Dinanukht


Dinanukht is a mythological character in the Ginza Rabba, one of the main religious scriptures of Mandaeism, who is portrayed as an anthropomorphic book. Book 6 of the Right Ginza describes his ascension to the World of Light.
Buckley suggests a connection with Nbu, who is associated with scribes and books. For instance, in the Zrazta ḏ-Hibil Ziwa, Nbu is the Lord of Book and ink and wisdom. Similarly, Dinanukht is called the "ink-book of the gods" in Right Ginza 6.

Spellings

spells the name as Dinanukt, while Lidzbarski spells it as Dinanukht. However, the Mhatam Yuhana Ginza from Ahvaz, Iran, which Gelbert is based on, spells it as Dananukt.
In the Book of the Scholion, the Syriac Christian writer Theodore bar Konai briefly mentions Dinanukht, which he spells as Dynnws.

Story in the ''Ginza Rabba''

Dinanukht, who is half-man, half-book, unsuccessfully tries to destroy Diṣai, another half-man, half-book, by burning and drowning when he is disturbed by his speech. However, Ewath soon appears to repeat this speech, which is reminiscent of the Nag Hammadi Gnostic poem The Thunder, Perfect Mind. Torgny Säve-Söderbergh also noted similarities with Psalms of Thomas 14, in which Hylē provides an answer of co-existing opposites.
Din Mlikh, an uthra, then leads Dinanukht past six different maṭartas as he ascends to the World of Light:
  1. the maṭarta of Nbaz-Haila
  2. the maṭarta of Zan-Haza-Zban
  3. the maṭarta of Ewath-Ruha
  4. the maṭarta of Himun
  5. the maṭarta of Ptahil
  6. the maṭarta of Abatur
Each time Dinanukht starts his ascension to one of the maṭartas, the text begins with the poetic refrain:
Dinanukht sees many wondrous things and then returns to earth, where his wife, Nuraita, thinks that he has become insane when Dinanukht tells her that he wants his books to be burned and drowned. 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.