Designing the Ginza d'Hiia
The central Mandaean scripture, in print.
The Ginza d'Hiia, the Treasure of Life, is the central sacred text of the Mandaean tradition. I designed and built its typographic edition: the layout, the structure, the miniatures, and the type. The religious and linguistic authority is my father's, Rbai Rafid Al-Sabti. What is mine is everything that makes the object what it is.
The edition rests on a comparative reading of 22 manuscripts, carried from a handwritten tradition into a consistent printed form without losing its logic. It is set in Ardwan Reed (RRC), a typeface I developed according to the structural rules of the Mandaic script. The page holds everything a manuscript carries: side notes, chapter markers, catchwords, and line numbering, all kept in the visual rhythm of the tradition it comes from.
One thing no reader will ever see. Mandaic text must justify fully, edge to edge, but justification pulled the joined letters apart and left white gaps the script does not allow. There was no technical solution at that time. So for every page, I zoomed in until a single letter filled my screen, and I restored each connection by hand. 608 pages. Letter by letter. No one notices it when they open the book. That is exactly the point.
The result is an object that carries a manuscript tradition to the printing press without losing its soul. Not a book about the Mandaeans. A Mandaean object.
A pivotal aspect of this project was the work of Ardwan Al-Sabti. Ardwan is an expert in Mandaic typography and miniature art. He meticulously studied the script's intricate rules and the philosophical essence of Mandaean drawings, and crafted an attractive layout with high-quality artwork that contributed significantly to the design. His dedication has profoundly enhanced the overall presentation of our sacred work. Our collaboration is a testament to preserving Mandaean heritage through language, meticulous design and typography."
— Rabi Rafid Al-Sabti
BOOK DETAILS

title    The Treasure of Life
subtitle    The holy book of the Mandaeans
MANDAIC title    ࡂࡉࡍࡆࡀ ࡖ ࡄࡉࡉࡀ
MANDAIC subtitle    ࡊࡕࡀࡁࡀ ࡒࡀࡃࡉࡔࡀ ࡖ ࡌࡀࡍࡃࡀࡉࡉࡀ

edited by    Rabi Rafid Al-Sabti
language    Mandaic, with an English preface

Designed by   Ardwan Al-Sabti

Edition    First Edition, 2022
Limited to   250 numbered copies

ISBN    978-9090360058
RRC Archive    RRC 6R
DATE OF PUBLICATION    24 July 2022

Cover Type    Hardcover
Book DECORATION    Gilded edges

Paper    130 Gram
ENDPaper    170 Gram
Printed in    Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Print technology    UV Printing

TYPOGRAPHY by    Ardwan Al-Sabti
MANDAIC Font    Ardwan Reed [RRC]

Pages    608
Dimensions    360mm x 255mm x 42mm
Weight   4132 Gram
GinzaDHiia // Ginza // GinzaDHayyi // GinzaRabba // GinzaRba // LiberAdami // SidraRabba // CodexNasaraeus // TheHolyBook // Mandaean // Nasoraean // Mandaic // Mandaean // Mandaeism // MandaicFonts // MandaicIconography // MandaicMiniatures // MandaicArt // RabiRafidAlSabti // RRC // MandaeanManuscripts // Ardwans // ArdwanAlsabti الربي رافد السبتي // أردوان السبتي // مخطوطات مندائية // الكتاب المقدس // كنزا اد هيي // كنزا ربا// سيدرا ربا // سيدرا اد ادم // كتاب ادم// كتاب المندائيين // ناصورائيين // مندائيين // ࡁࡉࡕ ࡂࡉࡍࡆࡉࡀ ࡓࡁࡀࡉ ࡓࡀࡐࡃ ࡊࡉࡍࡉࡀࡍࡀ ࡘࡀࡆࡉࡆ // ࡀࡓࡃࡁࡀࡍ ࡀࡋࡎࡀࡁࡕࡉࡀ // ࡀࡋࡎࡐࡕࡉࡀ // ࡂࡉࡍࡆࡀ ࡓࡁࡀ // ࡎࡉࡃࡓࡀ ࡓࡁࡀ // ࡎࡉࡃࡓࡀ ࡖ ࡀࡃࡀࡌ