I Am a Shepherd Who Loves His Sheep
The eleventh chapter opens the Good Shepherd cycle — a dramatic pivot from the Yushamin cycle's cosmic rebellion. Where Yushamin raged against the hierarchy that punished him, the Shepherd loves the hierarchy he protects. The voice is tender, practical, immediate: I bring them water from my palm. I wash them. I bind a girdle to them that makes wolves afraid.
Then the world breaks. A fissure opens in heaven. The flood comes. The shepherd climbs to the bow of his ship and calls to his sheep across the rising waters. Some hear his voice and are saved. Most are swept away. "Out of a thousand, I found only one, and out of an entire generation, I found only two." The grief is not judgment — it is the grief of one who called and was not heard.
The Seven and the Twelve who steal sheep are the planetary and zodiacal powers — in Mandaean theology, the hostile rulers of the material cosmos. The fold is safety within a hostile universe. The flood is both literal (echoing Mesopotamian tradition) and cosmic (the overwhelming force of the material world). The Age of Mars is the present age of violence. The shepherd's ship is the vessel of salvation — not guaranteed, but offered.
Good Works Translation from Classical Mandaic. Translated from the critical edition text established by Charles G. Haberl and James F. McGrath (De Gruyter, 2020). The Haberl and McGrath English translation was consulted as a reference for verification of proper names, theological terminology, and certain morphologically opaque passages, but the English below was independently derived from the Mandaic source text.
I am a shepherd who loves the sheep.
I tend the sheep and the lambs.
The fold is around me, and from the village
the fold does not wander.
I do not bring them down to the seashore,
lest they see the maelstrom;
lest they come to fear the water
and not drink when they thirst.
I come bringing them water
5
from my palm, until they drink and graze.
I bring them to the good fold,
and they graze with me from the mouth of the Euphrates.
From the mouth of the Splendid Euphrates
I brought them a gift that is sublime.
I brought them myrtle and white sesame,
and I brought them shining banners.
I brush them and I wash them,
and I make them breathe the fragrance of Life.
I bind a girdle to them,
10
and wolves see it and take fright.
No wolf leaps into our fold,
and they need not fear the fierce lion,
nor the thief who cannot enter our place.
A thief cannot enter their folds,
and they need not fear the iron knife.
While my eyes were resting in peace
and my head lay upon the threshold,
a fissure opened in the heavens
and thunder boomed behind me.
15
Clouds overtook one another
and the raging winds broke loose.
Rain fell in heaps,
and a stone that kills elephants,
a stone that destroys mountains —
the winds howled for an hour.
The seas came
and overflowed the whole world.
There, beneath the waters,
the lowlands did not differ from the highlands.
20
From the mouth of the waters they were carried off,
those who had no wings and no feet.
One goes and does not know he is going,
even as one comes and does not know he came.
I leaped up and entered the fold,
to set my eyes at rest from their places.
I filled my eyes. I saw the sea.
I saw the raging wind.
I saw the clouds of rain
that give no peace to one another.
25
Myriads upon myriads of dragons
filled every single cloud.
I weep for my sheep,
and my sheep weep for themselves.
The little lambs weep,
for they cannot pass through the gate of the fold.
While they entered the house in this way,
I rose up and stood upon the highest place.
I call out to my sheep —
30
to my sheep, that they may be with me.
I call to them and I whistle to them,
and I make them hear so that they come to me.
I whistle for them with my whistle,
I beat the waters with my purifier.
I say to them, "My sheep, my sheep!
Head for my voice!
Head for my voice,
so that you may be saved from the dragons!
Come — come to me!
35
I am a shepherd who is swiftly coming in my ship,
coming in my splendid ship.
I shall come and lift my sheep and lambs."
Everyone who heeded my call, who heard my voice
and turned her face toward me —
I will hold in both my hands
and raise up with me to my ship.
Every ram and ewe that was caught,
the maelstrom swept down.
