Turpan Manichaean texts explained

The Manichaean Turpan documents found in Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves include many documents and works of Manichaean art found by the German Turfan expeditions.

History

Many important finds were made by the Turfan expeditions, especially on the second expedition, at a number of sites along the ancient northern route around the Taklamakan desert. They discovered important documents and works of art (including a magnificent wall-painting of a Manichaean bishop [mozhak], previously mistakenly identified as Mani^[1]) and the remains of a Nestorian (Christian) church near ancient Khocho (Qara-khoja or Gaochang), a ruined ancient city, built of mud, 30km (20miles) east of Turfan.^[2]

Manuscripts

Manuscripts include Sogdian-language Manichaean letter.^{[3] [4]}

Art

Visual art includes:

• Leaf from a Manichaean book MIK III 4959
• Leaf from a Manichaean book MIK III 4974
• Leaf from a Manichaean book MIK III 4979
• Leaf from a Manichaean book MIK III 6368
• Manichaean temple banner MIK III 6286
• Manichaean wall painting MIK III 6918

See also

• Dunhuang Manichaean texts

Notes and References

1. Web site: MANICHEAN ART . Gulácsi . Zsuzsanna . Zsuzsanna Gulácsi . 2008 . . . 5 January 2019 . This fragmentary wall-painting portrays the local Manichean community including a high-ranking elect, who is most likely the "Mozhak of the East" (the head of the community in the region, previously mistakenly identified as Mani), together with rows of male elects, female elects, and laypeople..
2. Hopkirk (1980), pp. 118, 122–123.
3. Book: Gulácsi, Zsuzsanna . 2005 . Mediaeval Manichaean Book Art: A Codicological Study of Iranian And Turkic Illuminated Book Fragments from 8th-11th Century East Central Asia . "Nag Hammadi and Manichaean Studies" series . 57 . en . Leiden . Brill Publishers . 56,180 . 9789004139947 . 古乐慈.
4. Web site: Mani Sutra. . 2011 . National Library of China . zh-Hans . 2020-05-25.