John the Baptist Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! === Mandaeism === {{Mandaeism}} John the Baptist, or Yuhana Maṣbana ({{lang-myz|ࡉࡅࡄࡀࡍࡀ ࡌࡀࡑࡁࡀࡍࡀ|lit=John the Baptizer}} {{transliteration|myz|Iuhana Maṣbana}})<ref name="GR Gelbert">{{cite book |url=https://livingwaterbooks.com.au/product/ginza-rba/ |last1=Gelbert |first1=Carlos |title=Ginza Rba |year=2011 |publisher=Living Water Books |location=Sydney |isbn=9780958034630 |access-date=17 February 2022 |archive-date=16 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220316031021/https://livingwaterbooks.com.au/product/ginza-rba/ |url-status=live }}</ref> is considered the greatest prophet of the [[Mandaeans|Mandaean]]s. Mandaeans also refer to him as {{transliteration|myz|Yuhana bar Zakria}} (John, son of Zechariah).<ref name="Gelbert 2017"/> He plays a large part in their religious texts such as the [[Ginza Rabba]] and the [[Mandaean Book of John]].<ref>''Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church'' (Oxford University Press 2005 {{ISBN|978-0-19-280290-3}}), article ''Mandaeans''</ref> Mandaeans believe that they descend directly from John's original disciples<ref name = DrowerHaranGawaita>{{cite book|last=Drower|first=Ethel Stefana|title=The Haran Gawaita and the Baptism of Hibil-Ziwa|publisher=Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana|year=1953}}</ref> but they do not believe that their religion began with John, tracing their beliefs back to their first prophet Adam.<ref name=Drower>Drower, Ethel Stefana. 2002. The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran: Their Cults, Customs, Magic Legends, and Folklore (reprint). Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press.</ref>{{rp|3}} According to Mandaeism, John was a great teacher, a [[Nazarene (sect)#Nasoraean Mandaeans|Nasoraean]] and renewer of the faith.<ref name=Buckley/>{{rp|24}}<ref>Drower. P3</ref><ref>Willis Barnstone, Marvin Meyer ''The Gnostic Bible: Revised and Expanded Edition'' Shambhala Publications 2009 {{ISBN|978-0-834-82414-0}} page 550</ref> John is a messenger of Light ({{transliteration|myz|nhura}}) and Truth ({{transliteration|myz|[[kushta]]}}) who possessed the power of healing and full [[Gnosis]] ({{transliteration|myz|[[Manda (Mandaeism)|manda]]}}).<ref name=BSN>{{cite web|author=Brikhah S. Nasoraia|title=Sacred Text and Esoteric Praxis in Sabian Mandaean Religion|year=2012|url=http://isamveri.org/pdfdrg/D201813/2012_I/2012_I_NASORAIAB.pdf|access-date=4 March 2022|archive-date=9 October 2022|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://isamveri.org/pdfdrg/D201813/2012_I/2012_I_NASORAIAB.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>{{rp|48}} Mandaean texts make it abundantly clear that early Mandaeans were extremely loyal to John and viewed him as a prophetic reformer of the ancient Mandaean/Israelite tradition.<ref name = BuckleyOrigins>Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2010). Turning the Tables on Jesus: The Mandaean View. In {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ncuQxl5Ate0C&dq=buckley+mandaean+turning+the+table+on+jesus&pg=PA109|title=''Christian Origins''|isbn=9781451416640|last1=Horsley|first1=Richard|date=March 2010|publisher=Fortress Press|access-date=31 March 2022|archive-date=26 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231026090924/https://books.google.com/books?id=ncuQxl5Ate0C&dq=buckley+mandaean+turning+the+table+on+jesus&pg=PA109#v=onepage&q=buckley%20mandaean%20turning%20the%20table%20on%20jesus&f=false|url-status=live}}(pp94-111). Minneapolis: Fortress Press</ref>{{rp|108}} Scholars such as [[Mark Lidzbarski]], [[Rudolf Macúch]], [[E. S. Drower|Ethel S. Drower]], [[Jorunn J. Buckley]], and {{ill|Şinasi Gündüz|tr|vertical-align=sup}} believe that the Mandaeans likely have a historical connection with John's original disciples.<ref>R. Macuch, "Anfänge der Mandäer. Versuch eines geschichtliches Bildes bis zur früh-islamischen Zeit," chap. 6 of F. Altheim and R. Stiehl, Die Araber in der alten Welt II: Bis zur Reichstrennung, Berlin, 1965.