Gnostic John the Baptizer — Portents at John's Birth · 4 of 32 · tr. G.R.S. Mead
Section 4
Yahyā proclaims in the nights, Yōhānā on the Night's evenings. 4
YAHYĀ proclaims in the nights and says: "Through my Father's discourses I give light and through the praise of the Man, my creator, I have freed my soul from the world and from the works that are hateful and wrong. The Seven 5 put question to me, the Dead who have not seen Life, and they say: "In whose strength dost thou stand there, and with p. 41 whose praise dost thou make proclamation?" Thereon I gave to them answer: "I stand in the strength of my Father and with the praise of the Man, my creator. I have built no house in Judća, have set up no throne in Jerusalem. I have not loved the wreath of the roses, not commerce with lovely women. I have not loved the defective, 1 not loved the cup of the drunkards. I have loved no food of the body, and envy has found no place in me. I have not forgotten my night-prayer, not forgotten wondrous Jordan. I have not forgotten my baptizing, not [forgotten] my pure sign. I have not forgotten Sun-day, 2 and the Day's evening has not condemned me. I have not forgotten Shilmai and Nibdai, 3 who dwell in the House of the Mighty. 4 They clear me and let me ascend; they know no fault, no defect is in me."
When Yahyā said this, Life rejoiced over him greatly. The Seven sent him their greeting and the Twelve 5 made obeisance before him. They said to him: "Of all these words which thou hast spoken, thou hast not said a single one falsely. Delightful and fair is thy voice, and none is an equal to thee. Fair is thy discourse in thy mouth and precious thy speech, which has been bestowed upon thee. The vesture which First Life did give unto Adam, the Man, 6 the vesture which First Life did give unto Rām, 7 p. 42 the Man, the vesture which First Life did give unto Shurbai, 1 the Man, the vesture which First Life did give unto Shum bar Nū, 2 —has He given now unto thee. He hath given it thee, O Yahyā, that thou mayest ascend, and with thee may those ascend * * * * * * The house of defect 3 will be left behind in the desert. 4 Everyone who shall be found sinless, will ascend to thee to the Light's region; he who is not found sinless, will be called to account in the guard-houses." 5
And Life is victorious.
JOHN'S LIGHT-SHIP (§ 20).
Yahyā proclaims in the nights, Yōhānā on the Night's evenings.
YAHYĀ proclaims in the nights and says: "In the name of Him who is wondrous and all-surpassing! The Sun sat in his Court (? Corona), and the Moon sat in the Dragon. The Four p. 43 Winds of the House get them gone on their wings and blow not." 1
Direct address to the divine, whether petitionary, contemplative, or liturgical; speech and silence offered upward.
Yahyā explicitly states he has not forgotten his night-prayer and the praise of the Man. [quarantine-w3: prayer x mandaean — see rellm data/quarantine/dossiers.jsonl]