Dinanukht
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Dinanukht (also spelled Dinanukt or Dananukt;
Spellings
: 228In the Book of the Scholion (written c. 792), the Syriac Christian writer
"Also they speak concerning Dinanus (Dynnws), the scribe of religions, and Little Diṣā."
Story in the Ginza Rabba
Dinanukht, who is half-man, half-book (
Then Ewath, the holy spirit [Ruha ḏ-Qudsha], approached me in my Škīnā and said to me, (u-atat ʿuat ruha ḏ-qudša b-škinatai qaimalia u-amr alia)
"Why did you lie there, Dīnānūkht? (mahu škibit dananukt)
Why did you like the sleep? (mahu šinta hnatalak)
I am the Life that was from time immemorial, (ana hu hiia ḏ-hun mn l-aqadmia)
I am the Kušṭā that was before in the beginning. (ana hu kušṭa ḏ-hua mn qudam briša)
I am the radiance (ziwa), I am the light. (ana hu ziua, ana hu nhura)
I am the death, I am the Life. (ana hu muta, ana hu hiia)
I am the darkness, I am the light. (ana hu hšuka, ana hu nhura)
I am the error, I am the truth. (ana hu ṭʿia, ana hu šrara)
I am the destruction, I am the construction. (ana hu hbila, ana hu biniana)
I am the blow, I am the healing. (ana hu mhita, ana hu asuta)
I am the exalted man, who is older (ana hu gabra iatira ḏ-qašiš)
and was there earlier than the builder of heaven and earth. (mn qudam ḏ-bania ʿšumia u-arqa hua)
I have no comrade among kings, (habrai b-malkia laiit)
and there is no other crown in my kingdom. (u-laiit taga b-malkutai)
There is not a single person who could give me a notice (u-laiit kul ʿniš br anaša ḏ-paršigna naitilia)
in the misty clouds of darkness. (b-rpilia ḏ-hšuka)"
- the maṭarta of Nbaz-Haila
- the maṭarta of Zan-Haza-Zban
- the maṭarta of Ewath-Ruha (a compound name combining the epithet Ewath with its synonymous name Ruha)
- the maṭarta of Himun
- the maṭarta of Ptahil
- the maṭarta of Abatur
Each time Dinanukht starts his ascension to one of the maṭartas, the text begins with the poetic refrain:
Winds, winds take Dīnānūkht away, (ziqia ziqia nasbilḥ l-dananukt)
storms, storms drive him away, (ʿudamia ʿudamia mdabrilḥ)
ladders, ladders carry him aloft (siblia siblia sablilḥ)
and make him rise on rungs. (u-ʿl dirgia masqilḥ)
Dinanukht sees many wondrous things and then returns to earth, where his wife, Nuraita (also the name of Noah's wife in Book 18), thinks that he has become insane when Dinanukht tells her that he wants his books to be burned and drowned (see also divine madness). Dinanukht then proceeds to burn and drown the books himself. He continues to live on Tibil for 65 more years as he serves religious duties ordains priests. After Dinanukht's life on earth is over, he finally ascends to the World of Light.[1]
See also
- Nbu (Mercury), who is associated with scribes and books
- Matarta
- Utnapishtim
References
- ^ ISBN 9780958034630.
- doi:10.7282/T3C53J6P
- ^ .
- ISBN 978-90-04-33943-9.
- OCLC 65198443.
- OCLC 5687415.
- ^ ISBN 9780648795407.
- ^ Lidzbarski, Mark (1925). Ginza: Der Schatz oder das grosse Buch der Mandäer. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck and Ruprecht.