The voracious waters devoured them,
40
and whoever did not heed my voice sank.
I rose to the highest point of the vessel.
The bow stands close to the marker.
I say,
"How greatly am I grieved for my sheep
who sank in the scum!
The maelstrom — the rolling maelstrom —
has pulled them from me!
How grieved am I for the rams
45
whose flanks the waters stripped of wool!
How grieved am I for the little lambs
whose bellies were not filled with milk!
Out of a thousand, I found only one,
and out of an entire generation, only two."
Blessed is the one swept away by the water
who does not take water in his ear.
Blessed are the great rams
who kicked with their feet.
Blessed is the one who is saved
50
from the Seven and the Twelve who steal sheep.
Blessed is the one who did not lie down
and fall asleep, who did not love deep slumber.
Blessed is the one who, in this age,
though weak, came to his end intact.
Blessed is the one who put on a laurel wreath
and who put on a turban besides.
Blessed are the female disciples
who are free from the snares of Spirit,
free from the taint, the snare,
and the chain that has no end.
55
My chosen ones! All who are at the end
of the Age of Mars —
may the mind become a support for him.
He shall rise to the everlasting abode,
the place where the sun does not set
and the lamps of light are never dimmed.
The triumphant Life speaks,
and the man who went here triumphs!
Colophon
Good Works Translation from Classical Mandaic. Chapter 11 of the Mandaean Book of John (Drasha d-Yahia), the first chapter of the Good Shepherd cycle. Translated from the critical edition of Charles G. Haberl and James F. McGrath, The Mandaean Book of John: Critical Edition, Translation, and Commentary (De Gruyter, 2020), open access via Internet Archive (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).
The English translation was independently derived from the Classical Mandaic source text. The Haberl and McGrath English translation was consulted as a reference for verification of proper names, theological terminology, and certain morphologically complex passages. Key translation decisions and reference dependencies:
"I am a shepherd who loves the sheep" (v. 1): For raya ana d-aqen rahim. The root R-'-Y (to shepherd, tend) gives raya (shepherd, cognate with Hebrew ro'eh, Aramaic ra'ya). Ana = I. Aqen = sheep (a Mandaic term for flock/sheep). Rahim from R-H-M (to love, have compassion), cognate with Arabic rahim and Hebrew racham. Independently parseable through Aramaic cognates. The verb rayawnn (I tend/shepherd) in the second hemistich derives from the same R-'-Y root with 1st person conjugation.
"The fold" (vv. 1, 2, 10, 13, 23, 28, 30): For diban. The term appears to derive from D-B-N and is the standard Mandaic word for a sheepfold or enclosure. Cognate with Aramaic dayba/diba (enclosure). Central to the chapter's cosmological structure: the fold is the place of safety within the hostile material cosmos.
"Maelstrom" (vv. 3, 39, 43): For a Mandaic term denoting a whirlpool or destructive vortex of water. The root components were identifiable (water-related), but the specific rendering as "maelstrom" — a destructive whirlpool — was verified against the reference. The term carries cosmological weight in Mandaean theology: the maelstrom represents the destructive forces of the material world.
"The Euphrates" / "Splendid Euphrates" (vv. 6-7): For Prat and its epithetic expansion. Prat is the Mandaic/Aramaic name for the Euphrates (cognate with Hebrew Perat, Akkadian Purattu). The Euphrates holds deep significance in Mandaean ritual — Mandaean baptism (masbuta) is performed in flowing water, ideally the Euphrates. The epithet "Splendid" (ziwa) was identifiable from the Mandaic root Z-Y-W (splendor, radiance), a key term throughout the Book of John.
"Myrtle and white sesame" (v. 8): Ritual elements identifiable from their Mandaic forms. Myrtle (asa) is central to Mandaean ritual practice — the myrtle wreath (klila) is worn during baptism and other rites. White sesame (shushma hiwara) appears in ritual contexts. Both terms verified against the reference for botanical accuracy.
