Adam Kasia (Classical Mandaic:ࡀࡃࡀࡌ ࡊࡀࡎࡉࡀ,Modern Mandaic pronunciation:[ˈɑdamˈkæsjæ]; also referred to using theportmanteauAdakasࡀࡃࡀࡊࡀࡎ orAdakas Ziwa in theGinza Rabba[1]) means "the hiddenAdam" inMandaic.[2] The hidden Adam is also calledAdam Qadmaiia (ࡀࡃࡀࡌ ࡒࡀࡃࡌࡀࡉࡉࡀ, "The First Adam").[2] InMandaeism, it means thesoul of the first man.[3] He is also identified asShishlam, the primordial priest.[4]
Among the Mandaeans,Adam Kasia means the soul of every human.[2][5][6]Adam Kasia shows many similarities with the Jewish idea ofAdam Kadmon.[7]
Prayers in theQulasta, such as theAsut Malkia, also refer to Adam as "Adam the First Man" (Adam Gabra Qadmaiia).[8]The Thousand and Twelve Questions, a Mandaean priestly text, also refers toAdam Kasia asAdam-S'haq[9] ('Adam-was-bright'),Adam-S'haq-Ziwa,[3] orAdam-S'haq-Rba, who is described as the father ofShishlam, the archetype of the prototypical Mandaean.[10]
Manfred Lurker:A Dictionary of Gods and Goddesses, Devils and Demons, Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd, 1987, p. 6
Gerhard J. Bellinger:Knaurs Lexikon der Mythologie. 3100 Stichwörter zu den Mythen aller Völker von den Anfängen bis zur Gegenwart. Droemer Knaur Verlag, München 1989,ISBN3-426-26376-9.
