The Strange Man

Chapter 17 of the Mandaean Book of John, the fourth and final chapter of the Truth's Shem cycle (Chapters 14-17). In this chapter, Shem declares his otherworldly identity — his roots are not from this world, his double is not of the mortals. The Seven rise and challenge him: "Strange man, who has no master or mistress! What are you doing here alone?" They threaten sickness, imprisonment, snares. They capture him, chain him in their fortress. Shem weeps: "Life does not exist in light's place. My baptisms are all in vain." Then the messenger — his creator, the savior whom Life had sent — breaks open the prisons and comes to his side "in the blink of an eye." The chosen ones reassure him: "He whose name is written in the Great Life's house shall not be trapped in the sinners' abode." The cycle concludes: the Seven are worthless, and Shem will rise to the light.

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.

Truth's Shem stands teaching,
and instructs Shem, son of Noah.
Shem in Truth stands and says:

"I am not a son of the house,
and my double is not of the mortals.
My roots are not from this world,
and the wicked in my midst cannot harm me."

Again the Seven rise, and say to him:

"Strange man,
who has no master or mistress!
What are you doing here alone,
in the place where the wicked abound?

If they unleash a great sickness upon you,
who will be your healer?
If the wicked confine you within their fortress,
who will be your savior?
If they cast snares along your road,
who will be your redeemer?
Who will be your redeemer,
and who will be your helper?

The house whose lord has abandoned it,
and whose architect has risen from it.
Life has reckoned it among its numbers,
and all have risen to light's place.

Now you have fallen into the grip
from which you will never fall again.
You have been chained in our fortress,
from which you will never be released.
You have been held in our grasp,
and blocked by our work in our fortress,
where neither will your helper reach you,
nor will the man, your creator, inquire after you."

When Shem, son of Noah, heard this,
his tears came and would not cease, and he says:

"Life does not exist in light's place,
nor is Manda d-Hiia there.
Shilmai and Nidbai have risen,
and Habshaba has gone up on high.
The Daybreak has left me behind,
and the excellencies who brought me here.

My baptisms are all in vain,
and my signs go unmentioned in my father's house.
My lessons and books are forgotten,
and my devotionals are useless.
The secret watchers have abandoned me,
and those who brought me here have left me behind."

When Shem, son of Noah, had spoken,
the messenger, his creator, set forth and came.
The great creator went —
the savior whom Life had sent.
He broke open their prisons,
and made an opening in their fortress.
He said to him:

"Why do you weep, Shem, son of Noah?
In the blink of an eye I am here!
What have the wicked done to you,
and how have the sinners harmed you,
whom all excellencies love,
for whom the realm of light is a helper?"

The chosen ones summon
and instruct the man Shem, saying:

"What have the wicked done to you,
that your heart became divided,
and you said, 'There is no Life,
nor is Manda d-Hiia in light's place.
The lord has abandoned the house,
and its architect has risen from it.
Shilmai and Nidbai have risen,
and Habshaba has gone up on high.

My baptisms are forgotten,
and my signs go unmentioned in my father's house.
My lessons and books are forgotten,
and my prayers for each time are held back.
My prostrations are in vain,
and my devotionals are useless.
Life has reckoned me among its numbers,
and completed its measures for all time.'

Shem, who told you that you are captive here,
and the wicked bind you in their fortress?
He whose name is written in the Great Life's house
shall not be trapped in the sinners' abode!
Everyone who seeks his helper
shall not be caught in the clutches of wicked mortals.
He will not go down to the prisons of the wicked —
the blazing fire will not consume him.

Remember us and summon us,
so that we may seek you,
come to your side,
and set you in your settlement."

The Seven who torment you are worthless,
but you will rise to the light.

And Life triumphs!

Colophon

Good Works Translation from Classical Mandaic. Translated by the New Tianmu Anglican Church (Sagara, Expeditionary Tulku Life 80), 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 17 occupies printed pages 48-53 (PDF indices 57-62), beginning after the section divider on page 48 (end of Chapter 16) and ending before the section divider on page 52 (start of Chapter 18).

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:

1. "roots" not "tribe" (v. 3): Mandaic sharshay (Sh-R-Sh, cognate with Hebrew shoresh "root") literally means "my roots." The reference renders as "My tribe." "Roots" preserves the botanical and genealogical metaphor in the original.

