Hans Jonas – Religião Gnóstica – MANDEANOS
De inestimable valor para el conocimiento del gnosticismo fuera de la órbita cristiana son los libros sagrados de los mándeos, una secta que, si bien representada por un número escaso de adeptos, sobrevive en la región del bajo Eufrates (el moderno Irak). Esta secta, tan violentamente anticristiana como antijudía, incluye, sin embargo, entre sus profetas a Juan Bautista, figura que sustituye y se opone a Cristo. Este es el único ejemplo de existencia continuada de la religión gnóstica hasta nuestros días. El nombre de la secta deriva del arameo manda, «conocimiento», de forma que «mandeos» significa literalmente «gnósticos». Sus libros sagrados, escritos en dialecto arameo, están estrechamente relacionados con el Talmud, y forman el corpus más extenso —con la excepción, quizá, del siguiente grupo— de los escritos gnósticos originales en nuestro poder. Estos libros contienen tratados mitológicos y doctrinales, enseñanzas rituales y morales, una liturgia y colecciones de himnos y de salmos, de las cuales estos últimos contienen a su vez algunos poemas religiosos profundamente conmovedores.
Particularmente rica y vigorosa, en el panorama de acuñación original que despliega el sello del pensamiento gnóstico, es la literatura mandea. Este rico caudal de expresividad representa, al menos en parte, el anverso de su pobreza en términos teóricos; y tiene que ver con el hecho de que, debido a la enorme distancia geográfica y social que los separó de la influencia helenística, los mándeos estuvieron menos expuestos que otros a la tentación de adaptar la expresión de sus ideas a las convenciones intelectuales y literarias occidentales. En sus escritos abunda la fantasía mitológica; la solidez de su imaginería desprovista de toda intención conceptualizadora; su variedad ajena a toda preocupación de consistencia o de creación de un sistema. Aunque su falta de disciplina intelectual hace a menudo odiosa la lectura de sus composiciones más extensas, tremendamente repetitivas, el colorido exento de sofisticación de la visión mítica que los recorre supone una amplia compensación; y, en la poesía mandea, el alma gnóstica derrama su angustia, su nostalgia y su consuelo en un ilimitado caudal de poderoso simbolismo.
Only one gnostic sect has survived to the present day; it has therefore been placed at the end of our historical review, although its origins probably go back to pre-Christian times. It is the community of the Mandeans, a baptist sect, comprising about 15,000 followers, and to be found especially in the southern region of the Euphrates and Tigris in the Republic of Iraq. Its present-day centres are Baghdad and Basra where all travellers are able to meet them on the gold and silver market which they practically dominate. They also can often be found in the smaller towns, such as Amarah, Nasiriya and Suq esh-Shujuch. Up into the 20th century their range of distribution was predominantly in smaller market towns and villages of the marshland in southern Iraq, the Batiha, which corresponds to the ancient region of Mesene (Maisän). Their traditions have been preserved most purely among the Iranian Mandeans who dwell along the river Karün in the province of Khuzistän, especially in Ahwaz and Shushtar. Their Muslim compatriots call them Sabians (in the vernacular: Subba), i. e. “baptists, baptizers”, a name which also occurs in the Koran and which enabled them to belong to those religions which are tolerated by Islam.
The earliest self-designations to be found in Mandean literature are “elect of righteousness” (bhirizidqa) and “Nasoreans” (nasuraiyi), i. e. “guardians” or “possessors” of secret rites and knowledge. “Mandeans” (mandayi) is of more recent date but refers back to the ancient Mandean word for “perception, knowledge, Gnosis” (manda) ; it therefore means “the knowing ones, the gnostics”. Nowadays the term denotes more generally the laity in contradistinction to the priests (tarmidi) or initiates (nasoraiyi). As Christian missionaries of the 17th century saw in them the descendants of the “disciples of John the Baptist”, they were known in European literature for a long time under this name or as “ John-Christians”. They themselves gladly accepted this title, for they actually consider John the Baptist to be a representative of their faith, and this gave them certain advantages in their dealings with the Islamic and Christian authorities. They are traditionally famous as skilled silversmiths (“Amarah-work”), and in the country also as iron- smiths and boat-builders. In European research however they The most important Mandean works are the following: the “Treasure” (“Ginza”) or the “Great Book” (“sidra rabba”), the most comprehensive compilation consisting of two main parts the “Right Ginza” and the (smaller) “Left Ginza”. The former consists of a number of (18) mythological-theological moral and narrative tractates, the latter essentially of the hymns for the mass for the dead. It is really a liturgical book which is devoted to the ascent of the soul. The “Book of John”, or the “Books of the Kings” (i.e. angels) as it is also called, is a compilation, too, which supplements the Ginza. It bears its name on account of the “discourses” of John the Baptist contained therein, which, however, are entirely couched in Mandean language and are without direct historical value. Of great importance is a compilation of the liturgical prayers, hymns and recitations which are used at the various ceremonies (baptism, mass for the dead, consecration of the banners, wedding etc.). The work is known under the title Qolasta which means ‘praise’ (later more generally : “liturgical collection”) ; in European research it was simply designated as “Mandean Liturgies” (following Lidzbarski) or “Canonical Prayerbook” (following Drower). To the cultic texts belong a further series of scrolls which have come to light only recently and which haVe been published only in part. There are rituals for the ordination to the priesthood or “crowning”, the consecration of the temple, the feast of the end of the year and the wedding, and there are “commentaries” on the ritual events which use for the most part a mysterious micro-macrocosmic symbolism. Some of these scrolls are considered to be “secret” and are accessible only to the priests, such as the voluminous “1012 Questions” which are meant to introduce the aspirant to the priesthood into the Mandean cultic wisdom (nasirutha). Also remarkable are a number of illustrated scrolls, the so-called Diwanê, which are published only in part, such as the Diwan Abathur, a description of the supernatural places which the soul has to traverse. The drawings show a very distinctive “cubist” style which can also be found in magical texts of late antiquity.168 The Mandeans also possess an astrological “Book of the Signs of the Zodiac” (Sfar Malwâshi) which served the priests for horoscopes and for the giving of names. In addition to this official literature, there is a great mass of magical texts and exorcisms on lead tablets, clay bowls and, more recently, on leather and paper.
The most ancient go back to the 4th century and are the testimonies of Mandean literature that can be dated most reliably. The great mass of this literature can be dated only with difficulty. Investigations have shown that the existence of liturgical-poetic writings must be assumed already in the 3rd century. The Mandean script was probably developed in the 2nd century by an inventive personality (comparable to Mani) on the basis of older models, and immediately served for the writing down of the even more ancient religious tradition which the Mandeans brought from their original habitat in Palestine and Syria to Mesopotamia. The collection of the most important tractates, books and rituals already began before Islam, but was hastened by its demand for “books” as proof of a “book religion”. The oldest texts are to be found, without a doubt, in the Ginza, the “liturgies” and in the “Book of John”. They also supply the proof for the gnostic character of the ancient Mandean religion and they are connected in many ways with the ancient gnostic tradition as we encounter it especially in Syria (Gospel of John, Odes of Solomon).