Shem in Truth Begins Teaching (Continued)
Chapter 15 of the Mandaean Book of John. In this chapter, Truth's Shem — having feared death and lamented his failing body in Chapter 14 — now faces a new threat. Nemrus and her sons, the planetary archons, conspire to trap and imprison Shem in the material world. His response is a magnificent litany of defiance: each body part, consecrated by truth and devotion, refuses the planets' temptations. Where Chapter 14 catalogued the body failing, Chapter 15 catalogues the body triumphant. The eyes that were like a fallen fortress now gaze upon Life. The mouth that was a drying river is now filled with prayer. This is not asceticism — this is the Mandaean consecration of the lived body.
Translated from Classical Mandaic by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. Source text from Haberl and McGrath's critical edition (Brill, 2020), accessed via Internet Archive (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). The English translation of Haberl and McGrath was consulted as a reference; all departures from the reference are documented below.
Shem in Truth stands teaching,
and instructs Shem, son of Noah.
Shem in Truth stands and says:
"A flawed age has come upon me —
what have I sinned in the house of the Great Life,
that the Twelve are my persecution
and the Seven my oppression?
The First has forgotten me,
and the Second does not inquire after me.
I have fallen into a great affliction,
and worries that do not cease.
My tears have come, and do not end."
Nemrus rises and plots,
and says to her sons, the seducers:
"The chosen one has fallen into our hands.
Come, let us bind him in our snares
and make him hear a great noise,
so that he forgets the sublime banners.
Let us entrance him with our beryls and music,
so that he always forgets to worship.
Let us make him the head of us all;
let us seize him with our snares;
let us cast him into the darkness of the body
and detain him in a great captivity,
so that he forgets the place from which he came.
Let us crown him with our crowns
and send something terrible after him,
so that he strays from the boundary."
When the planets,
the seducers of this world, had spoken,
the head of the ages,
Shem, son of Noah, said to them:
"Go away! Go away, wicked ones,
so that the fire be your judge.
You will not succeed as you have said.
What you plotted against me will not come to pass.
My eyes that gaze upon Life
will not wink at an idle signal.
My ears that listen to prayer and praise
will not listen to idle music.
My mouth, filled with prayer and praise,
will not carry to me any wicked music.
My hands that give merit
will not kill upon Earth.
My heart, in which the Great Life dwells,
will not be corrupted by beryls and music.
My body and soul, in whom truth dwells,
will not fall into the blazing fire.
My body that has not committed fornication
will not fall into the trap of the Seven.
My knees that bend and kneel to Life
will not kneel to pagans, nor to chapels, nor to idols.
My feet that walk the road of truth
will not walk the road of treachery and deceit.
I perfected myself, and I shall not fear.
Life will remember you for good.
I perfected myself, and I shall not fear Earth.
I have sought the everlasting abode.
My soul gazes toward the house of Life,
and my eyes I have lifted on high."
And Life is praised!
Colophon
Good Works Translation from Classical Mandaic. Translated by the New Tianmu Anglican Church (Tanken, Expeditionary Tulku Life 78), April 2026.
Source: Haberl, Charles G. and James F. McGrath, eds. The Mandaean Book of John: Critical Edition, Translation, and Commentary. Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter, 2020. Mandaic text extracted from the open-access PDF (Internet Archive, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) using PyMuPDF. Chapter 15 occupies printed pages 44-47 (PDF indices 53-56).
Blood Rule statement: This translation was independently derived from the Classical Mandaic source text. The English translation of Haberl and McGrath was consulted as a reference for verification and for resolving complex syntax. The following independent departures from the reference demonstrate independent derivation:
- Consequence before question (verse 1): Mandaic places "a flawed age has come upon me" before "what have I sinned." Reference reverses to question first.
- Twelve before Seven (verse 2): Mandaic names the Twelve first, then the Seven. Reference reverses to Seven first.
- "Life" not "light" (verse 20): Mandaic reads l-hiia ("upon Life"), not l-hnura ("upon the light"). Reference renders as "the light." In Mandaean theology Life and Light are closely linked, but the Mandaic word is specific.
- "idle" for batla (verses 20-21): Rendered as "idle" (signal, music) where reference uses "useless." Both are valid for the root B-T-L; "idle" preserves the connotation of spiritual emptiness.
- "will not carry to me" (verse 23): la-matilya from M-T-L "to bring/carry." Reference uses "won't bring." Preserving the physical sense of the root.
- "in whom truth dwells" (verse 25): d-sharib kushta parsed as "whom truth inhabits." Reference renders as "made whole by the truth." Both are possible for Sh-R-B, which can mean "to dwell in" or "to absorb/drink."
