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Manichaean

The Iranian prophet Mani believed that he was the successor of Jesus. He absorbed the teachings of Christianity, Buddhism and Zoroastrianism and preached a new religion based on the dual forces of light and darkness.

Mani was put to death in AD 276. The Coptic Manichaean texts of the Chester Beatty Library preserve the sacred writings and hymns of Mani.

They are still being studied by scholars, and much remains to be discovered.

Papyrus Beatty Mani 1 (Kephalaia)
Papyrus Beatty Mani 2 (Homilies and Varia)
Papyrus Beatty Mani 3 (Psalmbook, Part I)
Papyrus Beatty Mani 4 (Psalmbook, Part II)
Papyrus Beatty Mani 5 (Synaxeis)

Manichaean books in the Library

Papyrus Beatty Mani 1 (Kephalaia)

The Kephalaia of the Wisdom of my Lord Mani
This Coptic codex is the third largest papyrus book ever recovered from antiquity.  It is the only known copy of a work that belongs to a genre of writing known as ‘topical chapters’ (kephalaia), i.e. where an authority, here Mani, answers questions and discusses all sorts of matters ranging from the gods, the make-up of the natural world, the nature of the stars and the purpose of human life.  Of particular interest in this volume are the records of discussions held at the early Sassanian court of Shapur I in the mid third century AD between Mani and many religious sages of the era.  This precious and unique material will help to dispel the myth of a cultural divide between the Mediterranean world and South and Central Asia prior to the rise of Islam.  The codex has never been edited due to its poor preservation.  But it is currently the focus of a major international project led by Professors Jason BeDuhn (Northern Arizona University) and Iain Gardner (University of Sydney), funded by the (U.S.) National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Australian Research Council.  They are utilising the latest developments in image processing and digital enhancement to maximise the reading of the ancient Coptic manuscript, which holds the key to the pre-Islamic religious history of Iran.
Iain Gardner (Sydney)

Papyrus Beatty Mani 2 (Homilies and Varia)

The Manichaean Homilies
48 leaves and some fragments remain from this 4th or 5th century papyrus codex; another part of it disappeared during World War II. The codex contains four texts which were first edited by the German Coptologist Hans J. Polotsky, who gave them the name Manichaean Homilies. This title, however, relates only for the first two texts which can be compared with Christian homilies. In the first one of these, The Sermon on Prayer, the author does penance by weeping for his body and at the same time he prays to Mani for absolution. The second text is The Sermon on the Great War. The third text, The Section of the Narrative about the Crucifixion, is of great historical interest. It is an extract of a longer work and tells about the death of Mani in prison, calling it a crucifixion in order to stress Mani’s similarities with Jesus. It also tells of the fate of the Manichaean congregations in the following time, including the execution of their leader Sisinnius. Only a little of the fourth text, Salmaios’ Lament, is preserved: It must, however, also have dealt with Mani’s death. A new edition by N.A. Pedersen of the Manichaean Homilies appeared in 2006; it includes a number of hitherto unpublished fragments.
Nils Arne Pedersen (Aarhus)

Papyrus Beatty Mani 3 and 4 (Psalmbook, Part I and II)

The Manichaean Psalm-book, which contented approximately 360 psalms, had originally about 672 pages. It is the largest book that survives from antiquity. The psalms are gathered in 24 different groups, containing from five to over 30 psalms. The topics of the groups are written in Greek, so that the Coptic book of the Chester Beatty Library is probably a translation of a Greek one. The Psalms are collected together not only because of the same author, but also because of their use during ceremonies or liturgies. One of the authors is a certain Herakleides, who was a direct disciple of Mani. The group of the Psalms of the Bema for example contains hymns and prayers, which were used during the festival. The poetic texts deal with the life and passion of Mani, his victory over darkness, the foregivness of sins and certain scenes of the so characteristic Manichaean myth. Further groups contain Psalms for assemblies of the Electi, where the Living Gospel of Mani was read, or contain Psalms, which were sung in vigils. The hymns, composed in musical strophes with metric verses, are witnesses for the beauty of Manichaean Poetry. Characteristic for most of the Psalms is the strong influence of Christian scriptures, images and figures. Jesus Christ as apostle of Light plays an important role in several Manichaean Psalms as guide for the soul in the hour of death.
Siegfried Richter (Münster)

Papyrus Beatty Mani 5 (Synaxis)

Links

International Association of Manichaean Studies
http://www.manichaeism.de/index.html

International Association for Coptic Studies
(http://rmcisadu.let.uniroma1.it/~iacs)

University of Münster
(http://www.uni-muenster.de/Philologie/Iaek/mani.html)

Publications

Allberry, C. R. C. (ed.) (1938) Manichaean Manuscripts in the Chester Beatty Collection. Vol II: A Manichaean Psalm Book Part II. With a contribution by Hugo Ibscher. Stuttgart: W. Kohlammer.

Bohlig, Alexander (1992) 'Zur Faksimileausgabe der Dubliner Manichaica', in Gernot Wiessner and Hans-Joachim Klimkeit (eds) Studia Manichaica II. Internationaler Kongress zum Manichaeismus 6-10, August 1989, St Augustin/Bonn. Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz.

Funk, Wolf-Peter (1994) 'The Reconstruction of the Manichaean Kephalaia', in Paul Mirecki and Jason BeDuhn (eds) Emerging from Darkness: Studies in the Recovery of Manichaean Sources. Leiden: E. J. Brill.

