ABSTRACT
The Mandaeans are the followers of John the Baptist, who is considered to be their last prophet and the fundamental figure in their religion. Their religion is one of the most ancient religions in Iraq, if not the most ancient, arising even before Christianity. Before the American invasion of Iraq in April 2003, Iraq was the original home to the Mandaeans, one of the oldest minorities in the Middle East. Majority of the Mandaean youth turned to educational attainment and were attracted to modern professions, departing from past practices of their primitive crafts toward developing professions in jewelry that survived the development of modern industry. To save themselves, many avoided speaking their language, shaved their beards, took Islamic names, and changed their clothing, traditions, and customs to go along the Islamic environment, and therefore it became difficult to distinguish them from Muslims.
