Ptahil
In Mandaeism, Ptahil, also known as Ptahil-Uthra, is an uthra. As the Fourth Life, he is the third of three emanations from the First Life, after Yushamin and Abatur. Ptahil is often described as the Mandaean version of the demiurge.
Etymology
believed the name Ptahil to be composed of Aramaic פתאה and עיל, therefore meaning "God opened", although the verb can also mean "create" in Mandaic, but not in other Aramaic languages. Subsequent scholars have deemed it more probably derived from the Egyptian theonym 'Ptah' and angelic 'il', as originally conjectured by Mark Lidzbarski, although Carl H. Kraeling argued that the influence of Ptah on Mesopotamian syncretic Gnostic traditions is minimal, and opined that the name Ptahil was derived from the dialectal use of the verb, and not vice versa. According to James F. McGrath, Ptah and El were identified in Canaan during the era of Egyptian rule of which Ptahil may be derived from.The name Ptḥiʾl is found in the Jewish text Sefer HaRazim, where he is listed among other angels who stand on the ninth step of the second firmament.
Parentage
As the Fourth Life, Ptahil is considered to be the son of Abatur, the Third Life. However, in some versions of the narrative, Ptahil originated as the son of the saviour uthra Hibil Ziwa, who inhabits the World of Light, and Zahreil. As a result, Ptahil is also sometimes referred to as Ptahil bar Zahreil, which means "Ptahil, son of Zahreil", in some prayers such as the Asut Malkia. Zahreil is a lilith from the World of Darkness who dwells in the beds of pregnant women serving to ensure the wellbeing of the child before and after birth; E. S. Drower describes her as a genius of childbirth. Hibil married Zahreil during his descent to the World of Darkness, although some versions of the narrative claim he did not consummate the marriage.In the Mandaean Book of John, the uthra Yukašar is portrayed as the son of Ptahil.