Lastly, agriculture was strongly supported, the Avesta giving special praise to those that prac ticed the good deeds of husbandry.
But in order to arrive at a corrcct estimate of the ethical side of the faith, we must also men tion some of its evil features. Of these the most repulsive to us is the hvaetvadatha or next-of kin.marriage, the occurrence of which among the ancient Iranians is undeniable. Unpleasant cus toms, originating in stupid superstitions, were likewise prevalent, while the ancient Persian in scriptions tell of horrible punishments inflicted on rebels and traitors.
It .is in its doctrine of a resurrection, and in its views of a life hereafter, that Zoroastrianism apnears in its best light. Only an outline of the remaikable doctrines bearing on this subject can here be presented.
Immediately after death the soul is brought for individual judgment before the angels,Mithra, Sraosha and Rashnu. Its good and evil deeds are weighed in the balance, and the turn of the impartial scales irrevocably decides its fate. Then this soul must cross the Chinvat Bridge, which becomes broad for the good spirit, but narrow for the evil one. Onward the good spirit passes through the regions of the stars (paradise of good thoughts), of the moon (paradise of good words), and of the sun (paradise of good deeds), and at last enters Garonmana,"House of Song,"the place of "Eternal Light." On the other hand. the wicked spirit descends through the grades of evil thoughts, evil words and evil deeds, down to a hell of darkness. A third place, llomistakon "Ever Stationary." an Iranian purgatory, is also recognized. Thither go the souls of those whose good and evil deeds counterbalance. They suffer
no distress except the changes of heat and cold, and there they abide until the day of doom.
In the Avesta and the Pahlavi Texts the doc trine of a resurrection of the dead, a regenera tion of the world, and of the cooling of n savior is distinctly recognized. According to tradition the world is to last 12,000 years, and in the last .3.000 years of this aeon Aushetar and elushetar mah, born from the seed of Zoroaster, will appear as the forerunners of the great Saoshyant or sa vior. who is to preside at the general resurrec tion. This Savior will be conceived in a super natural manner by a virgin bathing in Lakc Kan savaya. Coincident with his advent is thc resur rection of the dead, when each soul assumes again its body and recognizes relatives and friends. All the dead are assembled and the righteous are sep arated from the unrighteous. Then follows the ordeal of molten metal, which cleanses and puri fies all men and prepares them for the everlast ing joys of heaven.
The last great conflict is at hand. The powersof evil gather into a mighty host and assail the good kingdom, and after a terrible battle the Good tri umphs and Evil is banished from the world. The dragon ilchi perishes in the molten metal, hell is brought back by Ormacd to enlarge the world, which is now made immortal, and all men with onc voice sing the praise of Ormazd, through whom the wicked are rescued from hell and the creation is restored to purity.
This article is based on a course of lectures on Zoroaster and his Teaching, delivered at Colum bia University in the year 180-w by Professor A. V. Williams Jackson.
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