The Mandaean tradition represents a living stream of the Gnostic tradition surviving from classical times up to the present. According to the Haran Gawaitha, the Mandaeans have existed in the region centering around Iraq since the reign of Artabanus V of Parthia, dating to the third century C. E. There is some scholarly support for suggesting Mandaean origins predate formation of Christianity and perhaps even influenced the heterodox Jewish circles from which Christian tradition first emerged. Mandaean Scriptures: The Ginza Rba - Canonical Prayerbooks of the Mandaeans. Excerpt from: E.S. Drower, Canonical Prayerbook of the Mandaeans, Leiden: 1959 http://gnosis.org/library/ginzarba.htm The Haran Gawaitha from The Haran Gawaita and the Baptism of Hibil-Ziwa: The Mandaic Text Reproduced Together with Translation, Notes, and Commentary by E. S. Drower (Citta del Vaticano, 1953). This important source book is long out of print and now very difficult to find. (This text version presented here lacks the many footnotes that helped clarify the text, therefore a pdf version of the original text is also provided.) http://gnosis.org/library/haran.htm Gnostic John the Baptizer: Selections from the Mandæan John-Book by G.R.S. Mead. This short book offers an evaluation of a Mandaean scripture by one of the most insightful early scholars of Gnostic traditions. http://gnosis.org/library/grs-mead/gnostic_john_baptist/index.htm Gnostic sunset: Strife in Syria and Iraq driving out Mandaeans, the last surviving followers of John the Baptist: http://life.nationalpost.com/2013/08/10/gnostic-sunset-strife-in-syria-and-iraq-driving-out-mandaeans-the-last-surviving-followers-of-john-the-baptist/

• published: 08 Apr 2014
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