Jesus the Splendour
Jesus the Splendour is the pre-existent aspect of Jesus in Manichaeism. He brings knowledge about the secrets of the past, the present and prophecy of the future on one hand, and the ability to differentiate between good and evil towards humanity, on the other. Accordingly, it is also Jesus who frees Adam and advises him to eat from the Tree of knowledge to escape the prison of the Prince of Darkness.Kephalaia
While Jesus is only rarely called Jesus the Splendour in other Manichaen writings, he is commonly called as such in the Kephalaia of the Teacher. In the Kephalaia, Jesus is an emanation of the Father of Greatness and apparently identical with the Third Envoy and the living word, brought forth to restore the damage done by the rebellion of the Archons. When Jesus the Splendour descends to the earth, he later takes on the shape of flesh to manifestate himself in the material world.
