Hibil Ziwa (Abel of Splendour)

Mandaean · deity · Mandaean Gnostic religion; continuing · deity

Hibil Ziwa, 'Abel of Splendour', is among the foremost saving uthras of Mandaeism. His great deed is a descent (a soteriological katabasis) into the World of Darkness, where he overcomes its monstrous rulers — among them the giant Krun — and seals their abodes before returning to the Light, undergoing ritual baptisms before and after. This descent is narrated in the fifth book of the Right Ginza and in a dedicated scroll, the Baptism of Hibil Ziwa (Diwan Maṣbuta d-Hibil Ziwa). Closely linked to Manda d-Hayyi, with whom he is sometimes identified, Hibil Ziwa is still invoked by name by Mandaeans in moments of danger.

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