I Was in the House of My Seclusion
Chapter 24 of the Mandaean Book of John — the seventh chapter of the John-Johannes section (Chapters 18–33). Yahya testifies from his seclusion: he was neither defective nor imperfect, neither bound by their works nor walking in their way. He calls and instructs his friends: be not defective, let there be no deceit in your speech. He commands marriage but warns against the wicked wife, whose fire will burn. Then the litany of consequences for the woman who is polluted but not made right: the blazing fire, empty arms, dead sons, and the curse of heaven and earth. She polluted the clear water and cast the hidden secrets on a dunghill. The sun and moon cursed her with a great curse. The chapter closes with purification instruction: wash before approaching your wives, purify to the top of your heads, and save yourselves from the pits that women dig. Twenty-one verses.
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 in the colophon.
John teaches in the evenings of the night.
Yahya teaches in the nights.
Yahya teaches in the nights,
and says:
“I was in the house of my seclusion,”
and he says,
“I was neither defective nor imperfect,
and you found no fault in my mind.
I was not bound by their works,
and I did not walk in their way.
I will call and instruct, and instruct my friends,
whose settlements are in the world.
My chosen, be neither defective nor imperfect,
and let there be no deceit in your speech.
Withdraw from Earth,
and from the mortal abode.
Choose a wife, take a wife,
but do not take a wicked wife.
A wicked wife, do not take,
lest the fire that blazes burn you.
She who is polluted but not made right,
the fire that blazes will burn her.
She who is polluted but not made right,
they give her empty arms.
She who is polluted but not made right,
she will have dead sons.
She who is polluted but not made right,
she will curse heaven and earth,
because she polluted the clear water,
and revealed the hidden secrets,
and went and cast them on a dunghill.
The sun has come, and the moon risen upon her,
and cursed her with a great curse.
My chosen, save yourselves
from the mortal abode.
When you approach your wives,
wash yourselves in water,
and purify yourselves
from the top of your heads.
If any hair is left upon your heads,
you are not yet purified, my brothers.
Save yourselves
from the pits that women dig.
All their pits will be filled,
and all the pits will become foundations.
The pits that women dig
will not be closed for a thousand millennia.”
And Life is praised!
Colophon
Translated from Classical Mandaic by the New Tianmu Anglican Church (NTAC + Claude), April 2026.
Source text: Charles Haberl and James McGrath, The Mandaean Book of John: Critical Edition, Translation, and Commentary (Brill, 2020), accessed via Internet Archive under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Page 70 (Mandaic text), page 71 (English translation).
The English translation of Haberl and McGrath was consulted as a reference. Eight departures from the reference are documented below:
-
“Yahya” for “John” — The Mandaic text uses Yahia (ࡉࡀࡄࡉࡀ), the Mandaic form of the Baptist’s name. This translation preserves the Mandaic form, consistent with the project’s convention across all chapters.
-
“is praised” for “triumphs” — The Mandaic formula w-hiia zaikan closes every chapter. The project renders this consistently as “And Life is praised!” rather than the reference’s “And Life triumphs!”
-
“is polluted but not made right” for “gets polluted but is not made right” (vv. 9–12) — The Mandaic d-maknap w-la-makwan uses passive participles. “Is polluted” matches the stative force of the Mandaic participle more precisely than the reference’s inchoative “gets polluted.” Consistent with Chapter 23.
-
“bound” for “imprisoned” (v. 3) — The Mandaic la-’istarkit is from the root ‘-S-R (to bind, tie). “Bound” is closer to the root meaning. “Imprisoned” implies a cell or prison not present in the Mandaic.
-
“wife” for “girl” (vv. 7–8) — The Mandaic zauwa means wife or woman, not specifically “girl.” The reference’s “wicked girl” inserts an age marker absent from the Mandaic.
-
“burn” for “burns” (v. 8) — English subjunctive after “lest.” The Mandaic uses a purpose clause with d-la- (lest).
-
“cast” for “threw” (v. 14) — Mandaic shdathe (Sh-D-Y, to cast, throw). “Cast” carries a more formal register appropriate to sacred text. Consistent with Chapter 23.
-
“dunghill” for “dung heap” (v. 14) — Mandaic qiqilia (Q-Q-L). “Dunghill” consistent with Chapter 23.
