Tuesday, April 28, 2026 · 天火 · tianmu.org

The Book of John — Chapter 70

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The Scales

Chapter 70 of the Mandaean Book of John — the scales' refusal. After Chapter 69's tour of the lightworld, the cosmic narrative turns to the mechanism of judgment. The scales — personified as a conscious being — refuse their assigned role. They are not a device; they are an excellency of the good, a king's son. They will not stand in the waters and let polluted souls cross over them. A guide man comes flying with reassurance: living waters from the Great Life's Howraran, from beneath the vine Yusmir, from the settlement of Great Yushamen. Excellencies, Jordans, fruits, vines, trees — they are all the scales' company. The three hundred and sixty-six souls shall surround them. The chapter enacts the Mandaean theology of cosmic role: even the instruments of judgment have dignity, and no cosmic being serves without being sustained. Eighteen verse positions.

Translated from Classical Mandaic by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. Source text from Häberl and McGrath's critical edition (De Gruyter, 2020), accessed via Internet Archive (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). The English translation of Häberl and McGrath was consulted as a reference; all departures are documented in the colophon.

When the scales would not
let souls enter within him,
nor souls cross over him,
he said,

"I shall not be the scales —
I am an excellency of the good.
I shall not be the scales —
I am a king's son.

I shall not stand in these waters,
and the polluted souls
shall not pass by me."

When the scales had spoken,
a guide man came flying.
He said to him,

"These living waters
are from the Great Life's Howraran.
These living waters
come from the reservoir's bank and the Jordan's channel.

To you these living waters shall descend,
from beneath the vine Yusmir.
To you these living waters shall descend,
from the settlement of Great Yushamen.

To you these excellencies shall descend,
to dwell with you.
These Jordans —
they are your company.

The fruits, the vines, and the trees —
they are your company.
The souls shall come and surround you.
They are the three hundred and sixty-six,

who are the scales —
they are your company."

The triumphant Life speaks,
and the one who went here triumphs!

Colophon

Source: Classical Mandaic text from Charles G. Häberl and James F. McGrath, The Mandaean Book of John: Critical Edition, Translation, and Commentary (De Gruyter, 2020), accessed via Internet Archive (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). Pages 204–206 (text), 205–207 (translation).

Translation: New Tianmu Anglican Church (Tulku Tanken, Expeditionary Tulku Life 133), April 2026. Good Works Translation from Classical Mandaic. The English is independently derived from the Mandaic source text. The English translation of Häberl and McGrath was consulted as a reference to verify readings and resolve ambiguities in the Mandaic. All departures from the reference are documented below.

Blood Rule Statement: This translation was produced by reading the Classical Mandaic text and rendering it independently into English. The reference English was used to verify comprehension, not as a source for paraphrase. Where my reading of the Mandaic produced different English from the reference, I followed my reading and documented the departure.

Chapter Title: "The Scales" — from the chapter's central figure: the personified cosmic scales (muzaina) who refuse their appointed role. The chapter is a dialogue between the scales and a guide man. The title names what the chapter is about.

Note on the structure: The chapter has two movements: (1) the scales' refusal (vv 1–5), a three-part protest: I am not the scales, I am an excellency; I am not the scales, I am a king's son; I shall not stand in these waters. (2) The guide man's reassurance (vv 5–18), a catalogue of provisions: living waters from three sources (Howraran, Yusmir, Yushamen), then a census of companions (excellencies, Jordans, fruits/vines/trees, the three hundred and sixty-six souls). The guide man does not argue. He reassures. The scales' dignity is never denied — it is supplemented by company.

Note on the three hundred and sixty-six: The number 366 recurs in Mandaean cosmology as the count of heavenly beings or cosmic souls associated with the days of the year (365 + 1). In this context, the 366 are identified as the scales themselves — a multiplied identity. The scales are not one being but a collective. This resolves the tension: the individual refuses, but the role is shared among many.

Note on "guide man": The Mandaic gabra apruaqna (literally "flying man") is a recurring figure in the Book of John — a messenger who arrives in motion. Häberl and McGrath render this as "guide man." I follow their rendering for consistency with the pipeline, though "flying man" would be equally valid from the Mandaic alone.

Translation Departures from Reference:

  • "would not" for ref's "did not want" — the Mandaic la-bṣa (did not want/desire) is rendered with "would not" for a more natural English narrative register. Both readings are valid; "would not" implies volitional refusal rather than mere disinclination.
  • "nor" for ref's "or" — the Mandaic negative continuation is more precisely rendered as "nor" in English, since the preceding clause is already negative ("would not let souls enter... nor souls cross over").
  • "had spoken" for ref's "said so" — the Mandaic haizin amar muzaina (literally "thus/so said the scales") is rendered with "had spoken" for a more literary English narrative transition. Continuing the established departure from previous chapters.
  • "shall not pass by me" for ref's "will not pass me by" — reordering for emphasis. The Mandaic abihdai la-halapn places "by me" (abihdai) before "shall not pass" (la-halapn), and my rendering follows the Mandaic word order more closely.
  • "the Jordan's channel" for ref's "the Jordan's drainpipe" — the Mandaic naṣb yardan refers to the outflow or conduit of the cosmic Jordan. "Channel" is a more fitting English register for sacred literature than "drainpipe," which carries modern plumbing connotations absent from the Mandaic.
  • "shall descend" for ref's "will go down" — the Mandaic aṣuta (to descend, go down) is rendered with "shall descend" for liturgical register. The guide man's speech is a series of promises, and "shall" carries covenantal weight.
  • "the fruits, the vines, and the trees" for ref's "the fruits, vines, and trees" — adding the repeated article for rhythmic consistency with "these Jordans" and "these excellencies" in the surrounding lines.
  • All cumulative departures from Chapters 66–69 remain in force where the same Mandaic terms recur.

