Mani (c. 216–274 CE), the founder of Manichaeism, authored several key scriptures to articulate his religious teachings, which blended elements of Zoroastrianism, Christianity, Buddhism, and Gnosticism. These original writings were composed primarily in Syriac (an Aramaic dialect) and Middle Persian, reflecting his Babylonian origins and outreach to the Persian Empire. However, none of Mani's works survive in their complete original form due to centuries of persecution and suppression of Manichaeism by various empires and religions. What remains are fragments, translations, quotations in secondary sources (e.g., by critics like Augustine of Hippo or Muslim scholars like al-Biruni), and reconstructions preserved in languages such as Coptic, Parthian, Sogdian, Uyghur, and Chinese. These have been discovered in archaeological sites like Turfan (in modern Xinjiang, China) and Kellis (in Egypt's Dakhleh Oasis).
Mani's canon is traditionally said to consist of nine main books, emphasizing his role as the "Seal of the Prophets" and his dualistic cosmology of light versus darkness. Below is a list of his known original writings, based on historical accounts and surviving evidence:
The Seven Treatises (Manichaean Heptateuch)
These core texts, all written by Mani in Syriac, form the foundation of Manichaean doctrine. They were intended as a comprehensive scriptural corpus, but only scattered fragments exist today, often translated or adapted in later Manichaean communities.
- **The Living Gospel (Evangelion)**: Mani's primary gospel, structured in 22 chapters (one for each letter of the Aramaic alphabet), proclaiming his revelation as the fulfillment of prior prophets like Zoroaster, Buddha, and Jesus. It focuses on salvation through gnosis (knowledge) and the battle between light and matter. Surviving fragments include Coptic and Middle Persian excerpts describing the "resurrection" of the soul.
- **The Treasure of Life**: Explains cosmogony, anthropology, and the nature of the universe, detailing how divine light particles are trapped in the material world. Fragments in Parthian and Uyghur discuss the "three moments" of time (past, present, future) in the cosmic drama.
- **The Pragmateia (Treatise)**: A historical and doctrinal work on humanity's origins and the prophets' lineage. Linked fragments in Sogdian and Coptic cover mythological narratives.
- **The Book of Mysteries**: Explores the soul's essence using apocryphal Christian imagery, refuting other religions' doctrines. Surviving pieces in Coptic and Arabic quotations address secrets of the divine realm.
- **The Book of Giants**: Draws on Enochian traditions, narrating the fall of angels (watchers) and giants before creation. Fragments in Middle Persian, Parthian, and Uyghur parallel Jewish apocrypha like the Book of Enoch.
- **The Epistles**: A collection of letters from Mani to his followers, clarifying teachings and addressing controversies. Coptic and Latin fragments (via Augustine's critiques) preserve doctrinal explanations.
- **Psalms and Prayers**: Liturgical hymns and invocations composed by Mani for worship. Coptic psalters from Egypt include direct attributions, with themes of praise to the "Father of Greatness" and calls for liberation from darkness.
Other Original Works
- **Shabuhragan**: Written in Middle Persian and dedicated to the Sasanian king Shapur I, this summarizes Manichaeism as a synthesis of prior religions. It's the only major work not in Syriac. Middle Persian fragments from Turfan and Arabic quotations by al-Biruni survive, outlining Mani's mission and eschatology.
- **Arzhang (Book of Pictures)**: A visual scripture illustrated by Mani himself to convey teachings to the illiterate, depicting the cosmic struggle between light and dark. No textual fragments survive, but it's referenced in Parthian as "Ardang" and described in secondary sources as a key evangelistic tool.
Life:
SOURCES FOR MANI'S LIFE
For details on the life of Mani, refer to the introduction on pages 3 through 8. The following excerpts come primarily from the Greek Cologne Mani-Codex and Coptic sources discovered at Medinet Madi. These are supplemented by texts in Arabic and Middle Iranian languages, especially Parthian, all clearly derived from Manichaean sources that ultimately trace back to the same original literary tradition, possibly in Syriac.
CHILDHOOD, YOUTH, AND CALLING
This account focuses on Mani's parentage, birth, childhood, and adolescence. The extract is drawn from the section on Manichaean teachings in the Arabic Fihrist, or Catalogue, composed by Ibn an-Nadim toward the end of the tenth century AD in Baghdad. It incorporates material from the writings of Abu ‘Isa al-Warraq, who lived a century earlier and had access to genuine Manichaean texts. This source provides information not yet found in Manichaean documents from the Roman Empire.
