The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1911-11-10
by WILLIAM Y. ELLIS.


world Christianity. the one most near
ly universally accepted religion, Pales-
tine has now become headquarters Of |
faith, Behaism, formerly called Bah
ism, which its followers and some
writer's In Europe and America, claim
to BIO the universal and final religion.
Since have found religion 70 be, in |
practice, fundamental to my main the
sis in this series of articles, The |
Awaking OF the Older Nations" / re-
paired hither to the home OF the head
Of the Bahists and Its Messiah" Alb
dull BAHIA Abbas.
Il was somewhat of shock TO be
told, when made inquiry at the large
gray stone house here, that Abbas Eff
fendi was away on vacation for his
health. The house was full OF people,
as could tell by the voices of scurry-
ing females In the echoing hall, when
succeeded in making my presence
known at the knobless doorbell. There
were several children playing in the
large, unsodded yard, and doubtless
one OF these reported the strangers
coming. These were grandchildren;
| for Abbas Effendi has four daughters,
but no sons. The whole family, or
group OF families, live in the one
house, Oriental fashion. An English
governess, who Ia not a Behaist, lives
with them to teach the children.
A HMessIah" at Summer Resort.
There are no disciples OF the Bella
list Messiah" In Syria, except the
pilgrims who come here, and the num-
Der Of these Is regulated by Abbas Eff
fendi himself. He is highly spoken of
by his neighbors, and especially by the
poor, to whom he gives presents, some
times standing on the corner, and Civ
ing away a hundred garments. He Is
enabled to do this by the rich pres
ents OF his followers, who are said
to number several million in Persia
Abbas Effendi makes no claim to be
healer, and he himself occasionally
needs the doctors attention. He Is
simple in his manner of life. and has
steadfastly refused to take more than
one wife, despite the fact that he has
no son, and that his father before him,
"The Blessed Perfection" had two
wives. His teachings permit polyg-
amy, but they counsel against 1t.
Ihcongruous though 1t seemed to
find Messiah" gone away to health
resort, followed Abbas Effendi to
Alexandria, In Egypt, where trailed
him by trolley car from huge sum
mer hotel to magnificent private
J house which he has rented for his
.. soJourn. There, Hospitality received
I for Abbas Effendi is fond OF visitors,
had a most interesting interview with
! the man whom considerable number
OF Americans and Britons, and mil
, lions In Asia, call Master" and hal
/ as the latest and fullest manifestation
. OF the Deity.
A New Religion and Its Martyrs,
The proof Of martyrdom has beer
! abundantly given to Bablsm, or Beha
ism. The Bah himself was executed al
Tabriz in 1850. at the age OF 81, siz
!, years after he had enunciated his gen
tie doctrines, and had called himself
The Gate" to knowledge, recalling
the prophecies OF the Bible and the
Koran. concerning Il coming one. II
N the bitter prosecutions by the Mos
4 lens that ensued, the followers OF the
Bah met death finely. There We're few
. recantatlons, and in single year tn,
! number of martyrdoms amounted t
as many as 10000,
Two years after the death OF tn,
Bah, group of leaders fed to Bagdad
among them Mira Hassyn All, whom
r. the Bah had called "Beha Ullah. 9Th,
Glory OF God" He spent two years II
a the mountains in seclusion and medi
tation After time he announced t
"a a few OF his closest friends. that h
was the Manifestation" OF whom thu
\, Bah had been the forerunner. II
y 1868 the Bagdad Babists were sen
n into exile at Adrianople. Five year,
later Beha, who had come to be gen
orally accepted by Babists as tn,
Messiah (although not without riYals)
N who theneeforth called themselves
81 "Behaists," was sent into confinement
at Aka, few miles north of Haifa
a. where he produced many writings, ant
Ia died In 1892. He was succeeded b,
"a his son. Abhas Eftendi. who Is calle'
u by Bahists "our Master" and "0u
Lord" He, too, has had rivals--ant
the contentious of aspirants for tn
leadership has been blot on the his
10 tory OF Behaism, but he seems now L
u be generally accepted by nearly al
professors OF the faith. His Tablets,
or messages, are regularly read in tn
!, meetings of the faithful
n A Picturesque Personality.
The essence of Rehaism is the doC
triue that messengers. or manifestE
tions, of God. are sent whenever tn
ne voice OF their predecessor becomes oil
az secured. These "Messiahs" are FIRE
quently given as Moses, zoroastel
RI. Buddha, Christ, Mahomet. and tn
lie founders of the Behai faith. OF tn
Behat manifestations. the last is tn
fullest revelation of ALL So read i
the bcnk upon Behaisrn which find