Dinanukht (also spelled Dinanukt or Dananukt;[1] Classical Mandaic: ࡃࡉࡍࡀࡍࡅࡊࡕ or ࡃࡀࡍࡀࡍࡅࡊࡕ; from Persian 'the one who speaks in accordance with the religion') is a mythological character in the Ginza Rabba, one of the main religious scriptures of Mandaeism, who is portrayed as an anthropomorphic book.
However, Ewath (an epithet for Ruha) soon appears to repeat this speech, which is reminiscent of the Nag Hammadi Gnostic poem The Thunder, Perfect Mind.
[5][6] Torgny Säve-Söderbergh (1949) also noted similarities with Psalms of Thomas 14, in which Hylē provides an answer of co-existing opposites (e.g., "death and life").
(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.
(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.
(b-rpilia ḏ-hšuka)" Din Mlikh, an uthra, then leads Dinanukht past six different maṭartas (watch-houses) as he ascends to the World of Light:[9] 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.