And here, also, after a few years, the questions came from mortals, such as: Behold, you cut off the heavens of the ancients, the Nirvanian regions beyond Chinvat. You teach us that De‘yus is the ALL HIGH RULER. What, then, is the all highest for man? How did the worlds come about? Where did man come from? How was the creation created?
To answer which, Sudga sent to De‘yus for instructions. And De‘yus sent to Sudga, even as to the other Gods, an invitation to meet in Hored, to hear the words of the Lord God, to learn his commands.
Great was the feast, the pomp, parade and glory in Hored, when De‘yus‘ victorious Gods and their companions and attendants came in answer to the summons of Anuhasaj, alias the Lord God. The trumpeters of Hored were stationed along more than a thousand miles on the heavenly roadways, and in turn, the trumpeters and heralds of the visiting Gods extended in advance of the Gods themselves an equally great distance.
The roads were lined all along the way with flags and banners, and with millions of spectators, the same who had formerly been in schools and colleges in heaven, but were now emancipated from the restrictions of self-improvement, and used as applauders, to sing and shout praises to De‘yus for his own glory.
The table of the feast was private and in secret, and only prepared for the Gods and their close companions, one hundred all told, but the serving host numbered more than one million souls.
While at the feast, De‘yus said to Osiris: Tell us about your exploits, and about Baal and Ashtaroth and their valorous legions.
Then Osiris explained the nature of the earth countries, and the battles and incidents, well exaggerating these latter. After Osiris had finished his story, De‘yus said to Te-in: Tell us about your exploits, and those of your generals and captains, and your valorous legions.
So Te-in displayed the maps of the earth regions where he had been, told of his battles and final success, also much exaggerated. And now, after he had finished his story, De‘yus said to Sudga: Tell us about your generals and captains and your valorous legions.
Then Sudga explained the earth region where he had fought and won, extolling his generals and captains, and his hosts, well exaggerated also.
When they had all finished their hilarious accounts, and applauded one another in sufficient zeal, in that same time the feast of eating and drinking was ended also. Anuhasaj rose up and said:
I now declare the feast ended. Let the tables be removed. Behold, I will speak from the throne, in private, before my five Gods only, plus my own marshals. But to all others I declare a time of recreation and sport, to be called again to duty when I have finished with my Gods, at which time my marshals will inform the trumpeters, who shall sound the call.
Speedily now, the attendants took away the tables; and the hosts all withdrew except the Gods and De‘yus with his marshals. So De‘yus ascended the throne, and then spoke, saying:
I, the Lord your God, who am De‘yus of heaven and earth, declare to you, my Gods and earth rulers, in my own name, and with love abounding:
My purpose for calling you together is to declare my doctrines and creations before you, so that all the earth may be subdued alike to me and mine forever. Here is the foundation:
Not to surpass my own age in my doctrines, nor to explain my axioms. But to surpass the understanding of mortals sufficiently in their earthly knowledge, so as to appease their curiosity, as revealed in the questions they put to you, my Gods.
Neither will I bind myself as Ahura did; for I will not explain who I am, except that man is in my own likeness; nor will I explain when the beginning of things was.
I created this heaven; and you also bear witness that I have established the earth in me, through your valorous deeds.
I, who am your God, do not look to matters of a day, or a year; my times are as one time, for from this time forward forever, this heaven and the earth are mine, time without end.
In which you behold the days, years, and generations of men on the earth pass rapidly. Who, then, shall think seriously of the inhabitants that now are yours and mine?
Behold, the earth is fruitful; a thousand years are only as one day; and in that time, billions of newborn souls shall spring up out of the earth. For them my answers are shaped, more than for those who are living now.
In the beginning I created this heaven and the earth (to my own name and glory). For they were void and without order; darkness was upon them. So I moved upon them, saying: Let there be light; and there was light. And I drew a line between darkness and light (for they had worshipped the void instead of me).
And so I declare this the morning and evening of the first day. And I have divided those who were void, and established my firmament between them, like land between water and water.
Then De‘yus concluded, saying: Here, then, ends the feast; and behold, it is the seventh day; for which reason I sanctify it and declare it a day of recreation.
On the following day the Gods departed, with due ceremonies, in the manner they came, and returned to their kingdoms, and then descended to the earth, each one to his own division.
