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10. MANICHEAN
after his accession, caused Mani to be crucified, had the corpse flayed, the skin stuffed and hung up at the city gate, as a terrifying spectacle to his followers, whom he persecuted with relentless severity. The date of his death is fixed at 276-277.
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09591a.htm
In his new religion, he consciously sought to reconcile the great religions of redemption, Christianity (Gnostic), Zoroastrianism (Zurvanite) and Buddhism (Mahâyâna), in a new Syncretism which also incorporated elements of Greek philosophy and Indian Jainism; while refuting patriarchal Judaism
He was regarded by his Christian adherents as the Paraclete, by his Persian followers as the Zoroastrian redeemer Saoshyant, and by his Buddhist disciples as the Avatar Maitreya.
http://www2.ida.net/graphics/shirtail/religion.htm
Gnostic Chronology of the Order of Nazorean Essenes clip from Timeline Compiled by Abba Yesai Nasrai, O:N:E:
http://essenes.net/chronnaz.html
216 A.D. Mar Mani, the promised Parclete and Maitreya, was born on 8 Nissan, 216 A.D. in Mardinu, a little village in Iraq and grows up in an Elchasite monastery after age 4.
c222 Bardesanes died by about 222, an important esoteric figure and credited with the Nazorean like Hymn of the Pearl found in the Acts of Thomas.
228 The angel At-Taum appears unto Mani in a vegetarian Elchasite monastery.
240 Mani separated from the Elkasite community in his 24th year, at the end of King Ardashir's reign. In early April of 240, or 241 AD, the angel At-Taum again appeared unto Mani and commanded him, saying: "Now the time has come for you to go out and proclaim your authority. Peace be on you, Mani, from myself and from the Lord who sent me to you and who has chosen you for His Message.
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