This article contains a list of historical and active Mandaean priests, all of whom have the ranks of Rishama, Ganzibra or Tarmida.
Mandaean priestly families include the Manduia (Manduwi), Kupašia (Khaffagi), Kuhailia (Choheili), and Durakia (Dorragi) families, all of which can be traced back to the mid-1400s.
Most of the following list of currently active Mandaean priests is based on Buckley (2023)[1] and from The Worlds of Mandaean Priests website curated by Christine Robins, Yuhana Nashmi et al.[2]
This list of historical Mandaean priests, along with the accompanying notes, is primarily adapted from Buckley (2010).[3] The majority of the names are from colophons (ࡕࡀࡓࡉࡊ) in Mandaean texts that provide detailed information about the scribes who had transcribed them. Note that written Mandaic br means "son of," while written Mandaic pt means "daughter."[3]
| Priest | Other names | Notes | Years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sh. Abdullah Khaffagi of Ahwaz | Sam Yuhana br Bihram | |||
| rishama; emigrated to the United Kingdom | ||||
| Adam br Mhatam Yuhana, Manduia | Sh. ‛Idan | |||
| Adam br Ram Gadana | ||||
| Adam br Yahia Papia | ||||
| Adam br Sarwan Ruzbia/Ruzba | ||||
| Adam br Sam, Ram Ziwa | ||||
| Adam Abu‛l Faraš br Bihram Šitil | "head of the people" | |||
| Adam Bahran/Bihram br Zakia Mašhadia | older brother of Yahia Sam br Hibil Zihrun | |||
| Adam Bayan br Šadan Zarzuia | brother of Sarwan Bulbul br Adam Bayan | |||
| Adam Yuhana br Yahia Anuš, Šu‛ilia, Busa‛id | ||||
| Adam Yuhana br Sam, Kamisia, Riš Draz | ||||
| Adam Paraš br Zihrun, ‛Ubadia and Baṭahaiia | ||||
| Adam (Sabur) br Ninia | ||||
| Adam Zakia br BrHiia | ||||
| Adam Zihrun br Bihram Šitlan | ||||
| Adam Zihrun br Sam, Manduia | Sh. Abdullah | |||
| Adam Zihrun br Yahia Yuhana Bihdad | ||||
| Adam Zihrun br Yahia Bihram, Manduia | ||||
| Adam Zihrun br Mhatam, Ram Ziwa | ||||
| Adam Zihrun br Zakia Šitil, Quṭana | yalufa | |||
| Anhar pt Sam Bihram | ||||
| Anhar Kumraita | ||||
| Anuš br Naṭar | ||||
| Anuš br Buran | ||||
| Anuš Bihdad br Yahia (Sam) Adam | ||||
| Anuš Ma‛ilia/Mu’ilia br Anuš Bihdad (the elder) | ||||
| Anuš Ma‛ilia br Bihdad Zakia (the younger) | ||||
| Anuš Šaiar br Nṣab | ||||
| Badriiah pt Šuraš | book owner | |||
| Bayan br Yahia Diqnana | ||||
| Bayan Hibil br Brik Yawar | ||||
| Bayan Hibil ‛Qaiam br Zindana | ||||
| Bainai br Zakia and Haiuna | ||||
| Baktiar br Adam Mhatam, Kuhailia | ||||
| Baktiar Bulbul br Ram Ziwa, Ram Ziwa clan | ||||
| Baktiar Tilidia (and his unnamed mother) | ||||
| Banan/Bahram br Brik Yawar | Bayan | |||
| Bhira br Šitil | ||||
| Bibia Mudalal pt Adam Yuhana, Sa‛dan, Kamisia | survivor of 1831 cholera; wife of Ram Zihrun br Sam Bihram, Kupašia; sister of Yahia Bihram br Adam Yuhana | |||
| Bihdad br Zihrun | ethnarch; grandson of ‛Qaiam br Zindana | |||
| (Yahia) Bihram br Adam Zarzuia | ||||
| Bihram br Ram Zihrun | ||||
| (Bihram) Bayan br Adam Šupartaiia | ||||
| Bihram Bayan br Yahia Baz | ||||
| Bihram BrHiia br Adam Zakia, Kuhailia (the elder) | ||||