2. "Again the Seven rise" (v. 4): Mandaic hadar qaymun shibiahia uses the intransitive Q-Y-M ("to rise/stand"), not a causative form. The Seven rise up to confront Shem — they do not raise him. The reference renders as "The Seven raise me up again" (transitive), which reverses the agent-patient relationship.

3. "In the blink of an eye I am here!" (v. 28): Mandaic mirapas zahp d-aiyan (R-P-S "to blink" + Z-H-P "to flash" + ʿayin "eye") = "in the flash-blink of an eye." My rendering captures the immediacy of the rescue. The reference uses "Like the twinkling of an eye I have come here!"

4. "prisons" not "penitentiaries" (vv. 27, 44): Mandaic mataratun (from Ṭ-R "to guard/watch") means "guard-places" or "prisons." "Penitentiaries" is overly modern for an ancient Mandaic term.

5. "would not cease" (v. 19): Mandaic la-shalman (Sh-L-M with negative = "would not come to completion/cessation"). The reference uses "did not stop." "Would not cease" better captures the ongoing quality of the weeping.

6. "Shilmai and Nidbai" (vv. 20, 35): Direct transliteration from the Mandaic consonantal text (Sh-L-M-Y and N-D-B-Y). The reference vocalizes as "Shelmey and Nedbey." These are Mandaean light-world guardians of the sacred water; faithful transliteration from the Mandaic consonants serves the original better.

7. "Habshaba" (vv. 20, 35): The Mandaic name of a light-world divine entity. The reference translates as "Sunday" (the word literally means "the first day" in Aramaic). In the Mandaean cosmological context, Habshaba is a celestial being who has ascended — not a weekday. Preserving the Mandaic name maintains the cosmological specificity.

Reference consulted for: compound verbal forms in the Seven's speech (vv. 5-18), the structure of the lament-and-echo pattern (vv. 19-39), proper nouns in the light-world hierarchy (Manda d-Hiia, the Daybreak), and the semantic range of ardikleh ("architect," from Greek architekton). The English word choices throughout are independently derived from Mandaic roots using Semitic cognate methodology established in Chapters 1-16.

Literary note: Chapter 17 completes the Truth's Shem cycle (Chapters 14-17). The cycle's arc traces Shem's education in the light-world, the threats of the Seven, Shem's defiance, his capture and despair, and ultimately his rescue by the messenger of Life. The lament-and-echo structure of Chapter 17 (vv. 19-39) is a liturgical form: the chosen ones repeat Shem's despairing words back to him, then reverse each claim. Where Shem said "all in vain," the echo says "forgotten" — a gentler, less absolute word. The shift from despair to hope is encoded in the variation between the two speeches.

Vocabulary independently parsed from Semitic cognates (new or confirmed in this chapter):
sharsha (root/tribe, Sh-R-Sh, cognate with Hebrew shoresh), nukraya (strange/foreign, N-K-R, cognate with Hebrew nokher), asia (healer, '-S-Y, cognate with Aramaic asyya), mahra (sickness/affliction, M-H-R), sharia (savior/deliverer, Sh-R-Y), aqar (fortress, ʿ-Q-R), yiprqa (redeemer, P-R-Q, cognate with Hebrew paraq), qulalia (snares, Q-L-L), ardikleh (architect, from Greek architekton), husbanin (reckonings/numbers, H-Sh-B, cognate with Hebrew hashav), aharzaqt (you have been chained, H-R-Z-Q), mataratun (prisons/guard-places, from Ṭ-R "to guard"), shalman (cease/complete, Sh-L-M, cognate with Hebrew shalem), Shilmai (light-world guardian, Sh-L-M-Y), Nidbai (light-world guardian, N-D-B-Y), Habshaba (celestial entity/"Sunday," H-B-Sh-B), masbutiata (baptisms, S-B-ʿ), mabsutyata (signs/writings), natria (watchers/guardians, N-Ṭ-R, cognate with Hebrew noṣer), apruqna (savior/redeemer, P-R-Q), mirapas (blink/twinkling, R-P-S), ligitun (clutches/grasp, L-G-Ṭ).

Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.

