De‘yus was no slow hand; not a dull God. He had two thousand seven hundred years‘ experience, and his soul was quick and strong in mighty works. He did not rush in without first measuring the way, most deliberately and with great wisdom.
At first he felt his way along, doing as if by proxy Jehovih‘s commands, in order to humor the populace, till his flattered Gods and officers safely fell into his dominion and power, then boldly launching forth: I, the Lord God, command!
The very audaciousness of which overcame his friends‘ judgment, and made them believe for a fact that De‘yus was the foremost and greatest, mighty God. To do whose will, and reverently applaud his name, was the surest road to home laurels.
To win great majesty to himself, and after having sworn to devastate the whole earth in order to establish the name De‘yus, and Lord God, he called to his side his five chief friends: the Gods, Hikas, falsely named Te-in; Wotchissij, falsely named Sudga; Che-le-mung, falsely named Osiris; and Baal and Ashtaroth. And in dignity De‘yus spoke to them:
It is well, my Gods, that you stand about and watch the battles; but let your generals and high captains go forth and mingle in the bloody work. In your kingdoms be constantly upraising your magnificence, and at times sallying forth to the earth valiantly, as when kings, queens and prophets are about to win a victory, or be plunged into mortal death, to show how your august presence turned the tide of battle. Then immediately return in dignity to your thrones, leaving your officers and inspiring hosts to continue on in the game of mortal tragedy.
Then he who was falsely named Osiris, spoke, saying: To exalt your name, O De‘yus, my Lord God; and to persuade mortals that you, of all created beings, can stand in Hored, and by your will, control the victory to whoever applauds you and praises your name. You will be the bond of my solemn oath, so that I will lose or win battles on the earth according to whether they honor you, and despise the Great Spirit or any other God or Lord.
Then Te-in, also falsely named, said: To keep mortals in constant war for a thousand years; to teach them that battles are won or lost according to the loudest call and praise to you, O De‘yus, I will be like an ever-renewed oath taken under your thigh.
Sudga, the false, said: By all my parts, in order to shape the arms and legs of the unborn in comeliness, my legions shall drum into the ears of pregnant women for a thousand years, swearing them to your name, O De‘yus; or, if refusing, to curse with crookedness all their progeny. And when these mothers sleep, my legions shall find their souls in their dreams, and give them delight or torment, according to whether they, when awake, applaud you, my most mighty Lord God.
Baal said: To overturn the oracles of Jehovih, and to make the prophets and seers receive and announce your name, O De‘yus, my Lord God of heaven and earth, I have already sworn more than ten thousand oaths.
Ashtaroth said: The work of my legions shall be to deal death to your enemies, O De‘yus. To those who raise the name Jehovih, or Ormazd, or Great Spirit, my legions shall carry foul smells into their noses while they sleep. And to your enemies, who happen to win a battle against your people, my legions shall carry inoculation from the rotten dead; they shall carry the virus in the air to the breath of those who will not bow down to the name, Lord God!
De‘yus answered them, saying: As spoken, so shall these things be; I, the Lord your God, command. Send forth your generals and high captains thus decreed; to each and every one sufficient armies to make manifest these, our high resolves. Into three great armies my legions shall be divided for the earth battles: one to Jaffeth, one to Vind‘yu, and one to Arabin‘ya and the regions lying west and north. Of the latter, you, Osiris, shall have chief command; and you, Baal, and you, Ashtaroth, you two, so linked in love and one purpose, shall be the earth managers to Osiris‘ will. For your efficient service, behold, I have given you these high-raised generals and captains: Jah, Pluton-ya, Apollo-ya, Petoris, Hi-ram, T‘cro-no, Egupt, Ares, Yu-be, Ali-jah, Afro-dite, Ar-ti-mis, Ben, Aa-ron, Argo, Atstsil, Nadar and Oyeb, besides Peter, Yact-ta-roth, Haur, Abel, Said, Josh and Wab, who shall be the conquering spirits to play on both sides in battles, urging stubborn mortals on to religious feud till both sides fall in death, or till one bows down in fear and reverence to me and my Gods. And they shall sing their names in mortal ears day and night, and teach them to live in praise of the Lord, your God, the De‘yus of heaven and earth, and to be most daring in the overthrow of Jehovih, most hated of Gods.
To you, Te-in, another third of my legions is committed, to deal with the land of giants (Jaffeth), and urge them on in the same way, to greatness or to death, doing honor and reverence to me and my kingdoms. High raised are your generals: Wah-ka, Ho-jou-ya, Oke-ya-nos, Thu-wowtch, Haing-le, Tochin-woh, To-gow and Eurga-roth, besides Yam-yam, Hi-rack-to, Kacan-cat, Isaah, Lutz-rom and Le-Wiang, and others of high grade and power.
