This Book is one of the seven canons in Manichaeism. In spite of its importance, a foundational study of it was only initiated by I. de Beausobre in the 18th century. Around the middle of this century, W. B. Henning and G. Widengren made some major study on its fragmentary MSS. from Turfan. But since then no research has been done on it.
In this article, I reviewed once again Henning's critique of the fragments of Kawan. As the result of my reconsideration, I found the following questions.
(1) The influence of Mandaean culture on Mani through his father Patik is more important than that through his mother Maryam; namely, Mani learned the traditions of Gnosticism, Judaism and Christianity through Gnostic Mandaeism.
(2) How to interpret the story of the fallen angels derived from the Book of Enoch? Of course, the story of the fallen angels is inconsistent with Mani's dualistic thought. So I guess that Mani used this story as an allegory of the Proto-Man tradition.
Besides, I point out another viewpoint of the World-End by the Great Fire in Manichaeism. In the eschatology of this book, Mani exchanged the Babylonian tradition of the Deluge for the Iranian tradition of the Great Fire.
In brief, Mani's Book of the Giants was intended to describe the cruel sight of the World-End and the death of the giants, and also to suggest a little possibility of salvation for the soul of the dead.
