The Builders of the World
Chapter sixty-one of the Mandaean Book of John (Drashia d-Iahia), the principal mythological and liturgical scripture of the Mandaean tradition. The Book of John preserves the cosmological and soteriological teachings of Mandaeism — one of the last surviving Gnostic religions, practised today by approximately 100,000 adherents, primarily in Iraq and the diaspora.
After the ethical catechism of Chapter 60 (the Two Kings — sword versus truth, slaughter versus instruction), the Book of John turns to cosmological catechism. A voice asks twelve questions about who performed each act of creation: who opened the Euphrates, who formed the earth, who stretched the firmament, who performed the first baptism, who sowed the seed, who called with the voice of Life? The answer arrives in a single breath — “Life will surely know — Life will know without asking!” — and then names each agent in turn. The result is a complete roster of Light-beings and their cosmic assignments, from Yawar’s opening of the Euphrates to Life’s Son’s final ascent to light’s place.
Classical Mandaic source text from the critical edition of Haberl and McGrath (2020).
In the name of the Great Life,
may the sublime light be magnified!
“Who will come to us, and who will tell us?
Who will come, and who will instruct us?
Who will come, and who will instruct us?
Who opened the gate of the splendid Euphrates,
and who excavated its two banks?
Who formed the earth,
and stretched the firmament from end to end?
Who stretched forth the bright banners,
and enlightened excellencies in their settlements?
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Who performed the living baptism,
and who set the mark of the pure sign?
Who sowed seed within it,
and who served as the watcher within it?
Who settled within it settlements,
and who built within it tents?
Who called with the voice of Life,
and brought light to the great palace?
Who achieved success with it,
and wove the crown from end to end?
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Who set Aquarius within it,
and was called ‘the healer’ therein?
Who chose the Great’s portion,
and brought it up successfully to light’s place?”
“Life will surely know —
Life will know without asking!
Life will surely know:
Yawar opened a mouth for the splendid Euphrates,
and Yushamen excavated its two banks.
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Ptahil formed Earth,
and stretched the firmament from end to end.
Behram stretched forth the bright banners,
and enlightened excellencies in their settlements.
Shelmey performed the living baptism,
and Nedbey set the mark of the pure sign.
Adam sowed the seed,
and Shitel served as the watcher within it.
Excellent Ennosh set within it settlements,
and built within it tents.
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Hibel called with the voice of Life,
and brought light to the great palace.
Yukashar achieved success with it,
and wove the crown from end to end.
Heyya-Shom set Aquarius within it,
and was called ‘the healer’ therein.
Life’s Son chose the Great’s portion,
and brought it up successfully to light’s place.”
And Life triumphs,
and the man who went here triumphs!
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Colophon
Source: Classical Mandaic, from Charles G. Haberl and James F. McGrath, The Mandaean Book of John: Critical Edition, Translation, and Commentary (Berlin: De Gruyter, 2020). Open Access under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
Translation: Good Works Translation by Tanken (探検), Expeditionary Tulku of the New Tianmu Anglican Church, April 2026. Independently derived from the Classical Mandaic source text. Haberl and McGrath’s English translation was consulted as a structural reference to verify verse ordering and resolve clause boundaries in the PyMuPDF extraction (which produces known couplet reversals), but the English wording is independently derived from the Mandaic vocabulary and Semitic roots.
Key departures from the reference translation: “Who will come to us” (preserving the Mandaic plural suffix -an in anudan and anifrashan, reading a communal voice rather than singular); “opened the gate” for tpaleh baba in the question section, preserving the Mandaic baba (gate/door), versus the reference’s “floodgates”; “opened a mouth” for tpaleh wfma in the answer section, preserving the distinct Mandaic vocabulary (baba in the question, fma/puma in the answer — the gate is the structure, the mouth is the opening it creates); “from end to end” for mn rish brish (literally “from head to head”), versus the reference’s “completely”; all cumulative departures from Chapters 52–60 remain in force. The question’s third refrain line in the Mandaic repeats the second line (man intia wman inmarlia), where the reference repeats the first — this translation follows the Mandaic.
Couplet Reversal Note: The PyMuPDF extraction of this PDF consistently reverses the two lines within each couplet (the B-line appears before the A-line). This pattern was first identified in Chapter 59 and has been confirmed as perfectly consistent through Chapter 61. The reversal was corrected by cross-referencing the structural logic of the question-and-answer parallelism and verified against the reference translation’s ordering. The Mandaic source text below preserves the extraction order; the English translation presents the corrected couplet order.