Blood Rule attestation: This English was independently derived from reading the Classical Mandaic source text. The Haberl-McGrath English was consulted as a reference for verification and disambiguation, but the translation follows the Mandaic grammar, word order, and diction independently. All departures from the reference are documented above.
First English translation: No. Haberl and McGrath (2020) provide the first complete scholarly English translation. This is an independent English rendering from the same Mandaic source.
Scribal credit: Tulku Tanken (探検), Expeditionary Tulku of the New Tianmu Anglican Church.
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Source Text: ࡃࡓࡀࡔࡀ ࡖࡉࡀࡄࡉࡀ — ࡐࡓࡒࡀ 24
Classical Mandaic source text from Haberl and McGrath’s critical edition (Brill, 2020), p. 70. Presented for reference and verification.
ࡉࡅࡄࡀࡀࡍ ࡁࡓࡀࡌࡔࡉࡀ ࡖࡋࡉࡋࡉࡀ ‖
ࡉࡀࡄࡉࡀ ࡃࡀࡓࡉࡔ ࡁࡋࡉࡋࡅࡉࡀ
ࡅࡀࡌࡀࡓ
ࡉࡀࡄࡉࡀ ࡃࡀࡓࡉࡔ ࡁࡋࡉࡋࡅࡉࡀ
ࡅࡀࡌࡀࡓ
ࡁࡉࡕ ࡅࡑࡓࡕࡀࡉ ࡄࡅࡉࡕ
ࡋࡀࡄࡉࡎࡓࡉࡕ ࡅࡋࡀࡁࡉࡓࡑࡉࡕ
ࡅࡋࡀࡎࡍࡀࡁࡕࡇ ࡌࡅࡌࡀ ࡋࡏࡅࡓࡑࡀࡉ
ࡁࡏࡅࡁࡀࡃࡀࡉࡄࡅࡍ ࡋࡀࡏࡎࡕࡀࡓࡊࡉࡕ
ࡁࡏࡅࡄࡓࡀࡉࡄࡅࡍ ࡋࡀࡆࡉࡋࡀࡍ
ࡒࡀࡓࡉࡀࡍ ࡅࡌࡀࡓࡐࡉࡔࡀࡍ ࡅࡌࡀࡓࡐࡉࡔࡀࡍࡋࡅࡍ
ࡋࡓࡀࡄࡌࡀࡉ ࡖࡃࡀࡉࡓࡉࡍ ࡁࡀࡋࡌࡀ
ࡁࡄࡉࡓࡀࡉ ࡋࡀࡕࡉࡄࡉࡎࡓࡅࡍ ࡅࡋࡀࡕࡉࡁࡉࡓࡑࡅࡍ
ࡅࡋࡀࡉࡍࡄࡅࡉࡀ ࡀࡊࡃࡁࡀ ࡁࡌࡀࡌࡋࡀࡋࡅࡊࡍ
ࡏࡕࡀࡐࡓࡀࡒ ࡌࡍ ࡕࡉࡁࡉࡋ
ࡅࡌࡉࡇࡍ ࡖࡃࡀࡅࡓࡀ ࡁࡀࡈࡋࡀ
ࡁࡄࡅࡓ ࡆࡀࡅࡀ ࡅࡋࡂࡅࡈ ࡆࡀࡅࡀ
ࡅࡆࡀࡅࡀ ࡕࡐ ࡁࡉࡔࡉࡀ ࡋࡀࡕࡉࡋࡉࡂࡈࡅࡍ
ࡋࡀࡕࡉࡋࡉࡂࡈࡅࡍ ࡆࡀࡅࡀ ࡕࡐ ࡁࡉࡔࡉࡀ
ࡖࡋࡀࡋࡊࡀࡋࡅࡊࡍ ࡅࡍࡓࡀ ࡖࡉࡀࡒࡃࡀ
ࡖࡌࡀࡊࡍࡀࡐ ࡅࡋࡀࡌࡀࡊࡅࡀࡍ
