Rafid al-Sabti
Iraqi Mandaean priest in the Netherlands
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Rbai Rafid al-Sabti, known in full as Rafid al-Rishama Abdallah al-Ganzibra Zahrun al-Rishama Abdallah al-Sabti (Arabic: رافد الريشاما عبدالله الگنزبرا نجم الگنزبرا زهرون الريشاما عبدالله السبتي كنيانا عزيز; born 1965[2]), is an Iraqi-Dutch Mandaean priest in Nijmegen, The Netherlands.[3]
Rafid al-Sabti | |
|---|---|
الربي رافد السبتي | |
Rbai Rafid al-Sabti in 2018 | |
| Title | Rabbi |
| Personal life | |
| Born | 1965 (age 60–61) |
| Children | Ardwan Al-Sabti |
| Parent | Rishamma Abdullah bar Negm |
| Citizenship | Dutch |
| Other names | Shaykh Rāfid ibn Shaykh ʿAbdullah ibn Shaykh Najim; Rāfid ʿAbdullah Najim (Rāfid ʻAbd Allāh Naǧm)[1] |
| Occupation | Mandaean priest |
| Relatives | Sheikh Negm bar Zahroon (grandfather) Ram Zihrun (great-great-grandfather) |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Mandaeism |
| Initiation | Tarmida by Abdullah bar Negm |
Biography
Al-Sabti was born in 1965 to Rishama Abdullah, son of Sheikh Neǧm, in Baghdad, Iraq.[4] He was initiated into the Mandaean priesthood by his father.[5]: 118 Al-Sabti later emigrated to the Netherlands.
Al-Sabti is the custodian of the Rbai Rafid Collection (RRC), a private collection of Mandaean manuscripts held in Nijmegen, The Netherlands.[6] Important manuscripts in the collection include different versions of the Ginza Rabba and a copy of the Alma Rišaia Zuṭa known as Ms. RRC 3F,[7] as well as a qulasta inscribed on lead plates.[8]: 22 The collection is being digitized and analyzed in collaboration with Matthew Morgenstern.[9][10]
Publications
- Mandaean prayer and various rituals (1988) / الصلاة المندائية - وبعض الطقوس الدينية
- Mandaean baptism (1990) / التعميد المندائي
- Masiqta: the ascension and the advancement (2004) / المسقثا - الصعود والارتقاء, ISBN 978-9090181653[11]
- The treasure of Life: The holy book of the Mandaeans (2022), ISBN 978-9090360058 (Ginza Rabba in Mandaic)[12]
Family
His son, Ardwan Al-Sabti, is a researcher and graphic designer known for creating Mandaic fonts.[13]