Truth Stands at the Gate of the Worlds (Continued)
This second chapter of the Mandaean Book of John continues the cosmological catechism begun in Chapter 1. Where the first chapter asked about the architecture of creation — the breadth of the earth, the celestial hierarchies, the origins of humanity — this chapter turns to the darker questions: who began the war in heaven? Who revealed secrets that should have been hidden? Who overturned the great judgment?
The answers come not from Ptahil (the demiurge, who answered Chapter 1) but from Yukashar, who maps the blame across the Mandaean pantheon: Yushamin the rebel who started the fight with the Light, Hibil who shook the settlements, Abathur who was cast down to become the judge of souls. The chapter culminates in Abathur's agonized lament — "I said I would be great; who has made me so small upon the earth?" — one of the most poignant passages in Mandaean literature.
Good Works Translation from Classical Mandaic. Translated from the critical edition text established by Charles G. Häberl and James F. McGrath (De Gruyter, 2020). The Häberl and McGrath English translation was consulted as a reference for verification of difficult passages and proper names, but the English below was independently derived from the Mandaic source text.
Truth stands at the gate of the worlds, putting questions.
He speaks and says:
"Who revealed the secret of the Great, and began the fight with the Light?
Who shook the settlements, and caused the rumbling in Senyawis?
Who cast Yushamin down from his place? Who bound Ur in bonds?
Why was Abathur made a judge? Why was inequality created in the world?
Who revealed Truth in the world? Who told Spirit?
Who stirred up strife on high, and who brought calm?
Who cast war upon the world, and who overturned the great judgment?
Who revealed the secret of the Light? Who caused the works to be destroyed?
Who spoke the word when it did not exist? Who disturbed the settlements, and who cast war upon the world?
Who brought the great weapon, and divided it, and placed it in every place?
Who seized praise, and recited it to the voice of Life from beginning to end?"
When Truth had said this, my son Yukashar searched his memory, and he said:
"I shall tell you what is true, and explain to you all that was.
Yushamin revealed the secret of the Great, and began the fight with the Light.
Hibil shook the settlements, and caused the rumbling in Senyawis. He caused the rumbling in Senyawis, and revealed the secret of Darkness.
Ur was bound by the word of Life, with bonds that have no end.
Yushamin was cast down because he wished to make a strike and begin a fight with the house of the Mighty. He devised wicked schemes, and was bound, that Yushamin might remain for all eternity. He was stripped of his own authority, for he had no order. He took no care, and was not humbled, and was not called forth like the uthras.
They made Abathur a judge, for the uthra Hibil cast him down.
He saw his son in the black water, and he called him to his settlement, and he said:
'I am a king's son — therefore I shall be called a king's son,'
and he said:
'I shall set a seal upon my settlement, so that my strength shall be doubled.'
He called his son Ptahil, and raised him to sit in his settlement.
Abathur wronged his ancestors and my house. He was humbled and cast from his throne, and he went to become the scales.
Abathur weeps and wails, and the cry rises and reaches the firmament."
"Whoever does good finds what is evil. Whoever does evil finds what is good.
I said I would be great — who has made me so small upon the earth?
I said I would be a king — who has set me at the end of the worlds?
I said I would be distinguished — who has placed the scales in my hand?
When I was gentle and meek, why did they call me a rebel?"
Manda d'Hayyi told Spirit, and began the fight with the house of Life.
Gubran revealed Truth, and shook all the rivers.
Yukabar brought calm, and Yushamin stirred up fight and tumult in the world.
Ptahil caused the works to be destroyed, and the Cloud revealed the secret of the Light.
Transplant disturbed the settlements. Behram spoke the word when it did not exist.
Ptahil brought the great weapon, and Sprout cast war upon the world.
The uthra Hibil seized praise, divided it, and cast it about in many places. This was carried to the voice. He called on high, and the voice rose up.
The victorious Life speaks, and the man who went here prevails!
In the name of the Great Life, may the sublime Light be magnified!
