Ancient Middle Eastern Gnostic sect surviving in Iraq and southwestern Iran.
Like other dualistic systems, it stresses salvation of the soul through esoteric knowledge, or gnosis, of its divine origin. (Its name derives from mandayya , "having knowledge.") In its cosmology, evil Jesus as a false messiah but revere John the Baptist , whose life is chronicled in their sacred writings. See also {{link=dualism">dualism , Gnosticism .