Bedouin Tribes of the Euphrates Vol 2 - The Search For Mecca

196 Bedouin Tribes of the Euphrates, [ch. xxiv
were dispersed over Irak and probably el Hasa^
and are now reduced to the three thousand souls
mentioned.
As regards their religion, which, in fact, is the
only interesting, or for that matter, authentic part of
the story, they say that they worship the Almighty
God, the maker of light and darkness, whom no one
has seen at any time. Their principal religious observance
is
Baptism, which they say was instituted
by God in the garden of Eden, Adam being himself
baptised " in the name of the first life, the second life,
and the third life," all three names of the Almighty^
but this baptism fell into disuse, and was restored
by the preaching of their prophet, John the Baptist.
They acknowledge no other prophet, and take no
account of the Old or New Testament histories, except
to the extent of believing that Christ was the Holy
Ghost made visible to the world, but not God. They
believe in a resurrection of the body, a day of judgment,
and the reunion of every man to his wives.
If unmarried the men will receive new wives, the
number allowed in this world being four. They
have a sacrament of unleavened bread and wine, of
which their priests alone partake in private, and
according to certain secret rites.
This they believe
to have been also instituted in the garden of Eden.
As to their rite of baptism, they say it must be
performed in running water, when it will wash away
sin and ensure salvation. They baptise the children
when thirty days old, but the rite is constantly re-