Brikha Nasoraia

Rishama Brikha H. S. Nasoraia ; born 1964 in Iraq ) is an Iraqi-Australian Mandaean priest and scholar based in Sydney, Australia. He is affiliated with the University of Sydney and Mardin Artuklu University. His Mandaean baptismal name is Sam bar Sam Yuhana . and can thus trace his ancestry back to Adam Zakia, the father of Bihram Bar-Hiia, who lived around 1500 A.D. After graduating from the University of Sydney, he later took the name Brikha Naṣoraia, which means "Blessed Naṣoraean" in Mandaic.

Career As a ganzibra (head priest), ) of Australia and is also the President of the International Mandaean Nasoraean Supreme Council (or Nasoraean Mandaean Association ).

Nasoraia lectures at the University of Sydney and also at Mardin Artuklu University in Mardin, Turkey.

Brikha Nasoraia's research interests include archaeology (particularly Mandaic lead rolls and incantation bowls), philosophy of religion, and translation of Mandaic manuscripts. He has participated in excavations at archaeological sites such as Harran. Nasoraia is also an artist who produces oil paintings featuring Mandaean religious themes.

Personal life He is married to Nadia al-Faris, with whom he has three children.

Note that in earlier works, he is cited as Haithem Saed Naṣoraia. Brikha (which means "blessed" in Mandaic) is a title that was later added to his name as cited in academic literature, Haithem is his given name, Mahdi is his father's name, and Saed is his grandfather's name. Naṣoraia is used to denote that he is a Nasoraean, i.e. a Mandaean priest. (See also Mandaean name.) As a result, he is also known as Sheikh (Rbai) Haithem Mahdi Saeed .

Books Al-Mubaraki, Majid Fandi; Rbai Haithem Mahdi Saeed; Brian Mubaraki (eds). 1998. Ginza Rba. Sydney, N.S.W., Australia. ISBN 0-646-35222-9.

Nasoraia, Brikha (2022). Masbuta: The Mandaean Baptism (forthcoming). Belgium: Brepols Publishers. (e-book: )

Book chapters

Journal articles Nasoraia, B., Crangle, E. (2010). The Asuta wish: Adam Kasia and the Dynamics of Healing in Mandaean Contemplative Praxis. ARAM Periodical, 22, 349-390. Crangle, E., Nasoraia, B. (2010). Soul Food: The Mandaean Laufani. ARAM Periodical, 22, 97-132. Nasoraia, B., Trompf, G. (2011). Mandaean Macrohistory. ARAM Periodical, 22(2010), 391-425. Trompf, G., Nasoraia, B. (2011). Reflecting on the 'Rivers Scroll'. ARAM Periodical, 22(2010), 61-86.