Top 10 Facts about Mani(Prophet)

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Top 10 Factby s about Mani(Prophet)

Mani was an Iranian prophet and the founder of Manichaeism, a religion most prevalent in late antiquity and strongly influenced by Gnosticism, Christianity, Zoroastrianism, and Buddhism. It was once widespread but now, it is confined to small areas of China. Mani was born near Seleucia-Clesiphon, which is south of modern Baghdad, it is on Mesopotamia. Seven of his major works were written in Syriac, and the eighth was dedicated to the Sasanian emperor Shapur I and was written in Middle Persian.

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1. Scholar Revelation of Mani

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In 1969, a hagiographic account of Mani’s career and spiritual development with information about Mani’s religious teachings and fragments of his writings. The account is known as the most reliable source of information about the historical Mani. There have been a lot of medieval accounts of his life that are legendary or hagiographical. Among these accounts, are Ibn al-Nadim’s account of Mani’s life and teachings. He notes generally the most reliable and exhaustive parts of Mani’s life.

2. Mani’s Early Life

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According to scholarly accounts, Mani’s father Patik was a native of Ecbatana. He was a member of the Jewish Christian sect of the Elcesaites, as for his mother, she was of Parthian descent. Her name was reported as Maryam. Mani was raised in a heterodox environment in Babylon, the community he was raised in was ostensibly Jewish Christian with some Gnostic features due to their Ebionite heritage. At the age of 12 and 24, he had visionary experiences that called him to leave his father’s sect and travel to different places and preach the true message of Jesus in a new gospel.

3. His Gospel Adventure 

As part, of his journey to preach the gospel, he traveled to India. During his time, he studied Hinduism and its various extant philosophies which includes Buddhism. Many believe that he only traveled to India after he was banished from Persia. It is also believed that Marcion and Bardaisan might have influenced his Christian roots. When he returned to India in 242, he presented himself to Shapur I. Mani dedicated his work which was written in Persian to Shapur I. Shapur wasn’t converted to Manichaeism and remained Zoroastrian but he favored Mani’s teachings. It is noted that Mani had performed miracles in India, which helped him gain converts. It has been recorded that Mani was famed for being an amazing painter.

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4. His Time As a Prisoner

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Shapur’s successor, Bahram I was a follower of the intolerant Zoroastrian reformer Kartir and began to persecute the Manichaeans. In 274, he incarcerated Mani who died in prison within a month. Scholars note that he passed his last days comforting his visiting disciples and taught that his death would have no other result than the return of his soul to the realm of light. His followers depicted his death as a crucifixion, al-Biruni notes that Bahram ordered the execution of Mani. There are other accounts that claim that he was flayed and his corpse was suspended over the main gate of the great city of Gundeshapur. Some believe that his body was mutilated and his head put on display and they note that it may be the original source of the embellishment.

6. All of His Works 

Mani’s work includes six works originally written in Syriac, one in Persian, and Shapuragan. None of his books have survived in complete form but there are numerous fragments and quotations about them. There is a large amount of material in Middle Persian, Coptic, and various other languages. However, surviving portions of his works include, the Shabuhragan, the book of Giants, the Fundamental Epistle, a number of fragments of his Living Gospel, a Syriac excerpt quoted by Theodore Bar Konai, and his Letter of Edessa which is contained in the Cologne Mani-Codex. He also wrote the book Arzhang which is a holy book of Manichaeism. The book contained many drawings and paintings that express and explain the Manichaeist creation and history of the world.

7. He had Three Main Disciples

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In his preaching, he made three chief disciples, Thomas, Addas, and Hermas. They were sent to various locations of the world to preach. For instance, the first was sent to Egypt while the second went to Scythia, and lastly, the third he retained with him for support.

8. The Return of His Disciples

The two former returned when he was in prison, and he sent them to procure for him the books of the Christians, which he then studied. According to the Latin narrative, finally, Manes on his return to Arabion was seized and taken to the Persian king, by whose orders he was flayed, his body being left to the birds, and his skin, filled with air, hung at the city gate. However, most of his followers fled to India and China, where most of his followers are even to date.

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9. He Proclaimed to have Gone to Heaven

Interestingly, Mani is described as a painter who set up a sectarian movement in opposition to Zoroastrianism. He was persecuted by Shapur I and fled to Central Asia, where he made disciples and embellished with paintings a Tchighil or “pictura rum domus Chinensis and another temple called Ghalbita. He provisioned in advance a cave that had a spring. He then confidently told his disciples he was going to heaven. In addition, he said he would not return for a year, after which time they were to seek him in the cave in question. It is interesting that they came back there after a year and found him. He showed them an illustrated book, called “Ergenk”, or “Estenk Arzhang”, which he said he had brought from heaven.

10. His Historic Teachings

He introduced to people his history of “this Manes,” very much to the effect of the recapitulation in Socrates. Among the further details are that Scythians lived in the time of the Apostles and, that Terebinthus said the name of Buddas had been imposed on him, that in the mountains he had been brought up by an angel, that he had been convicted of imposture by a Persian prophet named Parcus, and by Labdacus, son of Mithra. In addition, he said that in the disputation he taught concerning the sphere, the two luminaries, the transmigration of souls, and the war of the Principia against God, that “Corbicius” or Corbicus, about the age of sixty, translated the books of Terebinthus. 

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