Medieval Gnostics: The Mandaeans & The Massalians by Judith Mann Medieval Gnostics: The Mandaeans & The Massalians Copyright © 2013 byJudith Mann All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by electronic, video, mechanical, photocopying, recording, process or otherwise, except for brief reviews, without written permission from the publisher: Pacific Rim Press, pacificrimpress@whidbey.com. Cover Design: Judith Mann TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction The Mandaeans Mandaean Cosmology & Customs The Massalians About The Author Review Request Other Books By The Author Bibliography INTRODUCTION Medieval Gnostics: The Mandaeans & The Massalians presents the foundation and history of these early gnostic sects in easy-to-understand terms. Its content has been excerpted from The Trail of Gnosis available in both paperback and eBook formats. Please address all questions concerning Mandaeans & Massalians to: pacificrimpress@whidbey.com. The Mandaeans On secluded rivers surrounding the marshes of southern Iraq and in smaller numbers, in southwest Iran, live a peaceable and deeply religious people known as the Mandaeans. In 1978, they numbered about 15,000, but may have been brought to the brink of extinction by the persecutions of Saddam Hussein. Mandaean literally means ‘Gnostics’ and their priests known as Nasoreans. They are known to neighboring Marsh Arabs as Subba, and appear in the Koran as Sabians, a people of the Book. Driven out of Palestine at the time of the crucifixion of Jesus, they moved east and south in their flight from subsequent persecutions to Parthia and Persia under the Sassanid rulers and to Harran in Mesopotamia. Until the tenth century, Harran was the center of the Sabian sect, playing a very important role in the history of esoterica. Heirs to Egyptian hermeticism, including the pursuit of alchemy, the Sabians were an influence on the Sufis, who in turn influenced the Cathars and Knights Templar of Spain and southern France. The Mandaeans claim that the precursors of their sect came from ancient Egypt. Ptahil, ruler of the world, bears a striking resemblance to that of the Egyptian god, Ptah. Their funerary ceremonies appear to owe much to the ancient Egyptians. Ptatil, with the aid of evil helpers, created the body of the first man, Adam. But the body remained motionless. Only by the soul or ‘secret inner Adam Adakas’, which came from the World of Light, was Adam’s body animated. This is one of the main events of Mandaean theology, but has become confused in their mythology. Their piety is focused on saving the light particles found in human and world darkness. Ascension of the soul to its native realm of light is by gnosis. Although their writing includes the names of some Old Testament characters, Mandaeans of today are genuinely ignorant of Jewish customs and ritual observances. The sect has a legend about a woman called Miriai (Miriam or Mary), daughter of ‘the rulers of Jerusalem’ who elopes with her Mandaean lover to the mouth of the Euphrates. There she becomes a prophet, reading from the Book of Truth, while her family desperately seeks to get her back, though misunderstanding her as a ‘whore’. This story may be an allegory of the sect’s own travels and persecutions, indicating that a Jewish faction merged with a non-Jewish group, forming the Mandaeans. The story also suggests the Magdalene tradition. Though the Mandaeans once lived near the Jews, they may not have been totally of Jewish extraction, inferring that John the Baptist might not have been of full Jewish heritage. Nevertheless, indications are that they originate from a syncretic form of Judaism given over to Gnosticism. Their Book of John or Sidra d’Yahya dates from the seventh century. The John of the title is the Baptist, referred to by the name Yohanna (Mandaean) and Yahya (Arabic). The latter is used more often, indicating that the book was written after the Moslem conquest of the region, though the material dates from a much earlier period and indicates the sect's ancient use of baptism to contact the worlds of light to purify the believer of sin and transgressions. The Sidra d’Yahya tells the story of John and Jesus. John’s birth is foretold in a dream, with a star appearing and hovering over Enishbai (Elizabeth). His father is Zahria (Zachariah), both elderly without other children. After his birth, the Jews plot against the child, who is hidden in a holy mountain by Anosh (Enoch) for protection until he is twenty-two. Represented as a