ORDINARY MEETING.* 

 Rev. F. a. Walker, D.D., F.L.S., in the Chair. 



The Minutes of the last Meeting were read and confirmed, and the 

 following Elections took place : — • 



Associates :— W. Mackworth, Esq., London ; E. Tydeman, Esq., M.A., 

 India. 



Corresponding Member : — Professor Weidemann, Bonn, Germany. 



The following paper was then read by the Eev. F. A. Walker, D.D,, 

 the author beino- in the United States : — • 



THE STAR WORSHIPPERS OF MESOPOTAMIA, 

 By the Rev. Samuel M. Zwemer, F.R.G.S. 



IN the towns along the lower Euphrates and Tigris, 

 especially at Amara, Sook es Shiookh, Busrah and 

 Mohammerah, there dwell an interesting people variously 

 known as Sabeans, Nasoreans, or St. John Christians. They 



call themselves Mandaee {^]sX,<), Mandseans, and although 



only numbering four or five thousand they have always 

 been and remain entirely distinct from the Jews, Moslems 

 and Christians, among whom they have dwelt for centuries. 

 Their origin is yet lost in obscurity, although it is traced, 

 by those few scholars who have studied the subject, through 

 the maze of their religion to ancient Babylonia and Chaldea. 

 It seems to me that in this remnant of a race and religion, 

 we have still an example of the oldest form of idolatry, i.e., 

 star worship, and that many of their mysterious customs 

 would throw a side-light upon the cult of ancient Babylonia. 

 It is partly to stimulate such study that the following paper 



* 4th April, 1898. 



