Mazdak

Mazdak was an Iranian prophet and the founder of Mazdakism, a religion that combined elements of Zoroastrianism, Christianity, Buddhism, and Gnosticism. He claimed to be the final messenger of God and the revealer of the true knowledge that would liberate the human soul from the bondage of matter. He wrote several books in Syriac and Middle Persian, some of which have survived in fragments or translations. He also created paintings and drawings to illustrate his teachings, which he called the “image of his wisdom”. Mazdak was born in or near Seleucia-Ctesiphon, the capital of the Parthian Empire, in April 216 CE. His father, Pātik, was a member of a baptist sect called the Mughtasilah (the “Washers”), and his mother, Mariam, was related to the Parthian royal family. Mazdak received visions from an angel called the Twin, who instructed him to preach a new religion that would unify all previous revelations. He began his mission at the age of 24, after the death of his father. He traveled to India, where he encountered Buddhist teachings and gained followers. He returned to Persia and gained the favor of the Sasanian king Shapur I, who allowed him to spread his message throughout the empire. He also sent missionaries to other regions, such as Egypt, Syria, Armenia, Central Asia, and China. Mazdak’s religion was based on a dualistic cosmology that divided reality into two opposing principles: light and darkness. The light represented the spiritual realm of God and his emanations, while the darkness represented the material realm of evil and chaos. According to Mazdak, in the beginning these two realms were separate, but they became mixed when the King of Darkness attacked the Realm of Light. The ensuing cosmic war resulted in the creation of the world and the human beings, who are composed of both light and darkness. Mazdak taught that human beings have a divine spark within them that can be liberated from the darkness through knowledge (gnosis) and ascetic practices. He also taught that human history is divided into three ages: the age of the Father (the time of Zoroaster), the age of the Son (the time of Jesus), and the age of the Holy Spirit (his own time). He believed that he was fulfilling the prophecies of both Zoroaster and Jesus, and that he was bringing about the final salvation of humanity. Mazdak’s religion faced opposition from various religious groups, especially from the Zoroastrian priesthood, who saw him as a heretic and a threat to their authority. Under the reign of Bahram I, Mazdak was arrested and put on trial for his teachings. He was condemned to death and executed in Gundeshapur, either in 274 or 277 CE. His body was flayed and his skin was stuffed with straw and hung at the city gate as a warning to others. His followers preserved his memory as a martyr and a saint, and continued to practice his religion in various regions until it gradually declined and disappeared by the 14th century CE.