Colophon
Good Works Translation from Classical Mandaic by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
The Mandaic source text was extracted from the open-access critical edition of Charles G. Häberl and James F. McGrath, The Mandaean Book of John: Text and Translation (Berlin: De Gruyter, 2020), available on the Internet Archive under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. The Mandaic text itself — the language of the ancient Mandaean religious community — is not subject to copyright. The English translation presented here was independently derived from the Classical Mandaic source text. Häberl and McGrath's English was consulted as a reference for verification of difficult passages, proper names, and uncertain readings, but the translation above is an independent rendering.
Vocabulary choices distinguishing this translation from Häberl and McGrath: "Mind" for mana (not "Intellect"), "uthras" preserved in Mandaic (not "excellencies"), "bonds" for ʿasura (not "ties"), "settlements" for šikanta (not generic locations), "firmament" for rqiha and mruma (not "vault" or "heaven"). The term "Transplant" renders ʿAtiniṣb literally, following the meaning of the Mandaic root; "Sprout" likewise renders Yinbṭa. These celestial beings are known by their Mandaic function-names in the original text.
Chapter 2 shifts the cosmological register from Chapter 1's catechism of creation to a theodicy of conflict. Where Ptahil answered Chapter 1's questions about the structure of the cosmos, Yukashar answers Chapter 2's questions about how that structure was broken. The Abathur passage (vv. 28–41) is among the most emotionally charged in the Book of John — the judge of the dead lamenting his own judgment.
This is believed to be the first freely available independent English translation of Chapter 2 of the Mandaean Book of John.
Translated by Tulku Tanken (探検), the Expeditionary Tulku (Life 66). Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
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Source Text: ࡌࡔࡀࡁࡀ ࡌࡀࡓࡀࡉ — Chapter 2
Classical Mandaic source text from the critical edition of C. G. Häberl and J. F. McGrath, The Mandaean Book of John (De Gruyter, 2020). Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.
ࡅࡌࡔࡀࡉࡉࡋ
ࡏࡋ ࡁࡀࡁ ࡀࡋࡌࡉࡀ ࡒࡀࡉࡉࡌ ࡅࡊࡔࡈࡀ
ࡅࡀࡌࡀࡓ
ࡅࡕࡉࡂࡓࡀ ࡁࡄࡍࡅࡓࡀ ࡌࡀࡍ ࡓࡌࡀ
ࡌࡀࡍ ࡂࡋࡀ ࡓࡀࡆࡀ ࡖࡓࡁࡉࡀ
ࡅࡂࡅࡄࡀ ࡁࡎࡉࡉࡍࡀࡅࡉࡎ ࡌࡀࡍ ࡂࡄࡀ
ࡌࡀࡍ ࡀࡃࡍࡉࡉࡍࡍ ࡋࡔࡉࡊࡀࡍࡕࡀ
ࡅࡏࡋ ࡉࡅࡔࡀࡌࡉࡍ ࡌࡀࡍ ࡀࡔࡉࡐࡋࡇ ࡌࡍ ࡃࡅࡕࡊࡇ
ࡋࡏࡅࡓ ࡌࡀࡍ ࡏࡎࡓࡇ ࡁࡏࡎࡅࡓࡀ5
ࡋࡌࡀࡄࡅ ࡄࡅࡎࡓࡀࡀࡍ ࡁࡀࡋࡌࡀ ࡒࡉࡓࡉࡅࡉࡀ
ࡋࡀࡁࡀࡕࡅࡓ ࡋࡌࡀࡄࡅ ࡃࡀࡉࡀࡀࡍ ࡔࡀࡅࡉࡅࡉࡀ
ࡅࡅࡊࡔࡈࡀ ࡌࡀࡍ ࡂࡀࡋࡉࡋࡇ ࡁࡀࡋࡌࡀ
ࡋࡓࡅࡄࡀ ࡌࡍ ‖ ࡏࡌࡓࡀ
ࡅࡌࡀࡓࡂࡅࡔ ࡁࡏࡌࡓࡅࡌࡀ ࡌࡀࡍ ࡀࡁࡀࡃ
ࡋࡉࡍࡄࡅࡕࡀ ࡌࡀࡍ ࡀࡕࡉࡀ
ࡅࡒࡓࡀࡁࡀ ࡌࡀࡍ ࡓࡌࡀࡁࡇ ࡁࡀࡋࡌࡀ
ࡌࡀࡍ ࡏࡐࡇࡊ ࡋࡃࡉࡀࡍ ࡓࡁࡀ
ࡅࡓࡀࡆࡀ ࡖࡄࡍࡅࡓࡀ ࡌࡀࡍ ࡂࡋࡀ
ࡌࡀࡍ ࡀࡄࡓࡉࡁ ࡏࡁࡉࡃࡀࡕࡀ10
ࡅࡌࡀࡍ ࡏࡌࡓࡇ ࡏࡋ ࡌࡉࡉࡍࡋࡕࡀ ࡗ ࡖࡋࡀࡄࡅࡀࡕ
ࡌࡀࡍ ࡔࡀࡂࡉࡔ ࡔࡉࡊࡀࡍࡕࡀ
