Written sometime in the latter half of the third century, Mani's Evangelium, or “Living Gospel,” which survives only in fragmentary form, is thought to present the main features of the author's creation myth, the origin of his prophetic mission, and his experiences traveling among other religious cultures. It served as one of the main scriptural texts of the emerging Manichaean religion, which began in Mesopotamia (in the region of modern-day Iraq) and spread westward into Egypt, the rest of North Africa, and parts of southern Europe and eastward along the Silk Road into Central Asia and eventually medieval China. Evidence of the text's existence has been found in most of these geographic contexts, marking the Evangelium as one of the most widely read Manichaean texts.