Mandaeanism
Mandaeanism is a pre-Christian religion which has been classified by scholars as Gnostic.
Since the 1st century AD the Mandaeans have lived mainly in the borderland areas of Iraq and Iran. Many have fled the region during the unstable political climate since the 1990s, and have immigrated worldwide. Since there is no official census of the Mandaeans, a good conservative guess would be in the range of 50,00 to 70,000.
They are called Subi by their Moslem neighbors in reference to their connection to the Quran as the Sabians. The Mandaeans have also been called "Christians of St. John" based on a comment made by Portuguese monks in the 16th century. The Mandaeans may also be the same "Nasoraeans" as indicated in the works of Epiphanius. The Mandaeans have remained separate and intensely private, and what has been reported of them has come from outsiders, beginning with the unsympathetic Syriac writer Bar Konai (in the Scholion, A.D. 792).
The Gnostics label is due to the Mandaic word "manda", which can be translated into knowledge, the same word as "gnosis" in Greek. Thus Mandaean or Mandaeanism can be seen as "Gnostic" or "Gnosticism". It is the only remaining Gnostic religion (excluding revivals like the Manichaean Orthodox Church ( http://essenes.net ) still in practice.
Part of the Mandaean ritual dress, called a "rasta", includes a white turban symbolizing the great mystery of radiance, light and glory.
Mandaean beliefs
The Mandaean religion has a more strict dualistic nature than Gnosticism. Instead of a large pleroma, there exists a more clear division between light and darkness. The ruler of darkness is called Ptahil (similar to the Gnostic Demiurge) and the originator of the light (i.e. God) is only known as "the great first alien Life from the worlds of light, the sublime one that stands above all works". This being emanated other spiritual beings which became increasingly corrupted, and their ruler Ptahil created our world.
Mandaeans believe that Jesus and Moses were false prophets; instead they acknowledge John the Baptist since he is one of their greatest teachers. There is some confusion that the Mandaeans follow John the Baptist while in fact they existed before him. In the Mandaean library of scriptures there is a book of John called Sidra d Yahia, which includes dialogue between him and Jesus. They have a hierarchical clergy, practice frequent baptism, and hold public worship on Sundays. They deplore fasting, monasticism, and believe in peace above all.
There are many Mandaean scriptures, the most important is the Ginza Rba, a collection of history, theology, and prayers. On the internet the Ginza Rba is often confused for the Qolusta which was translated by E.S. Drower in her book titled "The Canonical Prayerbook of the Mandaeans". The language used is called Mandaic, a language closely related to Aramaic.
Influences
According to the Fihrist of ibn al-Nadim, Mani, the founder of Manichaeism, was brought up within the Elchasaite sect. The Elchasaites may be a branch of the Mandaeans or at the very least inluenced them. The members of this sect, like the Mandaeans, wear white, perform baptisms, and dwelled in the marshes of Southern Mesopotamia; Mani later left them to found his own religion. In a remarkable comparative analysis Mandaean scholar Säve-Söderberg demonstrated that the Mani's Psalms of Thomas were almost translations of Mandaean texts. Mani must have had access to Mandaean religious literature. These then leads to the question of just how close the Elchasaites, Mani, and the Mandaeans were at one time.
External links
http://www.mandaeans.org/ Majority of the information is in Arabic. Nice site from the United Kingdom.
http://www.mandaeanworld.com Information on the Mandaeans including history, Mandaic, and Literature
- Mandaean scriptures: Ginza Rba and Haran Gawaitha texts and fragments -- Take note the book titled Ginza Rba is not the Ginza Rba but is instead "The Canonical Prayerbook of the Mandaeans" as translated by E.S Drower.
- [1]: Mandaean Book of John the Baptizer] Material is takens from G.R.S Mead's book called The Mandaean Book of John the Baptizer