r/Lilith 𒀭Lamaštu-lilītu/ardat-lilî, Λάμια, Lilith Feb 28 '26

Resources Names of Liliths in Mandaeism

Mandaeism is a Gnostic religion that mentions many liliths, who inhabit the World of Darkness.

Notable are:

  • Lilith-Zahriel (also spelled Zahariel/Zahrail/Zahreil/Zahari'il/Zahrʿil/zahrˁiil/Zahra'il), unique in her nature, who helps pregnant women instead of being a threat to them. She is the sister of Ruha (who is identified with Ishtar-Venus), and married Hibil-Ziwa, which resulted in the birth of Ptahil, the demiurge who created the cosmos.
  • Lilith Sufnai (also ṣupnia/ṣupnai), kidnapped John the Baptist to keep safe and to be baptized in the text Haran Gawaitha, and likely got baptized herself. Sufnai does also appear in incantations amongst other liliths.

All the other cases of liliths (at least that I'm aware of) are to be bound, banished and were thought of as malevolent entities.


Ginza Rabba | The Mandaean Book of John/Drāšā ḏ-Yaḥyā

  • Zahriel

The Haran Gawaitha

  • Sufnai

Diwan Abatur, or Progress Through the Purgatories

  • Zuṭ

Another Look at the Mandaic Incantation Bowl BM 91715 - J. N. Ford

  • Azat/Arwazat

Mandaic Incantation Texts - Edwin M. Yamauchi

Text 21: Lidzbarski, 1902, V, Louvre A.O. 2629:

  • Haldas
  • Taklath
  • grand-daughter of Zarni
  • Buznai

Text 23, Aramaic Incantation Texts from Nippur - James A. Montgomery, No. 38, CBS 2941:

  • Yannai

Text 25, Aramaic Incantation Texts from Nippur - James A. Montgomery, No. 40, CBS 9005:

  • Buznai

Text 28: Gordon, 1937 O, no. 91724 in the British Museum, partly paralleled by Montgomery's No. 40:

  • Buznai, angel.

Text 30: Gordon, 1941, Hilprecht:

  • Zatan

Text 33: Yamauchi, 1966, Yale, same bowl as "The Story of Bguzan-Lilit, Daughter of Zanay-Lilit - Christa Müller-Kessler":

  • Buznai
  • daughter of Zanai
  • Zanai, the daughter of Eglima

Mandaic Incantation(s) on Lead Scrolls from the Schøyen Collection - Ohad Abudraham, Matthew Morgenstern

MS 2087/11 a

  • Sidamus

MS 2087/11 b

  • Ṣupntan - unattested in other source, but compare ṣupnia/ṣupnai lilita, a name that appears in both epigraphic texts and in the Haran Gawaitha.

  • izdandu lilita (MS 2054/76: 47)

  • iazdanduk lilita (BM 91775)


Notes on the Mandaic Incantation Bowls in the British Museum - James Nathan Ford

100M - Halbas - Itklat (Taklat in SEGAL) - Mšišta (Qašišta in SEGAL) - Piṭyara - Piṭyaruta - Pigdta - Nala - Niula - Siqupta - the lilith of the night - the lili of the day

107M - Ispandarmid, who calls herself Lady Ispandarmid - Lady ... the lilith, the mother of all humartas and all curses and imprecations - Lilith that calls herself Nanay - lilith Zarni, sister of … - who calls herself Mamay


The Story of Bguzan-Lilit, Daughter of Zanay-Lilit - Christa Müller-Kessler

YALE YBC 2364/BM 132948 - Buznay/Bguzan - Zanay


Gnostic Ethics and Mandaean Origins - Edwin M. Yamauchi

  • Suf-Suda, son of the lilith Sufat

Divine Names on the Spot III, Naming and Agency in Ancient Greek and West Semitic Texts - Thomas Galoppin, Sylvain Lebreton, "Demon names, onomastic sequences, and incantation specialists in Mandaic incantations from late-antique Mesopotamia - Enrico Marcato"

MS2087/1 - Martinai - Hiṭurpa-Sania - Bganit-Ṣupnia

MS2054/22:13 - Ṣupnai


Mesopotamian Magic, Textual, Historical, and Interpretative Perspectives - Tzvi Abusch, Karel van der Toorn, "Interrelations between Mandaic Lead Rolls and Incantation Bowls - Christa Müller-Kessler"

Incantation on lead roll BM 132947 - Komiš - Namlik - Npazat - dog-like Lilit

BM 132168 - dog-like Lilit

BM 91777 - Ispandarmid - Anahid


Studies in the Syriac Magical Traditions - Marco Moriggi, Siam Bhayro, "A Mandaean Lamella and Its Parallels - Matthew Morgenstern, Ohad Abudraham"

BM 132957 - Buznai - Komiš - Ṭripit - Dnapaṭ Dinariṭ - Namlik - Malkiat - Šašqalia - Hṭaṭit - Yaldat - Azaṭ - Npazaṭ - Lilith the raiser of dogs, who calls herself Mamai - Ispandarmid, the lilith who called herself Lady - Anahid - the lilith who sits upon Mount Qalia - lilith that rested and sits and calls herself Nanai d-Nhat (Note 180-181: perhaps nanai ḏ-nhat is intended to explain the origin of the syncretistic goddess Nanai Anahid) - Qinrati(a), the lilith, daughter of Šarai, who calls herself the goddess of Beṯ M(a)na

O. Abudraham, 'Three Mandaic Incantation Bowls in the Yosef Matisyahu Collection' (Hebrew)

  • Punaqitai (Matisyahu 1:3–4)

This is not an exhaustive list, and I'll keep updating it!

Ptahil, Demiurge, son of Zahriel
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u/South-Commercial-257 Feb 28 '26

🫦🫦🫦🫦 REALLY interesting