The Mandaean Book of John (

Mandaic language Mandaic is a southeastern Aramaic variety in use by the Mandaean community, traditionally based in southern parts of Iraq and southwest Iran, for their religious books. Classical Mandaic is still employed by Mandaean priests in liturgical rites. ...

ࡃࡓࡀࡔࡀ ࡖࡉࡀࡄࡉࡀ ') is a

Mandaean Mandaeans ( ar, المندائيون ), also known as Mandaean Sabians ( ) or simply as Sabians ( ), are an ethnoreligious group who are followers of Mandaeism. They believe that John the Baptist was the final and most important prophet. They ...

holy book in Mandaic Aramaic which is believed by Mandeans to have been written by their prophet

John the Baptist John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...

. The book contains accounts of John's life and miracles, as well as a number of polemical conversations with

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

and tractates where

Anush Uthra In Mandaeism, Anush ( myz, ࡀࡍࡅࡔ, translit=Anuš) (also spelled Ennosh) or Anush Uthra ( myz, ࡀࡍࡅࡔ ࡏࡅࡕࡓࡀ, translit=Anuš ʿUtra) is an uthra (angel or guardian) from the World of Light. Anush is considered to be the Mandae ...

(Enosh) performs miracles in the style of Jesus's deeds in Jerusalem.

Translations

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

translation, ''Das Johannesbuch der Mandäer'', was published by

Mark Lidzbarski Mark Lidzbarski (born Abraham Mordechai Lidzbarski, Płock, Russian Empire, 7 January 1868 – Göttingen, 13 November 1928) was a Polish philologist, Semitist and translator of Mandaean texts. Early life and education Lidzbarski was born in Rus ...

in 1905. Another German translation of chapters 18–33 (the "Yahya–Yuhana" chapters) was published by Gabriele Mayer in 2021.

Charles G. Häberl Charles G. Häberl (born 1976 in New Jersey, United States) is an American religious studies scholar, linguist, and professor. He is currently Professor of African, Middle Eastern, and South Asian Languages and Literatures ( AMESALL) and Religion ...

and

James F. McGrath James Frank McGrath is the Clarence L. Goodwin Chair in New Testament Language and Literature at Butler University and is known for his work on Early Christianity, Mandaeism, criticism of the Christ myth theory, and the analysis of religion in ...

published a full English translation of the Mandaean Book of John in 2020, which was printed alongside Mandaic text typesetted by Ardwan Alsabti. Another English translation was published by Carlos Gelbert in 2017.

Manuscripts

Archived manuscripts of the Mandaean Book of John known to Western scholars include: *Three

Bibliothèque nationale de France The Bibliothèque nationale de France (, 'National Library of France'; BnF) is the national library of France, located in Paris on two main sites known respectively as ''Richelieu'' and ''François-Mitterrand''. It is the national repository ...

manuscripts, also known as the Code Sabéen Mss. 8-10 **Paris Ms. A **Paris Ms. B **Paris Ms. C *Huntington MS 71 (abbreviated ''Hunt. 71'', held in the

Bodleian Library The Bodleian Library () is the main research library of the University of Oxford, and is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. It derives its name from its founder, Sir Thomas Bodley. With over 13 million printed items, it is the second- ...

; Lidzbarski's D manuscript) * DC 30 (Manuscript 30 of

E. S. Drower Ethel Stefana Drower ( Stevens; full name: Ethel May Stefana Drower; 1 December 1879 – 27 January 1972) was a British cultural anthropologist, orientalist and novelist who studied the Middle East and its cultures.Christa Müller-Kessler, Drowe ...

's collection, held in the

). Purchased by

from Shaikh Nejm (also spelled "Negm") and Shaikh Yahya in November 1937. Dates to 1166 A.H. (c. 1753 A.D.). Copied in

Shushtar Shushtar ( fa, شوشتر; also Romanized as Shūshtar and Shūstar and Shooshtar) is a city and capital of Shushtar County, Khuzestan Province, Iran. Shushtar is an ancient fortress city, approximately from Ahvaz, the centre of the province. ...

by Ram Yuhana, son of Ram, Dihdaria. Several folia (pages) in two manuscripts held at the

British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to contain between 170 and 200 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, the British ...

contain parts of the Mandaean Book of John: *Folia 76-98 of Add. 23,602a *Folia of 99-101 Add. 23,602a and 15-18 of Add. 23,602b

Buckley Buckley may refer to: Businesses and organizations * Buckley's, a Canadian pharmaceutical corporation * Buckley Aircraft, an American aircraft manufacturer * Buckley Broadcasting, an American broadcasting company * Buckley School (California), ...

has also analyzed three manuscripts that are privately held by Mandaeans in the United States, including in

Flushing Flushing may refer to: Places * Flushing, Cornwall, a village in the United Kingdom * Flushing, Queens, New York City ** Flushing Bay, a bay off the north shore of Queens ** Flushing Chinatown (法拉盛華埠), a community in Queens ** Flushing ...