MANI'S PARENTAGE AND FAMILY BACKGROUND
Muhammad bin Ishaq stated that Mani bin Fatiq Babak bin Abi Barzam belonged to the Haskaniyya clan. His mother's name was Mays, though she was also known as Awtahim or Marmaryam, from the Ashganiyya clan. It was reported that his father originally came from Hamadan and later moved to Babylon, settling in al-Mada’in at the place called Tisfun, or Ctesiphon, which featured a temple as a house of idols.
FATHER'S DIVINE CALL AND CONVERSION
Fatiq regularly attended this temple along with others when, one day, a voice called out to him from the inner sanctum, saying, “Fatiq! Do not eat meat, do not drink wine and abstain from intercourse with anyone.” Fatiq heard this call repeated multiple times over the course of three days. After experiencing this, Fatiq joined a group of people near Dastumisan known as the Cleansers, or al-Mughtasila. Remnants of these people continue to exist in that location and in the marshes to this day. This sect was the one Fatiq had been commanded to join at the time when his wife was pregnant with Mani.
BIRTH VISIONS AND EARLY CHILDHOOD
Once she gave birth to him, it was claimed that she had experienced lovely dreams about him. Upon regaining consciousness, she had a vision of him being lifted into the air by a force, which then returned him after perhaps a day or two aloft. Afterward, with his return complete, his father came forward and took him to his place of residence to raise him and tend to his community. Mani developed the skill of speaking wise words at a very young age.
REVELATION AT AGE TWELVE
At the end of his twelfth year, Mani received inspiration from above by a being he referred to as the King of the Gardens of Light, for it was God Almighty who addressed him. The angel who delivered this revelation was named al-Tawm, derived from the Nabatean word meaning companion. The angel said to him, “Abandon this community, for you are not of them. You must be unblemished and abstain from desires. The time is not right for you to appear, for you are still young.”
REVELATION AT AGE TWENTY-FOUR AND COMMISSION
When he reached the age of twenty-four, al-Tawm brought him forth, declaring, “Now is the time for you to appear and call others to your cause.” What al-Tawm told Mani was this: “Peace be with you, Mani, both from myself and from the Lord Who sent me to you and Who chose you for His message. He has commanded you to invite others in your own right and to preach on His behalf the Truth, laying it upon you to do so with your utmost effort.”
MANI'S OWN ACCOUNT OF EARLY REVELATIONS
This represents Mani's personal version of his early revelations from his divine Twin. Here begins a series of passages from the Greek Cologne Mani-Codex.
**Concise Summary**
This chapter details Mani's early life, from his noble parentage and father's divine conversion to a baptist sect, through visionary experiences at his birth and childhood revelations, culminating in his commissioning at age twenty-four to preach truth and establish his mission. It emphasizes the authenticity of sources tracing back to original Manichaean traditions, highlighting divine guidance that set Mani apart for his prophetic role.
DEFINITION AND ORIGINS OF MANICHAEISM
The term Manichaean refers in its primary sense to the religion founded by Mani, also known as Manichaios or Mani the living, as the original Syriac name was transmitted into Greek. This faith emerged in the early Sassanian empire during the third century of the common era. Mani acted as a visionary, embodying the roles of a mystic and a painter. He pursued intellectual endeavors with a passion for comprehending all facets of the natural world and weaving them into a coherent system. Yet, he approached this divine revelation and knowledge with intense practicality.
ESTABLISHMENT AS A DELIBERATE RELIGION
Manichaeism stands as the first real religion in the modern sense because Mani established it directly and deliberately, complete with its scriptures, rituals, and organization all in place. A key aspect of his purpose involved making this teaching, practice, and community universal, superseding all previous faiths which reached their true culmination in it.
MANI'S MISSIONARY EFFORTS AND SPREAD
Mani traveled widely to preach, heal, convert people, and establish communities. He also dispatched missionaries in all directions. This book focuses on the religion's spread, success, and ultimate demise to the west of its homeland, specifically in the world of the later Roman Empire.
UNIVERSALIST FOUNDATIONS OF MANICHAEISM
The religion of Mani rested on clear universalist principles. His travels to Upper Mesopotamia, Iran, and India exposed him to Christianity, Zoroastrianism, and Buddhism. What struck him most about these established earlier religions involved their apparent cultural and geographical boundaries. In a Middle Persian fragment likely derived from the semi-canonical Šābuhragān—a summary of his religion translated into Middle Persian for the reigning Shahanshah Shapur I—Mani informs one of his disciples that the most important proof of his new revelation's truth lies in its success as a universalist religion transcending geographical and national barriers.