gifted healer, he then becomes the leader of the Mandaeans. John is called The Fisher of Souls, a term also used to describe Jesus, Mary Magdalene and many old Mediterranean deities, including, Isis, Tammuz and Osiris. He is also called The Good Shepherd, who laments for one lost sheep who became stuck in the mud when he bowed down to Jesus. A strange element in the legend is that the Mandaeans appeared to have had no knowledge of John’s death, though in the New Testament it is a dramatic martyrdom. There is a suggestion in the Book of John that John dies peacefully, his soul led away by the god Manda-t-haly in the form of a child. This may be a poetic prefiguring of what should have happened to John the Baptist. Jesus appears in the Mandaean Book of John as Yeshu Messiah and Messiah Paulis, derived from the Persian word meaning ‘deceiver’, as well as Christ the Roman. In an astonishing parallel to the Christian stories concerning Simon Magus, Jesus perverts the word of John, changes the baptism of the Jordan and become wise through John’s wisdom. Jesus first turns up in a story applying as an‘outsider’ to become a disciple of John. When he appears at the Jordan River requesting baptism, John refuses, skeptical of his motives and worthiness. Jesus eventually persuades him, and as he is baptized, Ruha, the dark goddess, appears as a dove and throws a cross of light over the Jordan. In the Mandaean history, the ‘Hawan Gawaita’, Jesus is denounced in these words,”He perverted the words of the light and changed them to darkness and converted those who were mine and perverted all the cults”.Their most sacred book, ‘The Ginza’ states, “Do not believe him (Jesus) because he practices sorcery and treachery.” The Mandaean view of Jesus agrees with that of the Jewish Talmud in which he is condemned as an occultist ‘leading the Jews astray’. In its original form, the New Testament Gospel of John was not a Jesus movement scripture, but a document originating with the followers of John the Baptist. It has been suggested by many respected and influential twentieth century scholars, including H. H. Schaeder, that parts of the New Testament Gospel of John have been directly taken from the sacred books of the Mandaeans, such as the Gospel’s prologue, “In the beginning was the Word’. Other elements were ‘borrowed’, such as the ‘John Nativity’ in Luke and Mary’s Song of the Magnificat. Evidence in the Mandaean books also links Herod’s massacre of the innocents with the birth of John, not Jesus. Notable too are the parallels between the discourse on the Good Shepherd in the New Testament Gospel of John and the Good Shepherd section of the Book of John, which again, applied to John the Baptist, not Jesus. It has also been argued that the apocalyptic material in the Q, the source document for the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, comes from the same source as the Mandaean ‘Ginza’. So it is possible that much of the material concerning or even representing the actual words of Jesus were really about his rival, John the Baptist, who was revered as the Messiah himself, not as the foreteller of the coming of Jesus The British biblical scholar, C. H. Dodd, concluded that Jesus began his career as a disciple of John, but went on to start his own cult, taking the names Nazarene or Nazorean with him, derivatives of Nasurai or adepts. Mandaean Cosmology & Customs Ptahil The supreme being of the Mandaeans appears under various names that translate as Life, Mind or King of Light and is surrounded by a wealth of light-beings he created. Five beings of light automatically brought into being five equal but opposite beings of darkness. It is these demiurges, fundamentally split between light and dark, who created and rule the material universe including our planet. Mankind was created by one such being, called either Hiwel Ziwa or Ptahil. The first humans were the physically inanimate Adam Paghia and Hawa Paghia, and their spiritual counterparts, Adam Kasya and Hawa Kasya. Mandaeans believe they descend from both sets of primordial ancestors. Their nearest equivalent to Satan is the son of dark god(dess) Ruha, who rules over the light less realm, but dualistically, is also regarded as the Holy Spirit. The original Hebrew word for ‘spirit’ is Ruah, a feminine noun also meaning ‘breath’. This Dualist emphasis on equal and opposite forces of good and evil, male and female, light and dark, is very similar to Manichaeism. Indeed, the baptismal sect of the Mughtasilah to which both the