Mani (prophet)

Mani (; – 2 March AD 274 or 26 February AD 277) was an Iranian prophet and the founder of Manichaeism, a religion most prevalent in late antiquity.

Mani was born in or near Ctesiphon (south of modern Baghdad) in Mesopotamia, at the time part of the Parthian Empire. Seven of his major works were written in Syriac, and the eighth, dedicated to the Sasanian emperor Shapur I, was written in Middle Persian. He died shortly after being imprisoned by Bahram I in Gundeshapur.

Etymology

The exact meaning of the name, or rather title, of "Mani" remains unsolved. It may have derived from Babylonian-Aramaic Mânâ [luminescence]. Mandaeans used the term mânâ rabba, which means "Enlightened Lord/King". Ancient Greek interpretations were (, "vessel, instrument") and (, "intercourse, company, communion, instruction").

The same slightly contemptuous "a certain" (Manes quidam) also appears in Hegemonius' Acta Archelai (4th century), however, Hegemonius contributes a detailed description of Mani's looks. Mani’s names became the object of uplifting transformation (Greek, Coptic Mannichaios, Latin Mannichaeus, i.e., Mannam fundens, "pouring out Manna"). Alternatively, due to Mani's possible origins in an Elchasai community, "Mani" could be a Hypocorism of the Hebrew name Menahem ("the consoler" or "comforter").

Life

This work and other evidence discovered in the 20th century establishes Mani as a historical individual. For an updated critique of the standard account and a radically alternative proposal, see Iain Gardner's The Founder of Manichaeism: Rethinking the Life of Mani.

Early life

Mani was born near Seleucia-Ctesiphon, perhaps in the town of Mardinu in the Babylonian district of Nahr Kutha; according to other accounts in the town Abrumya. Mani's father Pātik (Middle Persian: ; , Arabic: ), a native of Ecbatana (now Hamadan, Iran), was a member of the Jewish Christian sect of the Elcesaites. His mother was of Parthian descent (from "the Armenian Arsacid family of Kamsarakan"); her name is reported variously, among others Maryam. Mani was closely related on his mother's side to the famous Parthian ruling dynasty, the Arsacids.

Mani was raised in a heterodox environment in Babylon. The Elcesaite community was ostensibly Jewish Christian, though with some Gnostic features due to their Ebionite heritage, such as the belief in recurring incarnations of heavenly apostles, one of whom was a docetic Christ. It is believed that his Christian roots might have been influenced by Marcion and Bardaisan. At ages 12 and 24 Mani had visionary experiences of a "heavenly twin" of his (syzygos), calling him to leave his father's sect and preach the true message of Jesus in a new gospel. It is said that his appearance was a mixture of Iranian and Mesopotamian features. On the one hand he looked like a warrior, on the other like a magician. In some later texts he was described as lame, a characteristic possibly attributed to him by his opponents.

Travelling to India

Mani then travelled to India (Sakas in present day Afghanistan), where he studied Hinduism and its various extant philosophies, as well as Buddhism. but this might be an error or a second journey. Mani is said to have performed miracles, including levitation, teleporting and healing, which helped him to gain converts in the Iranian elite. He was also famed as a painter. began to persecute the Manichaeans. He incarcerated Mani, who died in prison within a month, in 274. According to sources, he passed his last days comforting his visiting disciples, teaching that his death would have no other consequence than the return of his soul to the realm of light. however, there is no historical basis for this account. It is more plausible that his body was mutilated via post-mortem decapitation, and his head put on display, which may be the original source of the embellishment.

Works

The canon of Mani includes six works originally written in Syriac, and one in Persian, the Shapuragan. While none of his books have survived in complete form, there are numerous fragments and quotations of them, including a long Syriac quotation from one of his works, as well as a large amount of material in Middle Persian, Coptic, and numerous other languages.

