Rafid al-Sabti


Rafid al-Sabti, known in full as Rafid al-Rishama Abdallah al-Ganzibra Zahrun al-Rishama Abdallah al-Sabti, is an Iraqi-Dutch Mandaean priest in Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Biography

Al-Sabti was born in 1965 to Rishama Abdullah, son of Sheikh Neǧm, in Baghdad, Iraq. He was initiated into the Mandaean priesthood by his father. Al-Sabti later emigrated to the Netherlands.
Al-Sabti is the custodian of the Rbai Rafid Collection, a private collection of Mandaean manuscripts held in Nijmegen, The Netherlands. 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, as well as a qulasta inscribed on lead plates. The collection is being digitized and analyzed in collaboration with Matthew Morgenstern.

Publications

Family

His son, Ardwan Al-Sabti, is a researcher and graphic designer known for creating Mandaic fonts.