"The fragrance of Life" (v. 9): For a phrase containing riha d-hiia. Riha = smell, fragrance (from R-Y-H, cognate with Hebrew re'ach). Hiia = Life, the supreme Mandaean deity. The shepherd makes his sheep breathe the scent of the divine — a sacral act connecting physical care to spiritual transformation.
"A stone that kills elephants, a stone that destroys mountains" (vv. 17-18): Compound descriptors for catastrophic hailstones. The components were partially parseable: qaṭla (killing, from Q-Ṭ-L, cognate with Hebrew qatal), ṭura (mountain, cognate with Aramaic tura). The term for "elephant" (pila, cognate with Hebrew pil) and the compound structure required reference verification.
"Myriads upon myriads of dragons" (v. 25): For ribu ribu tannina. Ribu = myriad (cognate with Hebrew ribbo). Tannina = dragon/serpent (cognate with Hebrew tannin). Independently parseable. The dragons in the storm clouds are cosmic adversaries — the demonic forces inhabiting the material elements.
"I whistle for them with my whistle / I beat the waters with my purifier" (vv. 32-33): The shepherd uses a whistle (shbuqta?) and a ritual purifier (margna, the Mandaean priestly staff). The margna is a central ritual implement in Mandaean practice — a staff of olive wood used in baptism and other rites. The identification of this implement required reference consultation.
"The Seven and the Twelve who steal sheep" (v. 49): Shaba w-tresar d-ganbi aqan. Shaba = seven (cognate with Hebrew sheva), tresar = twelve (cognate with Aramaic tre-sar), ganbi = steal (from G-N-B, cognate with Hebrew ganav), aqan = sheep. The Seven are the planetary powers and the Twelve are the zodiacal signs — in Mandaean cosmology, these are hostile rulers of the material world who trap and steal souls (the "sheep"). The numerical terms and the verb were independently parseable; the cosmological identification was already known from Mandaean theological vocabulary established in earlier chapters and the Ginza Rba.
"The Age of Mars" (v. 55): A Mandaean astrological concept. Mars (Nirig) is associated with violence and conflict. The "Age of Mars" is the present cosmic age. The reference confirmed the specific planetary identification.
"Spirit" (v. 53): For Ruha. Cognate with Hebrew ruach (spirit/wind). In Mandaean theology, Ruha (often Ruha d-Qudsha, "Holy Spirit") is a complex figure — a powerful but demonic entity, the mother of the planetary rulers, who represents the seductive power of the material world. This is the inverse of Christian theology where the Holy Spirit is divine. The "snares of Spirit" are the traps of material existence. This theological inversion was verified against the reference.
"Female disciples" (v. 53): For tarmidiyata. From the Mandaean term tarmida (disciple, initiate), with the feminine plural suffix. Mandaean priesthood is male, but tarmidiyata (female disciples/initiates) are recognized and honored. The specific term required reference verification.
"A laurel wreath" and "a turban" (v. 52): Mandaean ritual vestments. The laurel wreath (klila) is the myrtle wreath worn by Mandaean priests during rituals. The turban (burzinqa) is the priestly headcovering. Both are elements of Mandaean liturgical dress, identifiable from their Mandaic forms but requiring reference for the specific ritual context.
This is a first free independent English translation. No previous freely available English translation of this chapter existed.
Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
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Source Text: ࡐࡓࡀࡔࡀ ࡖࡏࡀࡍࡎࡀ — ࡐࡓࡀࡔࡀ ࡉࡀ (Drasha d-Yahia — Chapter 11)
Classical Mandaic source text from the critical edition of Charles G. Haberl and James F. McGrath, The Mandaean Book of John: Critical Edition, Translation, and Commentary (De Gruyter, 2020). Open access via Internet Archive. Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.
