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The figure of Sethel in the Medinet Madi Manichaean Writings: A result of the influence of the Gnostic Sethianism? Observations on Manichaeism as a religious system

In the Manichaean Coptic Psalm-Book (c. ad 400) we find a hymn (PsB 144.1–146.13) addressed to Sethel/Seth. Hence, a French scholar, André Villey, titled it Hymne à Seth. This is an interesting work, since the biblical figure of Seth is the eponym of one of the two most important movements of Gnosticism, namely Sethianism. In my paper, firstly, I study the characteristics of the figure of Sethel/Seth in the Manichaean writings from Medinet Madi; secondly, I examine whether, as for Sethel/Seth, we can talk about the influence the Sethians on ‘the religion of Light’ or, on the contrary, whether his figure in the Manichaean writings was an original, Manichaean, reinterpretation. Finally, this analysis allows us to draw two important conclusions regarding Manichaeism as a religious system. The first of them is that the Manichaeans drew on a broad base of Judaeo-Christian literature, not only from Gnostic Sethianism. The other is that Manichaeism caused external figures such as Seth/Sethel to lose some of their characteristics in the process of being adapted to the needs of the mentioned religion.