Arishama (rišama; riš-ama) or rishema (Classical Mandaic: ࡓࡉࡔࡀࡌࡀ, lit. ''head/leader of the people''; Modern Mandaic: rišammā;[1] Arabic: ريشما; Persian: ریشا اد اما) is a religious patriarch in Mandaeism.[2] It is the highest rank out of all the Mandaean clergical ranks.[3] The next ranks are the ganzibra and tarmida priests (see Mandaean priest).
In Iraq, the current rishama is Sattar Jabbar Hilo.[4][5][6] In Australia, the Rishama and head of the Mandaean community is Salah Choheili.[7][8]
The Mandaic term rišama is derived from the words riš 'head' and ama 'people'. Although the term for the Mandaean daily minor ablution is also spelled the same in written Classical Mandaic (rišama), the word for 'minor ablution' is pronounced in Modern Mandaic as rešāmā, while 'head priest' is pronounced rišammā.[1]