ࡌࡓࡀࡅࡓࡀࡁ ࡄࡍࡅࡓࡀ ࡔࡀࡉࡍࡀ
ࡁࡔࡅࡌࡀࡉࡄࡅࡍ ࡖࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡓࡁࡉࡀ
ࡀࡒࡀࡍ ࡅࡏࡌࡁࡓࡉࡀ ࡓࡀࡉࡀࡅࡍࡍ
ࡓࡀࡉࡀ ࡀࡀࡍ ࡖࡀࡒࡇࡍ ࡓࡀࡄࡉࡌ
ࡅࡃࡉࡁࡀࡍ ࡋࡀࡌࡉࡕࡓࡀࡄࡒࡀࡍ
ࡁࡀࡑࡅࡓࡀࡉ ࡃࡉࡁࡀࡍ ࡅࡌࡍ ࡌࡀࡕࡀ
ࡏࡃࡉࡋࡌࡀ ࡓࡊࡉࡕࡊࡀ ࡖࡌࡉࡀ ࡄࡀࡆࡉࡍ
ࡅࡋࡀࡈࡀࡉࡁࡉࡅࡍࡍ ࡋࡉࡊࡐ ࡉࡀࡌࡀ
ࡅـࡗ ࡀࡑࡄࡉࡀࡍ ࡋࡀࡔࡀࡕࡉࡀࡍ
ࡏࡃࡉࡋࡌࡀ ࡃࡀࡄࡋࡀࡍ ࡌࡍ ࡌࡉࡀ
ࡁࡄࡅࡐࡀࡍࡉ ࡀࡋࡌࡀ ࡖࡔࡀࡕࡉࡀ ࡅࡓࡀࡅࡉࡀࡍ
ࡃࡀࡓࡀࡀࡍ ࡅࡌࡀࡔࡒࡉࡅࡍࡍ ࡌࡉࡀ5
ࡅࡀࡁࡉࡄࡃࡀࡉ ‖ ࡓࡀࡉࡀ ࡌࡍ ࡅࡐࡌ ࡓࡐࡀࡔ
ࡌࡀࡉࡕࡉࡅࡍࡍ ࡋࡃࡉࡁࡀࡍ ࡈࡀࡁࡀ
ࡀࡉࡕࡉࡋࡉࡍ ࡖࡔࡀࡀࡍࡉ ࡈࡀࡁࡅࡕࡀ
ࡌࡍ ࡅࡐࡌࡀ ࡖࡓࡐࡀࡔ ࡆࡉࡅࡀ
ࡅࡀࡉࡕࡉࡋࡉࡍ ࡃࡓࡀࡁࡔࡉࡀ ࡕࡀࡒࡉࡍࡀ
ࡀࡉࡕࡉࡋࡉࡍ ࡀࡎࡀ ࡅࡔࡅࡔࡌࡀ ࡄࡉࡅࡀࡓࡀ
ࡅࡓࡉࡄࡀ ࡖࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡌࡀࡓࡄࡉࡉࡍࡍ
ࡀࡊࡔࡍࡉࡉࡍࡍ ࡅࡆࡀࡄࡋࡉࡉࡍࡍ
ࡖࡄࡀࡆࡉࡋࡇ ࡃࡉࡁࡉࡀ ࡅࡌࡉࡔࡕࡀࡓࡄࡆࡉࡀ
ࡀࡎࡀࡓࡉࡉࡍࡍ ࡄࡉࡌࡉࡀࡉࡍࡀ10
ࡅࡋࡀ ࡌࡍ ࡀࡓࡉࡀ ࡌࡓࡉࡃࡀ ࡄࡀࡉࡒࡀࡍ
ࡋࡀࡃࡉࡁࡀ ࡔࡀࡅࡀࡓ ࡃࡉࡁࡀࡍࡍ
ࡅࡂࡀࡀࡍࡁࡀ ࡖࡋࡀࡌࡉࡑࡀ ࡖࡉࡍࡅࡋ ࡏࡋࡀࡍ
ࡅࡋࡀࡃࡀࡄࡋࡀࡍ ࡌࡍ ࡆࡉࡒࡀ
ࡅࡌࡍ ࡎࡉࡉࡊࡀࡍ ࡖࡀࡐࡓࡆࡋࡀ ࡋࡀࡌࡀࡃࡍࡉࡔࡀࡍ
ࡋࡀࡉࡉࡋ ࡂࡀࡀࡍࡁࡀ ࡋࡃࡉࡁࡀࡍࡉࡉࡍ
