The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1906-09-28
zofoAsrElANs g FERsIA
= q - -. 8.


rncg Are Mueh z,cnlecueec 40
un5usflx Jl-ags.l l.eeple
drodsper. the Drorhet q nent
Lr[u. arose ab0ur the utlQr.le elq
seventh century before Christ - = ~
former OF the older creed Of pefsi..
pEimitive FORM OF nature worship
which had become 1ebased throueh
corruption and Grass superstition BIS
birthplace Is believed 70 haye been Ia
the province Of Azarllli ians 70 the. yrtlt
OF the Caspian sea. q eEinn- bounding
In volcanic mountains. hot springs.
naphthns wells aud other igneous Pie
uomenn- BY tuheritanee he-wus 4 mem
Der Of the s1cerdotdi frIie Of the ALagi
and By calling forerunner Of the Wise
men from the east who vforslfiDed cen
t1rics Liter 1T the cradle Ir Bethlehem.
Inspired by eCatatie Visions Of heaven
and warned by prephetic signs Of tie
terrors OF he'll, he came TO teach his
people the ethical meaning Of tho con-
HIcf between good aid evn under the
form OF OTmaEd and Ahrimun as god
and devil EIIled with the hope OF an
eternal existence after the general
resurrection OF the dead. he sought to
lead his followers TO more spiritual
llfe aud TO teach them the moral sig
nlfieance OF the motto OF his faith,
Good Thoughts, good words, good
deeds,g and to guide them also IN pEae-
teal ways, inculcating the practice Of
Agriculture, kindness to animals, e.
pecially the COW, habits OF thrift and
Industry. together with those of bodily
cleanliness and the Observance OF cor
tain rites and ceremonies In their daily
HE his death is thought to have oc-
Cured at BaTkh, In eastern Iran, about
5S3 B. c., during the religious war be
tween Iran and Turnn, which was
called forth by his teaching.
Zoroaster,s creed became the-religlOn
OF an eastern world empire. The Law
Or the Modes and persIans, which knew
no change. nodded the history OF the
early kingdom OF Iran. and the same de-
crees prevailed -in Bacteria It was by
Or-mazd's Will that the sovereign rulers
OF these lands held sway, kings by d.
vine right. Cyrus the Great is called
the Lords -1anolnted" and his 'shep-
herd even In the Bible. and "klng by
the grace of AuramGzda1 was Darius
own proud claim. The inscriptions and
the Ayesta alike exaIt the sacred mai
esty OF the king But many OF those
who once were Kings of Zoroaster's line
are now known only by name. Persia
Is AIohRmmednn. the Persians are
MuEG%ulUlullr W -AuA AaAAAAA AA--a
dotted out much OF the ancient history
and creed. The Zoroastrians OF Persia,
sfiEmatized as Gabars, number not
more than 10000 souls. Yezd is rhe
home OF about 5000 or these. Kirman.
u smaller city TO the southeast. claims
about 1000 more Teheran, the capl-
toll. near where Zoroaster's mother IS
said to have been born has less than
800 Shiraz numbers not nifty OF the
ancient belief Isfahan half dozen
mud some OF the minor towns can each
add three or four more to make up
the talesman's count Frowned upon
as FIRE worshipers' which they really !
are not. despised or prosecuted rs In |
fuels. surrounded by business restrfe-
tons and social disabilities. the Jews
OF the east as they are sometimes
called. maintain their lives Mt high 1
cost. and yet they possess admirable |
qualities, and 1t Is these characteristics
that have preserved their religion from (
being utterly eHaeed. Through ages /
Of misfortune md distress they have
remained true to It, and by their ster-
ling traits OF truth, uprightness. gem
erosity and devotion they stiII exem-
pllfy what was best IN it--A- v. VIII
lIams Jackson in Century.