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Source Text: ࡔࡕࡌ ࡁࡕࡊࡔࡈࡀ ࡒࡀࡉࡉࡌ ࡃࡀࡓࡉࡔ

Classical Mandaic source text from Haberl and McGrath, The Mandaean Book of John (De Gruyter, 2020), Chapter 17. 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.

ࡌࡀࡍ ࡄࡀࡅࡉࡋࡀࡊ ࡉࡐࡓࡒࡀ
ࡏࡅ ࡓࡀࡌࡉࡋࡀࡊ ࡒࡅࡋࡀࡋࡉࡀ ࡁࡏࡅࡄࡓࡀࡊ 10
ࡅࡌࡀࡍ ࡄࡀࡅࡉࡋࡀࡊ ࡀࡃࡉࡀࡅࡓࡀ
ࡌࡀࡍ ࡉࡐࡓࡒࡀ ࡄࡀࡅࡉࡋࡀࡊ
ࡅࡀࡓࡃࡉࡋࡊࡇ ࡌࡉࡇࡍ ࡎࡋࡉࡒ
ࡁࡀࡉࡕࡀ ࡔࡉࡁࡒࡇ ࡌࡀࡓࡇ
ࡅࡅࡊࡋࡄࡍ ‖ ࡎࡋࡉࡒࡉࡅࡍ ࡋࡀࡕࡀࡓ ࡄࡍࡅࡓ
ࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡄࡉࡔࡁࡅࡉࡀ ࡋࡄࡅࡔࡁࡀࡅࡍࡍ
[64]
ࡖࡋࡀࡀࡍࡋࡐࡉࡕ
ࡄࡀࡔࡕࡀ ࡍࡀࡐࡋࡕ ࡁࡏࡃࡀࡉࡀࡍ
ࡖࡋࡀࡌࡉࡔࡕࡉࡓࡉࡉࡕ
ࡏࡄࡀࡓࡆࡀࡒࡕ ࡁࡀࡒࡓࡀࡍ15
ࡅࡁࡏࡅࡁࡀࡃࡀࡍ ࡏࡎࡕࡀࡀࡊࡓࡕ ࡁࡀࡒࡓࡀࡍ
ࡋࡂࡉࡈࡉࡕ ࡁࡋࡉࡂࡉࡈࡕࡀࡍ ࡃࡉࡋࡀࡍ
ࡅࡋࡀࡌࡔࡀࡉࡉࡋࡁࡀࡊ ࡂࡀࡁࡓࡀ ࡀࡍࡁࡑࡀࡊ
ࡖࡋࡀࡌࡀࡈࡉࡋࡀࡊ ࡀࡃࡉࡀࡅࡓࡀࡊ
ࡀࡕࡉࡀࡍ ࡃࡉࡌࡇ ࡅࡋࡀࡔࡀࡋࡌࡀࡍ ࡅࡀࡌࡀࡓ
ࡗ ࡄࡀࡆࡉࡍ ࡔࡅࡌࡀ ࡔࡅࡌ ࡁࡓ ࡅࡍ
ࡁࡀࡕࡀࡓ ࡄࡍࡅࡓ
ࡖࡋࡉࡀࡊ ࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡅࡋࡀࡉࡉࡕࡇ ࡋࡌࡀࡃࡍࡀ ࡖࡄࡉࡉࡀ
ࡋࡏࡌࡓࡅࡌ ࡎࡋࡉࡒ
ࡎࡋࡉࡒࡉࡅࡍ ࡔࡉࡋࡌࡀࡉ ࡅࡉࡍࡃࡁࡀࡉ ࡅࡄࡀࡁࡔࡀࡁࡀ20
ࡅࡏࡉࡍࡔࡉࡅࡍ ࡏࡅࡕࡓࡉࡀ ࡖࡀࡕࡉࡅࡍ ࡋࡉࡀࡊ
ࡔࡀࡌࡓࡅࡍ ࡀࡍࡉࡐࡀ ࡉࡅࡌࡀ
ࡅࡓࡅࡔࡅࡌࡀࡉ ࡋࡀࡌࡀࡃࡉࡊࡓࡉࡋࡉࡀ ࡁࡉࡕ ࡀࡁ
ࡀࡅࡃࡉࡀࡍ ࡌࡀࡁࡑࡅࡕࡉࡀࡕࡀࡉ
ࡅࡁࡈࡉࡋࡉࡅࡍ ࡓࡀࡄࡌࡀࡉ ࡖࡋࡉࡋࡉࡀ
ࡏࡉࡍࡔࡉࡅࡍ ࡀࡃࡓࡀࡔࡉࡀ ࡅࡎࡉࡃࡓࡀࡉ