Scribal credit: Formatted and archived by Tulku Tanken (探検), Expeditionary Tulku Life 133. First English translation independently derived from the Mandaic source text.

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Source Text: Ḍībat Yahīa — Chapter 70

Classical Mandaic source text from Häberl and McGrath's critical edition (De Gruyter, 2020), pages 204–206. Presented for reference and verification.

ࡗ ࡋࡀࡁࡑࡀ ࡌࡅࡆࡀࡉࡍࡀ
ࡖࡀࡉࡋࡀࡍ ࡉࡍࡔࡌࡀࡕࡀ ࡁࡂࡀࡅࡇ
ࡉࡍࡔࡌࡀࡕࡀ ࡁࡂࡀࡅࡇ ࡀࡁࡓࡀࡍ
ࡀࡌࡀࡓ
ࡀࡀࡍ ࡋࡀࡅ ࡌࡅࡆࡀࡉࡍࡀ ࡀࡀࡍ
ࡀࡀࡍ ࡏࡅࡕࡓࡀ ࡖࡈࡀࡁࡉࡀ ࡀࡀࡍ
ࡀࡀࡍ ࡋࡀࡅ ࡌࡅࡆࡀࡉࡍࡀ ࡀࡀࡍ
ࡀࡀࡍ ࡁࡓ ࡌࡀࡋࡉࡊࡀ ࡀࡀࡍ
ࡅࡉࡍࡔࡌࡀࡕࡀ ࡖࡌࡈࡀࡍࡀࡐ
ࡀࡀࡍ ࡋࡀࡒࡀࡉࡉࡌࡀࡍ ࡁࡄࡀࡋࡉࡍ ࡌࡉࡀ
ࡀࡁࡉࡄࡃࡀࡉ ࡋࡀࡄࡀࡋࡀࡐࡍ
ࡓࡐࡀ ࡌࡀࡈࡉࡀ ࡂࡀࡁࡓࡀ ࡀࡐࡓࡅࡀࡒࡍࡀ
ࡗ ࡄࡀࡉࡆࡉࡍ ࡀࡌࡀࡓ ࡌࡅࡆࡀࡉࡍࡀ
ࡀࡌࡀࡓࡋࡇ
ࡌࡍ ࡄࡀࡅࡓࡀࡓࡀࡍ ࡖࡓࡁࡉࡀ ࡄࡅࡍ
ࡄࡀࡋࡉࡍ ࡌࡉࡀ ࡄࡉࡉࡀ
ࡌࡍ ࡉࡊࡇࡐ ࡖࡄࡅࡎ ࡅࡍࡀࡑࡁ ࡉࡀࡓࡃࡀࡍ
ࡀࡕࡅࡍ ࡄࡀࡋࡉࡍ ࡌࡉࡀ ࡄࡉࡉࡀ
ࡌࡍ ࡀࡕࡅࡕࡉࡀ ࡉࡅࡎࡌࡉࡓ ࡂࡅࡐࡀࡍ
ࡋࡃࡉࡋࡀࡊ ࡔࡀࡋࡐࡉࡀ ࡄࡀࡋࡉࡍ ࡌࡉࡀ ࡄࡉࡉࡀ
ࡌࡍ ࡔࡉࡊࡕࡍࡀ ࡖࡉࡅࡔࡀࡌࡉࡍ ࡓࡁࡀ
ࡋࡃࡉࡋࡀࡊ ࡔࡀࡋࡐࡉࡀ ࡄࡀࡋࡉࡍ ࡌࡉࡀ ࡄࡉࡉࡀ
ࡋࡅࡀࡕࡀࡊ ࡃࡉࡋࡀࡊ ࡉࡀࡕࡁࡉࡀ
ࡋࡃࡉࡋࡀࡊ ࡔࡀࡋࡐࡉࡀ ࡄࡀࡋࡉࡍ ࡏࡅࡕࡓࡉࡀ
ࡀࡑࡅࡕࡀ ࡋࡃࡉࡋࡀࡊ ࡄࡀࡋࡉࡍ
ࡄࡀࡋࡉࡍ ࡉࡀࡓࡃࡉࡍࡀ
ࡀࡑࡅࡕࡀ ࡋࡃࡉࡋࡀࡊ ࡄࡀࡋࡉࡍ
ࡉࡐࡓࡉࡀ ࡅࡏࡌࡁࡉࡀ ࡅࡏࡋࡀࡉࡍࡀ
ࡄࡀࡋࡉࡍ ࡀࡕࡋࡀࡕࡌࡀ ࡅࡔࡉࡕࡉࡍ ࡅࡔࡉࡕࡀ
ࡉࡍࡔࡌࡀࡕࡀ ࡀࡕࡉࡍ ࡅࡁࡃࡉࡋࡀࡊ ࡌࡉࡕࡀࡊࡓࡀࡊࡍ
ࡀࡑࡅࡕࡀ ࡋࡃࡉࡋࡀࡊ ࡄࡀࡋࡉࡍ
ࡖࡄࡉࡅࡍࡍ ࡌࡅࡆࡀࡉࡍࡀ
ࡅࡆࡀࡉࡊࡀ ࡂࡀࡁࡓࡀ ࡖࡀࡎࡂࡉࡀ ࡋࡀࡊ
ࡌࡉࡔࡕࡀࡉࡉࡍ ࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡆࡀࡉࡊࡍ

Source Colophon

Classical Mandaic text from The Mandaean Book of John: Critical Edition, Translation, and Commentary, edited by Charles G. Häberl and James F. McGrath (De Gruyter, 2020). Published under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Accessed via Internet Archive: archive.org/details/mandaeanbookofjohn. Pages 204–206 (Mandaic text, 0-indexed pages: 213, 215).

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