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.
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. 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 & Lofts (2017). Häberl & McGrath (2020) was the first English-language critical edition from an academic publisher.
Contents
Translations
A German translation, Das Johannesbuch der Mandäer, was published by Mark Lidzbarski in 1915. Another German translation of chapters 18–33 (the "Yahya–Yuhana" chapters) was published by Gabriele Mayer in 2021.
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. Another English translation was published by Carlos Gelbert and Mark J. Lofts in 2017.
Manuscripts
Archived manuscripts of the Mandaean Book of John known to Western scholars include:
Three Bibliothèque nationale de France 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; Lidzbarski's D manuscript)
DC 30 (Manuscript 30 of E. S. Drower's collection, held in the Bodleian Library). Purchased by E. S. Drower from Shaikh Nejm (also spelled "Negm") and Shaikh Yahya in November 1937. Dates to 1166 A.H. (c. 1753 A.D.). Copied in Shushtar by Ram Yuhana, son of Ram, Dihdaria.
RRC 4G, copied at Qurna by Yahya Bihram in 1832–1833
Several folia (pages) in two manuscripts held at the British Library contain parts of the Mandaean Book of John:
Folia 76–98 of Add. 23,602a
Folia 99–101 of Add. 23,602a and 15–18 of Add. 23,602b
Buckley has also analyzed three manuscripts that are privately held by Mandaeans in the United States, including:
Ms. Flushing, an original manuscript belonging to Nasser Sobbi. Copied by Sheikh Mhatam bar Yahya Bihram on April 9, 1910.
Ms. Colonie (originally held at Niskayuna), photocopy of a manuscript belonging to Dr. Sinan A. J. Abdullah from Ahvaz. Copied by Bayan, son of Sharat (Salem Choheili) on April 12, 1989.
Dating
The chapters of the text are arranged according to their content, as opposed to their date, and the book as a whole may reflect five stages of redaction, which means that different chapters may date to different periods of time. The present form of the Mandaean Book of John dates no earlier than the Islamic conquests. Linguistically, the Islamic-era material can be found to date to the later stages of the composition and redaction of the Book of John.
The name "John" appears in the text as Yohannā or Yahyā. The former is pre-Islamic, whereas Yahyā is the form of the name known in the Quran. However, besides the name Yahyā, as well as a few other Arabic names, no Arabic-language influence on the Book of John is detectable. It is possible that the book capitalizes, at least in part, on John and his prophethood in order to secure their status as a "People of the Book" in the Islamic era. More recently, the elevated importance of John the Baptist and polemics against Jesus found across the Mandaean Book of John have been contextualized into Islamic-era inter-religious interactions.
The eleventh chapter (which also contains the latest stage of the language in the book) refers to the "end of the Age of Mars,” which corresponds to June 4, 678 in the Mandaean calendar and indicates that this chapter in particular should date to 678 or later. Chapters 18 and 27 refer to qombā d-kāhni, "Dome of the Priests," which may be a reference to a Muslim dome (qubba), in particular the Dome of the Rock constructed in 691, but also might refer to a Zoroastrian dome (gumbad).
Other clues exist to help date other chapters. For example, one argument holds that chapter 30 is likely post-4th century due the presence of loanwords like follis, crux, and other oblique references to Latin Christianity that better fit when it became the sole religion of the Roman Empire, as well as its criticism to institutionalized celibacy. However, it is also likely pre-Islamic given the absence of Arabic influence or references to Islamic material. A more recent analysis has identified an Arabic loanword in chapter 30, rumaia ("Roman") from Arabic rūmī, pushing back the date of this chapter to the Islamic era. Chapter 43 contains material about the Second Temple and its priests which only fit a first-century environment and so must stem from this era, although it is unclear how this material entered the Book of John.
Contents
There are 76 chapters (or tractates) in the Book of John. Chapter titles from Gelbert & Lofts (2017) (based on the titles in Lidzbarski 1915) are given by default, with alternative titles from Häberl and McGrath (2020) given in square brackets. The contents are:
Truth's Questions (1–2)
1. Truth Stands by the Worlds' Entrance
2. Truth Stands by the Worlds' Entrance
Yushamin (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 (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 (Šum Kušṭa) (14–17)
14. Truth's Shem Begins Teaching
15. Truth's Shem Begins Teaching (cf. Psalms of Thomas 18)