Manichaeism's universalist principles, shaped by Mani's encounters with bounded religions like Christianity, Zoroastrianism, and Buddhism during his travels, found validation in its ability to overcome cultural and geographical limits, as expressed in a fragment from the Šābuhragān.
INTRODUCTION TO PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE
The principles and practice of Manichaean religious life are summarized in the introduction. Extracts emphasize Manichaean writings in Coptic that are not widely known. These are supplemented by classic descriptions from Augustine.
ESSENTIAL PRECEPTS FOR ELECT AND CATECHUMENS
The Chapter of the Commandments of Righteousness, known as kephalaion 80, contains a summary of the essential precepts held by the elect and the catechumens. These are arranged in two sets of two by three.
PRECEPTS FOR THE ELECT
The first righteousness of the elect has three parts. It requires refraining from all sexual activity. It demands taking great care not to harm the light-soul trapped everywhere in matter and especially in vegetation, called the Cross of Light, such as by plucking fruit. It also prohibits consuming meat or alcohol.
These precepts correspond to the three seals of mouth, hands, and breast, as discussed by Augustine under the terms signacula oris, manuum et sinus. They are also referred to in eastern Manichaean texts.
The second righteousness involves multiplying wisdom, faith, and grace.
PRECEPTS FOR THE CATECHUMENS
The first righteousness of the catechumenate consists of fasting, prayer, and alms-giving. The catechumens must support the elect, who can do no labor, farming, or cooking.
The third righteousness calls for giving someone to the church, sharing in their good works, and donating some church structure. The catechumens are allowed to marry and procreate. However, they are expected to compensate through these acts.
THE ENLIGHTENER'S ADDRESS TO DISCIPLES
Once more, the enlightener speaks to his disciples. "Know and understand that the first righteousness a person will do to make truly righteous is this: he can embrace continence and purity. And he can also acquire 'the rest of the hands,' so that he will keep his hand still before the Cross of Light. The third is purity of the mouth, so that he will keep his mouth pure of all flesh and blood; and not take any taste at all of the 'wine' name, nor fermented drink. This is the first righteousness. If a person will do it in his body, he is pronounced righteous by all mankind."
**Concise Summary**
This chapter details the core Manichaean precepts for the elect's ascetic purity through seals of restraint and for the catechumens' supportive duties like fasting and alms, all aimed at achieving righteousness amid dualistic reverence for the light-soul.
TRANSFORMATION THROUGH PRIMARY SOURCES
As seen earlier, the study of Manichaeism has been transformed by discoveries of actual primary sources written by community members. This marks an enormous step forward over prior reliance on accounts by mostly hostile opponents.
Nevertheless, finds such as the Medinet Madi library and the Mani Codex consist of literary texts. These remain divorced from the presence of the living communities that created and used them.
RECOVERY OF DOCUMENTARY TEXTS
A further transformation of the discipline comes from recovering Manichaean documentary texts. These evidence the living presence and actual practice of the faith.
Most notable is the substantial archive of Coptic and Greek personal letters from House Three at Ismant el-Kharab. Many provide evidence of being written by Manichaeans.
The correlation between these letters, fragments of Manichaean religious texts from the same site, and the material context excavated by archaeologists offers the first opportunity to study the community's actuality in the fourth-century Roman Empire.
IMPLICATIONS FOR UNDERSTANDING COMMUNITY AND IDENTITY
A further consequence of knowing how Manichaeans communicated, related to each other, and followed epistolary conventions is the ability to re-classify two previously known documents as Manichaean. This holds promise for more such developments in the future.
All of this substantially advances understanding of what it meant to belong to that community. It reveals how believers constructed their identity, especially in relation to Christians.
It now becomes apparent how fierce the struggle was between the two religions in their opposing claims upon the gospel.
LETTER FROM BESAS TO HIS MOTHER
These points are illustrated by this letter from Besas to his mother, which may claim to be the earliest known Manichaean text from the Roman Empire. "To my most honoured mother Maria, (from) Besas, many greetings in God. Before everything: I pray to the Father, God of Truth, and to the Paraclete Spirit, that they may preserve you in soul and body and spirit; for the body health, for the spirit joy, and for the soul life eternal. And you, if you find someone coming to me, do not hesitate to write to me concerning your health so I might hear and rejoice. Do not hesitate to send me the cloak for the pascha festival, and send to me my brother. Greet my father and my brothers. I pray for your health for many years."