(original manuscript belonging to Nasser Sobbi),

Niskayuna Niskayuna is a town in Schenectady County, New York, United States. The population was 23,278 at the 2020 census. The town is located in the southeast part of the county, east of the city of Schenectady, and is the easternmost town in the county. ...

(later moved to Colonie; photocopy of a manuscript belonging to Dr. Sinan Abdullah from

Ahvaz Ahvaz ( fa, اهواز, Ahvâz ) is a city in the southwest of Iran and the capital of Khuzestan province. Ahvaz's population is about 1,300,000 and its built-up area with the nearby town of Sheybani is home to 1,136,989 inhabitants. It is hom ...

), and

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

(original manuscript belonging to

Lamea Abbas Amara Lamia Abbas Amara ( ar, لميعة عباس عمارة, also sometimes spelled Lamea Abbas Amara; 1929 – 18 June 2021) was an Iraqi poet. She was a pioneer of modern Arabic poetry and an important figure in contemporary poetry in Iraq. Name La ...

). In the early 1900s, E. S. Drower had also transcribed the "Soul Fisher" chapters (36-39) from Sheikh Negm bar Zihrun.

There are 76 chapters (or tractates) in the Mandaean Book of John. Chapter titles from Gelbert (2017) (based on the titles in Lidzbarski 1920) are given by default, with alternative titles from Häberl and McGrath (2020) given in square brackets. The contents are: *

Truth Truth is the property of being in accord with fact or reality.Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionarytruth 2005 In everyday language, truth is typically ascribed to things that aim to represent reality or otherwise correspond to it, such as beliefs ...

's Questions (1-2) **1. Truth Stands by the Worlds' Entrance **2. Truth Stands by the Worlds' Entrance *

Yushamin In Mandaeism, Yushamin ( myz, ࡉࡅࡔࡀࡌࡉࡍ) and also known as the 'Second Life', is the primal uthra (angel or guardian) and a subservient emanation who was created by the Mandaean God 'The Great Life' (''Hayyi Rabbi'' or 'The First Life ...

(3-10) **3. Splendor Has Come to Me in Plenty **4. By My Own Authority **5. As My Father Yushamin Plotted **6. On the Day the Intellect Taught Yushamin **7. When I, Yushamin, Thought **8. A Voice Came to Me in the Jordan **9. Whom Shall I Call, Who Would Answer Me **10. I Said That I Would Be Great *The

Good Shepherd The Good Shepherd ( el, ποιμὴν ὁ καλός, ''poimḗn ho kalós'') is an image used in the pericope of , in which Jesus Christ is depicted as the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. Similar imagery is used in Psalm 23 ...

(11-12) **11. I Am a Shepherd Who Loves His Sheep **12. An Excellency Calls from Beyond *The Creation (13 and 60) *Truth's

Shem Shem (; he, שֵׁם ''Šēm''; ar, سَام, Sām) ''Sḗm''; Ge'ez: ሴም, ''Sēm'' was one of the sons of Noah in the book of Genesis and in the book of Chronicles, and the Quran. The children of Shem were Elam, Ashur, Arphaxad, L ...

(Šum Kušṭa) (14-17) **14. Truth's Shem Begins Teaching **15. Truth's Shem Begins Teaching (cf. ''

Psalms of Thomas The ''Psalms of Thomas'' (more correctly ''Psalms of Thom'') are a set of 3rd-century Judeo-Christian psalms found appended to the end of a Coptic Manichaean psalm book, which was in turn part of the Medinet Madi Coptic Texts uncovered in 1928. ...

'' 18) **16. Truth's Shem Begins Teaching **17. Truth's Shem Begins Teaching (cf. ''

'' 17) *

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

-Johannes (18-33) **18. A Child was Transplanted from on High **19. I Shine in the Name of My Father **20. The Sun Sat in its Seclusion **21. Did I Not Go Away Alone and Return? **22. He Called Out a Proclamation to the World **23. Beware for Me, My Brothers **24. I Was in the House of My Seclusion **25. Noble Men, Who Are Sleeping **26. The Ages Took No Pleasure in Me **27. Is There Anyone Greater Than I? **28. Lofty Strongholds Will Fall **29. I Shine Forth in My Father's Name **30. Who Told Jesus? **31. The Spheres and the Chariot Trembled **32. The Spheres and the Chariot Trembled **33. At My Voice, Spheres Shake *

Miriai Miriai or Meryey ( myz, ࡌࡉࡓࡉࡀࡉ) was a Jewish woman who converted to Mandaeism in Mandaean scriptures. Miriai is one of the most important figures in the Mandaean Book of John, which contains detailed stories and speeches of Miriai in ...

(34-35) **34. I am Miriai, the Daughter of Babylon's Kings **35. I am Miriai, a Vine *The Soul Fisher (36-39) **36. A Fisher am I **37. A Fisher Am I, of the Great Life **38. The Fisher Put on Bright Garments **39. It Is the Voice of the Pure Fisher *The Iron Shoe (40-41) **40. An Excellency Preaches Forth from Beyond **41. The Man Preaches from Beyond *Admonitions from

Manda d-Hayyi In Mandaeism, Manda d-Hayyi or Manda ḏ-Hiia ( myz, ࡌࡀࡍࡃࡀ ࡖࡄࡉࡉࡀ, lit=the 'Gnosis of Life', 'Knowledge of Life', or 'Knower of the Life') is an uthra (angel or guardian) sent by the Great Life (''Hayyi Rabbi'', or the Transcend ...