Gnostic teacher Mani and his father belonged, were Mandaean. Mani’s doctrines were undoubtedly influenced by the Mandaeans. and his doctrines in turn, influenced the Cathars and other European gnostics. The Mandaeans have a number of sacred texts written in Aramaic: ‘The Ginza’, also known as The Book of Adam; ‘The Sidra d’Yahya’ or Book of John, and the ‘Hawan Gawaita’, a history of the sect. These sacred scrolls are illustrated with gods who bear striking resemblance to those in Greek and Egyptian magical papyri. Many prayers found in Mandaean texts are to the goddess Libat, identified with Ishtar, the Egyptian goddess. It is also maintained that the Psalms of Thomas, written by a disciple of Mani is of Mandaean origin. The Manichaean Psalm Book, dated 275-300 a.d., appears to be an adaptation of a Mandaean text, dated 200 a.d. The Mandaean community is ruled by the priests, although some religious duties may be carried out by lay members. The hereditary priesthood consists of three tiers: Tarmide, (disciples) or ordinary priests, bishops Ganzibre (treasurers), and an overall ‘head of the people’, the Ris Ama, No one has been deemed worthy to fill this role for over a century. In each local community the priest is positioned like a King or Malka. A Mandaean priest’s ordination and continuing ministry is based upon rigid qualifications that exclude his being blemished, circumcised, a eunuch, impotent or celibate. If a priest suffers an injury costing him a limb or destroys his manhood, he is no longer allowed to officiate. The priest lives a strict religious life, with special duties that include prayers morning, noon and night. Each morning, a ritual washing called signing must be performed. Prayers are usually recited standing and facing North, where the worlds of light are located White clothing, rasta, must be worn by both priests and lay members at all rites, as it is symbolic of the heavenly dress of light worn by angels and pure souls. All go barefoot during ceremonies, though sandals are mentioned in ancient texts. During ceremonies, the priest represents the celestials by wearing a silk turban-crown and a golden seal ring. A ritual banner, The Drafsa, is present at main ceremonies and must be consecrated by a special rite. A myrtle wreath slipped over the top of the banner is secured by gold wire. The Mandaeans believe that this banner is a symbol of light and is concurrently present in the heavenly worlds where the light of the sun, moon and stars radiate from these banners. Drafsa also appear on images of Cosmic Ships. Central to Mandaean communities are little huts called Mandi, connected to a pool placed at the south of the hut and fed by a river. They are always called Jordans, 'living waters' descended from the heavenly Jordans, which exist in worlds of light. Masbutta or baptism takes place here each Sunday, a day choicecelebrated like Christians. Baptism is the key sacrament of the Mandaeans with complete immersions in these special pools connected to a river. Baptism consists of two parts. First, a water ceremony of triple self-immersion by the person to be baptized and the priest, followed by a triple-signing on the baptized’s forehead by the priest, a triple drink of water, the investing of a myrtle-wreath and a blessing by the priest laying his right hand on the head of the candidate. All are accompanied by prayers, hymns and formulas. The second part takes place on the riverbank, where the priest anoints the forehead of the candidate with sesame oil. Then both partake of a holy meal of bread and water and a 'sealing' against demons by prayers recited over the head of the baptized. At the end of each of the ceremonies, a ritual handshake known as ‘giving truth’ is performed between the priest and the baptized. It is likely that Christian baptism evolved from these Mandaean rituals. An essential part of Mandaeaism is that it attempts to solve the problem of death through deep faith in the survival of the soul, but not the body. Another main ceremony, the mass of the soul, the ascension of the soul to heaven addresses this. The center of the ceremony is the complicated preparation and consecration of biscuits called ‘fatiri’. Only the priests are allowed to eat the ‘fatiri’, which may represent the power necessary for a soul to travel through dangerous and demonic regions to reach the worlds of light The Massalians The Massalians, ‘the people who pray’, were condemned as the greatest heretical threat at the Council of Side, Armenia in 390 