What is Manichaeism?
Q: What is Manichaeism?
A: Manichaeism is an Iranian Gnostic and dualist religion that originated in Sassanid Persia. It was popular between the third and seventh centuries, spreading to many parts of the world.
Q: Who founded Manichaeism?
A: The founding prophet of Manichaeism was a man named Mani (Syriac, ܡܐܢܝ), who lived around AD 210–276.
Q: What language were the original six sacred books of Manichaeism written in?
A: The original six sacred books of Manichaeism were written in Syriac Aramaic.
Q: How did the religion spread?
A: To help spread the religion, translations and fragmentary texts of these books were made into other languages such as Middle Persian, Parthian, Sogdian, Uyghur and Chinese for those living further east; while Greek, Coptic and Latin translations were made for those living further west.
Q: Was there any opposition to its spread?
A: Yes, as it gained popularity it was widely persecuted by Christian, Zoroastrian and later Islamic areas due to its perceived threat to their religions.
Q: When did it die out?
A: It appears that Manichaeism died out before the sixteenth century in southern China.
