Nudbih, Prayer of
A “Lamentation” of the Imám ‘Alí.

Párán
A mountain range north of Sinai and south of Seir; all are sacred as places of revelation. Teman lies in northwest Edom, not far from Párán. See Habukkuk 3:3. Moses himself uses “Párán” with special reference to Muḥammad and “Seir” to Jesus Christ: “And he said: The Lord came from Sinai and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from Mount Párán and He came with ten thousands of saints; from His right hand went a fiery law for them.” (Deut. 33:2). Here Moses foretells the coming of three revelations and three prophets after himself, the last being Bahá’u’lláh. Ishmael (Gen. 21:21) founded the Arabian peoples in Párán.

Pentateuch
Literally the fivefold volume, referring to the first five books of the Old Testament. Known also as the Torah.

Pharaoh
The common title of the kings of Egypt. The Pharaoh of the oppression is usually held to be Ramesis II (about 1340 B.C.), and his son and successor Merenptah, the Pharaoh of the Exodus, but this is highly uncertain and the birth of Moses is dated as early as 1520 b.c.

Philosopher’s Stone
An imaginary substance which the alchemists formerly sought as a means of converting baser metals into gold.

Phoenix
A bird fabled to exist single, to be consumed by fire by its own act, and to rise again from its ashes.

Pilate
Pontius Pilate, Roman procurator of Judea at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion, who issued His death sentence.

Primal Will
“The first thing which emanated from God is that universal reality...which the people of Bahá call ‘the First Will’” (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, p. 203).