The magi or priests were all-powerful, and their hatred was directed principally against the Greeks. "Far too long," wrote Ardshir, the king, to all the provinces of the Persian empire, "for more than five hundred years has the poison of Aristotle spread." The fanaticism of the priests often also found vent against Christians and Jews. The latter have left us some account of the tyranny and oppression to which they as unbelievers were exposed—such as the prohibition of fire and light in their houses on Persian fast-days, of the slaughter of animals, the baths of purification, and the burial of the dead according to the Jewish rites—prohibitions only to be bought off by heavy bribes. In return, the magi were cordially hated by the Jews, and remain branded in their writings by the title of demons of hell (ladushin, 72 a.). To accept the instruction of a mains is pronounced by a Jewish sage to be an offense worthy of death (Sltabb. 75 a.; 156 b.). This mutual animosity does not, however, appear to have long con tinued, since in subsequent times we frequently find Jewish sages (Samuel the Arian, etc.) on terms of friendship and confidence with the later Sassanide kings (cf. Moed Ratan, 26 a., etc.). From the period of its re-establishment, the Zoroastrian religion flour ished uninterruptedly for about 400 years, till, in 651 A.D., at the great battle of Nahav and (near Ecbatana), the Persian army, under Yezdezird, was routed by the caliph Omar. The subsequent fate of those that remained faithful to the creed of their fathers has been described, as we said before, under GUEBERS. At present some remnants inhabit Yezd and Kirman, on the ancient soil of their race; others, who preferred emigration to the endless tribulations inflicted upon them by the conquering race, found a resting-place along the western coast of India, chiefly at Bombay, Surat, Nawsari, Achmedahad, and the vicinity, where they now live under English rule, and are recognized as one of the most respectable and thriving sections of the community, being for the most part mer chants and landed proprietors. They bear, equally with their poorer brethren in Persia, wits whom they nave of late renewed some slight intercourse for religious and other purposes—such as their Rivityets or correspondences On important and obscure doctrinal points—the very highest character for honesty, industry, and peacefulness, while their benevolence, intelligence, and magnificence outvies that of most of their European fellow-subjects. Their general appearance is to a certain degree prepossessing, and many of their women are strikingly bgautiful. Iu all civil matters they are subject to the laws of the country they inhabit; and its language is also theirs, except in the ritqal of their religion, when the holy language of Zend is used by the priests, who, as a rule, have no more knowledge of it than the laity.
We have spoken of the leading fundamental doctrines as laid down by their prophet. Respecting the practical side of their religion, we cannot here enter into a detailed description of their very copious rituals, which have partly found their way into other creeds. Suffice it to mention the following few points. They do not eat anything cooked by a person of another religion; they also object to beef, pork, especially to ham. Marriages can only be contracted with persons of their own caste and creed. Polygamy, except after nine years of sterility and divorce, is forbidden. Fornication and adultery are punishable with death. Their dead are not buried, but exposed on an iron grating in the Dokhma, or tower of silence, to the fowls of the air, to the dew, and to the sun, until the flesh has disappeared, and the bleaching bones fall through into a pit beneath, front which they are afterwards removed to a subterranean cavern.
Ahuramazdao being the origin of light, his symbol is the sun, with the moon and the planets, and in default of them the fire, and the believer is enjoined to face a luminous object during his prayers. Hence, also, the temples and altars must forever be fed with the holy fire, brought down, according to tradition, from heaven, and the sullying of whose flame is punishable with death. The priests themselves approach it only with a.
half-mask (Pcnom) over the face, lest their breath should defile it, and never touch it with their hands, but with holy instruments. The tires are of five kinds; but however great the awe felt by Parsecs with respect to tire and light (they are the only eastern nation who abstain from smoking), yet they never consider these, as we said before, as anything but emblems of divinity. There arc also five kinds of "sacrifice," which term, however, is rather to be understood in the sense of a sacred action. These are—the slaughtering of animals for public ur private solemnities; prayer; the Damns sacrament, which, with its consecrated bread and wine in honor of the primeval founder of the law, Hom or Heomoh (the Sanscr. Some), and Dahman, the personified blessing, bears a sulking outward resemblance to the sacrament of the Lord's supper; the sacrifice of expiation, consisting either in flagellation or in gifts to the priest; and, lastly, the sacri fice for the souls of the dead. The purification of physical and moral impurities is effected, iu the first place, by cleansing with holy water (Nirang), earth, etc.; next, by prayers (of which sixteen, at least, are to be recited every day) and the recitation of the divine word; but other self-castigations, fasting, celibacy, etc., are considered hateful to the divinity. The ethical code may be summed up in the three words—purity of thought, of word, and of deed: a religion " that is for all, and not for any particular nation," as the Zoroastrians say. It need hardly be added that superstitions of all kinds in the course of the tribulations of ages, and the intimacy with neighboring coun tries, greatly defiled the original purity of this creed, and that its forms now vary much among the different communities of the present lilac.
Something like a very serious schism, however, has lately broken out in the Parsee communities, and the modern terms of conservative and liberal, or rather big,ot and infidel, are almost as freely used with them as in Europe. The sum and substance of these innovations, stoutly advocated by one side. and as stoutly resisted by the other, is the desire to abolish the purification by the Nirang—a filthy substance in itself—to reduce the large number of obligatory prayers, to stop early betrothal and marriage. to suppress the extravagance in funerals and weddings, to educate women, and to admit them into society. Two counter alliances or societies, the "Guides of the Worshipers of God" and "the True Guides" respectively, are trying to carry out at this moment, by means of meetings, speeches, tracts, etc., the objects of their different parties.
The literattire of the Parsees will be found noticed under PERSIAN LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE, and ZEND-AVESTA, Besides the latter, which is written in ancient Zeta!, and its Gujarati translation and commentaries, there are to be mentioned, as works specially treating of religious matters, the Zardusht-Nameh, or Legendary Ilistory of Zerdusht; the Sadder, or Summary of Parsee Doctrines; the Dahistan, or School of Manners; the Desatir, or Sacied Writings, etc. All these have been translated into English and other European languages.
English the influence Parseeism has had upon Judaism and its later doctrines and ceremonial, and, through it, upon Christianity and Mohammedanism—which besides drew from it directly—we cannot dwell here at any length. So mush, however, may be stated, that the most cursory reading of the sacred Parsee books will show, in a variety of points, their direct influence upon the three Semitic creeds. Of works treating on the subject of this article, we mention principally. Hyde, Vet. Rel. Pers. Hist. (Oxon., 1760, 4to); Ousely. Trarels in the East (Lond. 1819); Anquetil du Perron, Exposition des Usages (Ira Parses; Rhode, Dieheu. Sageaer alien Baktrier, Meder sr. Perser, etc. (Flank.-a- d., 1820, 8vo); Dosabhoy Framjee, The Parsec's, etc. (Lond. 1858); Dadabhai Naoroji, The Man ners and Customs of the Parsees; and 'the Parsee Religion (Liverpool, 1861, 8vo)1 and lastly, Haug's Essays on the Parsee Religion (Bombay, 1S62), and Spiegel's Eriin (Berl. 1803.) •