I keep seeing him mentioned as an important figure in Mandaeanism, but I don't really understand why he is considered significant or the connection of the Mandaean John the Baptist to the Christian or Muslim John the Baptist. Also, if anyone could point me to a reliable English translation of Mandaean scripture that'd be right lovely. I've found a site that claims to be an English translation of the German Johannesbuch der Mandäer but I don't really trust it.
I don't think there's any question that it's the same John the Baptist. One of their primary scriptures has an entire chapter devoted to a conversation between Jesus Christ & John the Baptist, where Jesus wants to be baptised, they have a discussion about it, etc. A lot of Mandaeism seems to be a strong critique of christianity in particular, that they revere the biblical John the Baptist as their main prophet is central to their religion being what it is.