Re: Zoroastrianism and Judaism (was [AUXLANG] We do but jest...)

I know that this is old news, but I have been away in the Garden State for
the past week, so I was unable to respond until just now.

I wrote:
"It reminded me intensely of some of the Zoroastrian ceremonies that I
have seen (on tape, of course), and in fact the Mandaean clergy used the
same tools and wore the same clothes as the Zoroastrian clergy."

And BP Jonsson responded:
"This is highly intriguing!  Could you expand on it?"

Sure, I'll see if I can render it in Iranists' terms, because I can't
remember the native (Aramaic/Mandaic) terms (and there is no reference for
this sort of thing).  Please forgive me if I misspell something.

   For the most part, it reminded me of the ablutions which preceded the
Yasna ceremony.  I can't remember if the analogous ceremony was the snan,
but it was somewhat like that.  There were a battery of priests (although I
think one or two would suffice) wearing white outfits including, I believe,
analogs of the kusti and the sudra (it may interest you to know that the
"symbol" of the Mandaeans is a standard made from two crossed olive branches
and a white stole, which is draped around the cross as if it were a
scarecrow).
   First water was taken from the Charles and every object used in the
ceremony was "purified" by generous ablutions in the Charles' water.  A
small fire was lit and something that looked like a wafer was prepared,
again using the Charles water (Mandaeans will only use "living" or flowing
water in their ceremonies - they call this type of water "yardna" in
Mandaic, a word cognate to the name of the river which separates Jordan and
Israel.  Their priests cannot drink water or bath in water unless they have
collected that water from a flowing source.  Thus, when I was looking for a
home for the Mandaean priests during their stay, I needed to find a
waterfront property or something reasonably close to the river!).  This
wafer was baked in the fire and then broken up and fed to the children who
were being baptised.
    Then, one by one, the children would stand in the Charles behind the
priest.  The priest would face west and splash each child while reciting the
names of a whole slew of divinities.
    Flowing water (and baptisms in it) are central to the religious life of
the Mandaeans.  The Arabs refer to the community of Mandaeans as mughtasil,
"washed."  Interestingly enough, the community venerates John the Baptist
(Yahya yuhana - I know, that's just the Arabic and Aramaic names stuck
together, but that's how they refer to him) as their most sacred leader, and
because of him, the word for baptist in Mandaic is "yuhana."  There have
been numerous attempts to link the Mandaeans with the shadowy "Johannine
community" which some see in Matthew.  But the Mandaeans are no more a
Christian sect than they are a Jewish sect - although their own legends
place them along the banks of the Jordan during the time of Christ.  Christ
himself is both worshipped and reviled in the Mandaean community.
    I hope that I haven't been too generic here.  I'm sorry that I don't
have more details about the various implements used - it's been over a year
and I'm not sure that I'd remember all of the Iranian names for all of them.

-Chollie
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