And each of the three Gods went to his own chosen mortal (who had power to see and hear spiritual things). And the Gods possessed them by their presence, and inspired them to write the words of Anuhasaj, alias the Lord God, word for word; and they were written so, in the three great divisions of the earth. And copies of them were made and filed in the libraries, and in the houses of philosophy of mortals.
But when these matters were thus entered, in answer to the queries of mortals, as to the origin of man and his destiny, they were not deemed sufficient by the learned men. Many of them said: The Lord God has evaded our questions.
Then satan came to each of the three Gods who had the matter in charge, and he said to them: Consult with one another as to what shall be done. So Osiris sent messengers to Te-in and to Sudga, asking them to come to Agho‘aden, his heavenly place, for consultation. And, in due course of time, Te-in and Sudga came to Osiris, to his throne, where they were received in great honor and glory. And presently Osiris‘ marshals cleared the place, and the interview was private, for even the marshals stood far away.
Osiris said: What shall we do without a Creator in fact? I do not know if my judgment is beside itself, for it is said they who lose their reason are the last to discover it. The time was, when De‘yus, our much-loved Lord God, said: While you labor on the earth for me and my kingdoms, behold, I will reciprocate in all things. Ask for anything and it shall be granted to you.
Hear me then, O my brothers, in my complaint; mortals have asked us, to know the origin of man, and his destination; and to know the cause of good and evil. These things I submitted to our Lord God, in Hored, to learn his will and decree.
And he sent messengers to me announcing a feast, promising that then he would answer satisfactorily the questions of mortals. You and I went to the feast, only to have De‘yus furnish us with something that is nothing. For mortals can also perceive that what the Lord God has said is one and the same thing that was said by the Gods through Zarathustra; and, moreover, that the questions are still unanswered.
De‘yus is my friend, and I do not desire to press him further on the subject; and so I have called you, to learn from you how you managed the same issues?
Te-in said: Before our heavenly kingdoms were confederated, Anuhasaj professed that he would announce himself the head and front of all created creations. Shall we say his courage is not up to the task? And so excuse him?
Sudga said: When he should have said: I created man in my own image, behold, he has weakly said: LET US MAKE MAN! Is it not clear, then, that he shirks from the responsibility, and desires to commingle us into the pitiful story? Hear me, then, my brothers; I am asked how I have answered the issues with my own division, and I say to you, I have been in the same quandary, and have not answered at all.
Te-in said: Neither have I. But that we may be justified in doing so, behold, the Lord God said to us: I do not bind you to my words, nor limit you, except that which I have spoken shall be the foundation. Now it is clear that if we admit that sin is in the world, then we must find a way to justify the Lord God, whose servants we are. If he is not justified, then sin is justified.
For mortals perceive good and evil understandingly; but to justify a good God for permitting evil is not an easy matter. For in the breath we praise him, we must praise his works; of which sin is apparent; and in the same breath that we condemn sin, how shall we glorify De‘yus? For have we not proclaimed him the foundation of all things; the head and front, before creation was created? Was this not our battle-cry, to urge our angel warriors on to overthrow Jehovih? And has our loud-praised Lord God not said: LET US MAKE MAN! A child would have more courage than this!
Sudga said: It is plain we all understand these issues, and perceive, also, what is required of us. For, since De‘yus has left us liberty to add to his doctrines, according to our own judgment, is it not well that we agree upon a doctrine, even as prior to the confederacy De‘yus professed he would do? And so, give it to mortals?
Osiris said: This is wisdom, O my brothers. To make our Lord God the Creator, we must accredit all things to him, both good and evil. For this reason we shall give two masters to man, one being the serpent, the earth, the lowest inspirer; and the other the voice of our Lord God.
Sudga said: My brother has spoken wisely. And yet, is the term two masters the wisest term? For in declaring the Lord God the highest, we must make him master over the earth also.
Te-in said: Why shall we not adopt the E‘O‘LIN of the ancients, substituting the words Lord God? And make a commandment over man, forbidding him to listen to the serpent, lest he be led away from the Lord God; and thus throw the cause of sin upon man, for violating the Lord God‘s commandment.
