Gnostic John the Baptizer

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Gnostic John the Baptizer

By G. R. S. Mead

Contents

PAGE
       FOREWORD v
 
I.   JOHN THE BAPTIZER AND CHRISTIAN ORIGINS 1-28
 
       A Recent Study on John's Symbolism 1
       The John-passage in 'The Antiquities' of Josephus 2
       The N.T. Account: The Dress and Food of Repentance 4
       Popular Messianic Expectations 7
       The Sanctification of the Jordan-water 9
       The Probable Symbolic Signification of John's Baptism 10
       The Baptism of the Proselytes 11
       One of John's Discourses and its Symbolism 13
       The Fish and Fishers Symbolism 14
       ?ani-Oannes-Ioannes 16
       John-Jonah 18
       Rabbinic Fish Symbolism 20
       The Samaritan Ta'eb: A Reborn Joshua or Noah 21
       John's Eschatological Symbolism 22
       John and Jesus generally 24
       John and the Messiahship of Jesus 26
 
II.   FROM THE JOHN-BOOK OF THE MANDÆANS 29-96
 
       Introductory 29
 
  i.    THE GNOSTIC JOHN THE BAPTIZER 35-61
 
          Portents at John's Birth 35
          John's Proclamation concerning himself 40
          His Assumption of the Prophet's Mantle 41
          John's Light-ship 42
          John the Ascetic 44
          Of Judgment-Day 45
          The Letter of Truth 46
          John's Invulnerability 48
          John and the Baptism of Jesus 48
          John's Marriage 52
          John on his own Passing 54
          John's Birth, Upbringing and First Appearance 56
          John's Answer to Jesus Concerning the Angel of Death 59

p. iv

PAGE
  ii.    THE STORY OF THE BREACH WITH JUDAISM 62-70
 
          Miryai is expelled from Jewry 62
          A Variant of the Same 64
          The Exiled Community settle on the Euphrates 65
          The Jews persecute the Mandæans 67
          They beg them to Return 67
 
  iii.    SOME TYPICAL EXTRACTS 71-96
 
          The 'Fisher of Souls' Saga 71
          The Light-ship of the Fisher 75
          The Good Fisher overwhelms the Evil Fishers 76
          The Final Submission of the Evil Fishers 79
          The Good Shepherd 81
          The Loving Shepherds of the Good Shepherd 83
          The Treasury of Life 86
          In the Beginning 89
          Exhortations 91
          The Song of the Poor's Exaltation 93
 
III.   THE SLAVONIC JOSEPHUS' ACCOUNT OF THE BAPTIST AND JESUS 97-119
 
    INTRODUCTORY 97
 
    TRANSLATION OF THE INTERPOLATIONS 103-110
 
    i.    John's Proclamation and his Rebuke of the Authorities 103
    ii.    His Interpretation of Philip's Dream 105
    iii.    His Persistent Rebuking of Agrippa and his Execution 105
    iv.    The Ministry, Trial and Crucifixion of Jesus 106
    v.    The Treatment of the First Christians 107
    vi.    The Trilingual Inscription concerning Jesus 108
    vii.    Portents at the Death of Jesus and Rumours of his Resurrection 109
    viii.    A Prophecy concerning Jesus 110
 
    GENERAL REMARKS 110
 
IV.   THE FOURTH GOSPEL PROEM 120-127
 
    A NEW VERSION VENTURE 120-127
 
    Connection 120
    Translation 123
 
    AFTERWORD 128

 

 

 

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