Título: Mandaeism
Seção: Cosmology
Background: Mandaeism or Mandaeanism (Arabic: mndy'y@ Manda'iyah) is a gnostic religion with a strongly dualistic worldview. Its adherents, the Mandaeans, revere Adam, Abel, Seth, Enos, Noah, Shem, Aram, and especially John the Baptist. The Aramaic manda means "knowledge", as does Greek gnosis. According to most scholars, Mandaeaism originated sometime in the first three centuries AD, in Mesopotamia.

Conteúdo: As noted above Mandaean theology is not systematic. There is no one single authoritative account of the creation of the cosmos, but rather a series of several accounts. Some scholars, such as Edmondo Lupieri, maintain that comparison of these different accounts may reveal the diverse religious influences upon which the Mandaeans have drawn and the ways in which the Mandaean religion has evolved over time.  In contrast with the religious texts of the western Gnostic sects formerly found in Syria and Egypt, the earliest Mandaean religious texts suggest a more strictly dualistic theology, typical of other Iranian religions such as Zoroastrianism, Zurvanism, Manichaeism, and the teachings of Mazdak. In these texts, instead of a large pleroma, there is a discrete division between light and darkness. The ruler of darkness is called Ptahil (similar to the Gnostic Demiurge), and the originator of the light (i.e. God) is only known as "the great first Life from the worlds of light, the sublime one that stands above all works." When this being emanated, other spiritual beings became increasingly corrupted, and they and their ruler Ptahil created our world. The name Ptahil is suggestive of the Egyptian Ptah--the Mandaeans believe that they were resident in Egypt for a while--joined to the semitic El, meaning "god".  The issue is further complicated by the fact that Ptahil alone does not constitute the demiurge but only fills that role insofar as he is the creator of our world. Rather, P

user: What was his relationship with Cosmology?

assistant: There is no one single authoritative account of the creation of the cosmos, but rather a series of several accounts.

user: What were some of the accounts?

assistant: In these texts, instead of a large pleroma, there is a discrete division between light and darkness.

user: What divides them?

assistant: The ruler of darkness is called Ptahil (similar to the Gnostic Demiurge), and the originator of the light

user: Can you elaborate on this?

assistant: When this being emanated, other spiritual beings became increasingly corrupted, and they and their ruler Ptahil created our world.

user: Around what time were these theories created?

assistant: CANNOTANSWER

user: Are there any other interesting aspects about this article?

assistant: The name Ptahil is suggestive of the Egyptian Ptah--the Mandaeans believe that they were resident in Egypt for a while--joined to the semitic El, meaning "god".

user: Why do they believe that?

assistant: CANNOTANSWER

user: How did cosmology effect the way they lived?

assistant: Some scholars, such as Edmondo Lupieri, maintain that comparison of these different accounts may reveal the diverse religious influences upon which the Mandaeans have drawn