On the following day the three false Gods, Osiris, Te-in and Sudga, wrote their account, each one in his own way. And when they were read, Osiris‘ stood clearer than either of the others‘; but nevertheless, Te-in‘s and Sudga‘s had much of merit. So it came to pass that Osiris‘ account was adopted, with interpolations from the others‘.
This, then, is the completed report:
These are the times of earth and heaven when created; the time the Lord God created them. And the Lord God formed man out of the dust of the earth, and quickened him through his nostrils with the breath of life, and man became a living creature.
And God caused mists to rise up from the waters, and spread over the earth, and rain upon it. And he caused trees and herbs to grow up out of the ground; everything that is pleasant for the sight and good for food. Thus out of the ground the Lord God caused man to come forth, being of the earth, of the land of Eden (Spe-a).
The Lord God commanded man to dress the land and keep it pleasant, saying: This shall be your labor, in which you shall be perfected to everlasting life. You may freely take and enjoy all things that are in the land of Eden.
And man prospered on the earth for a long season; and he was naked and not ashamed. And God planted the tree of knowledge in the land of Eden, and he said to man: I have planted this tree; do not partake of it, for it pertains to life and death.
And God called the name of the first man A‘su (Adam). And the Lord God caused man to name all things on the earth, and in the waters, and in the air above the earth, and whatever man called every living creature, that was its name.
And the Lord God caused A‘su to fall into a trance; and an angel of heaven came and stood by his side. And the Lord God drew from the flesh, and from the bones, and from the blood of A‘su, and thus made woman, and brought her to A‘su.
And the Lord God repeated his commandment to woman, saying: You shall dwell for a season on the earth, and cleave to A‘su, for he is your husband, and you are his wife; and you shall partake of all things on the face of the earth, except for the tree of life, which is of both good and evil, for in the day you eat of it you shall surely die.
But because of the serpent (the earth) of the woman, she listened to him [her flesh –Ed.], and he said to the woman: I say to you, in the day you eat of the tree of knowledge you shall have your eyes opened, and shall become like a Goddess, creating offspring.
And the woman was more easily persuaded than man, for she had confidence in the serpent; and they partook of the fruit of the tree of knowledge; and, in truth, their eyes were opened, and they saw their nakedness.
And presently they heard the Lord God walking in Eden, and they hid themselves in the bushes. And the Lord God said: Where are you, A‘su? And A‘su said: When we heard you walking, we hid ourselves, for we are naked.
The Lord God said: Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree, which I told you that you should not eat from? A‘su said: The woman you gave me to be with me, led me, saying: Behold, it is good fruit; and we ate it.
The Lord God said: Woman, what have you done? And the woman answered, saying: The serpent [her earth body –Ed.] beguiled me. And the Lord God said to the serpent [the flesh –Ed.]: Because you have done this, you are accursed, and you shall not rise up from the earth, but return to dust from which you came.
The Lord God said to the woman: Because you have conceived, you shall have great sorrow; in sorrow bring forth children; your desire shall be to your husband, and he shall rule over you. And I will put enmity between the serpent and your offspring; and the flesh shall call one way, which is to earth, but the soul of man shall call to me, the Lord God. And though the serpent bites, yet man shall bruise him, and subdue him.
And God taught man to make coats of skins and be clothed. And the Lord God said: Lest man partake further, becoming as one of us, he shall go out of Eden, where I created him. So he drove man out of Eden backward, and gave him cherubims to hold him on every side, to preserve to man the tree of life, so that man might not only fulfill the spirit, but the flesh also. ||
When Osiris had gone thus far, Sudga interposed, saying: If we say, Becoming as one of us, || will man not say: Behold, there are more Gods than the Lord God?
Te-in said: Because De‘yus said: Let us make man, shall we not use us in this instance?
Osiris said: Hear me further, my brothers, for I previously found a way out. For I have divided the Lord from God; that is to say:
And the Lord God said: Because man has learned good and evil, I am like two entities to him, for I am Lord of the earth and God of heaven. And that which is on the earth is the Lord‘s, and that which is in heaven is God‘s.
And A‘su called his wife‘s name Eve (We-it), for she was the fountain of all men. And Eve brought forth a son, Cain, saying: I have begotten a son from the Lord. And she brought forth another son, Abel. And the firstborn was begotten in darkness, but the second in the light of the Lord. And the Lord had more respect for the second, Abel, than for the first, Cain.
In course of time Cain brought forth the fruit of the ground and offered it to the Lord. And Abel brought the firstlings of his flocks as his offerings for the Lord. And Cain perceived that the Lord had more respect for his brother, and Cain was angered, and his countenance fell.
And the Lord said to Cain: Why are you jealous? If you do well, shall you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at your door.
But Cain would not be reconciled (because of the darkness in him), and when he and his brother were walking in the fields, Cain turned upon Abel and slew him.
God said: Behold, darkness is between men; the son begotten in darkness falls upon the one begotten in the light. And it shall come to pass on the earth from this time forward that the righteous shall be persecuted by the unrighteous.
And the Lord said to Cain: Where is Abel, your brother? And he said: I do not know. Am I my brother‘s keeper? The Lord said: The voice of your brother‘s blood cries out to me from the ground. Now you are accursed from the earth, for it has opened to receive your brother‘s blood from your hand. In my sight you shall be a fugitive and a vagabond upon the earth. And because you have shed blood, blood shall not cease to flow from your sons and daughters forever.
Cain said: O Lord, my punishment is greater than I can bear. For I have become the first foundation of all the wars on the earth; for you have hidden your face from me; and it shall come to pass that everyone who finds of me in them shall be slain also.
And the Lord said to Cain: Whoever slays you or yours, vengeance shall be upon him sevenfold. And the Lord wrote upon Cain‘s forehead the word Asugsahiben, signifying, BLOOD FOR SAKE OF SELF, a mark, lest any finding him might kill him.
And from this time forth Cain lost the voice of the Lord, because he went off into Nod (darkness). And Cain took a wife and begot heirs to himself, who were like him in manner, and they were called Cainites, and their heirs were called the tribe of Cainites, which survived him nine hundred and ten years, after which they were divided into twenty-six tribes. (And the name Cain was lost. But the people survived, and are known to this day as THE WORLD‘S PEOPLE.)
And We-it bore another son, Seth, in place of Abel, whom Cain slew. And after these came the generations of men, good and evil. And the Lord God said: Behold, I created man without sin, and I gave him warning, so that he could remain holy on the face of the earth. But woman did not listen to my counsel, but to the serpent, and sin came into the world. Therefore in pain woman shall bring forth all the generations of the earth.
Thus it was that the Lord God created man in the likeness of God.
And the sons of Cain were called tribes, even to this day, but the sons of the righteous were sons of God; and for that reason it was said of old: Behold the sons of earth and the sons of heaven.
And the Lord said: Shall I not accord to myself to choose what I will? For this right I gave to man also. And from that time forward the sons of God were called God‘s chosen.
And it came to pass that man multiplied on the face of the earth; and the tribes were mightier than the sons of the Lord God, and the wickedness of man became great in the earth, and the desires of his heart were continually evil.
And the Lord God repented that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him in his heart. And the Lord God said: I will destroy man whom I have created; neither will I spare beast nor creeping thing in the place I gave.
Behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the lands of the earth, and I will destroy all flesh which has the breath of life. But my covenant is with my chosen, who shall not be destroyed by the flood of waters.
And God‘s sons in Noe took with them pairs of the living, of both beasts and birds, according to the commandments of God, to keep their seed alive on the earth.
And when the earth was six hundred years in Noe, the flood of waters came upon the earth. And for forty days and forty nights the rain fell, and the fountains of the sea came upon the lands of the earth. And man and beast alike that drew the breath of life, died, for the land was no more.
But the heirs of Noe did not suffer; and the ships of the arc, where the Lord had concealed them, rode upon the waters. And God made a wind to pass over the earth; and the fountains of the deep were stopped, and the rain of heaven restrained, and the ships of the arc brought to dry land.
And the Lord God said: Behold, I will build a new earth and a new heaven. For these, my sons, have proven their faith in me. Never will I again destroy the tribes of men because their hearts are set on evil. And the Lord God swore an oath by the bow of the arc, saying: This is the token of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth. || And the sons of Noe spread over the whole earth, and the Lord blessed the earth, and said: Every moving thing that lives shall be meat for man; even as the green herb I have given. But flesh with the life in it, which is in its blood, man shall not eat.
For if you do, I will surely require your blood from your lives; no matter the type of beast thus eaten, I will require it. By the hand of every man‘s brother I will take the life of man who feeds on living flesh and blood.
