Australian Mandaeans Hold Ceremonial River Water Baptisms

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 26: A follower prepares myrtle twigs for a Mandaean baptism ceremony in the Nepean river at Emu Plains on October 26, 2014 in Sydney, Australia. The small western Sydney Mandaen community gather weekly on a Sunday to conduct traditional baptisms in Aramaic on the Nepean River. The baptism is a principal ceremony of the Mandaens, presided over by a Reverend in a free-flowing fresh water river. Mandaens claim descent from John the Baptist and the religion is one of the oldest in the world. Originating in Iraq and Iran, Mandaen diaspora communities extend across the globe with an estimated 70,000 practitioners. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)