ࡅࡒࡓࡀࡁࡀ ࡓࡌࡀࡁࡇ ࡁࡀࡋࡌࡀ
ࡌࡀࡍ ࡀࡕࡉࡇ ࡋࡆࡀࡉࡀࡍ ࡓࡁࡀ
ࡅࡀࡐࡋࡂࡇ ࡅࡓࡉࡌࡉࡇ ࡁࡀࡕࡀࡓ ࡀࡕࡀࡓ
ࡌࡀࡍ ࡋࡉࡂࡈࡇ ࡋࡕࡅࡔࡁࡉࡄࡕࡀ
ࡅࡒࡉࡓࡉࡇ ࡋࡒࡀࡋࡀ ࡖࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡌࡍ ࡓࡉࡔ ࡁࡓࡉࡔ
ࡌࡀࡍ ࡒࡓࡀࡁࡇ ࡁࡕࡅࡔࡁࡉࡄࡕࡀ
ࡉࡅࡀࡊࡔࡀࡓ ࡁࡓ ࡏࡕࡀࡓࡐࡀࡔ ࡌࡍ ࡏࡅࡓࡑࡇ
ࡗ ࡄࡀࡆࡀ ࡀࡌࡀࡓ ࡅࡊࡔࡈࡀ15
ࡅࡀࡌࡀࡓ
ࡅࡀࡀࡍ ࡏࡉࡀࡓࡐࡉࡔࡀࡊ ࡗ ࡖࡄࡅࡀࡕ
ࡀࡀࡍ ࡏࡌࡀࡓࡋࡀࡊ ࡅࡊࡔࡈࡀ
ࡅࡕࡉࡂࡓࡀ ࡁࡀࡄࡍࡅࡓࡀ ࡓࡌࡀ
ࡉࡅࡔࡀࡌࡉࡍ ࡂࡋࡀ ࡓࡀࡆࡀ ࡖࡓࡁࡉࡀ
ࡅࡂࡅࡄࡀ ࡁࡎࡉࡉࡍࡀࡅࡉࡎ ࡂࡀࡍ ‖
ࡄࡉࡁࡉࡋ ࡀࡃࡍࡉࡉࡍࡍ ࡋࡔࡉࡊࡀࡍࡕࡀ
ࡅࡓࡀࡆࡀ ࡖࡄࡔࡅࡀࡊ ࡂࡋࡀ
ࡂࡅࡄࡀ ࡂࡀࡍ ࡁࡎࡉࡉࡍࡀࡅࡉࡎ
20
ࡁࡏࡎࡅࡓࡀ ࡖࡎࡀࡀࡊ ࡋࡉࡕࡋࡇ
ࡏࡅࡓ ࡁࡌࡉࡉࡍࡋࡀࡕ ࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡏࡎࡕࡀࡓ
ࡖࡁࡀ ࡌࡉࡁࡀࡃ ࡒࡓࡀࡁࡀ
ࡉࡅࡔࡀࡌࡉࡍ ࡏࡕࡀࡔࡀࡐࡋ ࡀࡌࡉࡈࡍࡅࡋ
ࡅࡌࡉࡓࡌࡉࡀ ࡕࡉࡂࡓࡀ ࡁࡉࡕ ࡓࡅࡓࡁࡉࡀ
ࡖࡋࡀࡋࡀࡌ ࡏࡕࡉࡁ ࡉࡅࡔࡀࡌࡉࡍ
ࡄࡀࡔࡉࡁ ࡁࡉࡔࡅࡕࡀ ࡅࡏࡎࡕࡀࡓ ࡁࡏࡎࡅࡓࡀ
ࡖࡋࡀࡅ ࡎࡃࡉࡓࡀ ࡄࡅࡀ
ࡀࡔࡋࡐࡇ ࡅࡐࡌࡇ ࡀࡌࡉࡈࡍࡅࡋ25
ࡀࡅࡊࡀࡕ ࡏࡅࡕࡓࡉࡀ ࡋࡀࡏࡕࡉࡒࡓࡉࡀ
ࡋࡀࡓࡀࡍ ࡅࡋࡀࡏࡕࡌࡀࡀࡊࡊ
ࡀࡌࡉࡈࡍࡅࡋ ࡖࡄࡉࡁࡉࡋ ࡆࡉࡅࡀ ࡀࡔࡋࡐࡇ
ࡀࡁࡀࡕࡅࡓ ࡔࡀࡅࡉࡅࡉࡀ ࡃࡀࡉࡀࡀࡍ
ࡁࡔࡉࡊࡕࡍࡇ ࡒࡉࡓࡉࡉࡇ
ࡄࡆࡀ ࡁࡓࡇ ࡁࡌࡉࡀ ࡎࡉࡀࡅࡉࡀ ࡄࡅ
ࡅࡀࡌࡀࡓ
ࡕࡅࡌ ࡁࡓ ࡌࡀࡋࡉࡊࡀ ࡏࡕࡉࡒࡓࡉࡀ
ࡀࡀࡍ ࡁࡓ ࡌࡀࡋࡉࡊࡀ30
ࡅࡀࡌࡀࡓ
ࡄࡀࡉࡋࡀࡉ ࡄࡀࡅࡉࡀ ࡋࡄࡀࡃ ࡕࡓࡉࡍ
ࡏࡎࡉࡒࡕࡀ ࡕࡀࡓࡉࡑࡀࡍ ࡁࡔࡉࡊࡕࡍࡀࡉ
ࡅࡀࡎࡒࡇ ࡁࡔࡉࡊࡕࡍࡇ ࡀࡅࡕࡁࡇ
ࡒࡉࡓࡉࡉࡇ ࡋࡕࡐࡀࡄࡉࡋ ࡁࡓࡇ
ࡔࡀࡋࡐࡀ ࡅࡌࡀࡔࡀࡐࡋ ࡌࡍ ࡅࡊࡓࡎࡉࡉࡇ
ࡀࡁࡀࡕࡅࡓ ࡀࡎࡉࡊࡋ ࡁࡀࡁࡀࡄࡀࡕࡇ ࡅࡁࡀࡁࡉࡕ
ࡅࡀࡆࡀࡋ ࡌࡅࡆࡀࡉࡍࡀ ࡄࡅࡀ ‖35
ࡅࡎࡀࡋࡉࡒ ࡅࡌࡀࡈࡉࡀ ࡌࡓࡅࡌࡀ
ࡁࡀࡉࡊࡀ ࡅࡀࡋࡉࡀ ࡀࡁࡀࡕࡅࡓ
ࡖࡎࡉࡍࡀ ࡈࡀࡁࡉࡃ ࡁࡉࡔ ࡌࡀࡔࡀࡊ ࡈࡀࡁ
ࡖࡀࡁࡀࡃ ࡈࡀࡁ ࡌࡀࡔࡀࡊ ࡈࡀࡁ
ࡆࡅࡈࡀ ࡁࡕࡉࡁࡉࡋ ࡌࡀࡍ ࡔࡀࡅࡉࡀࡍ
ࡏࡌࡓࡉࡕ ࡖࡏࡄࡅࡉࡀ ࡓࡁࡀ
ࡁࡃࡀࡍࡁ ࡀࡋࡌࡉࡀ ࡌࡀࡍ ࡏࡅࡕࡁࡀࡍ
ࡏࡌࡓࡉࡕ ࡖࡏࡄࡅࡉࡀ ࡌࡀࡋࡀࡊ
ࡅࡌࡅࡆࡀࡉࡍࡀ ࡏࡋ ࡏࡃࡀࡉ ࡌࡀࡍ ࡓࡌࡀ
ࡏࡌࡓࡉࡕ ࡖࡏࡄࡅࡉࡀ ࡏࡓࡐࡉࡔࡀࡉࡀ40
ࡀࡋࡌࡀ ࡖࡌࡓࡉࡃࡀ ࡒࡓࡅࡍ
ࡗ ࡉࡍࡄࡀ ࡄࡅࡉࡕ ࡅࡌࡉࡊࡀࡊ
ࡅࡕࡉࡂࡓࡀ ࡁࡉࡕ ࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡓࡌࡀ
ࡋࡓࡅࡄࡀ ࡏࡌࡓࡀ ࡌࡀࡃࡍࡀ ࡖࡄࡉࡉࡀ
ࡅࡀࡃࡍࡉࡅࡍࡍ ࡋࡉࡀࡓࡃࡉࡍࡀ ࡅࡊࡋࡄࡅࡍ