Examples of surviving portions of his works include: the Shabuhragan (Middle Persian), the Book of Giants (numerous fragments in many languages), the Fundamental Epistle (quoted in length by Saint Augustine), a number of fragments of his Living Gospel (or Great Gospel), a Syriac excerpt quoted by Theodore Bar Konai, and his Letter to Edessa contained in the Cologne Mani-Codex. Mani also wrote the book Arzhang, a holy book of Manichaeism unique in that it contained many drawings and paintings to express and explain the Manichaeist creation and history of the world.

Teaching

thumb|270px|Detail of Mani's Community Established, depicting seven lay people bringing offerings to shrine with statue of Mani and three elects

Mani's teaching was intended to "combine", succeed, and surpass the teachings of Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Marcionism, and mystery cults. However according to Lodewijk J. R. Ort, the term last prophet may "in all probability derived from the Quran by al-Biruni in order to formulate Mani's pretensions and religious claims". Therefore Lodewijk J. R. Ort concludes that a definitive pronouncement about the final character of Mani's appearance is not mentioned in Manichaeistic scriptures.

While his religion was not strictly a movement of Christian Gnosticism in the earlier mode, Mani did declare himself to be an "apostle of Jesus Christ",

According to Jerome, Archelaus wrote his account of his disputation with "Manichaeus" in Syriac, whence it was translated into Greek. The Greek is lost, and the work, apart from extracts, subsists only in a Latin translation from the Greek, of doubtful age and fidelity, probably made after the 5th century. By Photius it is stated that Heraclean, bishop of Chalcedon, in his book against the Manichaeans, said the Disputation of Archelaus was written by one Hegemonius, an author not otherwise traceable, and of unknown date.

Medieval Islamic accounts

thumb| Painter Mani presenting king Bukhram-Gur (Bahram) with his drawing. 16th-century painting by [[Ali-Shir Nava'i, Shakrukhia (Tashkent).]]

thumb|Statue of Mani in the [[Cao'an temple, China]]

Ya'qubi reports that Mani convinced Shapur I to convert to Manichaeism, and that Shapur was a Manichean for 10 years, and forced it upon the populace, until a Zoroastrian mobedh convinced Shapur to hold a debate between Mani and the Zoroastrian clergy, which Mani lost, causing Shapur to revert to Zoroastrianism, Mani then fled to India to avoid execution, where he remained until Shapur died, afterwards, the Manicheans, noting that Shapur's successor, Hormizd I, had died and been replaced by his elder brother, Bahram I, who was preoccupied, this convinced Mani to return to Persia. Bahram then learned where Mani was, and had him summoned to the court, where the Mobedh said "Let him melt lead for me and for you and pour (it) on my stomach and on your stomach, and whichever one of us is unhurt by this (ordeal), he will be correct." Mani protested, arguing that what the Mobedh had suggested was a "deed of darkness", so Bahram had Mani arrested instead, and then in the night, had Mani flayed, his body stuffed with straw, and then beheaded him. According to Al-Tha'alibi, Bahram I had the mobedhs debate Mani, after Mani said that destroying the body was productive to the spirit, Bahram responded by saying "‘We will start with the destruction of your body and deal with you

in accordance with what you teach!" Mani was then skinned alive, his skin was filled with straw, and suspended over one of the gates of Jundaysābūr. Afterwards, 12,000 Manichaeans were put to death.

Notes

References

Sources

Asmussen, Jes Peter, comp., Manichaean Literature: Representative Texts, Chiefly from Middle Persian and Parthian Writings, 1975, Scholars' Facsimiles & Reprints, . Link
Alexander Böhlig, 'Manichäismus' in: Theologische Realenzyklopädie 22 (1992), 25–45.
Amin Maalouf, The Gardens of Light [Les Jardins de Lumière], translated from French by Dorothy S. Blair, 242 p. (Interlink Publishing Group, New York, 2007).

External links

Manichaeist art - University of Washington
"Mani and Manichaeism in the J. R. Ritman Library"
The Book of the Giants by W. B. Henning, 1943
Acta Archelai