Manichaeism is a former major world religion, founded in the 3rd century CE by the Parthian prophet Mani, in the Sasanian Empire.
Sealstone of Mani, rock crystal, possibly 3rd century CE, Iraq. Cabinet des Médailles, Paris. The seal reads "Mani, messenger of the messiah", and may have been used by Mani himself to sign his epistles.
Manichaean priests, writing at their desks. Eighth or ninth century manuscript from Gaochang, Tarim Basin, China.
Yuan Chinese silk painting Mani's Birth.
A 14th-century illustration of the execution of Mani
Mani was an Iranian prophet and the founder of Manichaeism, a religion most prevalent in late antiquity.
Sealstone of Mani, rock crystal, possibly 3rd century AD, Iraq. Cabinet des Médailles, Paris. The seal reads "Mani, the apostle of Jesus Christ", and may have been used by Mani himself to sign his epistles.
Mani's Parents, a 14th/15th-century silk painting depicts Mani's parents sitting in a palatial building.
Detail of Mani's Birth, showing the newborn emerged from the chest of his mother.
The execution of Mani as depicted in a 14th century illustration of the Shahnameh