a.d. Rejecting the Orthodox Christian Church and hierarchy, they held the cross in horror and refused to honor Mary as the mother of God, or John the Baptist, who was considered the forerunner of or the actual Antichrist. They spurned the Old Testament and interpreted the New Testament in an individualistic manner. Their main belief, a type of anthropological Dualism, was one in which a demon dwelt in every person from birth. Only after a three-year period of strict asceticism that included a wandering beggary and above all, unceasing prayer, could the Massalian expel the demon, join with the Holy Ghost and acquire the ability to see the Trinity. This state was reached through constant prayer often accompanied by wild jumping and dancing, symbolic of the trampling of the demon underfoot. Once this pinnacle was achieved, the adept was no longer considered capable of sin and could return to the mundane world without aesthetic constrictions. Fasting was no longer necessary and the male and female ‘enthusiasts’ slept together in warm weather on the streets. This led them to be accused of extreme sexual immorality. To the two principles of Mani’s teachings, the creator of Good and the creator of Evil, the Massalians added a third. Their trinity consisted of the Father, associated with the realm beyond heaven and earth, the younger Son who ruled over heaven and the older Son who reigned over the earth. These three principles led to the emergence of three distinct trends among the Massalians. The first trend revered both Sons as they had originated from one Father and would eventually be reunited. The second trend acknowledged the younger Son as the ruler of the better, superior part and the older Son honored because of his power and ability to cause evil. The third more extreme trend separated themselves completely from the ruler of heaven and worshipped only the earthly Satanael. The Massalians buttressed their doctrine with the written word. Their most important work, ‘The Asketikon’, made its way to the Balkans despite the condemnation of the Third Ecumenical Council. The Church was unable to destroy it, as it was preserved, to a large extent, in the Fifty-Seven Homilies of the late fourth century Egyptian saint, Macarius. A detailed comparison of the eighteen propositions of John of Damascus, a Massalian, with those found in the Homilies of St. Macarius, reveals their Massalian character. It establishes further proof of the continued dualistic-Gnostic tradition within both the Syriac and Armenian communities. The Byzantines were so concerned with the situation in Armenia that they forced its 4th century Kathalicos, Sahak I, to persecute and burn many of the Massalians. It is entirely possible that before this occurred, the Massalians were able to transmit their doctrines to the Paulicians, or that the remnants were later expelled from Armenia to the Balkans along with the Paulicians in the eighth century and influenced the development of Bogomil cosmology. Review Request If you enjoyed Medieval Gnostics: The Mandaeans & The Massalians I’d be very grateful if you’d post a positive review. Your support matters and really does makes a difference in many ways. I read all reviews and learn from your opinions. To leave a review, just go to the review section on the Medieval Gnostics: The Mandaeans & The Massalians Amazon page. Scroll down to the big button that says “Write a customer review”. Click that and you’re good to go! Thanks again for your support. Yours in friendship, Judith About The Author Judith Mann, an intrepid traveler, photographer and author, has spent much of her productive life investigating manifestations of the sacred in Europe and South East Asia. Four trips to Vietnam since 2006 has led to the publication of Spirit Realms of Vietnam available as two volumes, The Diaries and its in-depth reference source companion, The Context, both available since February, 2012 from Pacific Rim Press and the Exploring the Sacred in Vietnam series -Volumes 1, 2, 3 published in January 2013. Connect With Judith Mann Online Judith Mann Books Fan Page http://facebook.com/pages/Fan-Page-for-Judith-Mann-Books/386613851373361 Pacific Rim Press http://pacificrimpressblog.wordpress.com Judith Mann’s Photo Gallery: http://mysacredjourneys.com/art/index.html Contact: pacificrimpress@whidbey.com Other Books By The Author The Trail of Gnosis: A Lucid Exploration of Gnostic Traditions Mann shares significant insights and investigates historic and spiritual threads connecting Gnostic groups from China to France, from the 4th to 15th centuries. Relates the profound impact of The Inquisition and The Albigensian Crusade on gnostic Catharism. Unravels many of the mysteries surrounding sacred gnostic sites of France, Italy, Spain, Armenia, Bosnia, Croatia, Turkey and Bulgaria. The Trail of Gnosis includes secret gnostic connections to the Knights Templar and Holy Grail, along with influences of the Kabbalah, Sufism and Taoism on Gnostics of the Balkans and Western Europe. The book's greatest contribution is its multi-dimensional exploration of Gnosticism. 