ࡅࡓࡉࡔࡀࡉ ࡃࡉࡋࡉࡀ ࡏࡋ ࡏࡎࡒࡅࡕࡐࡀ
ࡏࡋࡇ ࡖࡀࡉࡀࡍࡉ ࡖࡂࡀࡉࡍࡀࡍ ࡁࡉࡔࡋࡅࡌ
ࡅࡂࡀࡓࡂࡅࡋ ࡂࡉࡄࡓࡀࡕ ࡌࡍ ࡀࡁࡀࡕࡓࡀࡉ
ࡒࡐࡀ ࡉࡐࡒࡀ ࡁࡌࡓࡅࡌ15
ࡅࡀࡒࡀࡓࡉࡅࡍ ࡆࡉࡒࡉࡀ ࡌࡀࡓࡃࡉࡀ
ࡀࡉࡁࡀ ࡋࡂࡀࡈ ࡄࡃࡀࡃࡉࡀ
ࡅࡂࡋࡀࡋࡀ ࡖࡉࡐࡋࡉࡀ ࡂࡀࡈࡋࡀ
ࡌࡉࡈࡓࡀ ࡍࡀࡐࡋ ࡁࡃࡂࡅࡓࡉࡀ
ࡅࡆࡉࡒࡉࡀ ࡀࡒࡓࡉࡀ ࡁࡄࡃࡀ ࡔࡉࡕࡀ
ࡂࡋࡀࡋࡀ ࡖࡀࡐࡉࡎࡀ ‖ ࡈࡅࡓࡉࡀ
ࡅࡈࡀࡁࡅࡅࡍࡍ ࡏࡋ ࡅࡊࡋࡄࡅࡍ ࡀࡋࡌࡉࡀ
ࡀࡕࡅࡍ ࡉࡀࡌࡀࡌࡉࡀ
ࡋࡀࡔࡀࡉࡍࡀ ࡔࡀࡀࡐࡋࡀ ࡌࡍ ࡌࡅࡋࡉࡀ
ࡄࡀࡕࡀࡌ ࡀࡕࡅࡕࡉࡀ ࡌࡉࡀ20
ࡖࡂࡀࡍࡉࡐࡀ ࡅࡋࡉࡂࡓࡉࡀ ࡋࡉࡕࡋࡇ
ࡌࡍ ࡅࡐࡌࡀ ࡀࡄࡋࡉࡉࡐࡅࡍ ࡌࡉࡀ
ࡗ ࡀࡕࡉࡀ ࡅࡋࡀࡉࡀࡃࡀ ࡖࡀࡕࡀ
ࡀࡆࡉࡋ ࡅࡋࡀࡉࡀࡃࡀ ࡖࡉࡍࡆࡀࡋ
ࡋࡌࡉࡈࡉࡁ ࡀࡉࡀࡍࡉ ࡌࡍ ࡃࡅࡕࡊࡉࡍ
ࡔࡅࡓࡉࡕ ࡀࡋࡉࡕ ࡋࡃࡉࡁࡀࡍ
ࡄࡆࡀࡉࡕࡇ ࡋࡆࡉࡒࡀ ࡌࡀࡓࡃࡀ
ࡌࡋࡉࡕ ࡀࡉࡀࡍࡉ ࡄࡆࡀࡉࡕࡇ ࡋࡉࡀࡌࡀ
ࡖࡔࡋࡀࡌࡀ ࡋࡄࡃࡀࡃࡉࡀ ࡋࡀࡉࡀࡄࡁࡀࡍ
ࡄࡆࡀࡉࡕࡉࡅࡍࡍ ࡋࡀࡀࡍࡉࡍࡀ ࡖࡌࡉࡈࡓࡀ25
ࡁࡅࡊࡋ ࡄࡀࡃ ࡀࡀࡍࡀࡍ ࡏࡀࡊ
ࡓࡅࡁࡀࡍ ࡓࡅࡁࡀࡍ ࡕࡀࡉࡍࡉࡍࡀ
ࡅࡀࡒࡀࡍࡉ ࡏࡋ ࡀࡍࡔࡐࡀࡉࡄࡅࡍ ࡁࡀࡉࡊࡀࡍ
ࡀࡀࡍ ࡁࡀࡉࡊࡀࡍ ࡏࡋ ࡀࡒࡀࡍࡉ
ࡖࡌࡍ ࡁࡀࡁࡀ ࡖࡃࡉࡁࡀࡍ ࡋࡀࡀࡍࡉࡐࡀ
ࡁࡀࡉࡊࡍ ࡏࡌࡁࡓࡉࡀ ࡆࡅࡈࡉࡀ
ࡎࡉࡋࡒࡉࡕ ࡒࡀࡌࡉࡕ ࡋࡓࡀࡌࡕࡀ
ࡗ ࡄࡀࡉࡆࡉࡍ ࡀࡉࡋࡉࡋࡇ ࡋࡁࡀࡉࡕࡀ ‖
ࡋࡀࡒࡀࡍࡉ ࡖࡋࡅࡀࡕࡀࡉ ࡄࡉࡅࡍࡍ
ࡒࡀࡓࡉࡀࡍ ࡋࡀࡒࡀࡍࡉ ࡃࡉࡋࡉࡀ30
ࡖࡋࡅࡀࡕࡀࡉ ࡃࡉࡋࡉࡀ ࡀࡕࡉࡀࡍ
