MANICHAEAN LITERATURE 591
Mani said again that Elkesai found his students baking bread. The bread
spoke with Elkesai, and he commanded them to bake no longer.^32
MANI APPEALS TO THE EXAMPLES OF THE
VEGETABLES AND DATE PALM TREE
Again Mani points out that Sabbaios, the baptist, was carrying vegetables to the
elder of the city. And immediately that produce said to him, "Are you not right-
eous? Are you not pure? Why do you carry us away to the fornicators?" Thus
Sabbaios was upset on account of what he heard and returned the vegetables.
Again Mani points out that a date palm tree spoke with Aianos, the baptist
from Koche, and commanded him to say to the date palm's owner, "Don't cut
me down because my fruit is stolen, but grant me this year. And in the course
of this year I shall give you fruit proportionate to what has been stolen, and in
all the other years hereafter." But it also commanded him to say to that man
who was stealing its fruit, "Do not come at this season to steal my fruit away. If
you come, I shall hurl you down from my height and you will die."^33
TIMOTHY: MANI IS CONFRONTED AND
BEATEN BY THE BAPTISTS
Then Mani said to them, "Consider these famous men of your law, those who
saw these visions, who were moved by them and proclaimed them as good
news^34 to others. Likewise, I too practice everything I was taught by them."
"While I was speaking to them, reducing their words to nothing, suddenly
they became angry and violent, and one of them even got up and hit me. They
huddled around me and beat me. They grabbed my hair as though I were an
enemy. They shouted at me in a loud voice that grew bitter and angry as at
someone who was superstitious. Out of malice, they wanted to strangle me.
Because Pattikios, the master of the house, begged them not to be impious to-
ward people among them, they were ashamed and released me. After I went
through this trial, I withdrew to one side and stood praying. I prayed for our
lord to come to my aid."
- The bread complains about being baked.
- The vegetables and the palm tree complain about being treated badly, and the palm tree
threatens to throw down the person stealing its dates.
- Or "gospel."