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.academia.edu/26661213|title=Comparative Studies in Mandaean History and Theology|first=Samuel|last=Zinner|via=www.academia.edu|access-date=8 September 2021|archive-date=21 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211121014745/https://www.academia.edu/26661213|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book | last =Drower | first =Ethel Stephana | author-link =E. S. Drower | date =1960 | title =The secret Adam, a study of Nasoraean gnosis | location =London UK | publisher =Clarendon Press | page =xvi | no-pp =true| url=http://holybooks.lichtenbergpress.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Secret-Adam-A-Study-of-Nasoraen-Gnosis.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306132110/http://holybooks.lichtenbergpress.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Secret-Adam-A-Study-of-Nasoraen-Gnosis.pdf|archive-date=6 March 2014|url-status=live}}, p. xiv.</ref><ref>Thomas, Richard. "The Israelite Origins of the Mandaean People." Studia Antiqua 5, no. 2 (2007). https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/studiaantiqua/vol5/iss2/4 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210916223556/https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/studiaantiqua/vol5/iss2/4/ |date=16 September 2021 }}</ref><ref name="Gunduz 1994">{{cite journal|title=The Knowledge of Life: The Origins and Early History of the Mandaeans and Their Relation to the Sabians of the Qur'ān and to the Harranians|first=Şinasi|last=Gündüz|publisher=Oxford University Press|date=1994|issn=0022-4480|isbn=0-19-922193-6|journal=Journal of Semitic Studies Supplement|volume=3}}</ref><ref name=Buckley>Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2002), The Mandaeans: ancient texts and modern people (PDF), Oxford University Press, ISBN 9780195153859</ref><ref>Lidzbarski, Mark 1915 Das Johannesbuch der Mandäer. Giessen: Alfred Töpelmann.</ref><ref>Macuch, Rudolf A Mandaic Dictionary (with E. S. Drower). Oxford: Clarendon Press 1963.</ref> Mandaeans believe that John was married, with his wife named Anhar, and had children.<ref>Smith, Andrew Phillip. ''John the Baptist and the Last Gnostics: the Secret History of the Mandaeans''. Watkins, 2016.(p155)</ref><ref name="Nasoraia 2021">{{cite book|last=Nasoraia|first=Brikha H.S.|author-link=Brikha Nasoraia|title=The Mandaean gnostic religion: worship practice and deep thought|publisher=Sterling|publication-place=New Delhi|year=2021|isbn=978-81-950824-1-4|oclc=1272858968}}</ref> Enišbai ([[Elizabeth (biblical figure)|Elizabeth]]) is mentioned as the mother of John the Baptist in chapters 18, 21, and 32 of the [[Mandaean Book of John]].<ref name="ddy">{{citation |mode=cs1 |url=http://www.gnosis.org/library/The_Mandaean_Book_of_John_Open_Access_Ve.pdf |first1=Charles G. |last1=Häberl |author-link1=Charles G. Häberl |first2=James F. |last2=McGrath |author-link2=James F. McGrath |date=2019 |title=The Mandaean Book of John: Text and Translation |version=Open Access Version |publisher=De Gruyter |place=Berlin/Boston |access-date=17 February 2022 |archive-date=9 October 2022 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.gnosis.org/library/The_Mandaean_Book_of_John_Open_Access_Ve.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Gelbert 2017">{{cite book|last1=Gelbert|first1=Carlos|url=https://livingwaterbooks.com.au/product/john-the-baptist/|title=The Teachings of the Mandaean John the Baptist|isbn=9780958034678|location=Fairfield, NSW, Australia|publisher=Living Water Books|year=2017|oclc=1000148487|access-date=17 February 2022|archive-date=5 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220305010539/https://livingwaterbooks.com.au/product/john-the-baptist/|url-status=live}}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. 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