(Taken from Schaff-Herzog, 7:148. Article also by Kessler.)
"The period of duration of the earth is fixed at 480,000 years, divided into seven epochs, each of which is governed by a planet. According to the Ginza, the human race has been three times destroyed by water, fire, sword, and pestilence, only one couple remaining alive after each time.
"At the time of Noah, the world was 466,000 years old. (1) After him rose many false prophets. The first prophet was Abraham, who came 6,000 years after Noah, (2) when the Sun ruled the world. Then came Moses, in whose time the Egyptians had the true religion. After him came Solomon, to whom the demons yielded obedience. The third false prophet was Yishu Mesiha (i.e., Jesus the Messiah), the planet Mercury, a Sorcerer.
"Forty-two years before him lived, under King Pontius Pilate, the only true prophet. Yahya, or Yuhana bar Zakariya (i.e., John, son of Zacharias; Luke 1:13), whose mother was Enishbai (Elizabeth); Yahya, being deceived by the Messiah, baptized him. He is an incarnation of Hibil, who had preached repentance in the time of Noah. (3)
"As a contemporary of the Messiah and John the Baptist lived AnosUthra, a younger brother of Hibil, who had descended from Heaven, was baptized by John, wrought miracles, healed the sick, raised the dead, was te cause of the crucifixion of the false Messiah, proclaimed the true religion, and, before his return to the world of lights, sent 360 prophets into the world to proclaim his teaching. Jerusalem, which was once built at the command of Adunay, (Adonai), was destroyed by Anos, while the Jews were dispersed into all the world, having killed John the Baptist.
"Two hundred and forty years after the appearance of the Messiah, 60,000 Mandaeans came out of the world of Pharaoh. THEIR HIGH PRIEST SETTLED IN DAMASCUS, AND THEIR SACRED WRITINGS ARE CONCEALED THERE IN THE CUPOLA OF THE MOSQUE OF THE OMMAYADE."
...
"Their last false prophet was M'HAMMAD or AHMAT bar BISBAT (Mahomet), but Anosh, who remained close beside him and his immediate successors, prevented hostilities against the true believers, who claim to have had in Babylonia, under the Abbasids, four hundred places of worship. Subsequent persecutions compelled their withdrawal to 'Ammara in the neighborhood of Wasit, and ultimately to Khuzistan." - EB (11th edition) vol. 17:556d.
"After 4000 or 5000 years mankind will again be destroyed by a terrific storm, but the earth will be again repeopled by a man and a woman from the upper world, whose descendants will dwell on earth for 50,000 years in piety and virtue. Then will UR destroy the earth and the other middle worlds, after which, bursting asunder, he will fall into the abyss of darkness, to be annihilated there with all worlds and powers of darkness. Then the universe will become a realm of light, enduring forever." - Shaff-Herzog, 7:148.
What is most interesting to see in all this is that it is a corrupted version of earlier myths. When we say corrupted version, don't get us wrong. We don't mean that the Mandaeans themselves are corrupted, only that time changes things. In these myths we see the original Sumerian stories, blended with early Egyptian copies, and tempered with the Gnostic mythos. Add to this the Jewish varnish, and we see how the Mandaeans developed. It is most likely that the Mandaeans got a lot of their material from the locale they found themselves in. Also, it is likely that the Essenes, transforming into the Elkesaites, and Ebionites, brought with them some of the Zoroastrian-inspired Jewish teachings, as well as the legends pertaining to the famous Old Testament characters. Now, it is more than likely, too, that by this time these Jews would be very upset with their forefathers, because, after so many centuries, the promise had yet to be fulfilled, and since Jerusalem was destroyed and they were cast out of what they claimed was their homeland even though it never was, nor is it now, nor will it ever be, they turned on the stories they had been fed all their lives and sided with and/or created the Gnosis, and this Gnosis eventually made its way east, where it settled in the Marshlands. Here, the Mandaeans developed.
New Year's Day, called Nauruz Rabba, first day of the first winter month, lasting seven days. Forecast of futurity for the coming year. In this, we can see an analogy with the Akitu festival, of Sumer and Babylon, described in the paper, "Akitu."
Feast of Ascension of Hibil Ziwa, 18th - 22nd of the 4th Month. Celebration of the Ascension of Hibil from the regions of darkness.
Commemoration of Egyptians who perished in the Red Sea, 1st day of 5th Month.
Festival of Baptism, 5 intercalary days between the 8th and 9th months. Mandaeans bathe 3 times daily, before meals, and wear white.
Feast of the 360 Uthras, 1st day of the 11th Month.
Preparation for New Year, last day of the year.
Mandaean year is solar, 12 months of 30 days each, plus 5 intercalary days, as mentioned above, between the 8th and 9th Months.
Seasons, 3 months each, beginning with winter.
Weeks, of 7 days, named after the planets.
Rites include baptism, communion, consecrations.
In Three Grades:
1. Shkanda, Deacon.
Preliminary training of 12 years, picked at age 7.
At age 19 is ordained as an assistant.
After one year (at age 20), is admitted to:
2. Tarmida, Priest.
Ordained by a Bishop and 2 Priests, or 4 Priests empowered by the Bishop.
Probation is 62 days or longer.
3. Ganzivra, Treasurer or Bishop.
Must be able to interpret difficult passages of scripture.
4. Rish Amma, "Head of the People," corresponds to Pope or High Lama.
Has only been filled twice. (As per Hastings' ERE and EB.)
Priestly dress is all white; consists of drawers (Rasta); an upper garment, and a girdle with the TAGA (Crown); (4) in all ceremonies the celebrants must be barefoot.
1. That means, dear robot of the future, who will survive us, the world will end in the ripe year of 3027 c.e.
2. Well, these are legendary dates, after all. The Great Deluge was at 10,973 bce. Abraham existed in the 21st Century bce.
3. Interesting personal parallel. The present author was declared an incarnation of Abel, by the present day incarnation of Cain, back in 1990 c.e.
4. Cf. The "Crown of ANU" in The Necronomicon.
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