| Bihram BrHiia br (Adam) Baktiar, Kuhailia (the younger) | nephew of Bihram BrHiia, above | |||
| Bihram Sam br Yahia Yuhana, Dihdaria | Sam Bihram | a ganzibra, exiled in 1818, Qurna | ||
| Bihram Šitil br Yahia Yuhana, Sumaqa | ||||
| Bihram Zakia br Bayan Šupartaiia | ||||
| BrHiia br Yuhana | ||||
| Brik Yawar br Bihdad | ||||
| Brik Manda (Šitil) br Sku/Ska Hiia | ||||
| Dihdar ‛Id br Adam Bihram | ||||
| Dihdar Mhatam Bulbul br Sam Bihram, ‛Asikir | ||||
| Dihdar Zihrun br Sam Sakara/‛Asikir | "head of the people" | |||
| ‛Qaiam br Zindana | ||||
| ‛Uda br Yuhana | ||||
| Sh. Farraj br Sh. Sam | Adam br Sam | |||
| Faruk br Marspindu Abuzdaqad | ||||
| Haiašum br Sku Hiia | ||||
| Sh. Haithem | Sam br Sam Yuhana Haiuna pt Tihwia and Yahia | |||
| Harmuzdukt/Hurmuzdukt | ||||
| Hawa pt Daiia | ||||
| Hawa pt Nukraya | ||||
| Hawa pt Yahia/Yuhana | editor | |||
| Hawa Mahnuš pt Yahia | ||||
| (Hida) Hawa Simat pt Adam | ||||
| Hibil BrHiia br Sam Nangara | from Gazania | |||
| Mhatam Yuhana br Tawoos | from Ahwaz | |||
| Sh. Kumait | ||||
| Kiria pt Salim, Quṭana | ||||
| Mamania pt Hibil | ||||
| Mamul Dihgan pt ‛sta Bihram | ||||
| Mariuaria pt Adam Šapur | ||||
| Marspindu Abuzdaqad | ||||
| Mhatam br Yahia Bihram, Kamisia, Riš Draz | ||||
| Mhatam br Yahia Bayan, Dihdaria | ||||
| Mhatam Bayan br Dihdar Zihrun, Ša‛puria | "father of kings" | |||
| Mhatam Yuhana br Yahia Sam, Manduia | Sh. Damouk | |||
| Mhatam Yuhana br Adam Yuhana, Sabur | Sh. Šukar br Sh. Fulad | |||
| Mhatam Zihrun br Baktiar/Yahia BrHiia, Kuhailia | husband of Yasmin Mudalal; uncle of Bihram BrHiia the elder | |||
| Mhatam Zihrun br Bahran/Bihram Mušarah | ||||
| Mhatam Zihrun br Adam, Manduia | Sh. Dakhil/Dukhayl | |||
| Miriai pt Simat | ||||
| Mudalal pt Dihdar Salim | ||||
| Mula Abd‛l Šik | a fighter for the Mandaeans | |||
| Sh. Negm/Nejm | Adam Negm br Zakia Zihrun; Sh. Negm, son of Sh. Zahroon | |||
| Nṣab br Maškna | ||||
| Nṣab br Bihram | ||||
| Nukraya br Šitil | ||||
| Papa br Guda | ||||
| Qinta pt Zihrun Adam | aunt of Yahia Yuhana br Zihrun Adam, Dihdaria | |||
| Qiqel | ||||
| Ram br Adam, Manduia | ganzibra in Huwaiza | |||
| Ram Bayan br Sam Daudania | ||||
| Ram Baktiar br Bihram Šadan, Quṭana | ||||
| Ram Yuhana br Ram, Dihdaria, Sabur | ||||
| Ram Yuhana br Yahia Zihrun, Manduia | ||||
| Ram Yuhana br Yahia Baktiar, Kuhailia | ||||
| Ram Kuhailia | ganzibra in Huwaiza | |||
| Ram Ṣilai br Daimir | ||||
| Ram Zihrun br Sam Bihram, Kupašia | survivor of 1831 cholera; cousin of Yahia Bihram; husband of Bibia Mudalal; grandfather of Sh. Abdullah Khaffagi | |||
| Ram Zihrun Bihdad | great-grandson of Zindana | |||
| Ram Ziwa br Bayan Hibil/Bihram Bihdad | ||||
| Ram Ziwa br Šaiar | "bad priest" | |||
| Ram Ziwa Baktiar br Bayan Zihrun | an ancestor of the ethnarch Bihdad br Zihrun | |||
| Ramuia br ‛Qaimat and Bayan Hibil | ||||
| Ruzba son of Hawa | ||||
| Šabur br Zazai | ||||
| Šad Manda br Sku Yawar | ||||
| Šadan br Brik Yawar | ||||
| Šadia Mamania pt Hibil | ||||
| Šaha pt Aziz Sakma, Wašia | ||||
| Šaiar (Ziwa) br Bayan Hibil | ||||
