Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-01-19
an ANCIENT RELIGION.

Tho school Of lhyologianH which Of
present epJoys brief distinction Of
toing fashionable In certain circles is
the one that ionips the high antiquity
claimed for the sacred Sculptures. But
iis Representatives generally accept tho
sacred books Of The oriellas no dating
bscg b You'd tho limits Of secular
history. II now appears, however
that "a specIus OF "highas criticism" i1
being applied to other books than theao
of tho Hebrews aud Christians, and
with similar results. Recently O.
French tavani, NJ, Darmcsicr has
startled oriental scholars by the as8cr.
ton that the Z5nd-Aveata, the sacred
scriptures Of the Patsoei, cannot be
older than the iiut century Of our era.
The date Of those books has formerly
boon supposed TO be between 1900 and
1870 before Christ lis claimed that
thc text az now cxtaui contains well
marked traces ot new Piaionism and
that probably various other elements
have found their way intj % dur.ng
the ages past since the time Of Iit9as.
tor II by the moihodlof tho "highrr
criticism" tho Vodas. tho ancient
Sauserit books o, tho Hiudu., could
be- proved TO belong 70 the time OF tho
first century too, the absudity OF the
method OF reasoning mig DO apparent
aud reaction towards the ,fulh as TO
the origin u the religions o, mankind
might follow.
The books known az thoZBnd.AvCsia
are supposed 10 hAvs been the WORK u
1Iroasicr originally. They treated on
numerous subjects, both secular and
religious, aud were hrst written on
l2,O0l oowsklns (pArohments), u Arabic
accounts arc TO DO believed. Their
contents were regarded a. divine reye-
lati0ns. Ia course Of time much u this
literature was Lost. Tho Parsces accuse
Alexander tho Great OF tho destruction
Of theiFbooks. Later, thoreyiyAl Of la.
forest In this ancient religion resulted
Ia efforts 10 gather tho fragments that
aull were lett, and thus volume was
obtained, the one t,lll gXtant
hut who was Zoronstei2 Arabian
writer's accept the tradition that tho
author Of these books was Abraham.
IT'S held that the word Zoroastcr il a
tito meanln 9 chief or high prIost ami
that several persous wero 90 designated.
The hnl ZJroast0r 10 thus rbirrfpi 20
inn ranep prayer "rhs Gr.t who
thought good thoughts, who iir,l spoke
good words, who fret performed good
actions, who wa, the fist priest, the
first wAgfi5r, tho ltsl cul,iyat3r OF tho
soil, the iirst prophet, the flaj who was
Inspired, tho nrlt who has given 10
mankind nature, and reality, and word
aud hearing OF word, and wealth, and all
good things ogea.ed by Mazla, which
cmOollishtd reality; who lrst caused
tho wheel 10 tutn among gods aud
men, who la! praised tho purity
Of the living creation aud dr5tr1yel idol.
airy, who confessed the ZWathui,rlan
belief In Ahug-Magia, the religion
Of the living Got against the devils
through whom the
whole true aud revealed word wa,
heard, which is the life and guidance
Of tho world"
Assuming that this references 10 tho
fFs. Zlroa5ter ior high pries. s based
on tradition held at the tluio ,hl,
prayer was composed, or perhaps on
historical documents ihon available tho
description would ssom to point to
Noah, the chief aul fret am0ag men
ate, tho n10l. The religion US laugh.
originally was clearly that OF tho
ancient pa,riar1hs. The errors later
introduced DO moi belong TO Z5Toas,ers
age. They are tho result Of spurious
Interpretations, MISUNDERSTANDING,
changes and cjrrup.iOls, duatJ ndu.
oncus Of later years.
The suffice. is one OF gyca. Inter.
est and 10 BE- hoped tho criticism OF NJ.
Darn ler may tend to have more light
thrown upon it from truIy scisutlne
] ....FA.