Birds cry the name of God (1)

Text
Mandaic Story of Qiqel and Death of Yahya:
The child said, ‘Baptize me!’ Yahya replied, ‘I cannot! The water rises and departs from you.’ The birds saw and came and hovered over their heads crying out the names of God, ‘Yukhawar Ziwa!’ ‘Manda-ṭ-Haiy!’ again and again. Yahya said to the child, ‘I am your suppliant! You are no little boy! Disclose to me your nature and your name!’ The child replied, ‘Have no fear! I am Manda-ṭ-Haiy, did you not hear the birds proclaim it?’

And, when the birds cry in the morning, they cry the name of God, each in his own particular tongue - the sparrow, the hoopoe, the vulture, each has his own cry - one sound, whereas the sons of Adam have many different cries and sounds. Yes, one sparrow cries like another! But God gives them the power of distinguishing each other, and a cock-sparrow knows his wife out of thousands!

Source (list of abbreviations)
Mandaic Story of Qiqel and Death of Yahya

Bibliography

Amar Annus

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