| Sam Adam br Zakia, Manduia | initiator of his brothers Yahia Mhatam and Sam Yuhana | |||
| Sam Bihdad br Bihram Gadana | ||||
| Sam Bihram br Bibia Mudalal | ||||
| Sam Bihram, Laiit, Diqnana | ||||
| Sam Šitlan br Ram Bayan, Ša‛puria | ||||
| Sam (Ziwa) br Bayan Hibil | ||||
| Sam Hibil br Adam | erroneously: "maknušta" | |||
| Sam Yuhana br Mhatam Bulbul, ‛Asikir | ||||
| Sam Yuhana br Yahia Adam, ‛Asikir | ||||
| Sam Yuhana br Sam Adam, Manduia | brother of Yahia Mhatam br Sam Adam | |||
| Sam Saiwia | ganzibra; maternal grandson of Bainai br Haiuna | |||
| Sarwan Baz | "king of Naṣoraeans" | |||
| Sarwan Bulbul br Adam Bayan, Zarzuia | ||||
| Šamiat pt Yahia Bayan, Manduia, ‛Kuma | mother of Ram Yuhana br Yahia Zihrun | |||
| Šarat Yasmin pt Zakia, Diqnana | mother of Yahia Bihram br Adam Zarzuia; grandmother of Yasmin Mudalal pt Adam Bihram, Zarzuia | |||
| Šganda br Yasmin and Yahia Yuhana | ethnarch | |||
| Simat pt Adam Yuhana, Zakia and Buhaiir | ||||
| Ska Manda | ||||
| Sku Hiia br ‛Idai | ||||
| Ṭabia br Zazai | ||||
| Yahia br Zihrun, Manduia | ganzibra in Maqdam | |||
| Yahia br Adam Kuhailia | ||||
| Yahia Adam br Baktiar Bulbul, Ram Ziwa | ||||
| Yahia Adam br Yuhana Šitlan, Riš Draz | ||||
| Yahia Adam, Baliq Hiwia | ||||
| Yahia Bihram br Adam Yuhana, Sa‛dan, Kamisia | survivor of 1831 cholera | |||
| Yahia Bihram br Adam, Manduia, ‛Kuma | ||||
| Yahia Bihram br Sam (Sarwan) Bihran, Zakia | ||||
| Yahia Halal | ||||
| Yahia Yuhana br Ram, Kuhailia | brother of Zakia Zihrun | |||
| Yahia Yuhana (Bihdad/Bihram) br Anuš Bihdad | ||||
| Yahia Yuhana br Adam Zihrun, Dihdaria | uncle of Yahia Bihram br Adam Yuhana; nephew of Qinta; exiled 1818 with Sam Bihram and other ganzibras; initiator of eight novices | |||
| Yahia Mhatam br Anuš, clan name Anuš | "head of all Mandaeans," Huwaiza | |||
| Yahia Mhatam br Sam Adam, Manduia, ‛Kuma | brother of Sam Yuhana br Sam Adam | |||
| Yahia (Ram Zihrun) br Zakia Zihrun | ||||
| Yahia Ram Zihrun br Mhatam, Sabur and Batahaiia | grandson of Yahia Yuhana br Adam Zihrun, Dihdaria | |||
| Yahia (Sam) Adam br Sam Saiwia | brother/cousin of Bihdad br Zihrun, both of whom were ethnarchs. He is the maternal grandson of Bainai br Haiuna. | |||
| Yahia Bayan/Bihram br Sam Bihram, Diquana, Laiit | biologically of the Manduias, but initiated into the Diqnana clan and has three brothers who are priests | |||
| Yahia Sam br Hibil Zihrun | father-in-law of Dihdar Mhatam Bulbul | |||
| Yahia Sam br Sarwan | ||||
| Yahia Šaiar br Adam Baktiar, Durakia | ||||
| Yahia Zakia br Brik Yawar | ||||
| Yahia Zihrun br Yahia Ram Zihrun | ||||
| Yasmin Bana pt Yahia Bihram | ||||
| Yasmin Mudalal pt Adam Bihram, Zarzuia | wife of Mhatam Zihrun | |||
| Yuhana br Zindana | ||||
| Yuhana Šitlan br Zakia Šitlan, Buhair | ||||
| Yuzaṭaq br Sasa Zakia Bayan br Yuhana/Yahia Bihram, Šapuria | ||||
| Zakia Šitlan br Sam Yuhana, Bakšia | ||||
| Zakia Zihrun br Ram Kuhailia | brother of Yahia Yuhana br Ram | |||
| Zazai of Gawazta br Naṭar | ||||
| Zihrun br Yahia Mhatam ‘Asikir | ||||
| Zihrun br Adam | a rejected teacher | |||
| Zihrun br Adam, Paraš and ‘Kuma |