Gnostic John the Baptizer:

by G. R. S. Mead

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p. iii

CONTENTS.

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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
		Ḫani-Ōannēs-Iōannēs		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 MANDĈANS		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

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	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 Mandĉans		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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