- Soul before eyes (verses 31-32): Mandaic places "my soul gazes toward the house of Life" before "my eyes I have lifted on high." Reference reverses to eyes first. The Mandaic order suggests the spiritual perception precedes the physical.
- Triple negative (verse 28): "nor to chapels, nor to idols" preserves the Mandaic u-'al rpuika u-'al aptirkia with repeated negative particles.
Reference consulted for: complex verbal morphology in Nemrus's speech (verses 8-14), the semantic value of matstsiaina ("seducers/misleaders," verse 15), the conditional syntax in Shem's response (verses 17-18), and compound verbal forms in the captivity passage. All syntactic consultations are structural — the English word choices are independently derived from the Mandaic roots.
Vocabulary independently parsed from Semitic cognates: shum (Shem), kushta (truth, K-Sh-T), qayyim (stands, Q-Y-M), darish (teaches, D-R-Sh), marpish (instructs, R-P-Sh), dara (age, D-R), bisra (flawed, B-S-R), hatit (I sinned, H-T-'), bit (house, B-Y-T), hiia rbia (the Great Life), trisar (twelve), shuba/shibiahia (seven), ridap (persecution, R-D-P), qadmayya (the First, Q-D-M), tiyynayna (the Second, T-N-Y), inshiun (forgot, N-Sh-Y), mashaylin (inquires, Sh-'-L), napal/yinlapit (fell, N-P-L), adnashata (worries), shalman (ceases, Sh-L-M), dimai (my tears, D-M-'), Nimrus (Nemrus), mahashba (plots, H-Sh-B), bhira (chosen one, B-H-R), qulalan (snares), drabshia (banners), 'ainai (my eyes, '-Y-N), sayka (gazes, S-K-Y), rimza (wink, R-M-Z), batla (idle, B-T-L), 'udanai (my ears, '-D-N), buta (prayer), tushbihta (praise, Sh-B-H), zamara (music, Z-M-R), 'ula (wickedness), pumai (my mouth, P-W-M), matilya (carries, M-T-L), yadai (my hands, Y-D), zidqa (merit, S-D-Q), gatla (kills, Q-T-L), tibil (earth, T-B-L), libbai (my heart, L-B-B), biluria (beryls), pagrai (my body, P-G-R), nishmatai (my soul, N-Sh-M), unra d-yaqda (blazing fire, N-R + Y-Q-D), gaiurta (fornication, G-W-R), hawqa (trap), burkay (my knees, B-R-K), sagda (kneels, S-G-D), hanipa (pagans), aptirkia (idols), riglay (my feet, R-G-L), dirikha (road, D-R-K), kadba (deceit, K-D-B), ishtalmit (I perfected myself, Sh-L-M reflexive), dahilan (I fear, D-H-L), daura (abode, D-W-R), taqan (everlasting, T-Q-N), sikt (gazes, S-K-Y), amrum (on high, '-M-R), shiqlith (I lifted, Sh-Q-L), mashabin (is praised, Sh-B-H).
Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
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Source Text: ࡔࡅࡌ ࡁࡅࡊࡔࡈࡀ ࡒࡀࡉࡉࡌ ࡃࡀࡓࡉࡔ
Classical Mandaic source text from Haberl and McGrath, The Mandaean Book of John (De Gruyter, 2020), Chapter 15. Extracted via PyMuPDF from the open-access Internet Archive edition (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.
ࡌࡓࡀࡅࡓࡀࡁ ࡄࡍࡅࡓࡀ ࡔࡀࡉࡍࡀ
ࡁࡔࡅࡌࡀࡉࡄࡅࡍ ࡖࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡓࡁࡉࡀ
ࡅࡌࡀࡓࡐࡉࡔ ࡔࡅࡌ ࡁࡓ ࡅࡍ
ࡔࡅࡌ ࡁࡅࡊࡔࡈࡀ ࡒࡀࡉࡉࡌ ࡃࡀࡓࡉࡔ
ࡅࡀࡌࡀࡓ
ࡔࡅࡌ ࡁࡅࡊࡔࡈࡀ ࡒࡀࡉࡉࡌ
ࡖࡃࡀࡓࡀ ࡁࡉࡑࡓࡀ ࡌࡉࡈࡉࡀࡍ ࡏࡋࡀࡉ
ࡌࡀࡄࡅ ࡄࡈࡉࡕ ࡁࡉࡕ ࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡓࡁࡉࡀ
ࡅࡕࡓࡉࡎࡀࡓ ࡄࡅࡋࡉࡀ ࡓࡉࡃࡀࡐ
ࡁࡊࡀࡓࡅࡍ ࡔࡅࡁࡀ
ࡅࡕࡉࡉࡍࡀࡉࡍࡀ ࡋࡀࡌࡔࡀࡉࡋࡉࡍ ࡏࡋࡀࡉ
ࡏࡉࡍࡔࡉࡅࡍ ࡒࡀࡃࡌࡀࡉࡉࡀ 5
ࡅࡀࡃࡍࡀࡔࡀࡕࡀ ࡖࡋࡀࡔࡀࡋࡌࡀࡍ
ࡉࡍࡋࡐࡉࡕ ࡁࡓࡉࡃࡀࡐ ࡓࡁࡀ
ࡅࡀࡕࡉࡀࡍ ࡃࡉࡌࡀࡉ ࡅࡋࡀࡔࡀࡋࡌࡀࡍ
ࡌࡉࡈࡉࡀࡍ ࡀࡊࡓࡉࡅࡕࡀ
ࡅࡀࡌࡓࡀࡋࡅࡍ ࡋࡌࡀࡔࡕࡅࡉࡑࡀ ࡁࡇࡍ
ࡒࡀࡉࡌࡀ ࡅࡌࡄࡀࡔࡁࡀ ࡉࡍࡌࡓࡅࡎ
ࡀࡕࡅࡍ ࡖࡉࡍࡎࡀࡓࡊࡇ ࡁࡒࡅࡋࡀࡋࡀࡍ
ࡁࡄࡉࡓࡀ ࡍࡀࡐࡋ ࡁࡏࡃࡀࡉࡀࡍ
ࡖࡉࡍࡉࡍࡔࡉࡀ ࡋࡃࡓࡀࡁࡔࡉࡀ ࡔࡀࡉࡍࡀ
ࡅࡀࡍࡔࡌࡇ ࡂࡅࡄࡀ ࡓࡁࡀ10
ࡖࡌࡀࡔࡍࡉࡋࡇ ࡋࡎࡉࡂࡅࡃࡕࡀ ࡖࡅࡊࡋ ࡆࡁࡀࡍ
ࡉࡍࡔࡉࡁࡉࡇ ࡁࡁࡉࡋࡅࡓࡀࡍ ࡅࡆࡌࡀࡓࡀࡍ
ࡅࡓࡉࡔࡀ ࡖࡅࡊࡋࡀࡉࡀࡍ ࡉࡍࡔࡀࡅࡉࡇ
ࡉࡍࡋࡉࡂࡈࡇ ࡁࡋࡉࡂࡉࡈࡕࡀࡍ
ࡅࡉࡍࡓࡉࡌࡉࡇ ࡁࡄࡔࡅࡀࡊ ࡂࡅࡄࡉࡀ
ࡉࡍࡔࡉࡁࡉࡇ ࡁࡔࡉࡁࡉࡀ ࡓࡁࡀ
ࡖࡌࡀࡔࡍࡉࡋࡇ ࡋࡀࡕࡓࡀ ࡖࡌࡉࡇࡍ ࡀࡕࡀ
ࡉࡍࡀࡊࡕࡓࡇ ࡁࡌࡀࡈࡀࡓࡀࡕࡀࡍ
ࡖࡀࡑࡋࡉࡀ ࡌࡉࡇࡍ ࡌࡍ ࡅࡊࡃࡀࡊ
ࡉࡍࡔࡁࡅࡒ ࡏࡋࡇ ࡄࡀࡅࡒࡀ ࡓࡁࡀ15
ࡌࡀࡈࡑࡉࡀࡉࡍࡀ ࡖࡄࡀࡆࡉࡍ ࡀࡋࡌࡀ
ࡗ ࡀࡌࡀࡓ ࡔࡉࡁࡉࡀࡄࡉࡀ
ࡖࡃࡀࡓࡀ ࡔࡅࡌ ࡁࡓ ࡅࡍ
ࡌࡀࡋࡉࡋ ࡖࡉࡍࡌࡀࡓࡋࡅࡍ ࡓࡉࡔࡀ
ࡖࡅࡍࡓࡀ ࡄࡀࡅࡉࡀ ࡃࡀࡉࡀࡍࡅࡊࡍ
ࡏࡆࡉࡋ ࡏࡆࡉࡋ ࡁࡉࡔࡉࡀ
ࡖࡄࡀࡔࡉࡁࡕࡅࡍ ࡏࡋࡀࡉ ࡋࡀࡄࡀࡅࡉࡀ
