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{{Short description|Concept of knowledge or gnosis in Mandaeism}}
{{Mandaeism}}
In [[Mandaeism]], '''manda''' ({{lang-myz|ࡋࡀࡅࡐࡀ}}) is the concept of [[gnosis]] or spiritual [[knowledge]].<ref name="Aldihisi 2008">{{cite thesis|url=https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1444088/|last=Aldihisi|first=Sabah|year=2008|title=The story of creation in the Mandaean holy book in the Ginza Rba|type=PhD|publisher=University College London}}</ref> Mandaeans stress salvation of the soul through secret knowledge (gnosis) of its divine origin.<ref name=Drower1960>{{cite book | last = Drower | first = Ethel Stephana | author-link = E. S. Drower | date = 1960 | title = The secret Adam, a study of Nasoraean gnosis | location = London UK | publisher = Clarendon Press | page = xvi | no-pp = true | url = http://holybooks.lichtenbergpress.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Secret-Adam-A-Study-of-Nasoraen-Gnosis.pdf | access-date = 19 February 2014 | archive-date = 6 March 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140306132110/http://holybooks.lichtenbergpress.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Secret-Adam-A-Study-of-Nasoraen-Gnosis.pdf | url-status = dead }}</ref> Mandaeism "provides knowledge of whence we have come and whither we are going."<ref>Deutsch, Nathaniel. (2003) Mandaean Literature. In ''The Gnostic Bible'' (pp. 527–561). New Seeds Books</ref>{{rp|531}}

==Etymology==
On the basis of cognates in other Aramaic dialects, [[Semiticist]]s such as [[Mark Lidzbarski]] and [[Rudolf Macúch]] have translated the term ''manda'' as "knowledge" (cf. {{lang-arc|מַנְדַּע}} ''mandaʻ'' in [[Book of Daniel|Dan]]. 2:21, 4:31, 33, 5:12; cf. {{lang-he|מַדַּע}} ''maddaʻ'', with characteristic assimilation of /n/ to the following consonant, medial -nd- hence becoming -dd-<ref>Angel Sáenz-Badillos, ''A History of the Hebrew Language.'' Cambridge University Press, 1993 ({{ISBN|978-0521556347}}), p. 36 ''et passim.'' (See also [[Biblical Hebrew phonology#Classification]]: "Hebrew also shares with the Canaanite languages ... assimilation of non-final /n/ to the following consonant.")</ref>). In his 1965 Mandaic handbook, [[Rudolf Macúch|Macúch]] suggests that due to the special religious use of the word, -n- was added in order to make it unique from other words with the same root.<ref>{{cite book|last=Macúch|first=Rudolf|title=Handbook of Classical and Modern Mandaic|location=Berlin|publisher=Walter de Gruyter|date=1965}}</ref>

==Derived terms==
[[Mandaeism]] ('having knowledge') comes from the [[Mandaic language|Mandaic]] word ''manda'', meaning "[[knowledge]]".<ref>{{Cite book|chapter-url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=chWcZcYcyeQC}}|title=Iconography of Religions: An Introduction|editor-last=Moore|editor-first=Albert C.|date=1977|publisher=Chris Robertson|isbn=9780800604882|last=Rudolph|first=Kurt|author-link=Kurt Rudolph|chapter=Mandaeism|volume=21|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/iconographyofrel0000moor}}</ref>{{rp|15}} [[Mandaean priest]]s formally refer to themselves as ''Naṣuraia'' ([[Nazarene (sect)#Nasoraean Mandaeans|Nasoraeans]]), meaning guardians or possessors of secret rites and knowledge.<ref name=RudolphEI>{{cite web|last=Rudolph|first=Kurt|url=https://iranicaonline.org/articles/mandaeans-2-religion |title=MANDAEANS ii. THE MANDAEAN RELIGION |access-date=3 January 2022|website=Encyclopaedia Iranica|date=7 April 2008}}</ref><ref name=HG>{{cite book|last=Drower|first=Ethel Stefana|title=The Haran Gawaita and the Baptism of Hibil-Ziwa|publisher=Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana|year=1953}}</ref>

''Mandaia'' ({{lang-myz|ࡌࡀࡍࡃࡀࡉࡉࡀ|lit=Gnostic, Knower, Enlightened One}}; plural: ''Mandaiia'') is a Mandaic term that refers to a Mandaean layperson, as opposed to a ''Naṣuraia'' (Mandaean priest).<ref name="Nasoraia 2021">{{cite book|last=Nasoraia|first=Brikha H.S.|author-link=Brikha Nasoraia|title=The Mandaean gnostic religion: worship practice and deep thought|publisher=Sterling|publication-place=New Delhi|year=2021|isbn=978-81-950824-1-4|oclc=1272858968}}</ref>{{rp|116}}

The ''beth manda'' (''beit manda'', ''bit manda'', {{lang|myz|ࡁࡉࡕ ࡌࡀࡍࡃࡀ}}, 'house of knowledge'), also called a ''[[mandi (Mandaeism)|mandi]]'', is a [[Mandaeism|Mandaean]] building that serves as a [[community center]] and [[place of worship]].

The name of the [[uthra]] [[Manda d-Hayyi]] literally means the ''manda'' ([[gnosis]]) of [[Hayyi Rabbi]] ("The Life"). Manda d-Hayyi is considered to be the most important [[uthra]], since he is the one bringing ''manda'' (knowledge or [[gnosis]]) to Earth ([[Tibil]]).<ref name="Buckley 2002">{{cite book|last=Buckley|first=Jorunn Jacobsen|title=The Mandaeans: ancient texts and modern people|publisher=Oxford University Press|publication-place=New York|year=2002|isbn=0-19-515385-5|oclc=65198443}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Gnosis]]
*[[Divine spark]]
*[[Enlightenment in Buddhism]]
*[[Prajñā (Buddhism)]]
*[[Prajna (Hinduism)]]
*[[Satori]] in Zen Buddhism
*[[Neoplatonism and Gnosticism]]
*{{slink|Valentinianism|Gnosis}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

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[[Category:Mandaean philosophical concepts]]
[[Category:Gnosticism]]
[[Category:Spirituality]]
[[Category:Knowledge]]
[[Category:Mandaic words and phrases]]