Mandaean priest

A Mandaean priest refers to an ordained religious leader in Mandaeism. The three ranks of Mandaean priests are the tarmida (junior priest), ganzibra (senior priest), and rishama (patriarch).

All priests must undergo lengthy ordination ceremonies, beginning with tarmida initiation. Mandaean religious leaders and copyists of religious texts hold the title Rabbi or Rabbai (Classical Mandaic: ࡓࡁࡀࡉ, romanized: rbai), or in Arabic, Sheikh. In Iran, they are also occasionally referred to as Mullah.

All Mandaean communities traditionally require the presence of a priest, since priests are required to officiate over all important religious rituals, including masbuta, masiqta, birth and wedding ceremonies. Priests also serve as teachers, scribes, and community leaders. Many Mandaean diaspora communities do not have easy access to priests. Due to the shortage of priests in the Mandaean diaspora, halala (Classical Mandaic: ࡄࡀࡋࡀࡋࡀ) or learned Mandaean laymen who are ritually clean (both individually and in terms of family background) can sometimes assume minor roles typically assumed by ordained priests. Such laymen taking on limited priestly roles are called paisaq (Classical Mandaic: ࡐࡀࡉࡎࡀࡒ). Ritually clean laymen who are literate in Mandaic and can read Mandaean scriptures are known as yalufa (Classical Mandaic: ࡉࡀࡋࡅࡐࡀ, romanized: ialupa).

In Mandaean scriptures, priests are referred to as Naṣuraiia (Classical Mandaic: ࡍࡀࡑࡅࡓࡀࡉࡉࡀ, lit. 'Naṣoraeans') or occasionally as Tarmiduta (Classical Mandaic: ࡕࡀࡓࡌࡉࡃࡅࡕࡀ, an abstract noun derived from tarmida). On the other hand, laypeople are referred to as Mandaiia (Classical Mandaic: ࡌࡀࡍࡃࡀࡉࡉࡀ, lit. 'Gnostics, Knowers, Enlightened Ones'). Naṣuraiia are considered to have naṣiruta, or esoteric divine knowledge. (Brikha Nasoraia describes naṣiruta as the esoteric strand of Mandaeism, similar to how Sufism is related to Islam.)

There are three types of priests in Mandaeism:

Priests have lineages based on the succession of ganzibria priests who had initiated them. Priestly lineages, which are distinct from birth lineages, are typically recorded in the colophons of many Mandaean texts. The position is not hereditary, and any yalufa (yalupa), or Mandaean male who is highly knowledgeable about religious matters, is eligible to become a priest.

Traditionally, any ganzeḇrā who baptizes seven or more ganzeḇrānā may qualify for the office of rišama. The current rišama of the Mandaean community in Iraq is Sattar Jabbar Hilow al-Zahrony. In Australia, the rišama of the Mandaean community is Salah Choheili.

A shganda (šganda) or ashganda (ašganda) is a ritual assistant who helps priests with ritual duties. Prior to ordination, many priests have typically served as shganda as young men, although this is not a requirement.