And he who sheds man‘s blood, shall have his own blood shed by man; for I made man in my image. So be fruitful and multiply, and bring forth harvests abundantly from the earth, and inhabit it, for it is yours for perpetual generations. ||
Thus ended the words of Osiris. Te-in said: Because of flesh blood, you are wise, my brother. Sudga said: The glory of our enterprise hangs on this. For man being less restrained than in the Divan laws, will readily accept the new.
Now, after the three false Gods, Osiris, Te-in and Sudga, had revealed these things to mortals, they sent messengers to the Lord God, requesting audience with him, so as to disclose to him what they had done. Anuhasaj, alias De‘yus, therefore appointed a time of meeting, and the Gods came before him and made their report. After which De‘yus said:
In all you have done I acquiesce; neither have you said anything that I would not have said, except that I did not desire to laud myself with my own mouth. || And thus ended the matter of how mortals were taught to worship the names Lord and God, Lord God, Ho-Joss, Joss, De‘yus, Deity, Dyaus, Zeus, and various other names, according to the languages of the people of Jaffeth, Vind‘yu, Arabin‘ya, Par‘si‘e, and Heleste. And billions of angels of the Lord God and his Gods, who were sent down to mortals, inspired them and taught them the same things through seers, prophets, magicians, and through other people also, by dreams and visions.
And mortals were taught the secret of spiritually going out of their own corporeal bodies, and returning safely; and in this state they were taken subjectively to the kingdom of the Lord God, where they saw him as a man, sitting on a throne; and saw the great glory of his kingdom, and the millions of worshippers, glorifying De‘yus, the false Lord God. And these persons became preachers on the earth; enthusiastically stirring up men on every hand to draw the sword, the spear, the sling, to go forth in battle, to overthrow the doctrine of the Great Spirit and establish the De‘yus.
And it came to pass that they thus accomplished the will of the Lord God in all these divisions of the earth. The Jehovihians, being non-resistants, were powerless before them. Kings and queens on the earth accepted these doctrines, and they marshaled their armies in all directions to establish the Lord God, who had said to them: To the extent that you exalt me and my kingdoms, so will I exalt you. When I see you have become wise and powerful in ruling over many on the earth, so will I give you large kingdoms in heaven.
As to the false Lord God and his false Gods, they and their kingdoms prospered in earth and heaven for nine hundred years, and by then the Faithists of the earth had been reduced to a small fraction of people, mostly hidden away, like sheep from wolves.
But in nine hundred and fifty years, behold, the worshippers of the false Lord God began to quarrel and fight among themselves. Even as by blood they had established him, so by blood the kings and queens of the earth were overthrowing one another.
Because of the warfare: schools, colleges and houses of philosophy were wasted away; the factories for spinning and weaving were destroyed; and the lands not tilled.
And now this is what became of the heavenly kingdoms of Anuhasaj and his Gods: They had accumulated twenty-eight billion spirits, all of whom were servants to De‘yus and his Gods. For the most part they were below grade ten, while three billion were below grade five, which is helplessness.
Jehovih had so made man and angels that, whoever had learned to abnegate self and to labor for the good of others, was already above grade fifty, and his ascension should be perpetual ever after; while those who were below grade fifty, who had not put away self (satan), incline downward, toward the earth. Accordingly it had come to pass that the false Lord God and his false Gods were burdened with their kingdoms.
And though they were adorned to the utmost, having vast cities for their heavenly capitals with millions of attendants, and millions of musicians, who were forever inventing new and wonderful music, and playing and singing, millions and millions in concert, with millions of trumpeters, near and far off, to fashion echoes beautiful to the ear; and though they had decorators forever inventing and changing their billions of flags and banners, and the ornaments for the pageantry; though they had millions of heavenly cities, built with heavenly precious stones and gems of splendor, and with roadways and streets paved with heavenly diamonds and pearls; and though they had heavenly tournaments and games, rites and ceremonies, prostrations and salutations, without end; with great heavenly ships, capable of coursing atmospherea in journeys and excursions, ships to carry hundreds of millions of angels, whose chief occupation was to sing and chant the glory, power and dominion of De‘yus and his Gods; yes, though a large book could not contain a description of a thousandth part of their wonderful glory, yet each and every God began to see coming danger.
