[16]: xxx

See also

• List of angels in theology
• Katabasis § Trip into the underworld
• Dying-and-rising deity
• Dehwa Hanina
• Yarhibol

References

1. Aldihisi, Sabah (2008). The story of creation in the Mandaean holy book in the Ginza Rba (PhD). University College London.
2. Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2002). The Mandaeans: ancient texts and modern people. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-515385-5. OCLC 65198443.
3. Drower, E.S. (1932). The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran. Gorgias Press.com. ISBN 978-1-931956-49-9.
4. Häberl, Charles G.; McGrath, James F. (2019). The Mandaean Book of John: Text and Translation (PDF). Open Access Version. Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter.
5. "Book Five: The Descent of the Savior". Ginza Rabba. Vol. Right Volume. Translated by Al-Saadi, Qais; Al-Saadi, Hamed (2nd ed.). Germany: Drabsha. 2019. p. 78. My Father, Hayyi, said to me, "Why are you standing down Yawar? You are Yawar Hibil the messenger![…]"
6. "Glossary". Ginza Rabba. Vol. Right Volume. Translated by Al-Saadi, Qais; Al-Saadi, Hamed (2nd ed.). Germany: Drabsha. 2019. pp. 206–213.
7. "Book Five: The Descent of the Savior". Ginza Rabba. Vol. Right Volume. Translated by Al-Saadi, Qais; Al-Saadi, Hamed (2nd ed.). Germany: Drabsha. 2019. p. 83. In gratitude we give thanks to Manda ʼd Hayyi and to his son Hibil, who established the order of Hayyi.
8. "Book Five: The Descent of the Savior". Ginza Rabba. Vol. Right Volume. Translated by Al-Saadi, Qais; Al-Saadi, Hamed (2nd ed.). Germany: Drabsha. 2019. pp. 70–83.
9. "Book One, 1st Glorification: The Return of Sheetil, son of Adam to the World of Light". Ginza Rabba. Vol. Left Volume. Translated by Al-Saadi, Qais; Al-Saadi, Hamed (2nd ed.). Germany: Drabsha. 2019. pp. 1–9.
10. "Book Twelve: The Second Illumination". Ginza Rabba. Vol. Right Volume. Translated by Al-Saadi, Qais; Al-Saadi, Hamed (2nd ed.). Germany: Drabsha. 2019. pp. 130–135. [Note: this is book 10 in some other editions.]
11. Nasoraia, Brikha (2022). The Mandaean Rivers Scroll (Diwan Nahrawatha): an analysis. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-367-33544-1. OCLC 1295213206.
12. van Rompaey, Sandra (2011). Mandaean Symbolic Art (Ph.D. thesis). Melbourne: La Trobe University.
13. Drower, Ethel Stephana (1954). "Hibil-Ziwa and the Parthian Prince". Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society. 86 (3–4): 152–156. doi:10.1017/S0035869X00106677. S2CID 164165841.
14. Drower, Ethel S. (1953). The Haran Gawaita and The Baptism of Hibil-Ziwa: The Mandaic text reproduced together with translation, notes and commentary. Vatican City: Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana.
15. Drower, Ethel S. (1953). The Haran Gawaita and The Baptism of Hibil-Ziwa: The Mandaic text reproduced together with translation, notes and commentary. Vatican City: Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana. p. 34, translator's footnote #3. ³ Pthahil, son of Hibil-Ziwa and Zahariel: a demiurge, creator of the material world: also called the "Fourth Life".
16. Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2023). 1800 Years of Encounters with Mandaeans. Gorgias Mandaean Studies. Vol. 5. Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press. ISBN 978-1-4632-4132-2. ISSN 1935-441X.