And to you, O Sudga, in like manner I have given another third of my legions to play battles with mortals for a thousand years. Like Osiris and Te-in, to set mortals up in war, and move them one way and then another, and thus plunge them into each other‘s bloody arms and death. So that they may learn to know in truth they are only machines and playthings in the hands of angels and Gods; that they are worked like clay in a potter‘s hand, till they cry out: Enough! I will bow my head to God, who is Lord over all, great De‘yus. Yes, more, I will fight for him and drink even my brother‘s blood, if only De‘yus will prosper me and mine in slaying Faithists, fool-worshippers of Ormazd, the Unseen and Scattered Wind. To De‘yus, in likeness of a man, with head, legs and arms in boundary and size of a man, sitting on a throne in Hored; to him, the great Lord God, I will always bow in reverence.
And you, O Sudga, shall play war in Vind‘yu with the most numerous, highest learned people of the earth. For which purpose you shall have these, my high-raised generals and captains: Asrig, Gai-ya, Nais-wiche, Samern, Yube, Sol, Mung-jo, Don, Hefa-yis-tie, Lowtha, Daridrat, Udan, Brihat, Bog-wi, E-shong, Weel, Vanaiti, Plow-ya, Vazista, Kiro, Cpenista, Visper, Cpenta-mainyus and Urvash, and many others, most determined to rescue the earth from the dominion of far-off Gods.
De‘yus continued: Go forth you Gods, and in majesty build your thrones; in great splendor ornament your high places, so that even the magnificence shall be like a million preachers‘ tongues proclaiming the heavens‘ well-chosen Gods. And as fast as mortals fall in battle, gather the spirits of the dead into groups, not letting them lie in chaos, but for pity‘s sake bring them to your kingdoms in easy riding ships. And once there, apply your physicians and nurses diligently, to restore them to their senses and new condition; and when they wake up in the heavens, seeing the great glory of your thrones and kingdoms, initiate them by solemn rites and ceremonies to sworn servitude to yourselves and to me, your Lord God, to inherit such bounteous kingdoms.
And as you shall thus despoil those of earth, to make them know my power and yours, so shall you pursue those newly arrived in heaven, to make them swear solemnly against Jehovih, the Great Spirit, the Ormazd, and against all other Gods; but if they stubbornly refuse, though in heaven, even as they did on earth, take them before my son, Anubi, who shall further examine them; but if they still refuse, then Anubi, with his strong guard and brands (sticks) of fire, shall send them down into hell.
Now sallied forth the captains, generals, and well-disciplined hosts of hada, the angels of De‘yus, bent on independence for the earth and heaven from all other rulers except the Lord God, and to establish him forever. Foremost of the three mighty divisions was Osiris‘ army, of more than a billion angels, going forth boldly to cover the great lands of the earth: Arabin‘ya, Par‘si‘e and Heleste.
In the front, dashing madly on, was Baal, and next to him, his assistant Goddess, Ashtaroth, followed by their first attendants and high exalted officers. Some of whom displayed: Great maps of mortal cities and cultured lands, where the peaceful worshippers of Jehovih dwelt, hundreds of thousands of them. And the lists of altars and temples to the Great Spirit, where the righteous came daily and deposited their earnings and products as sacrifices for benefit of the weak and helpless. And the wide fields, where toilers religiously brought out of the earth, wheat, flax, cotton and barley, as gifts from the Great Spirit. And the canals filled with boats, carrying produce, fruit and cloth, in interchange, one district with another. And the mounds and tree-temples of the I‘hins, the sacred people, small, white and yellow; the forefathers and foremothers of the great I‘huan race, the half-breeds between the brown burrowers in the earth and the I‘hins.
Over these maps, charts, and lists, the generals and captains discoursed as they descended to the rolling earth; most learnedly laying plans to overturn Jehovih‘s method, and build up De‘yus, the God of Hored.
Osiris himself, to display such dignity as becomes a great God, halted in his heavenly place, now headquarters of the belligerents. And so he rested on his throne, with his tens of thousands of messengers ready to answer his summons, and bear his will to the remotest parts of his mighty army, and to return, bringing him news of the nature of the proceedings. And between Osiris‘ and De‘yus‘ thrones another long line of messengers extended, being a thousand angels, high raised and resolute, suitable to travel in the ever-changing atmospherean belts of great velocity.
Beside Baal, on the downward course to the earth, but a little behind him, woman-like, was Ashtaroth, with her thousand attendants, all accoutered to show their high esteem for their warring Goddess. By the often-changing wave of her hand, her part of the army had learned to know her will, and most zealously observe her commands.
And now, on every side, farther than the eye could see, the billion rushed on, some in boats, some in ships and otevans, and others in single groups, descending. As one can imagine an earthly kite sufficient to carry its holder high up in the wind, so, reversed, and single-handed, hundreds of thousands flew toward the earth by ballast flags, the most daring of angels.
Toward the earth they came as if on a frolic, full of jokes and loud boasting, sworn and swearing to forever clear the earth of Jehovih‘s worshippers. Many of them, long trained in the schools, colleges and factories of heaven, were only too glad for a change of scenes and labor, all having been promised by their superiors that with this campaign, they were taking their first lessons in becoming Gods and Goddesses; and thousands and thousands hoped to accomplish some daring deed, in order to gain sudden promotion.
To the east and west, and north and south, Baal and Ashtaroth spread out their armies, wide as the three great lands they had sworn to subdue to the Lord God, who, of woman born, was the most presuming son the earth had yet brought forth. And the theme and project was to alight on the earth, to flood the temples and altars with so great an abundance of spirits as would drive Jehovih‘s ashars into disastrous confusion, and vanquish them. The temptation of promotion caused the warriors on every side to strive with their utmost speed and power, desiring to be foremost in so great a work.
Which Jehovih foresaw, and so, spoke to God in Craoshivi, warning him. Accordingly, due observance of the danger had been communicated, by messengers, to the managing angels in the altars and temples of worship. And these, through the rab‘bahs and the oracles, had spread the caution far and wide among mortals regarding the threatened dangers.
Thus Jehovih‘s angels fortified themselves, through the faith of mortals, and held on, bringing together their scanty numbers, knowing well that by Jehovih‘s law they must not resist by arms, but only through words and good example, high-toned by faith in the Father over all.
Down, down, down on these, on every side came the billion destroying hosts; with oaths and loud clamor rushing for the altars and temples; flying suddenly to the holy arcs; in hundreds of thousands of places, shouting:
Leave this arc! Vacate this altar! Depart this temple! You Jehovihian usurpers, be gone! In the name of the Lord our God! We command!
But alas for them, every arc, every altar, and every temple to Jehovih was invincible. So strong in faith stood His angels, unmoved and majestic, that even the assailing spirits halted, overawed. And as they stood a moment contemplating, wondering where such great majesty came from that it could manifest in such a lowly place, the Jehovihians made this reply:
We bow in adoration to none but Great Jehovih! Whose Very Self contributed to make us what we are, His servants in doing good to others with all our wisdom and strength! In Him we stand to shield His helpless ones by virtuous peace and harmonious love. For what reason, then, do you come in arrogance, demanding our wards to service of your God, born of woman?
The Osirians said: Fly, O sycophants! You who bow down in fear and trembling to One as hollow as the wind, and Personless. Too long have earth and heaven been cajoled by far-off foreign Gods, who come here to win subjects for their kingdoms‘ glory, using that pitiful tale of an Ever Presence Over All, Whom none have seen or known. Be gone! Give us these earthly anchorages! To build earth and heaven in unity, ruled over, along with ourselves, by Gods we know and revere!
The Jehovihians said: Is this your only power? By threats and commands? O harmless words, in mockery of truthful Gods! You of no good works or promises, except to exalt the self of earth and hada, and glorify your masters, born only equal with yourselves. Why not rush in and carry us off, you who are a thousand to one, and by your deeds prove the great source from which you draw your power?
The Osirians said: To give you a chance of liberty, to save you from the Savior‘s judgment, Anubi, who shall cast you into hell, we hoped to find your willing departure in peace. Behold, then, we will wall this altar around and shut off the attendant ashars with mortals, and flood the place with drujas, to obsess them to total madness. If, then, you love your wards as you profess, abandon all to us, for the glory of De‘yus, whose son is Osiris, our commanding God.
The Jehovihians said: Words! Words! Words! You had no explanation at first, only your command. Now, behold, an argument! And presently you will withdraw, deceived in what your commanding Gods told you would result. We tell you we will not leave, except by orders from our superiors, who are Jehovih‘s, rightly raised to precedence.
5/19.19 The Osirians said: For which reason, behold our Lord God, who was honored in the title through Jehovih‘s hand; whom you should obey according to your oaths.
The Jehovihians said: Until the Lord God put aside Jehovih, we were his; but when for his self-glory he denied his Creator, his false position freed us from obligation to him. To obey him now, would make us false to Jehovih, and forever weaken us in reaching the Nirvanian kingdoms.