Giversen, Soren (ed.) (1986a) The Manichaean Coptic Papyri in The Chester Beatty Library Vol. I: Kephalaia. Facsimile edition. Cahiers D'Orientalism XIV. Geneva: Patrick Crammer.

-- (1986b) The Manichaean Coptic Papyri in The Chester Beatty Library Vol. II: Homilies & Varia. Facsimile edition. Cahiers D'Orientalism XV. Geneva: Patrick Crammer.

-- (1988a) The Manichaean Coptic Papyri in The Chester Beatty Library Vol. III: Psalm Book Part I. Facsimile edition. Cahiers D'Orientalism XVI. Geneva: Patrick Crammer.

-- (1988b) The Manichaean Coptic Papyri in The Chester Beatty Library Vol. IV: Psalm Book Part II. Facsimile edition. Cahiers D'Orientalism XVII. Geneva: Patrick Crammer.

Kasser, Rudolf (1992) 'La Participation suisse au programme d'édition des textes Manichéens Coptes de la Chester Beatty Library', in Gernot Wiessner and Hans-Joachim Klimkeit (eds) Studia Manichaica II.

Internationaler Kongress zum Manichaeismus 6-10, August 1989, St Augustin/Bonn. Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz.

Krause, Martin (1991) 'Zum aufbau des Koptisch-Manichaeischen Psalmenbuches', in Alois van Tongerloo and Soren Giversen (eds) Manichaean Studies I. Manichaica Selecta: Studies Presented to Professor Julien Ries. Lovanii: International Association of Manichaean Studies and the Centre of the History of Religions.

-- (1992) 'Der Münsteraner Anteil am danisch-deutsch-schweizerischen Editionsprojekt der manichaeischen Chester Beatty Codices', in Gernot Wiessner and Hans-Joachim Klimkeit (eds) Studia Manichaica II.

Internationaler Kongress zum Manichaeismus 6-10, August 1989, St Augustin/Bonn. Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz.

Lieu, Samuel N. C. (1994) Manichaeism in Mesopotamia and the Roman East. Leiden: E. J. Brill.

Pedersen, Niels A. (1991) 'Preliminary Remarks on a New Edition of the Manichaean Homilies', in Alois van Tongerloo and Soren Giversen (eds) Manichaean Studies I. Manichaica Selecta: Studies Presented to Professor Julien Ries. Lovanii: International Association of Manichaean Studies and the Centre of the History of Religions.

-- Über einen manichäisch-koptischen Hymnus von der Erlösung der Seele (Das manichäische Psalmenbuch, Teil 1: Faksimileausgabe Band 3, Tafel 127-128). In: S. Giversen et al. (Hg.), The Nag Hammadi Texts in the History of Religions. Proceedings of the International Conference at the Royal Academy of Sciences and Letters in Copenhagen, September 19–24, 1995, on the Occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the Nag Hammadi Discovery (Historisk-filosofiske Skrifter 26), Kopenhagen 2002, S. 199–210.

Polotsky, H. J. (1934) Manichaeische Homilien, Stuttgart.

Richter, Siegfried (1991) 'Ein manichaeischer Bittpsalm', in Alois van Tongerloo and Soren Giversen (eds) Manichaean Studies I. Manichaica Selecta: Studies Presented to Professor Julien Ries. Lovanii: International Association of Manichaean Studies and the Centre of the History of Religions.

-- (1992) 'Untersuchungen zu Form und Inhalt einer Gruppe der Herakleides-Psalmen', in Gernot Wiessner and Hans-Joachim Klimkeit (eds) Studia Manichaica II. Internationaler Kongress zum Manichaeismus 6-10, August 1989, St Augustin/Bonn. Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz.

-- Ein manichäischer Sonnenhymnus. In: R.E. Emmerick, W. Sundermann, P. Zieme (Hg.), Studia Manichaica. IV. Internationaler Kongreß zum Manichäismus, Berlin, 14.–18. Juli 1997 (Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Berichte und Abhandlungen Sonderband 4), Berlin 2000, S. 482–493. (siehe Anlage 5)

Robinson, James (1992) 'The fate of the Manichaean Codices of Medinet Madi 1929-1989', in Gernot Wiessner and Hans-Joachim Klimkeit (eds) Studia Manichaica II. Internationaler Kongress zum Manichaeismus 6-10, August 1989, St Augustin/Bonn. Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz.

Wurst, Gregor (1991) 'Bemapsalm Nr.223: eine liturgische Version der Epistula Fundamenti?', in Alois van Tongerloo and Soren Giversen (eds) Manichaean Studies I. Manichaica Selecta: Studies Presented to Professor Julien Ries. Lovanii: International Association of Manichaean Studies and the Centre of the History of Religions.

-- (1992) 'Strukturale Textanalyse und Gattungskritik manichaeischer Psalmen am Beispiel des Bemapsalmes Nr.239', in Gernot Wiessner and Hans-Joachim Klimkeit (eds) Studia Manichaica II. Internationaler Kongress zum Manichaeismus 6-10, August 1989, St Augustin/Bonn. Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz.

-- (1996) A Dialogue between the Saviour and the Soul: Manichaean Psalm Book, Part I, No. 136. BSAC 35  149–160.

--  Die Bedeutung der manichäischen Sonntagsfeier (manichäisches Psalmenbuch I, 127). In: S. Emmel, M. Krause, S.G. Richter, S. Schaten (Hg.), Ägypten und Nubien in spätantiker und christlicher Zeit. Akten des 6. Internationalen Koptologenkongresses, Münster, 20.-26. Juli 1996,  Bd. 2 (SKCO 6,2), Wiesbaden 1999, S. 563–580.