4th Edition Paperback and Kindle formats Legend of The Cathars An introduction to the medieval Cathars, their origins, gnostic beliefs, sacred sites and their role in Medieval history. Kindle format Manichaeism 101 Offers the intriguing story of its founder, Mani; a simple version of the doctrines and tenets of the third century syncretic, dualistic religion; its spread to both China and the West; the medieval Gnostic sects that were its heirs; the raging opposition by the imperial Roman Empire and later, the orthodox Church. Kindle format Medieval Gnostics: The Bogomil A lucid investigation of the profound but virtually forgotten traditions of The Bogomil, Medieval Gnostics of the Balkans. Kindle format Medieval Gnostics: The Paulicians A clear investigation of the profound but virtually forgotten traditions of The Paulicians, Medieval Gnostics of Asia Minor and Bulgaria. Kindle format Medieval Gnostics: The Kabbalists A clearly written investigation of the profound traditions of The Kabbalists, Medieval Gnostics of Spain and Languedoc. Kindle format Medieval Gnostics: Cathar Symbols The profound symbolism of the medieval gnostic Cathars is presented in easy-to-understand terms. Illustrations & photos. Kindle format Medieval Gnostics: Cathar Caves Explores the Sabarthez cave system of the Ariege used by medieval gnostic Cathars for ceremonial purposes. Photos, maps, illustrations. Kindle format Medieval Gnostics: Knights Templar & Grail Castles Clearly explores the origins and demise of the Knights Templar along with their role as guardians of the Holy Grail. Presents diverse descriptions of the Grail; its furtive journeys through castles in Southern France and over the Pyrenees into Northern Spain. Maps, photos, illustrations. Kindle format Medieval Gnostics: Cathar Rituals. Presents the rituals of Consolamentum, Meliormentem and Endura along with The Lyon Codex. The important Cathar event, The Council of St. Felix is described. Kindle format Medieval Gnostics: Cathar Villes & Castles Explore significant Cathar castles and villes or towns, such as Montsegur, Toulouse, Cordes, Carcasonne, Minerve and the smaller, mysterious sites of St. Juliane and Morenci, all set against the tragic backdrop of the medieval Albigensian Crusade. Kindle format Medieval Gnostics: The Albigensian Crusade & The Inquisition Reveals the basis for the medieval Albigensian Crusade against the gnostic Cathars through a secret alliance between Pope Innocent III and the King of France. Exposes the infamous Inquisition initiated by the Roman Catholic Church. Kindle format Spirit Realms of Vietnam: Volume II The Diaries In her vibrant Diaries, Judith Mann sets out to visit and unravel the mysteries of spirit stones and sacred sites of Vietnam as described nearly a century ago in the fascinating writings of Fr. Leopold Cadiere. One visit to Vietnam turns into four, filled with hazardous treks to mountain sanctums, sacred caves and wild motorcycle rides to remote shrines and back-street temples. The intrepid author’s uncanny intuition and insight is displayed as she evokes myths and spiritual traditions foreign to our own. Original maps and a multitude of riveting photos are shared. Paperback Edition Spirit Realms of Vietnam: Volume I The Context A guide for investigating the layered spiritual aspects of Vietnamese culture and an in-depth resource companion to Spirit Realms of Vietnam: The Diaries. Includes research on Vietnamese and Cham cosmologies, symbols and funeral customs: spirit stones; wandering souls; sacred sites, mediumships, shamanism. Paperback and Kindle Editions Exploring the Sacred in Vietnam, Volume 1 Volume 2 & Volume 3 Kindle Editions Bibliography Dualistic-Gnostic Traditions in the Byzantine Commonwealth, James Michael George, University of Michigan (thesis) 1979 Gnosis On The Silk Road, Hans Joachim Klimkeit, Harper Collins, 1993 The Origins of European Dissent, R. I. Moore, St. Martin’s Press, 1977