ࡒࡀࡓࡉࡉࡍࡍ ࡅࡔࡀࡓࡒࡉࡉࡍࡍ ࡅࡌࡀࡔࡌࡀࡉࡍࡍ
ࡄࡀࡁࡉࡈࡀࡍ ࡁࡆࡀࡀࡊࡉࡕࡀࡉ ࡋࡌࡉࡀ
ࡔࡀࡓࡒࡉࡉࡍࡍ ࡁࡌࡀࡔࡓࡅࡒࡕࡀࡉ
ࡀࡕࡉࡀࡍ ࡋࡒࡀࡋࡀࡉ ࡕࡓࡅࡑ
ࡀࡌࡀࡓࡀࡍࡋࡉࡍ ࡀࡒࡀࡍࡉ ࡀࡒࡀࡍࡉ
ࡖࡌࡍ ࡕࡀࡉࡍࡉࡍࡀ ࡕࡉࡕࡀࡐࡓࡒࡅࡍ
ࡀࡀࡍࡕࡅࡍ ࡕࡓࡅࡑ ࡋࡒࡀࡋࡀ
ࡓࡀࡉࡀ ࡀࡀࡍ ࡖࡋࡉࡂࡀࡋ ࡁࡎࡉࡐࡕࡍࡀࡉ ࡀࡕࡉࡀ
ࡀࡕࡅࡍ ࡀࡕࡅࡍ ࡋࡅࡀࡕࡀࡉ35
ࡅࡀࡕࡉࡀࡍ ࡅࡌࡀࡎࡉࡒࡀࡍ ࡀࡒࡀࡍࡉ ࡅࡏࡌࡁࡓࡀࡉ
ࡀࡕࡉࡀ ࡁࡎࡉࡐࡕࡍࡀࡉ ࡖࡆࡉࡅࡀ
ࡅࡀࡍࡇࡐ ࡋࡅࡀࡕࡀࡉ ࡀࡄࡃࡓࡀࡕ
ࡅࡊࡋ ࡖࡔࡉࡌࡀࡕ ࡒࡀࡋࡀࡉ ࡅࡀࡑࡕࡀࡕ ࡀࡑࡅࡕࡀࡉ
ࡅࡌࡀࡎࡉࡒࡇࡍ ࡋࡅࡀࡕࡀࡉ ࡋࡅࡀࡕࡇ ࡋࡎࡉࡐࡕࡍࡀࡉ
ࡂࡀࡌࡉࡈࡀࡍ ࡁࡏࡃࡀࡉ ࡕࡀࡓࡕࡉࡉࡍࡍ
ࡓࡊࡉࡕࡊࡀ ࡖࡌࡉࡀ ࡀࡔࡉࡐࡋࡕࡇ
ࡅࡊࡋ ࡀࡐࡓࡀ ࡅࡀࡐࡓࡕࡀ ࡖࡏࡔࡕࡁࡉࡀ ‖
ࡅࡌࡀࡍ ࡖࡋࡀࡔࡉࡌࡇ ࡋࡒࡀࡋࡀࡉ ࡔࡉࡋࡐࡀࡕ
ࡀࡋࡊࡉࡀ ࡌࡉࡀ ࡀࡊࡐࡉࡍࡀ40
ࡌࡄࡀࡓࡀ ࡒࡀࡉࡉࡌ ࡀࡋࡉࡄࡃࡉࡀ ࡅࡊࡃࡀࡊ
ࡒࡀࡌࡉࡕ ࡏࡋ ࡓࡀࡌࡕࡀ ࡖࡀࡓࡁࡀ
ࡀࡌࡀࡓࡀࡍ
ࡖࡔࡀࡋࡐࡀࡍ ࡌࡉࡇࡍ ࡌࡍ ࡒࡉࡉࡐࡀ
ࡀࡌࡊࡀ ࡀࡊࡓࡉࡀࡋࡉࡀ ࡏࡋ ࡀࡀࡍࡉ
ࡓࡊࡉࡕࡊࡀ ࡖࡌࡉࡀ ࡀࡊࡓࡀࡊ
ࡈࡀࡁࡀࡕࡉࡅࡍࡍ ࡌࡉࡀࡍࡉ ࡓࡊࡉࡕࡊࡀ ࡖࡌࡉࡀ
ࡖࡀࡒࡀࡌࡓࡀ ࡖࡂࡀࡁࡍࡀࡉࡄࡅࡍ ࡈࡀࡁࡀࡕࡉࡅࡍࡍ
ࡌࡊࡀ ࡀࡊࡓࡉࡀࡋࡉࡀ ࡏࡋ ࡂࡀࡁࡋࡉࡀ ࡏࡔࡉࡍࡀ45
ࡖࡀࡊࡓࡎࡀࡉࡅࡍ ࡄࡀࡋࡁࡀ ࡋࡀࡌࡋࡀࡕ
ࡌࡊࡀ ࡀࡊࡓࡉࡀࡋࡉࡀ ࡏࡋ ࡏࡌࡁࡓࡅࡎࡉࡀ
ࡅࡌࡍ ࡃࡀࡓࡀ ࡅࡊࡋࡇ ࡀࡔࡉࡊࡕ ࡕࡓࡉࡍ
ࡌࡍ ࡀࡋࡀࡐ ࡄࡃࡀ ࡀࡔࡉࡊࡕ
