Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1897-01-24


Most High-Ahuramazda, as taught by
Zcroaster. Was Melchizadek a disci-
pie ofZoroaster? All we know is here
told. Melchizadek eventually convert
ed Abram, who joined the church, and
took what we call the sacrament
bread and wheat the confirmation
While resting at the Kings Dale (Gen.
xix: 1920 "Melchizadek, King of Sa-
lem, brought forth bread and wine; and
ne was priest of God Most High. And
he blessed him and said: Blessed be
Abram Of God most high. which has de-
livered thine enemies into thine hand.
And he (Abram) gave him tithes of
ALL Paul says (Hebrews vii:2): ITO
whom gave a tenth part Of all, first Mel
chezedek being by Interpretation King
of Righteousness, and after that, also,
King Of Salem, which is King of Pease."
1t is a well known fact that bread and
wine was an ancient form of initiation
into most institutions long before the
Christian era. Abram, on this occa-
sion, was initiated into the Church of
God Most High (yerse %, Gen xiv.
Abram takes an oath, swears i have
lifted my hand unto the Lord God Most
II.
does not claim MelcheZadek in any way
related to Abram by blood. The fact
that ZOrOaster's system of religion then
existed, and history is silent as to any
other system that worshipped God
Most High" maker of heaven and
earth, it is not unreasonable nor pre-
sumptuOus to assume that MelcheZadek
was priest of ZOroaster's system Dr.
Martin Hang, an ancient oriental Phi
lOlOgist and professor Of Sanskrit, at
POOnah, British India, who has written
Essays on the Sacred Language, etc,
of the Powers" says that ZOroaster's
conception of the Supreme Being called
"Aberamanda," was perfectly identic-
al with the Jewish notice of Jehovah"
The internal evidence of the Penta-
touch will justify the conclusion that
Moses derived a part of his system Of
religion from ZOrOaster, unless there
was in his day some earlier records ac-
cessbie to both of these learned men,
which became a common source of en-
lightenment TO ZorOaster and Moses.
But as history has failed to furnish Us
any such recvord, therefore we can pre-
sumo that Moses had access to the
teachings Of Zoroaster, possibly
through the Egyptian priests and
adopted portion at least Of Zoroaster's
theology.
Psychologists place Moses era about
1900 years b. c. 1t becomes matter Of
some Importance to ascertain Zoroas-
ter's era, whether it existed sufficiently
long before the Mosaic to hays enabled
his theology to have spread from Per-
STA into Egypt and elsewhere. unfor-
tunately, hOaTy antiquity has been hid
den in mists, thrown around it by an
Irish prelate, James Usher, afterwards
Bishop of Carlisle His book, "Annu-
alis verits ct Noyi-1estimentis,' usu-
ally styled Sacred Chronology Of the
Bible" was generally accepted by the
Christian world and determined the
earth to be only 5000 years old. Ac-
cording to him, the first man Great
ed by God $500 1886 years ago, was
Adam. This chronology was adopted
at that period as the best then accesSsi-
Bile. but is now entirely disregarded by
scientists.
Since the hieroglyphics on Egyptian
monuments and papyrus have been de-
ciphered we learn that civilization
and and enlightened condition OF the
people and rulers of Egypt existed at
least 5000 years or more before the
Christian era. This is entirely incom-
patible with the Bishop, 4,004 years
from the date Of the creation. How
ever, investigations have proven that
the progenitOrs of the human race eX-
listed before the glacial period, which,
scientists claim, must have prevailed
for an enormous period, according TO
some authorities about 10000 years.
They trace the frigidity Of the North
Pole down to the ToTrid Zone, as far
south as the 23d degree Of north lati-
tude, when the great glaciers were
formed.
For the past 5000 years, these Arctic
features, we are told, have been giving
way to more temperate climate, when
il will again, in the course OF nature,
return to this frigid condition. with
such data before us. we can well under
stand and believe that illumined minds
may have lived on this earth 5000 years
or 10000 years agolc. The period OF
the famine. when AbsalOm went down
into Egypt. is computed by Bishop
Usher at 1870 years 3. c., by the Septu-
agint. 300 years, Chevalier Bunsen, at
$500 years B. c.
The followers of ZorOaster exist to-
day and are known IS Parsees; also as
Fire Worshippers from the traditions
that he brought down, given him by
Ahurumazda Gre from heaven. They
call their prophet "Zurthost,' but his
fc q
spelled Zarathustra, his surname; his
family name Spitana is often coupled
with it. The Greeks were well inform
ed about Zoroaster or Zarathustra, but
corrupted his name in Zarastradcs, and
ZoroastrCs. The Romans knew him as
Zoroaster.
The earliest Greek writers who refer
to Zarathustra is Xanthus, of Lydia,
who fixes his era over 600 years before
the Trojan war, 1909 years 3. c., or over
1900 years 3. C. Other writer's put it at
. 600 or 200 years B. c. But Aristotle
and Eud0xus. according to Pliny, place
of Plato. who died 34S years b. c. Her
mippus says 90 years before the Iro-
Jan war, usually dated 1903 years =. Z.
These last three writer's substantially
agree to over 5000 years, while all the
dates fix Zarathustra's era more than
SEQ years before the Mosaic era. We
must Justly infer that the religions Of
Z7rathustra was fully established Wnen
Moses and Aaron were children. The
original Tram language in which the
Zend-Avesta. or Persian Bible, was
written. IL seems. was in the arrow
head. wedge-shaped letters, the same
as those found engraved on the rocks In
Persia. and to-day still legiele, which
- 4N...-o,, ! v-nav.- Iora