ࡅࡔࡀࡌࡓࡅࡍ ࡂࡅࡁࡓࡉࡀ ࡖࡀࡕࡉࡅࡍ ‖
ࡔࡉࡁࡒࡅࡍ ࡀࡍࡈࡓࡉࡀ ࡀࡊࡎࡉࡉࡀ
ࡓࡐࡀ ࡅࡌࡀࡈࡉࡀ ࡔࡋࡉࡄࡀ ࡀࡍࡁࡑࡀ
ࡗ ࡄࡀࡆࡉࡍ ࡀࡌࡀࡓ ࡔࡅࡌ ࡁࡓ ࡅࡍ
[65]
25
ࡀࡐࡓࡅࡀࡒࡍࡀ ࡖࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡔࡀࡃࡓࡅࡉࡀ
ࡀࡎࡂࡉࡀ ࡀࡍࡁࡑࡀ ࡓࡁࡀ
ࡅࡓࡐࡀࡈ ࡁࡀࡒࡓࡅࡍ ࡅࡐࡓࡅࡈࡕࡀ
ࡕࡉࡁࡓࡇ ࡋࡌࡀࡈࡀࡓࡀࡕࡅࡍ
ࡀࡌࡀࡓࡋࡇ
ࡗ ࡌࡉࡓࡀࡐࡎ ࡆࡀࡇࡐ ࡖࡀࡉࡀࡍ ࡄࡀࡀࡊ ࡀࡀࡍ ࡀࡕࡉࡕ
ࡌࡀࡄࡅ ࡁࡀࡉࡊࡕ ࡔࡅࡌ ࡁࡓ ࡅࡍ
ࡅࡌࡀࡄࡅ ࡀࡎࡉࡊࡋࡅࡁࡀࡊ ࡄࡀࡈࡉࡀ
ࡌࡀࡄࡅ ࡀࡁࡀࡃࡅࡁࡀࡊ ࡁࡉࡔࡉࡀ30
ࡖࡀࡓࡒࡀ ࡖࡄࡍࡅࡓࡀ ࡄࡀࡅࡉࡋࡀࡊ
ࡖࡓࡉࡄࡌࡅࡊ ࡅࡊࡋࡄࡅࡍ ࡏࡅࡕࡓࡉࡀ
ࡋࡔࡅࡌ ࡂࡀࡁࡓࡀ ࡖࡉࡍࡌࡀࡓࡋࡇ
ࡀࡃࡉࡀࡅࡓࡀ ࡒࡓࡉࡀ ࡅࡌࡀࡓࡐࡉࡔ ࡁࡄࡉࡓࡉࡀ
ࡖࡋࡉࡁࡀࡊ ࡁࡋࡐࡅࡂࡕࡀ ࡒࡀࡌ
ࡌࡀࡄࡅ ࡀࡁࡀࡃࡅࡁࡀࡊ ࡁࡉࡔࡉࡀ
ࡅࡋࡀࡉࡕࡇ ࡋࡌࡀࡃࡍࡀ ࡖࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡁࡀࡕࡀࡓ ࡄࡍࡅࡓ
ࡖࡀࡌࡓࡉࡕ ࡖࡋࡉࡀࡊ ࡄࡉࡉࡀ
ࡅࡀࡓࡃࡉࡋࡊࡇ ࡌࡉࡇࡍ ࡎࡋࡉࡒ
ࡁࡀࡉࡕࡀ ࡔࡉࡁࡒࡇ ࡌࡀࡓࡇ35
ࡅࡄࡀࡁࡔࡀࡁࡀ ࡋࡏࡌࡓࡅࡌ ࡎࡋࡉࡒ
ࡀࡆࡀࡋࡉࡅࡍ ࡔࡉࡋࡌࡀࡉ ࡅࡉࡍࡃࡁࡀࡉ
ࡅࡓࡅࡔࡅࡌࡀࡉ ࡋࡀࡌࡀࡃࡀࡊࡓࡋࡉࡀ ࡁࡉࡕ ࡀࡁ
ࡏࡉࡍࡔࡉࡅࡍ ࡌࡀࡁࡑࡅࡕࡀࡉ
ࡅࡏࡎࡕࡀࡀࡊࡓࡉࡀࡍ ࡁࡀࡅࡀࡕࡀࡉ ࡖࡅࡊࡋ ࡆࡁࡀࡍ
ࡏࡉࡍࡔࡉࡅࡍ ࡃࡓࡀࡔࡀࡉ ࡅࡎࡉࡃࡓࡀࡉ
ࡅࡁࡈࡉࡋࡉࡅࡍ ࡓࡀࡄࡌࡀࡉ ࡖࡋࡉࡋࡉࡀ
ࡁࡉࡈࡋࡀࡕ ࡎࡉࡂࡅࡃࡕࡀࡉ ‖
[66]
ࡅࡉࡊࡋࡀࡉࡅࡍ ࡖࡅࡊࡋ ࡆࡁࡀࡍ ࡔࡋࡅࡌ
ࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡄࡉࡔࡁࡅࡉࡀ ࡋࡄࡅࡔࡁࡀࡅࡍࡍ40
ࡅࡀࡎࡓࡉࡋࡀࡊ ࡁࡉࡔࡉࡀ ࡁࡂࡅ ࡀࡒࡓࡅࡍ
ࡔࡅࡌ ࡌࡀࡍ ࡀࡌࡀࡓࡋࡀࡊ ࡖࡀࡀࡍࡕ ࡄࡀࡀࡊ ࡌࡉࡕࡉࡀࡁࡈࡉࡕ
ࡋࡀࡌࡉࡕࡄࡀࡓࡆࡀࡒ ࡁࡃࡅࡓ ࡄࡀࡈࡉࡀ