Jehovih had said: Two precipices I have left open for testing man‘s strength, and they are: great prosperity and great adversity. ||
And behold, satan came upon them in the guise of a good friend. First, he went to Anuhasaj and said to him: You greatest of Gods! Who is like you? Behold, I came to you in the beginning, and told you what to do, even to stretch forth your hand, and heaven and earth would be yours forever, for your own glory. And lo, it has come on finely! You have routed Jehovih and His hosts in heaven and earth; they are as a remnant skulking away. Hear me, then, O De‘yus, for I will not only praise you for what you have accomplished, but I will chide you for your failings.
De‘yus said: In what have I failed, O satan? And satan answered, saying: You are too honest for your own good; too pure for your own benefit; too unsuspecting regarding your Gods. Being honest yourself, you have easily attributed honesty to others, and they have taken advantage of you.
Anuhasaj said: How? Satan answered, saying: From the beginning, you said to your Gods: Maintain your schools, colleges and factories, and otherwise prepare the spirits of the dead for resurrection. And as fast as they arrive at grade thirty, send them to my kingdom, so that Hored may be glorified forever. But lo and behold, your Gods used the angels as slaves, to build up the glory of their own kingdoms. They have allowed their heavenly places of education, for the most part, to be scattered and gone. Nor have they inspired mortals to educate, as I warned you at the beginning. And mortals have thrown aside their schools and colleges, and their places of art, and have become riotous, and given to gross living, and there is no resurrection in them. Which matters show you that, sooner or later, all the spirits of the earth will be of no grade at all, but as fetals and vampires to live on mortals.
De‘yus said: Why have mortals become gross in their living? Satan answered him, saying: Behold, in your own revelation to mortals you said to them: For your food, do not eat fish, flesh, blood, or anything that breathes the breath of life. And now, behold what came to pass: Your three Gods, whom you had elevated and trusted, went to work and made other revelations, in which they said: Eat fish and flesh; for they desired to please mortals. And lo, it has come to pass that man not only wars for you, but he wars to the right and left, for it is in his blood, like beasts that feed on flesh. Your Gods had no right to give this law to man without first consulting you, to know your will and pleasure.
Anuhasaj said: Alas, it is true. What shall I do? Satan said: You shall call your Gods before you and chide them in your own way, and command them to go down to mortals and re-establish learning and industry, instead of war. Anuhasaj said: So shall it be; they shall come and receive my reprimand. They shall know in truth that I am the Lord their God!
Satan went to every one of the other false Gods, separately, saying to each: Hear me, O wisest of Gods, who, because of your great wisdom and integrity, should in fact be at the all highest Godhead in heaven. Behold, I came to you in the beginning and foretold how your kingdom would become great and glorified; and it has come to pass. When you put forth your hand to do a thing, it is done; for you were born into life different from all others, and for the highest of glories. And because of your greatness, behold, all the Gods of heaven are jealous of you and fear you, all of which you know by your own knowledge. Now, while I accredit this to you, I will also chide you for your shortness:
For, because you are honest yourself, you believe the same of others; and for this reason you are cheated and ill-used on all hands. From the beginning you sent your highest grades to the Lord God, to be his; yes, you have robbed your own kingdom of its finest and best subjects for the glory of De‘yus. And who is De‘yus more than you? Is he not a coward? For he feared to give his own doctrines to mortals; instead he abridged his words till they were worthless. And you and your fellow-Gods made his doctrines up in full for him! Yet you serve him as if he were your superior.
The false God said: Alas, it is true, with all my wisdom I have acted like a fool. Because I was too honest and pure for De‘yus and his Gods, they have taken advantage of me. What shall I do? Satan said: I told you at the beginning, that the time would come when you would rise to be higher than all other Gods. Behold, the time is near at hand when you shall strike the blow. You shall not only have your own kingdom, but the kingdoms of your companion Gods; and even De‘yus shall be tributary to you and yours.
The false God said: What shall I do? And satan answered, saying: De‘yus will scent the danger to his kingdom, and he will summon his Gods for consultation. Be ready with your answer to him and them; not hastily, for such is the manner of the weak; but most deliberately, in high holiness of purpose, for the good of mortals and spirits. ||