Corpus Summary:
## The Psalms to Jesus
The Psalms to Jesus from the Cologne Mani Codex, preserved in Greek and Coptic translations, emphasize devotion to Jesus as savior, the struggle against worldly lusts, and the pursuit of spiritual purity and victory over darkness. In Psalm I, the speaker beseeches Jesus not to forsake them, affirming their love and adherence to his commandments while renouncing worldly vanities and fighting enemies with spiritual armor, ultimately seeking divine aid in anguish for ascension to immortality. Psalm II portrays the soul's awakening from bodily chains, urging rejection of fleshly sweetness to regain divine kinship and ascend through Jesus' hope, severing ties to darkness and embracing heavenly treasures. Psalm V calls upon Jesus to save from worldly drunkenness and error, celebrating love for him as the path to enlightenment and escape from material illusions. Psalm VII implores Jesus, the perfect man and resurrection, to purify the spirit, conquer matter, and grant eternal kingdom access, emphasizing victory over demons and ascension through divine seals. Psalm X depicts union with Christ in immortal realms, rejecting transient worldly gains for eternal joy, having conquered heaven and earth through faith and received the garland of light. Psalm XI celebrates release from fleshly bonds, garlanding in light, mingling with angels, and resting in paradise free from earthly woes, honoring Mani and the elect. Psalm XXI seeks entry into light-filled bride-chambers, viewing Jesus' pre-creation image, overcoming envy of darkness, and purifying with graceful waters as an unspotted maiden. Psalm XXX beseeches Jesus for swift salvation amid tribulations, affirming lifelong devotion, renunciation of the world, and reliance on his aid for joy and rest. Psalm XXXI recounts persecution as one of Jesus' sheep, enduring trials in faith, proclaiming his wisdom against sects, and receiving the garland of light upon death.
## The Psalms of the Festival of Bema (The Mercy Seat)
These Coptic psalms commemorate Mani's death and the Bema judgment seat, invoking forgiveness, mercy, and victory over darkness, often through trinitarian praise and reflections on cosmic salvation. Psalm CCXXIII narrates the eternal conflict between light and darkness kingdoms, detailing the Father's deployment of divine emanations to subdue rebels, the mixture of elements in creation, and ultimate purification where light triumphs and darkness is bound forever. Psalm CCXXVIII praises Mani's anointing, powers, and persecution, urging entreaties for mercy, recounting his trials, imprisonment, and ascent, while seeking forgiveness and glory for the Paraclete. Psalm CCXXX hails the Bema as a blessed root and confirmation of light's victory, symbolizing judgment over sinners, compassion, and rest for souls, urging worship of its mysteries. Psalm CCXXXV memorializes divine entities like the Living Spirit and virtues such as fasting and humility, calling for prayer among elect and catechumens to honor Mani's successors and achieve light's victory. Psalm CCXXXVII glorifies Mani as Paraclete, with aeons, emanations, and cosmic powers rendering praise, urging rejoicing in his mysteries and festival on the holy day. Psalm CCXXXIX announces amnesty through Jesus' repentance, imploring mercy for sins, honoring Mani's trials and ascent, and seeking purification for eternal rest. Psalm CCXL blesses Mani as immortal envoy, seeking joy's dew and passage to his kingdom, worshiping the Bema's sign on the day of fulfillment. Psalm CXLI (possibly CCXLI) opens mercy's doors for judgment, hailing Mani as new sun and forgiver, recounting his life, persecution by Shapur and Bahram, martyrdom, and ascension, urging repentance and victory over sin.
## Separate Psalms
These standalone Coptic psalms focus on spiritual sweetness, renewal, and vigilance. "Taste and Know that the Lord is Sweet" invites tasting truth's sweetness through Christ, God's name, and church joy, urging consumption of wisdom and rejoicing as light's sons in eternal aeons. "Put in Me a Holy Heart, My God" prays for Christ's renewal as upright spirit, subduing fleshly sin, granting victory over darkness, and leading to light's kingdom through endurance. "Light Your Lamps" calls to illuminate for the savior's arrival, breaking bodily nets, donning armor of commandments, and ascending to light's realm through Mani's aid.
## The Kephalaia of the Lord Mani
The Kephalaia, Coptic dialogues of Mani with disciples, expound cosmology and salvation. In "The Three Blows Struck at the Enemy on Account of The Light," Mani describes darkness receiving three defeats: initial expulsion and capture of light, mid-era separation of sexes to halt mixture, and final end-time parting where males are chained, ensuring light's liberation and enemy's eternal binding.
