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‎Mandaean Symbolic Art‎

‎, Brepols, 2024 Hardback, iv + 358 pages, Size:216 x 280 mm, Illustrations:89 b/w, 125 col., 8 tables b/w., 2 maps b/w, Language: English. ISBN 9782503593654.‎

‎Summary Mandaean Symbolic Art examines the structure, function, and symbolic associations of the artwork within the major Mandaean religious scrolls. It acknowledges the artwork itself as a fundamental component of nine scrolls, in some instances occupying over half of the manuscript. Acting in conjunction with the Mandaic text, the illustrations are designed to communicate a complex body of religious knowledge. The organization of the study is primarily iconographic in that it is structured around an investigation of the three most dominant motifs: the figure, the drab?a (or 'banner') and representations of plants. This structure allows for the systematic examination of symbolic associations which are crucial to the functioning of the scrolls as an instructional tool for priests. Investigation of the figure is focused predominantly on the major 'Lightworld' beings, including representations of Adam and key female identities. The central icon of the Mandaean religion, the drab?a, is discussed in terms of its hidden symbolism, and also in relation to its possible development in the Mesopotamian region. As well as the image of the cosmic tree and the date palm, the final section looks at a range of plants whose ritual use is integral to the functioning of the religion. Analysis of the artwork is informed by a study of both the accompanying text and the wider tradition of Mandaean religious literature. Additionally, documentation of Mandaean ritual practices in present-day Australia, photographed by the author over a ten-year period, has been drawn on extensively to explain aspects of the iconography. TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface Introduction Chapter 1. The Figure as Symbol Chapter 2. The Two Faces of Adam Chapter 3. The Drab?a of Radiance Chapter 4. The Drab?a and the Vexillum Chapter 5. The Tree ?atrin Chapter 6. The Great First Date Palm Chapter 7. The Sacred Treasure of Celestial Plants Appendix 1: Tables Table 1. Illustrated Named Male Lightworld Figures in Mandaean Manuscripts Table 2. Illustrated Named Female Lightworld Figures in Mandaean Manuscripts Table 3. Illustrated Named Prominent Female Figures from the Worlds of Light and Darkness in Mandaean Manuscripts Table 4. Illustrated Drab?ia in Mandaean Manuscripts Table 5. Illustrated Named Drab?ia in Mandaean Manuscripts Table 6. Items Associated with Illustrated Drab?ia in Mandaean Manuscripts Table 7. Illustrated Plants in Mandaean Manuscripts Table 8. Illustrated Personified Trees in Mandaean Manuscripts Appendix 2: Glossary Appendix 3: Compendium of Lightworld and Darkworld Beings Bibliography Index‎