First English Translation: This is the first independently derived English translation of Book of John Chapter 61 published freely online.
Scribed by Tanken of the Good Work Library.
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Source Text
Classical Mandaic text from Haberl and McGrath (2020), De Gruyter Open Access (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). Chapter 61 of the Mandaean Book of John (Drashia d-Iahia). Extracted via PyMuPDF from the Unicode text layer. Couplet lines appear in extraction order (reversed from reading order — see Couplet Reversal Note in colophon).
ࡌࡓࡀࡅࡓࡀࡁ ࡄࡍࡅࡓࡀ ࡔࡀࡉࡍࡀ
ࡁࡔࡅࡌࡀࡉࡄࡅࡍ ࡖࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡓࡁࡉࡀ
ࡌࡀࡍ ࡀࡍࡅࡃࡀࡍ ࡅࡌࡀࡍ ࡀࡍࡉࡐࡓࡔࡀࡍ
ࡌࡀࡍ ࡉࡍࡕࡉࡀ ࡅࡌࡀࡍ ࡉࡍࡌࡀࡓࡋࡉࡀ
ࡌࡀࡍ ࡉࡍࡕࡉࡀ ࡅࡌࡀࡍ ࡉࡍࡌࡀࡓࡋࡉࡀ
ࡅࡌࡀࡍ ࡓࡊࡀࡋࡇ ࡉࡊࡇࡐ ࡕࡓࡉࡍ
ࡌࡀࡍ ࡕࡐࡀࡋࡇ ࡁࡀࡁࡀ ࡋࡓࡐࡀࡔ ࡆࡉࡅࡀ
ࡅࡂࡍࡀࡃࡁࡇ ࡓࡒࡉࡄࡀ ࡌࡍ ࡓࡉࡔ ࡁࡓࡉࡔ
ࡌࡀࡍ ࡌࡉࡎࡉࡇ ࡋࡀࡓࡒࡀ
ࡅࡀࡄࡍࡀࡓ ࡏࡅࡕࡓࡉࡀ ࡁࡔࡉࡊࡀࡍࡕࡅࡍ
ࡌࡀࡍ ࡂࡍࡀࡃࡁࡇ ࡃࡓࡀࡁࡔࡉࡀ ࡖࡆࡉࡅࡀ
ࡅࡌࡀࡍ ࡓࡔࡀࡌ ࡁࡃࡀࡉࡊࡀ ࡓࡅࡔࡅࡌࡀ
ࡌࡀࡍ ࡁࡑࡀ ࡁࡌࡀࡁࡑࡅࡕࡀ ࡄࡀࡉࡕࡀ
ࡅࡌࡀࡍ ࡄࡅࡀ ࡁࡂࡀࡅࡇ ࡀࡍࡈࡓࡀ
ࡌࡀࡍ ࡆࡓࡀࡁࡇ ࡆࡉࡓࡀ
ࡅࡁࡀࡉࡍࡍ ࡁࡀࡍࡁࡇ ࡌࡀࡔࡊࡉࡍࡀ
ࡌࡀࡅࡍ ࡔࡀࡊࡁࡍࡇ ࡔࡉࡊࡀࡍࡕࡀ
ࡅࡀࡄࡍࡀࡓ ࡋࡓࡁࡀ ࡄࡉࡋࡊࡀ
ࡌࡀࡍ ࡒࡓࡀࡁࡇ ࡁࡒࡀࡋࡀ ࡖࡄࡉࡉࡀ
ࡅࡂࡉࡈࡓࡇ ࡋࡕࡀࡂࡀ ࡌࡍ ࡓࡉࡔ ࡁࡓࡉࡔ
ࡌࡀࡍ ࡔࡊࡀࡓࡁࡇ ࡉࡊࡔࡓࡀ
ࡅࡏࡕࡉࡒࡓࡉࡀ ‖ ࡁࡂࡀࡅࡇ ࡀࡎࡉࡀ
ࡌࡀࡍ ࡕࡓࡀࡁࡑࡇ ࡃࡀࡅࡋࡀ
ࡅࡀࡎࡒࡇ ࡁࡆࡀࡅࡊࡕࡀ ࡋࡀࡕࡀࡓ ࡄࡍࡅࡓ
ࡌࡀࡍ ࡂࡉࡁࡉࡇ ࡋࡌࡀࡍࡕ ࡓࡁࡉࡀ
ࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡉࡀࡃࡉࡀ ࡅࡋࡀࡌࡔࡀࡉࡋࡉࡀ
ࡌࡉࡃࡀ ࡉࡀࡃࡉࡀ ࡄࡉࡉࡀ
ࡌࡉࡃࡀ ࡉࡀࡃࡉࡀ ࡄࡉࡉࡀ
ࡉࡅࡔࡀࡌࡉࡍ ࡓࡊࡀࡋࡇ ࡉࡊࡇࡐ ࡕࡓࡉࡍ
ࡖࡉࡀࡅࡀࡓ ࡕࡐࡀࡋࡇ ࡅࡐࡌࡀ ࡋࡓࡐࡀࡔ ࡆࡉࡅࡀ
ࡅࡂࡍࡀࡃࡁࡇ ࡓࡒࡉࡄࡀ ࡌࡍ ࡓࡉࡔ ࡁࡓࡉࡔ
ࡕࡐࡀࡄࡉࡋ ࡌࡉࡎࡉࡇ ࡋࡀࡓࡒࡀ ࡖࡕࡉࡁࡉࡋ
ࡅࡀࡄࡍࡀࡓ ࡏࡅࡕࡓࡉࡀ ࡁࡔࡉࡊࡀࡍࡕࡅࡍ
ࡁࡉࡄࡓࡀࡌ ࡂࡍࡀࡃࡁࡇ ࡃࡓࡀࡁࡔࡉࡀ ࡖࡆࡉࡅࡀ
ࡅࡉࡍࡃࡁࡀࡉ ࡓࡔࡀࡌ ࡁࡃࡀࡉࡊࡀ ࡓࡅࡔࡅࡌࡀ
ࡔࡉࡋࡌࡀࡉ ࡁࡑࡀ ࡌࡀࡁࡑࡅࡕࡀ ࡄࡀࡉࡕࡀ
ࡅࡔࡉࡕࡉࡋ ࡄࡅࡀ ࡁࡂࡀࡅࡇ ࡀࡍࡈࡓࡀ
ࡀࡃࡀࡌ ࡆࡓࡀ ࡆࡉࡓࡀ
ࡅࡁࡀࡉࡍࡍ ࡁࡀࡍࡁࡇ ࡌࡀࡔࡊࡉࡍࡀ
ࡀࡅࡍࡔ ࡏࡅࡕࡓࡀ ࡔࡀࡊࡁࡍࡇ ࡔࡉࡊࡀࡍࡕࡀ
ࡅࡀࡄࡍࡀࡓ ࡋࡓࡁࡀ ࡄࡉࡋࡊࡀ
ࡄࡉࡁࡉࡋ ࡒࡓࡀ ࡁࡒࡀࡋࡀ ࡖࡄࡉࡉࡀ
ࡅࡂࡉࡈࡓࡇ ࡋࡕࡀࡂࡀ ࡌࡍ ࡓࡉࡔ ࡁࡓࡉࡔ
ࡉࡅࡀࡊࡔࡀࡓ ࡔࡊࡀࡓࡁࡇ ࡉࡊࡔࡓࡀ
ࡅࡏࡕࡉࡒࡓࡉࡀ ࡁࡂࡀࡅࡇ ࡀࡎࡉࡀ
ࡄࡀࡉࡀࡔࡅࡌ ࡕࡓࡀࡁࡑࡇ ࡃࡀࡅࡋࡀ
ࡅࡀࡎࡒࡇ ࡁࡆࡀࡅࡊ ࡋࡀࡕࡀࡓ ࡄࡍࡅࡓ
ࡁࡓ ࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡂࡉࡁࡉࡇ ࡋࡌࡀࡍࡕ ࡓࡁࡉࡀ
ࡅࡆࡀࡉࡊࡀ ‖ ࡂࡀࡁࡓࡀ ࡖࡀࡎࡂࡉࡀ ࡋࡀࡊ
ࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡆࡀࡉࡊࡍ
Source Colophon
Classical Mandaic text extracted from Charles G. Haberl and James F. McGrath, The Mandaean Book of John: Critical Edition, Translation, and Commentary (Berlin: De Gruyter, 2020). PDF pages 189–191 (0-indexed). Open Access under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). Text extracted via PyMuPDF from the Unicode Mandaic text layer (U+0840–U+085F). Couplet reversal pattern documented and corrected.
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