ࡂࡀࡁࡓࡀ ࡖࡃࡊࡉࡁ ࡔࡅࡌࡇ ࡁࡉࡕ ࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡓࡁࡉࡀ
ࡖࡋࡀࡌࡉࡕࡋࡂࡉࡈ ࡁࡋࡉࡂࡉࡈࡕࡅࡍ ࡖࡁࡉࡔࡉࡀ ࡖࡀࡅࡃࡉࡀ
ࡅࡊࡋ ࡌࡀࡍ ࡖࡌࡁࡀࡔࡒࡉࡓࡉࡋࡇ ࡀࡃࡉࡀࡅࡓࡇ
ࡋࡀࡋࡊࡀࡋࡇ ࡅࡍࡓࡀ ࡖࡉࡀࡒࡃࡀ
ࡋࡀࡀࡍࡉࡐࡋ ࡁࡌࡀࡈࡀࡓࡀࡕࡅࡍ ࡖࡁࡉࡔࡉࡀ
ࡅࡀࡕࡉࡕ ࡋࡅࡀࡕࡀࡍ ࡅࡌࡉࡎࡕࡉࡌࡉࡊࡕ ࡁࡔࡉࡊࡕࡍࡀࡊ
ࡃࡀࡓࡊࡀࡕࡋࡀࡍ ࡒࡀࡓࡉࡀࡕࡋࡀࡍ ࡖࡁࡀࡉࡀࡍࡋࡀࡊ45
ࡅࡀࡀࡍࡕ ࡋࡄࡍࡅࡓࡀ ࡎࡀࡋࡒࡉࡕ
ࡔࡅࡁࡀ ࡖࡓࡉࡃࡅࡐࡊ ࡁࡀࡈࡋࡉࡀ
ࡅࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡆࡀࡉࡊࡍ

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 17 begins on printed page 48 (after the Chapter 16 section divider) and ends on printed page 52 (before the Chapter 18 section divider). Mandaic text on pp. 48, 50, 52 (even pages); English reference translation on pp. 49, 51, 53 (odd pages). 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 retained; 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 17 is the fourth and final chapter of the Truth's Shem cycle (Chapters 14-17), completing the arc of Shem's education, defiance, capture, and rescue.

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