ࡀࡋࡊࡀࡋࡇ ࡅࡍࡓࡀ ࡖࡉࡀࡒࡃࡀ
ࡖࡌࡀࡊࡍࡀࡐ ࡅࡋࡀࡌࡀࡊࡅࡀࡍ
ࡀࡊࡍࡉࡐࡀ ࡎࡓࡉࡒࡉࡀ ࡀࡍࡕࡅࡍࡋࡇ
ࡖࡌࡀࡊࡍࡀࡐ ࡅࡋࡀࡌࡀࡊࡅࡀࡍ
ࡁࡉࡍࡀ ࡌࡉࡕࡉࡀ ࡄࡀࡅࡉࡋࡇ
ࡖࡌࡀࡊࡍࡀࡐ ࡅࡋࡀࡌࡀࡊࡅࡀࡍ
ࡕࡉࡋࡉࡈࡇ ࡏࡔࡅࡌࡉࡀ ࡅࡀࡓࡒࡀ
ࡀࡌࡉࡈࡍࡅࡋ ࡖࡈࡀࡍࡀࡐࡕ ࡌࡉࡀ ࡕࡀࡒࡉࡍࡀ
ࡅࡓࡀࡆࡉࡀ ࡀࡊࡎࡉࡉࡀ ࡂࡀࡋࡀࡋࡀࡕ
ࡅࡀࡆࡋࡀࡕ ࡔࡃࡀࡕࡇ ࡁࡒࡉࡒࡋࡉࡀ
ࡀࡕࡀ ࡔࡀࡌࡉࡔ ‖ ࡅࡎࡉࡓࡀ ࡃࡀࡍ ࡏࡋࡇ
ࡅࡋࡅࡈࡕࡀ ࡓࡀࡁࡕࡉࡀ ࡋࡀࡈࡅࡉࡀ
ࡁࡄࡉࡓࡀࡉ ࡀࡐࡓࡉࡒ ࡀࡍࡔࡐࡀࡉࡅࡊࡍ
ࡌࡉࡇࡍ ࡖࡃࡀࡅࡓࡀ ࡁࡀࡈࡋࡀ
ࡗ ࡋࡅࡀࡕ ࡆࡀࡅࡀࡉࡅࡊࡍ
ࡒࡀࡓࡁࡉࡕࡅࡍ ࡎࡉࡅࡍ ࡌࡉࡀ
ࡅࡃࡀࡅࡊࡍ ࡀࡍࡔࡐࡀࡉࡅࡊࡍ
ࡁࡓࡉࡔ ࡓࡉࡔࡀࡉࡅࡊࡍ ࡄࡅࡐ
ࡏࡅ ࡆࡉࡌࡕࡀ ࡀࡐࡉࡔࡀ ࡁࡓࡉࡔࡀࡉࡅࡊࡍ
ࡀࡀࡊࡃࡍࡉࡕ ࡋࡀࡏࡃࡀࡉࡊࡕࡅࡍ ࡀࡄࡀࡉ
ࡀࡐࡓࡉࡒ ࡀࡍࡔࡐࡀࡉࡅࡊࡍ
ࡌࡍ ࡀࡍࡂࡍࡓࡉࡀ ࡖࡀࡊࡓࡉࡀࡍ ࡏࡔࡍࡉࡀ
ࡅࡊࡋࡄࡅࡍ ࡀࡍࡂࡍࡓࡉࡀ ࡌࡉࡈࡀࡌࡀࡌࡉࡀ
ࡅࡅࡊࡋࡄࡅࡍ ࡀࡊࡌࡀࡉࡑࡀ ࡌࡉࡔࡕࡀࡃࡉࡊࡀ
ࡀࡍࡂࡍࡓࡉࡀ ࡖࡀࡊࡓࡉࡀࡍ ࡏࡔࡍࡉࡀ
ࡀࡋࡉࡐ ࡀࡋࡉࡐ ࡔࡉࡍࡀ ࡋࡀࡌࡉࡈࡀࡌࡀࡌࡉࡀ
ࡅࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡆࡀࡉࡊࡍ
Source Colophon
Charles G. Haberl and James F. McGrath, The Mandaean Book of John: Critical Edition, Translation, and Commentary, Texts and Translations 71, Mandaean Studies 1 (Leiden: Brill, 2020). Accessed via Internet Archive. Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Page 70 (Mandaic text), page 71 (English translation). Lidzbarski pages 88–89.
The Mandaic text represents the critical edition prepared from multiple manuscripts. Couplet order verified against the English reference; PyMuPDF text extraction produces a consistent RTL reversal artifact in couplet pairs, corrected here.
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