We now address ourselves to the book itself. We know, both from the Parsee tra ditions and from independent classical witnesses, that the Zend-Avesta was originally of very vast extent, incomparably vaster than the work that now exists under that ninth,. Pliny speaks of 2,000,000 verses composed by Zoroaster; and an Arabic writer, Attavari, mentions the number of 12,000 cowskins (parchments), of which Zoroaster's writings consisted. No doubt these are but round eastern figures; but it may safely be assumed that the sacred literature in question must once have been of very great extent. The Parsecs ascribe its loss to Alexander the great, but it is more likely that their traditions in that respect refer to the Mohammedan conquests. Yet even then, the greater part of dm sacred literature was already lost, and the date of Alexander may in so far be Correct, that the Greek ideas that followed iu his wake turned the believing minds from the primitive faith, and carried a gradual neglect and loss of the documents in which it was contained, with it. For 500 years—from the Macedonian con quest, 335 B.C., to the accession of the Sassanians to the throne' of Iran, 235 A.D. —the Zoroastrian religion was not supported by any kings, and decayed in consequence. But when the Sassanians assumed the rule, their principal endeavors were directed to the revival of the ancient faith; and their unceasing researches after the ancient fragments of the Zoroastrian gospel have resulted in the small collection which we now possess. Yet the names and the summaries at least of all or most of the lost portions have survived. The whole scripture is reported to have consisted once of 21 nosks, or parts, each containing Avesta and Zend—that is, text and commentary on it. The number 21 was to correspond to the 21 words of which the most sacred prayer of the Zoroastrians (the Honovar) was composed. The first of these sections comprised 33 chapters, containing the praise and worship of angels; the second (22 chapters) con tained prayers and instructions to men about good actions; the third (22 chapters), an explanation of religious duties and commandments,and the way to avoid hell and acquire paradise; the fourth (22 chapters), knowledge of both this and the future worlds and their inhabitants, revelations concerning heaven, earth, water, trees, fire, men and beasts, the resurrection of the dead, and the passing of the bridge Chinvat; the sixth (35 chan ters) treated of astronomy, geography, astrology; the seventh (22 chapters), of food, laW ful and forbidden; the eighth (50 chapters, of which, at the time of Alexander, only 13 were extant) treated of the different heads or chiefs in the creation; and the ninth (in 60 chapters) contained a code of laws for kings, governors, etc.—also a portion about the sin of lying; the tenth (60 chapters) treated of metaphysics, natural philosophy, divinity, etc. ; the eleventh (60 chapters) treated of the reign of king Gustasp, and his conver sion to the religion, and its propagation by him through the world, etc. Of all the 21 nosks, however, one only, the twentieth (in 22 chapters). called the Vendidad, has sur vived complete. This treats of the removal of uncleanliness of every description, from which great evils arise in the world. Some fragments of the other parts only, chiefly the fourth and eleventh, have survived. But there are now in sacred use among the Parsecs other hooks either not included in the foregoing list, or but imperfectly in dicated in it. Of the former are the Yazna (Izeshne) and the Visparad (Visporatn). To the latter class belong 24 sections called Yashts, and some small prayers of different kinds, such as Afrlgan, Nijayish, Gahs, and Sirozah, or Calendar. Before speaking of these books, we shall say something about their authorship, for which point we further refer to Zoroaster (q.v.). By thesunanimous consent of both classical writers and the Persians, the whole bulk of the sacred literature is ascribed to Zoroaster himself. They were supposed to be the substance, or, as was held afterward, the very words of divine revelations from God to the prophet, iu the form of conversations. These revelatiOns do not at first appear to have been committed to writing, but to have been orally preserved by his disciples and adherents, and to have been handed down by them to posterity. Surprising as this may seem at the sight of what has remained as the infinitely larger bulk even of what has perished, it must be borne in mind that, e.g., the Vedas, the Talmud, and the Sunnah have been preserved equally faithfully in the mouths of many generations. The name Zoroaster or Zarathustra—in as far as to him is ascribed the authorship of the whole of the sacred w ritiugs is to be taken collectively rather than individually, i.e., as indicating a school of suc cessors and high-priests of the founder. who is designated Zarathustra Spitama; while the chief divines who took his place in after-times were only called Zarathustra. That their decisions and sayings were afterward "hedged in" with the same reverence as thOse of the founder himself, need not be argued at length. All that can really be held to emanate from the prophet himself are the five Gathas, which form part of the liana (Sausk. yajna, sacrifice). This Yazna consists principally of prayers to he recited at the sacrificial rites—such as the consecration of the zoOthra, or holy water; of the barecona, or bundle of twigs of a particular tree; the preparation of the sacred juice of a plant called homa—the Indian Sosus (q.v.)—taken to be an emblem of immor tality; the offering of certain cakes, etc. The whole of the Yazna now comprises 72
chapters, probably corresponding to the (twelve times six) "seasons" during which Ahuramazda created the world. It consists apparently of two parts belonging to differ ent periods. The older is written iu what Haug calls the Gatha dialect (see ZEND), and was considered sacred even at the time when the other books of the Zend-Avesta were composed. This "older Yazna" was divided again into the Gathas and some minor pieces. The former, five in number, arc small collections of (metrical) sacred prayers, songs, and hymns, exhibiting philosophical and abstract thoughts about meta physical subjects. The name itself signifies " song." Their meter resembles chiefly that of the Vedic hymns. They are without rhymes, and only the syllables are counted. The first bears the heading (which is also intended for the other four), "The Revealed Thought, the Revealed Word, the Revealed Deed of Zarathustra the Holy; the Arch ang,els first sang the Gathas." They are all more or less devoted to exhortations on the part of the prophet to forsake polytheism (the devas, or gods), and to bow only before Ahuramazda. The difference between monotheism and idolatry is pointed out in the respective sources whence they flow—viz., "existence" and "non-existence." The mission, activity, and teaching of Zoroaster are dwelt upon more or less in all Gfithas, but chiefly in the second. To the other portion belongs further the "Yazna of seven chapters, ' which seems to have been composed by early disciples, and which consists of prayers in prose, addressed to Alinramazda, the angels, the fire, the earth, the waters, and other spiritual beings—genii presiding over the different parts of the good creation; further, over devotion, speech, etc. There is further a chapter con taining a formula by which the ancient Iranians were received into the new religious community. The so-called younger Yazna, written in the common Zend language, is of more varied contents, such as, an invitation to Ahurnmazda and all the good spirits to be present at the sacrifice; further, pieces referring to the preparation and drink ing of the Noma juice; next, the praises of the genius Serosli, and a commentary on the most sacred prayers. The Visparad, which forms the next most important part of the Zend-Avesta, contains a collection of prayers, composed of 23 chapters, writ ten in Zend (not Gallia), and resembling the younger Yazna. They refer to the same ceremonies—the preparation of the sacred water, consecration of certain offer ings, etc. Next arc to be considered the radits, in 24 divisions. Yasht (y