Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 Department of History, Islamic Azad University, Tehran Central Branch, Tehran, Iran
2 Corresponding author, PhD student in Pre-Islamic Iran, Department of History, Islamic Azad University, Tehran Central Branch, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
As one of the most significant Gnostic movements of late antiquity, Manichaeism emerged from the cultural and religious context of Iran. One of the most debated issues in Manichaean studies concerns the extent and nature of this religion's indebtedness to Zurvanism, an influential current within Sasanian Zoroastrianism. Adopting a comparative approach, this study demonstrates that Manichaeism's encounter with Zurvanism transcended mere borrowing, evolving into conceptual interaction and ultimately cosmological opposition.The central question addresses the extent of Zurvanian elements in Manichaeism and how this conceptual engagement led to cosmological confrontation between the two systems. Employing a descriptive-analytical method, this research draws upon Manichaean texts (including the Kephalaia and hymns), Pahlavi sources (such as the Bundahishn and Ardā Wirāz Nāmag), and historical accounts.Findings indicate that while Manichaeans adopted the concept of "Zurvan" as the god of boundless time, they fundamentally transformed its function. In Zurvanism, Zurvan holds a primordial and exalted position; in Manichaeism, however, he becomes symbol of the material world and imprisoning time—synonymous with the dark hell. This conceptual shift reveals a profound cosmological opposition: Manichaeism regards the world and time as absolute evil from which liberation is sought, whereas Zurvanism attempts to explain the origin of evil within a framework tending toward monotheism.Thus, Manichaeism appropriated Zurvanian myths to construct a new adversary for the God of Light, redefining Zurvan as embodiment of darkness and captivity. This study contributes significantly to understanding pre-Islamic Iranian religious interactions and their divergent approaches to the fundamental problems of evil and time.
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