## Parthian Hymns and Prayers
Parthian hymns from Turfan fragments praise divine entities, lament light's captivity, and exhort remembrance. The Hymn on the Third Messenger and the Archons depicts the messenger's revelation, evoking light's ascent and archons' defeat. Hymn to the Father of Greatness extols the supreme light's glory and emanations. The Hymn about the Captivity of Light mourns light's entrapment in matter, calling for redemption. Invocation of Jesus the Splendor summons Jesus as liberator from darkness. Hymn on the Second Coming of Jesus anticipates Christ's return to judge and save. Hymn on the Fate of the Living Soul traces the soul's journey through mixture and purification. Hymn Exhorting the Soul to Remembrance urges awakening from forgetfulness to divine origins. Hymn to the Living Soul celebrates the soul's divine essence. Hymn to the Third Messenger lauds the envoy's role in cosmic order. Hymn in Praise of Mani honors the prophet as light's apostle. Commemorative Hymn for Mar Zaku remembers a leader's virtues. Homily on the Correct Preparations for the Sacred Meal instructs on ritual purity for communion. Invocation of the Angels calls celestial beings for protection. The Invocation of Bar Simus seeks a saint's intercession. Invocation of the Gods in the Moon addresses lunar deities for aid. A Confessional Prayer for the Elect confesses sins and seeks forgiveness. The Hymn on the End of the World foretells apocalypse and light's triumph. The Hymn on Body-and-Soul contrasts material bondage with spiritual freedom. The Funerary Hymn consoles at death, promising ascension. Hymns to the Soul praise its eternal nature. Hymn in Honor of the Dominions of Light glorifies light's realms. Untitled Parthian Hymn meditates on divine mystery. The Crucifixion Hymn reflects on Christ's suffering as light's sacrifice.
## Hymns and Writings Ascribed to Mani
These texts, attributed to Mani, praise divine figures and affirm cosmic truths. "The Praise of the Lesser Ones" extols humble souls' ascent. "The Praise of the Greater Ones" honors exalted emanations. "We Would Fulfill: Mani's Hymn to Jesus, the King" vows devotion to Jesus as ruler. "The Praise of Jesus the Life-giver" celebrates Jesus as vitality's source. Untitled Psalm fragment invokes light's mercy. "The Opening Words of the Living Gospel" proclaim Mani's revelation as truth's seal. Apocryphal letter to Màr Ammo, ascribed to Mani, guides missionary work.
## Parables
Manichaean parables illustrate spiritual truths through allegory. The Parable about the Auditors compares hearers to farmers sowing seeds in varying soils, yielding fruit based on receptivity to light. The Parable about the Farmer depicts a cultivator nurturing crops amid weeds, symbolizing soul's growth despite darkness. The Parable of the Pearl Borer tells of a worker hired to bore gems but distracted by lute-playing, receiving pay without work; allegorically, the body (borer) wastes life's wages on pleasures, leaving the soul's piety unbored. The Parable of the Monk and the Girl warns of temptation's perils, where a ascetic yields to desire, losing purity. The Parable about the Two Snakes features brothers "Heavy-to-carry" and "Light-to-carry"; the first dies in a fiery pit due to attachment to its tail (worldly bonds), while the second severs it to escape, symbolizing renunciation for soul's salvation.
## Miscellaneous Manichaean Scriptures
These fragments encompass myths, prayers, and eschatology. The Psalms of Thomas, 12 Coptic hymns, detail light's emanations, darkness' assault, and soul's descent and redemption; Psalm I praises eternal aeons and the First Man's victory over evil, while Psalm II describes the soul's entrapment and call for liberation. A Manichaean Psalm summarizes the creation myth, where light's kingdom faces darkness' invasion, leading to mixture, purification via sun and moon, and final dissolution binding evil. Primal Man fragment recounts the divine warrior's battle and rescue. "Come to Me, My Kinsman, the Light, My Guide" prays for guidance from light amid worldly trials. "The End of the Deficiency" envisions eschatological completion with light's reign. "Joy Came Over Me" expresses ecstasy in divine union. "Salvation of the Soul," a Turkish fragment, affirms soul's rescue from matter. Excerpt from the Fundamental Epistle of Mani teaches dualism and salvation's path. "O Soul" urges awakening from illusion.