(42-47) **42. It is the Voice of Manda d-Hayyi **Warnings (43-45) ***43. It is the Voice of Manda d-Hayyi ***44. Life's Herald Calls Forth (also in ''

Right Ginza The Right Ginza is one of the two parts of the Ginza Rabba, the longest and the most important holy scripture of Mandaeism. The other part of the Ginza Rabba is the Left Ginza. Summaries of each book (or tractate), based mostly on Häberl (2007 ...

'' 15.18 according to the numbering in Lidzbarski 1920) ***45. Life's Herald Calls Forth **Three Wishes (46) rom Light's Place, I Left(also in ''

'' 15.19 according to the numbering in Lidzbarski 1920) **Warnings (47) rom Light's Place, I Left(cf. ''

'' 12) *

(48-51) **A Second Prayer (48) ruth! I Testify to You(also in ''

'' 16.9) **The Plough (49)

ay Beyond, Beside the Barrier of Truth Ay, AY or variants, may refer to: People * Ay (pharaoh), a pharaoh of the 18th Egyptian dynasty * Merneferre Ay, a pharaoh of the 13th Egyptian dynasty * A.Y. (musician) (born 1981), a Tanzanian "bongo flava" artist * A.Y, stage name of Ayo Makun ...

**Warnings (50) e Who Deals in Gifts and Rewards**The River Kšaš (51) mong Those Lying upon the Shore*The

Planets A planet is a large, rounded astronomical body that is neither a star nor its remnant. The best available theory of planet formation is the nebular hypothesis, which posits that an interstellar cloud collapses out of a nebula to create a young ...

(52-56) ** Yōrabba (52) e Shook and Disturbed Yurba">Yurba.html" ;"title="e Shook and Disturbed Yurba">e Shook and Disturbed Yurba**Sin (mythology)">Sén [the Moon">Yurba">e Shook and Disturbed Yurba">Yurba.html" ;"title="e Shook and Disturbed Yurba">e Shook and Disturbed Yurba**Sin (mythology)">Sén [the Moon(53) [When the Shining was Planted] (also in ''

'' 15.4) **The Alien Man in Jerusalem (54) Did Not and Do Not Want**

Hibil In Mandaeism, Hibil ( myz, ࡄࡉࡁࡉࡋ) or Hibil Ziwa ( myz, ࡄࡉࡁࡉࡋ ࡆࡉࡅࡀ) is an uthra (angel or guardian) from the World of Light. Hibil is considered to be the Mandaean equivalent of Abel. Prayers in the Qolasta frequently c ...

's Lament (55) ow Can I Rejoice?**The Immaculate (56)

hoever Keeps Perfect Within It Ki-Jana Delano Hoever (born 18 January 2002) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a defender for Stoke City on loan from Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers. Hoever is a Liverpool youth academy graduate, but limited appearance ...

* Life's Treasure (57-59) *The Creation (60-62) **60. To You I Speak and Teach **61. Who Will Come Forth, and Who Will Tell Me? **62. When the Earth Did Not Yet Exist *The Aftermath (63-67) **63. A Voice from on High Cried Out to Us **64. I Have Come to This World **65. In a Bright Cloud I Sit **66. Way Out Beyond **67. From Beyond, an Excellency Cries Out *

's Visits (68-69) **68. When Manda d-Hayyi Went **69. The Light was Planted *

Abatur Abatur ( myz, ࡀࡁࡀࡕࡅࡓ, sometimes called Abathur; Yawar, myz, ࡉࡀࡅࡀࡓ; and the Ancient of Days) is an Uthra and the second of three subservient emanations created by the Mandaean God ''Hayyi Rabbi'' ( myz, ࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡓࡁ� ...

's Lament (70-72) **70. When the Scales Did Not Want **71. When They Went Forth and Came to Abatur **72. When He Came to Abatur *Three Laments (73-75) **73. A White Eagle Am I **74. Excellent Enosh Spoke **75. Over Yonder, by the Seashore *Excellent Enosh in Jerusalem (76) Come with Sandals of Precious Stones Chapters 19–33 begin with the formula: In Mandaic:

References

External links

A complete open-access translation of the Mandaean Book of John
published in 2020, edited by Charles G. Häberl and James F. McGrath
The Mandaean Book of John: Text and Translation (Charles G. Häberl and James F. McGrath) at Humanities CommonsMandaean Book of John translation project
(Mandaic text from the Mandaean Network)

(Mandaic text from the Mandaean Network) {{Mandaeism footer 1st-century texts 2nd-century texts 3rd-century texts John the Baptist Mandaean texts Mythology books

Translations

Manuscripts

Contents

See also

References

External links