The Hidden Peoples of the World: The Mandaeans of Iraq

From the marshes of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in southern Iraq, members of a little-known, Gnostic sect are emerging in cities throughout the world. Also known as Subbi, meaning baptizers, the Mandaeans have a complex set of beliefs about the world's origins as well as the life that follows. With a passion for the obscure, Karen Baker has delved into the secret sect of the Mandaeans of Iraq, exploring the effects of the turmoil they are facing in their centuries-old homeland. The Iraqi Mandaeans are fleeing their native country, becoming refugees and watching their traditions and cultural practices vanish. This book evaluates the potential receptivity of Mandaeans to Christianity through several perspectives including an evaluation of Mandaeism s relationship to the Gnosticism of the first through third centuries CE, as well as its syncretic adaptations to Judaism, Christianity and Islam. This book will be of interest to those interested in little-known cultures from a historical and religious perspective; those involved with refugees and immigrants; and those who desire to understand the foundational beliefs of Mandaeism.