Mani and Manichaeism Manichaean Mythology ELE Lecture presented

Mani and Manichaeism Manichaean Mythology ELE Lecture presented by Abolghasem Esmailpour Ph. D. Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran Moscow State University 21 November 2104 Chekhov Library, Moscow

Mani as a young Prophet Born 216 -274 AD Tisfun, Parthian Babylonia, died in Jundishapour

Life His father Pateg from Hamedan a member of Elkhasai sect with Christian origin. His mother Mariam from Parthian royal family. At the age of 12 and 24, Mani had visionary experiences of a heavenly twin of his, calling him to leave his father's sect and teach the true message of Christ.

Mani’s Missions In 240– 41, Mani travelled to India where he studied Hinduism and was probably influenced by Greco-Buddhism. Returning in 242, he joined the court of Shapur I, to whom he dedicated his only work written in Persian, known as the Shabuhragan. Shapur was not converted to Manichaeanism and remained Zoroastrian.

Mani’s death as Jesus Christ Shapur's successor Hormizd I have patronized Mani, but his successor Bahram I, a follower of the Zoroastrian reformer Kartir, began to persecute the Manichaeans. He incarcerated Mani, who died in prison within a month, in AD 274. Mani's followers depicted Mani's death as a crucifixion in conscious analogy to the death of Christ. Bahram also ordered killing of many Manicheans.

Spread of Manichaeism Three chief disciples, Thomas (in Egypt), Adda (in Asia Minor and Rome), and Hermas (with Mani himself). Later Mar Ammo was the Leader of

Mani’s Execution Mani is described as a painter who set up a sectarian movement in opposition to Zoroastrianism. So, he was hanged or according to Manichaeans he was crucified.

Bema Feast Death id joyful and it should be celebrated!

A New Bema Feast in Mani’s Temple in China

Mani’s Spiritual Crown Manichaean Pictorial Writings

Mani’s Teaching Dualism of Light and Darkness, or Good and Evil, locked in eternal struggle. In his mid-twenties, Mani decided that salvation is possible through education, self-denial, fasting and chastity. Mani claimed to be the Paraclete promised in the New Testament. Mani declared himself to be an "apostle of Jesus Christ".

Heaven and Earth: A painting depicting Manichaeism's cosmic view shows what appears to be heaven at the top, the moon on the left and the sun on the right Manichaean Cosmogony Dualistic cosmology describing the struggle between a good, spiritual world of light, and an evil, material world of darkness. Creation of Material world and Human Redemption

Tree of Life Three Golden Eras: Absolute Light; Mixture of Light and Darkness; Redemption of Light and Everlasting Paradise

The First Creation • • Good and Evil existed in two separate realms World of Light and World of Darkness Father of Greatness, King of Darkness The Primordial Man

The Second Creation Living Spirit or Mithra • Release of The Primordial Man Making the Material World

The Third Creation • • • Third messenger and Light Virgin Creation of the first Man and Woman Radiant Jesus and Guiding the first Man The End of the World with Great Fire Appearance of Mani and Light Spirits In front of Father of Greatness

Moon: a Manichaean Symbol The waxing and waning of the moon As the moon filling with lights or Spirits which passes to the sun Then through the Milky Way, and back to the World of Light, Paradise

Moon: a Manichaean Symbol The waxing and waning of the moon As the moon filling with lights or Spirits which passes to the sun

Judgment of Soul after Death Paradise or Return into this World Or finally Burning at Great Fire

Manichaeism at Present Time In Fujian, China, the Last Mani’s Temple Bogomiles in Bulgaria and Bosnia New Cathars in France

My Book: Manichaean Gnosis and Creation Myth By Abolghasem Esmailpour Pennsylvania University 2005

Abolghasem Esmailpour in Facebook; Linkedin; Academia: Website: www. sbu. ac. ir e. mail: a-esmailpour@sbu. ac. ir; esmailpour 2@yahoo. com Biography in Wikipedia English and Persian