ࡋࡅࡊࡔࡈࡀ ࡂࡀࡋࡉࡋࡇ ࡂࡅࡁࡓࡀࡍ
ࡅࡌࡀࡓࡂࡅࡔ ࡉࡅࡔࡀࡌࡉࡍ ࡕࡉࡂࡓࡀ ࡓࡌࡀࡁࡇ ࡁࡀࡋࡌࡀ
ࡉࡍࡄࡅࡕࡀ ࡀࡕࡉࡀ ࡉࡅࡀࡊࡁࡀࡓ
ࡅࡀࡀࡍࡍ ࡓࡀࡆࡀ ࡖࡄࡍࡅࡓࡀ ࡂࡋࡀ
ࡕࡐࡀࡄࡉࡋ ࡀࡄࡓࡉࡁ ࡏࡁࡉࡃࡀࡕࡀ45
ࡁࡉࡄࡓࡀࡌ ࡏࡌࡓࡇ ࡋࡌࡉࡉࡍࡋࡕࡀ ࡗ ࡖࡋࡀࡄࡅࡀࡕ
ࡏࡕࡉࡍࡉࡑࡁ ࡔࡀࡂࡉࡔ ࡔࡉࡊࡀࡍࡕࡀ
ࡅࡉࡍࡁࡈࡀ ࡓࡌࡀࡁࡇ ࡒࡓࡀࡁࡀ ࡁࡀࡋࡌࡀ
ࡕࡐࡀࡄࡉࡋ ࡀࡕࡉࡉࡇ ࡋࡆࡀࡉࡀࡍ ࡓࡁࡀ
ࡅࡀࡐࡋࡂࡇ ࡅࡓࡉࡌࡉࡇ ࡁࡀࡕࡀࡓ ࡀࡕࡀࡓ ‖
ࡄࡉࡁࡉࡋ ࡏࡅࡕࡓࡀ ࡋࡉࡂࡈࡇ ࡋࡕࡅࡔࡁࡉࡄࡕࡀ
ࡁࡌࡓࡅࡌࡀ ࡒࡓࡀ ࡅࡒࡀࡋࡀ ࡎࡋࡉࡒ ࡋࡁࡉࡕ ࡄࡉࡉࡀ
ࡄࡀࡆࡉࡍ ࡏࡕࡉࡍࡉࡑࡁ ࡋࡒࡀࡋࡀ
ࡅࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡆࡀࡉࡊࡍ50
ࡎـــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــࡀ
ࡌࡓࡀࡅࡓࡀࡁ ࡄࡍࡅࡓࡀ ࡔࡀࡉࡍࡀ
ࡁࡔࡅࡌࡀࡉࡄࡅࡍ ࡖࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡓࡁࡉࡀ
Source Colophon
Mandaic source text from: Charles G. Häberl and James F. McGrath, eds., The Mandaean Book of John: Critical Edition, Translation, and Commentary (Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter, 2019). Open access text and translation published 2020 on Internet Archive (archive.org/details/mandaeanbookofjohn) under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 (applies to editorial arrangement and English translation; the underlying Mandaic text is ancient and in the public domain).
The Mandaic script in this file uses the Unicode Mandaic block (U+0840–U+085F), typeset in the critical edition by Ardwan Al-Sabti. Text extracted via PyMuPDF from the open-access PDF. Verse numbers (5, 10, 15, etc.) are from the critical edition.
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