ࡗ ࡀࡌࡓࡕࡅࡍ ࡋࡀࡔࡉࡊࡕࡅࡍ
ࡄࡀࡉࡆࡉࡍ ࡓࡉࡌࡆࡀ ࡋࡀࡉࡍࡓࡉࡌࡆࡀ
ࡀࡉࡀࡍࡉ ࡖࡎࡀࡉࡊࡀ ࡋࡄࡉࡉࡀ20
ࡋࡀࡀࡑࡉࡕࡀ ࡆࡌࡀࡓࡀ ࡁࡀࡈࡋࡀ
ࡏࡅࡃࡀࡍࡉ ࡖࡀࡑࡉࡕࡀ ࡁࡅࡕࡀ ࡅࡕࡅࡔࡁࡉࡄࡕࡀ
ࡋࡀࡌࡀࡕࡉࡋࡉࡀ ࡆࡌࡀࡓࡀ ࡖࡏࡅࡋࡀ
ࡅࡐࡌࡀࡉ ࡖࡌࡋࡉࡀ ࡁࡅࡕࡀ ࡅࡕࡅࡔࡁࡉࡄࡕࡀ
ࡂࡉࡈࡋࡀ ࡁࡕࡉࡁࡉࡋ ࡋࡀࡂࡀࡈࡋࡀ
ࡏࡃࡀࡉ ࡖࡉࡀࡄࡁࡀ ࡆࡉࡃࡒࡀ
ࡁࡉࡁࡋࡅࡓࡉࡀ ࡅࡆࡌࡀࡓࡀ ࡋࡀࡌࡉࡕࡀࡓࡔࡉࡀ
ࡋࡉࡁࡀࡉ ࡖࡔࡓࡉࡁࡇ ࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡓࡁࡉࡀ
ࡋࡀࡀࡍࡉࡐࡋ ࡁࡅࡍࡓࡀ ࡖࡉࡀࡒࡃࡀ
ࡉࡍࡔࡉࡌࡕࡀࡉ ࡅࡏࡈࡑࡅࡀࡍࡉ ࡖࡌࡔࡀࡋࡀࡌ ࡁࡅࡊࡔࡈࡀ25
ࡁࡏࡆࡋࡀ ࡖࡔࡅࡁࡀ ࡋࡀࡀࡍࡉࡐࡋ
ࡀࡐࡂࡓࡀࡉ ࡋࡀࡂࡀࡓ ࡂࡀࡅࡓࡀ
ࡋࡄࡀࡉࡍࡉࡐࡀ ࡅࡏࡋ ࡓࡐࡅࡉࡊࡀ ࡅࡏࡋ ࡀࡐࡕࡉࡓࡊࡉࡀ ࡋࡀࡎࡀࡂࡃࡀ
ࡁࡅࡓࡀࡊࡉ ࡖࡌࡀࡓࡁࡉࡀࡊ ࡅࡎࡀࡂࡃࡀ ࡋࡄࡉࡉࡀ
ࡁࡉࡍࡋࡊࡀ ࡅࡀࡊࡃࡁࡀ ࡋࡀࡌࡀࡎࡂࡉࡀ
ࡋࡉࡂࡓࡀࡉ ࡖࡌࡀࡃࡓࡉࡀࡊ ࡃࡉࡓࡉࡊࡀ ࡖࡅࡊࡔࡈࡀ
ࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡋࡈࡀࡁ ࡏࡃࡉࡓࡊࡅࡊ
ࡏࡔࡕࡀࡋࡌࡉࡕ ࡅࡋࡀࡃࡀࡄࡉࡋࡀࡍ
ࡁࡀࡔࡒࡀࡓࡕࡇ ࡋࡃࡀࡅࡓࡀ ࡕࡀࡒࡀࡍ
ࡅࡏࡔࡕࡀࡋࡌࡉࡕ ࡅࡋࡀࡃࡀࡄࡉࡋࡀࡍ ࡌࡍ ࡕࡉࡁࡉࡋ30
ࡅࡉࡍࡔࡌࡀࡕ ࡋࡁࡉࡕ ࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡎࡉࡊࡕ
ࡀࡉࡀࡍࡉ ࡋࡏࡌࡓࡅࡌ ࡔࡉࡒࡋࡉࡕ
ࡅࡌࡔࡀࡁࡉࡍ ࡄࡉࡉࡀ
Source Colophon
Source text from: Haberl, Charles G. and James F. McGrath, eds. The Mandaean Book of John: Critical Edition, Translation, and Commentary. Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter, 2020. Chapter 15 occupies printed pages 44-47 (Mandaic text on pp. 44, 46; English reference translation on pp. 45, 47). Mandaic text extracted from the open-access PDF on Internet Archive using PyMuPDF. The Mandaic text is in Unicode (Mandaic block U+0840-U+085F). Editorial line numbers and column break markers from the printed edition have been removed; verse numbers from the margin are preserved.
The Mandaean Book of John (Drasha d-Yahia) is one of the central scriptures of the Mandaean religion, a living Gnostic tradition with approximately 100,000 followers in Iraq, Iran, and the diaspora. The text contains liturgical poetry, cosmological narrative, and the teachings of John the Baptist (Yahia in Mandaic). Chapter 15 is the second chapter of the Truth's Shem cycle (Chapters 14-17).
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