The Last Ancient Gnostics: The Mandaeans

[@MrNushNush]

Im a Mandaen an i thank you for your Video.

[@lukemcquillen4181]

Mandaeans have such an interesting history. I always wondered why there was not much public interest in their tradition. I am not a scholar but I figure their texts would be a really interesting window into historical Gnosticism especially since they were written in what I understand to be a dialect of Aramaic.

[@kirbyswenson2818]

There is a full English translation of the Ginza Rba, but it's not open access, and the only place to order it from is Australia (Living Water Books).

[@ReligionProf]

Indeed, but I believe that the translator Carlos Gelbert relied largely on the German translation by Lidzbarski as he is not a linguist with expertise in Aramaic as far as I know. So there is a translation of a translation, but nothing resembling what we usually expect of translations, whether of Mandaean literature, the Bible, or anything else.

[@ReligionProf]

@@GnomeFanboy I'd be interested to know where you found the text online and if it was in English. The Mandaic text transcribed with a Mandaic font by the Mubaraki family can be found online, e.g. here: vdocuments.mx/mandaean-holy-book-ginza-rba-mandaic.html The German edition by Lidzbarski is online on the Internet Archive. I believe the Texas English translation is not the complete work, although I may be mistaken.

[@losangsangpo]

@@ReligionProf I believe the Texan one is the translation by Dr Qais Al-Saadi, which is abridged.

[@КарлосЛоуренсовы]

@@ReligionProfit’s a coincidence how my name is Carlos, I translate mandate texts and I am mandaean

[@natureisametaphor8725]

What about the canonical book of prayer by Drower? Is that a faithful translation in your opinion?

[@raedbahor4839]

i am mandean i would like to buy the book of john

[@ReligionProf]

If you would like to buy a copy you can order it from the publisher (De Gruyter) or retailers like Amazon. www.amazon.com/Mandaean-Book-John-Translation-Commentary/dp/3110486512 It is an expensive edition so you might just want to ask your local library to purchase it. The text and translation (without the commentary and some other elements in the print volume) is available open access and so you can find it here: digitalcommons.butler.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2067&context=facsch_papers

[@raedbahor4839]

@@ReligionProf thank you

[@ReligionProf]

My pleasure. Feel free to get in touch via email as well if there's any other way I can be of assistance, or to let me know what you think of the Book of John translation once you've had a chance to look at it. Charles Haberl and I are both eager for what we've produced to be of benefit to Mandaeans in the present day and are happy to be connected with you. You can find my email address via the Butler University website if nowhere else.

[@gnosis_5]

There’s no Spanish translation 😏