rushed forth Angro-mainyus, he who is full of death, the Daeva of the Daevas. 2. Thus spake this evil-witting Angro-mainyus, who is full of death : 3. 'Drukhs! [Pollution,] run up, slay the pure Zarathustra.' 4. The Drukhs ran round him, the perishable, the deceiver of mortals. 5. Zarathustra recited the prayer Ahuna-vairya. 6. The Drukhs ran away from him grieved. * 7. The Drukhs answered him (Angro-mainyus): Tormentor, Angro-mainyus! 8. I do not see death in him, in the holy Zarathustra. 9. Full of brightness is the pure Zarathustra. * 16. Zarathustra informed Angro-mainyus: Evil-witting Angro-mainyus! 17. I will smite the creation which was created by the Daevas, I will smite the Nasus [genii of Pollution] which the Daevas have created, 18. I will smite thee..., until Saoshyans [more commonly Sosiosch] is born, the victorious, out of the water Kansaoya, 19. From the East region, from the Eastern regions. [Sosiosch is the Messiah of the Zoroastrian traditions. The name means "He that will profit or help." Compare Jesus, Je-hoshua, Help of Jehovah. "It is the name," says Prof. Spiegel in his Commentary on the Vendidad, p. 421 (Leipsic, 1865,) "of the future Deliverer, who is to appear at the time of the Resurrection and establish the complete dominion of Ahura-Mazda on the Earth." As the * A short formula of prayer, somewhat obscure, to be found at the beginning of the Khordah Avesta. The name appears under the form Honover, or Honwar. Great efficacy was ascribed to this Word. Manthra-spenta is the more general name for the Holy Word. North is the quarter of the spirits of darkness, so whatever comes from Ahura-Mazda comes from the East.] 20. Him answered Angro-mainyus who has created the wicked creatures, 21. Do not slay my creatures, O pure Zarathustra ! 22. Thou art the son of Pourashaspa, and hast life from a (mortal) mother! 23. Curse the good Mazdayasnian law, 24. Him answered the holy Zarathustra: 25. I will not curse the good Mazdayasnian law; 26. Not if bones, soul, and vital power, were to separate themselves asunder. 27. Him answered Angro-mainyus who has created the evil creatures : 28. By whose word wilt thou smite, by whose word wilt thou annihilate, by what well-made arms (smite) my creatures, Angro-mainyus'? 29. Him answered the holy Zarathustra : 30. Mortar, cup, Haoma* [liturgical symbols, used in invocations,] and the words which Ahura-Mazda has spoken; * The Hom, or Soma, juice, frequently mentioned in the Vedas. It is the juice of a plant called Asclepias acida, and in the Hindoo religion was drunk fermented. But there is no hint of intoxication by the drinking of the Hom juice in the Zoroastrian books; and it seems to me to be in accordance with the rest of this religion to regard this ceremony as a simple recognition of one of the benefits of creation, that, namely, conferred in the juice of wholesome plants. In a passage to be presently quoted, fire, water, cattle, trees, are enumerated together with the earth, the pure man, the stars, &c. as amongst the good things of Ahura's creation. All these are represented in the Zoroastrian worship. Fire is well known as a principal symbol of that worship. Water is represented by holy water, called Zaothra. Perhaps the Draonas, which were little round cakes, on which pieces of cooked flesh were placed, and which after certain prayers were eaten by the priests, may have had something to do with earth. In the praises and invocations, we read continually of the mythical Bull, or Cow, which represented cattle in general; and the use of cow's urine in purifications is (to this day) one of the chief features of the Mazdayasnian ritual. Trees are remembered in the consecration of the Baresina or Barsom, a bundle of twigs. Similarly, the consecration and drinking of the Hom may be an act of thanksgiving for the juices of all plants. 31. These are my best weapons; 32. By this word will I smite, by this word will I annihilate, by these well-formed weapons (smite), O evil Angromainyus; 33. Which Spenta-mainyus [the Good Spirit] created; he created in the infinite time; * 34. Which the Amesha-spentas created, the good Rulers, the wise." The 11th Fargard gives rules as to the use of various prayers, especially the frequent repetition of the Ahunavairya, by which the evil spirit was to be driven away. The following passage enumerates the principal representatives of the pure creation. "I combat thee, O evil Angromainyus, (away) from the dwelling, from the fire, from the water, from the earth, from the cattle, from the trees, from the pure man, from the pure woman, from the stars, from the moon, from the sun, from the lights without beginning, from all the good things which Ahura has made which have a pure origin." (Vendidad, Fargard xi. 32.) The name Daeva or Deva is that which in the Indo-Aryan family of languages signified a divine being. From the same root come Zeus and deus. But in the Zend Avesta, it always stands for an evil spirit. The Daevas are innumerable; they haunt darkness and corruption; their home is in the pit of darkness. They flock together in the places, called Dakhmas, where dead bodies are exposed: "For that is the joy of the Daevas, All to which stench cleaves. For in these Dakhmas there are together dissolution, sickness, fever, uncleanness, cold fever, shivering, and old remains of hair." (Vendidad, Fargard vii. 143-145.) * This is the zrvane-akerane, Time without bounds, mentioned above. It occurs again in this Fargard: "55. I praise the heaven, the self-created, the never-ending time, the air which works above." Human beings who admit defilement are liable to be "They are not pure in life, and after death they take no They fill the place which is appointed for the wicked, Darkness. This place ye make, ye are who are wicked, through Next to prayer, the cultivation of the ground was the "87. He who cultivates this earth, O holy Zarathustra, 88. Then this earth speaks to him: Man, thou who culti- 89. Always will I come hither and bear. 90. All food will I bear, together with the fruits of the 91. He who does not cultivate this earth, O holy Zara- 92. Then this earth speaks to him: Man, thou who dost 93. Always thou standest there, going to the doors of 94. Always they bring food to thee, thou who beggest 95. They bring to you out of their superfluity of good 96. Creator of the corporeal world, Pure One! 97. What is the increase of the Mazdayasnian law? 98. Then answered Ahura-Mazda: When one diligently cultivates corn, O holy Zarathustra. 99. He who cultivates the fruits of the field cultivates purity. fly. 100. He promotes the Mazdayasnian law. * * 105. When there are crops then the Daevas hiss, 106. When there are shoots then the Daevas cough, 107. When there are stalks then the Daevas weep, 108. When there are thick ears of corn then the Daevas 109. There are the Daevas most smitten in the dwellingplaces where the ears of corn are found. 110. To hell they go, melting like glowing ice. 111. After that let this Manthra [word] be recited : 114. Not able to be employed in cultivation : 115. Since with food lives the whole corporeal world, and without food it dies." (Vendidad, Fargard iii.) I will only add to these extracts a prayer, or rather laud, which is one of the favourite Mazdayasnian formulæ. "1. I praise the well-thought, well-spoken, well-performed, thoughts, words, and works. 2. I lay hold on all good thoughts, words, and works. 3. I abandon all evil thoughts, words, and works. 4. I bring to you, O Amesha-spentas, 5. Praise and adoration, 6. With thoughts, words, and works, with heavenly mind, the vital strength of my own body." (Yasna xii.) We have no evidence that St. Paul ever came in contact with worshippers of Ahura-Mazda. But we know that there was a considerable population of Jews settled in |