Mandaean Book of John
In Mandaeism, the Book of John (Classical Mandaic: ࡃࡓࡀࡔࡀ ࡖࡉࡀࡄࡉࡀ, romanized: Drāšā ḏ-Yaḥyā) is a Mandaean holy book in Mandaic Aramaic which Mandaeans attribute to their prophet John the Baptist.[2]
Not to be confused with book 7 of the right-hand Ginza Rabba, also ascribed to John the Baptist by Mandaeans.
Book of John
Drāšā ḏ-Yaḥyā
The book contains accounts of John's life and miracles, as well as a number of polemical conversations with Jesus and tractates where Anush Uthra (Enosh) performs miracles in the style of Jesus's deeds in Jerusalem.[3] It was compiled around the 7th century A.D. shortly after the Muslim conquest of Persia from various texts, many of which were composed several centuries earlier. It was translated into English in its entirety for the first time by Gelbert (2017) and Häberl & McGrath (2020).[4]
Translations[edit]
A German translation, Das Johannesbuch der Mandäer, was published by Mark Lidzbarski in 1905. Another German translation of chapters 18–33 (the "Yahya–Yuhana" chapters) was published by Gabriele Mayer in 2021.[5]
Charles G. Häberl and James F. McGrath published a full English translation of the Mandaean Book of John in 2020, which was printed alongside Mandaic text typesetted by Ardwan Al-Sabti.[1] Another English translation was published by Carlos Gelbert in 2017.[6]
Archived manuscripts of the Mandaean Book of John known to Western scholars include:[7]
Several folia (pages) in two manuscripts held at the British Library contain parts of the Mandaean Book of John:[1]
Buckley has also analyzed three manuscripts that are privately held by Mandaeans in the United States, including:[1][7]
In Ahvaz, Iran, there is a copy of the Book of John with Mandaic text inscribed on lead plates (see also Mandaic lead rolls). Originally belonging to Abdullah Khaffagi, it was seen by Jorunn Jacobsen Buckley in 1973.[8]
In 2004, Salah Choheili finished a copy of the Book of John. The colophon has been translated into English by Gelbert (2017).[6]
In the early 1900s, E. S. Drower had also transcribed the "Soul Fisher" chapters (36–39) from Sheikh Negm bar Zihrun.[1]
There are 76 chapters (or tractates) in the 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:[1][6]
Chapters 19–33 begin with the formula:
In Mandaic: