Jesus vs. Mandaean Lightworld Figures in the Great Treasure

Jesus vs. Mandaean Lightworld Figures in the Great Treasure July 3, 2013

Here are another couple of excerpts from the Great Treasure or Ginza Rba, which are relevant to my conference paper on depictions of lightworld visitors to Jerusalem in the Mandaean Book of John. They are also related to one another. First here is GR 1.199-200, :

If he harasses you, tell him: “We belong to you.” Yet in your heart do not confess him, and do not fall away from the words of your Lord, the Exalted King of Light. Because the Lying Messiah does not reveal the hidden things.He says, “I am God, Son of God, my Father has sent me here.” He tells you, “I am the first envoy, I'm Hibil-Ziwa that came from on high.” But do not confess it. For he is not Hibil-Ziwa. Hibil-Ziwa is not clothed with fire, Hibil-Ziwa reveals himself not in that age. Rather Anosh-Uthra comes and goes to Jerusalem, dressed in a garb of water clouds. He walks in bodily form, but wears no physical garb. Fervor and fury is not in him.He is proclaimed and comes in the years of Pilate, the King of the World. Anosh-Uthra comes into the world with the power of the Exalted King of Light. He heals the sick, makes the blind see, cleanses the lepers, sets the cripple aright, those crawling on the floor on are made able to walk, the deaf are made to talk, and he revives the dead.He wins believers among the Jews, and shows them there is death and there is life, there is darkness and there is light, there is truth and there is error. He converts the Jews to the name of the Exalted King of Light.Three hundred and sixty prophets will emerge from the village Jerusalem. They bear witness to the name of the Lord of Greatness. Anosh-Uthra then rises into the air and continues to Mshunna-Kushta.(All uthras are hidden from the eyes of the children of men.) Then of course Jerusalem is destroyed, the Jews go into exile and are scattered in all cities.

And here is a second related passage from the Great Treasure, GR 2.135-136:

When the children of Israel spread, the city of Jerusalem will be built. Anosh-Uthra comes and goes to Jerusalem, before the Devs go into the world. Two thousand years Anosh goes around in the world. His robe is a robe of clouds and water covered its luster. His robe is not physical, and fervor and fury is not in him.He comes into this world in the years of Pilate, King in the world. Anosh-Uthra comes into the world with the power of Exalted King of Light. He heals the sick, makes the blind see, cleanses the lepers, straightens the crippled that they may go, and makes the deaf to speak. With the power of the Exalted King of Light, he revives the dead. He wins believers among the Jews, and shows them there is life and there is death, there is light and there is darkness and blazing fire, there is truth and there is error. He leads out every one of them who is zealous and firm in their faith in the Lord of all the worlds.Then, when he shows his friends the truth, the city of Jerusalem is destroyed and we ascend to the worlds of light and the splendor of its abode. We do not reveal ourselves in the world, until the time comes and the measure of the world is full.

 


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