But now the clamoring Osirian angels in the background crowded forward menacingly, and the tide rose to the highest pitch. The morning sun was dawning in the east, a most wonderful assistant to Jehovih‘s sons in time of battle; and their messengers brought from the fields and country places many ashars who had been on watch all night with sleeping mortals. The Osirians saw them coming; knew the turn, one way or another, was at hand! But by the audacity of the Jehovihians, outnumbered one to a thousand, the Osirians were kept looking on in wonder till the sun‘s rays pierced their weapons and melted them in their hands.
All over all the lands, east and west and north and south, of Arabin‘ya, Par‘si‘e and Heleste, stood the discomfited Osirian angels, in groups, tens of thousands, unseen by mortals, and considering how best to proceed to overthrow Jehovih and His worshippers.
Meanwhile, messengers and mapmakers bore the disastrous news to Osiris, who in turn sent word on up to De‘yus, the self-Lord God, who now, through Osiris, his most favorite God of power, sent these commands:
When night comes and mortals sleep, my hosts shall fall upon the ashars, the guardian angels, and drive them away, obsessing every man, woman and child, in these great divisions of the earth. What do I care about altars, temples, oracles and arcs? Possess the mortals before tomorrow‘s morning sun. Hear the command of De‘yus, the Lord your God, through his high-raised son, Osiris!
And the well-stationed messengers plied all day long to the near and remote parts of the assaulting armies, giving De‘yus‘ commands. And before the sun went down, the whole billion knew their work, and were wheeled in line, to march with the falling darkness, and pounce furiously upon the ashars of Jehovih.
But the true God, in Craoshivi, had been warned by Jehovih‘s Voice of the course of events, and he had sent his messengers with all speed down to the earth to warn them of the enemy‘s designs for that night; which the messengers only just accomplished, for when they completed their most exhaustive work, the sun had already dropped below the west horizon.
So, at the midnight hour, the terrible approach began on all sides; and to each and every guardian spirit, enemies came, in tens, and hundreds, and thousands, shouting: Be gone, you Jehovihian fool! The Lord our God and his son, Osiris, command! Away from your sleeping mortal ward, or by the voice of God we will cast you, bound, at Anubi‘s feet, food for hell! Be gone!
Each Jehovihian answered: To Great Jehovih I am sworn! Though you bind me and cast me into hell, by the Great Spirit‘s hand I will free myself and come here again and teach His sacred name. And repeat forever my peaceful mission to raise up this heir of Jehovih!
Again the threatening adversaries stormed, and wondered while they stormed, how one alone could stand so boldly in the face of such great odds and not fly away at once. And every ashar laid his hand on the sleeping mortal in his charge, for by this, his power was multiplied a thousand-fold, and raising up his other hand, he addressed the All Highest: By Your Wisdom and Power, O Jehovih, circumscribe this, Your sleeping heir, so that whoever touches the mortal part shall cut himself off from Your everlasting kingdoms!
And, with the words, a circle of light fell about the place, bewildering to the assaulters, who, having once halted, opened the way to recoil within them, their own cowardice, a most valiant warrior against unrighteous deeds. And so a war of words and arguments ensued, till again the morning sun rose upon the almost harmless assault, and left the Osirians discomfited and ashamed.
Though not in all places, for in some extremes they did not wait for words but rushed in and laid hands on the mortals, gaining sufficient power to hurl clubs, stones, boards, stools or tables about the house, and so roused to wide awake, the mortal occupants. Who, seeing things tumble about by some unseen power, were quickly up and frightened past composure. Some hurried off to the rab‘bahs, some to the oracles and temples, to inquire about the trouble between the ruling Gods. ||
And in these few places, once De‘yus‘ spirit-soldiers gained possession, they fastened on in thousands, even quarreling as to who had most honor in the hellish work. And yet not one of the ashars in all the lands was seized or borne away.
And now, as the sun rose, the messengers of the Lord God flew hastily to Osiris‘ kingdom, where he sat on his throne, expecting news of an overwhelming victory. And when they told him about the most pitiful failure, except in so small a degree, Osiris raved and swore: By my soul, I swear an everlasting curse, that I will fill all the hells in hada with these foolhardy ashars! Yes, even if I have to go down to the earth in person, and with Baal and Ashtaroth go from house to house throughout the world!