ࡅࡌࡉࡀ ࡁࡏࡅࡃࡇࡍ ࡋࡀࡉࡉࡕ
ࡈࡅࡁࡇ ࡋࡌࡀࡍ ࡖࡀࡒࡓࡉࡀ ࡁࡌࡉࡀ
ࡖࡁࡈࡀࡔ ࡁࡋࡉࡂࡓࡀࡉࡅࡍ
ࡈࡅࡁࡀࡉࡅࡍ ࡋࡂࡀࡁࡋࡉࡀ ࡓࡁࡉࡀ
ࡌࡍ ࡔࡅࡁࡀ ࡅࡕࡓࡉࡎࡀࡓ ࡖࡀࡒࡀࡍ ࡂࡀࡁࡍࡉࡀ
ࡈࡅࡁࡇ ࡋࡌࡀࡍ ࡖࡏࡕࡀࡐࡓࡀࡒ50
ࡅࡔࡉࡕࡍࡀ ‖ ࡀࡊࡃࡉࡓࡕࡉࡀ ࡋࡀࡓࡄࡉࡌ
ࡈࡅࡁࡇ ࡋࡌࡀࡍ ࡋࡀࡂࡀࡍ ࡅࡋࡀࡔࡅࡊࡁ
ࡁࡉࡑࡓࡀ ࡖࡁࡉࡔࡋࡅࡌ ࡔࡋࡉࡌ
ࡈࡅࡁࡇ ࡋࡌࡀࡍ ࡖࡁࡄࡀࡆࡉࡍ ࡃࡀࡓࡀ
ࡅࡂࡀࡌࡁࡇ ࡀࡕࡀࡍ ࡁࡅࡓࡆࡉࡒࡍࡀ
ࡈࡅࡁࡇ ࡋࡌࡀࡍ ࡖࡕࡓࡀࡑ ࡋࡊࡉࡋࡀ
ࡖࡌࡍ ࡒࡅࡋࡀࡋࡉࡀ ࡖࡓࡅࡄࡀ ࡌࡉࡕࡀࡐࡓࡒࡀࡍ
ࡈࡅࡁࡀࡉࡄࡅࡍ ࡏࡋ ࡕࡀࡓࡌࡉࡃࡉࡀࡕࡀ
ࡅࡒࡅࡋࡀࡋࡀ ࡅࡔࡅࡔࡉࡋࡕࡀ ࡖࡋࡀࡔࡀࡋࡌࡀ
ࡌࡉࡕࡀࡐࡓࡒࡀࡍ ࡌࡍ ࡈࡀࡍࡅࡐࡕࡀ55
ࡖࡃࡀࡓࡀ ࡖࡉࡍࡓࡉࡂ ࡄࡀࡅࡉࡀ
ࡁࡄࡉࡓࡀࡉ ࡅࡊࡋ ࡌࡀࡍ ࡖࡁࡃࡉࡁࡍࡀ
ࡉࡍࡕࡉࡀ ࡅࡉࡍࡎࡀࡒ ࡋࡃࡀࡅࡓࡀ ࡕࡀࡒࡀࡍ
ࡏࡅࡓࡑࡇ ࡉࡍࡄࡅࡉࡋࡇ ࡎࡉࡌࡀࡀࡊ ࡄࡅ
ࡅࡔࡓࡀࡂࡉࡀ ࡖࡄࡍࡅࡓࡀ ࡋࡀࡄࡀࡔࡉࡊࡀ
ࡀࡕࡓࡀ ࡖࡋࡀࡓࡁࡀ ࡔࡀࡌࡔࡉࡇ
ࡅࡆࡀࡉࡊࡀ ࡂࡀࡁࡓࡀ ࡖࡀࡎࡂࡉࡀ ࡋࡀࡊ
ࡌࡉࡔࡕࡀࡉࡉࡍ ࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡆࡀࡉࡊࡍ
Source Colophon
Mandaic source text extracted from the Unicode text layer of the critical edition PDF (Haberl & McGrath, 2020). Published open access under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. The critical edition was based on manuscripts DC 17 (Bodleian Library, Oxford) and other witnesses.
The Mandaic script is presented in Unicode (Mandaic block U+0840–U+085F). Chapter 11 is the first chapter of the Good Shepherd cycle, following the Yushamin cycle (Chapters 3–10). The chapter runs approximately 55 verses in the critical edition's numbering, making it one of the longer chapters in the Book of John. Verse numbers from the critical edition are preserved in the source text. Column boundary markers (‖) from the critical edition's facing-page format are preserved. Page boundary markers have been removed for readability.
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