Osiris again sent word to De‘yus, who was of vast experience, and not so hasty; a wiser God, and better acquainted with the tides in mortal energy to serve Jehovih. So De‘yus sent back word to this effect: To rest the soldiers three days, so that the surveyors could measure the stature of mortal faith, and so make the third attack more successful. And he concluded with these words:
Because of the long spiritual peace among mortals, there must be many grown to intellectual disbelief in an All Highest. By groveling down in the earth to measure the rocks, and to study the habits of worms and bugs, for generations, their seed has brought forth many skeptics, believing nothing of spiritual kind, but rating high their own judgment. With these, because of their lack of faith in Jehovih, the ashars are powerless to ward off my soldiers. Mark them out in every city and in all the country places, and again at midnight, fall upon them, crowding away Jehovih‘s ashars.
Besides these, find the ignorant and superstitious among mortals, who are lazy and of lustful desires, because by their habits the ashars have little power in their presence. Mark these also, and, at midnight, fall upon them and possess them.
And go among the rich, whose sons and daughters are raised in idleness and pleasure; whose thoughts seldom rise to heaven; for the ashars are also weak to protect them, they being most excellent subjects to spirits fond of sporting pleasures. Mark them also, and at midnight fall upon them, driving away the ashars.
For the present, abandon the altars, arcs, temples, oracles and all the strongest, most zealous Faithists; except those few who still flatten the head and are dull in judgment, whom you shall also possess. ||
Thus lay the three great countries, Arabin‘ya, Par‘si‘e, and Heleste, of which Par‘si‘e was mightiest, peopled with very giants; lofty-bearing men and women, who were red, copper colored; with an abundance of long black hair; high in the nose and cheek bones; with determined jaws, and eyes to charm and command; mostly full-blooded I‘huans, half-breeds between the I‘hins and the burrowers in the ground, the brown people, dull and stupid. The Par‘si‘e‘ans were a proud race, built up in great comeliness by the God Apollo (the first), whose high-raised office was to fashion the breeds of mortals into noble forms. Par‘si‘e was foremost in all great deeds in the world, and in men of learning, and in ancient wars. It was here that great Zarathustra was born and raised for Jehovih‘s Voice and corporeal words. Here the first great CITY OF THE SUN was built, Oas, whose kings aspired to rule the entire world; and it was here where great riches among men were first tolerated by the Gods.
A strip of Par‘si‘e‘an land cut between Jaffeth and Vind‘yu, and extended to the sea in the far east; but the great body lay to the west, covering the Afeutian Mountains, still plentiful in lions, tigers and great serpents. Into these mountains the I‘huan hunters came to catch lions and tigers to fight in the games, where unarmed men often went into the arena, and fought them with their bare hands, choking them to death before applauding multitudes. From these mountains the hunters supplied the private dens of kings and queens with lions, whose duty was to devour thieves and other prisoners, according to mortal law.
And these traveling hunters often dwelt with the sacred little people in the wilderness, the I‘hins, whom Jehovih had taught to charm even the great serpents and savage lions and tigers to be their friends and worshippers. And from these sprang a people called Listians, who, living mostly in the forests, went naked, to whom the I‘hins taught the secret of CHARMING AND SACRED HAND POWER, who worshipped Jehovih, having no man or God as master, for which the Great Spirit named them SHEPHERD KINGS, for they ruled over flocks of goats, which supplied them with milk, butter, cheese, and wool for cloth for crotch-clothes, the only covering they wore.
These Shepherd Kings, the Listians, lived in peace, wandering about, making trinkets, which they often exchanged with the inhabitants of cities and the agricultural regions. One-fourth of the people of Par‘si‘e were Listians, who were well guarded by Jehovih‘s angels. And De‘yus meant to obsess these for future use in terrible wars; but the other three-fourths of the population lived in the fertile regions of Par‘si‘e, lands rich in yielding ample harvests. The cities were filled with mills, factories, colleges and common schools, free for all people to come and learn; and altars, temples of worship, and oracle structures made without windows, so Jehovih‘s angels could come in sar‘gis and teach His Holy Doctrines. Also there were temples and observatories for studying the stars, which were mapped out and named even as their names stand to this day. And next to these were the HOUSES OF PHILOSOPHY, in all the cities; where great and learned men undertook to examine into the things of earth, to learn their character and properties. And whether of fish, worm, stone, ores, iron, silver, gold or copper, they had learned to read its worth and nature. And their houses were well filled for the benefit of students and visitors, with things dead and extinct from the earth, and with strange stones, and skins and bones of animals. It was these people that De‘yus meant to have his armies possess, body and soul, for his own glory, knowing that by their researches in such matters for many generations they had strayed away from Jehovih. For such is the rule pertaining to all children begotten on the earth. If the father and mother are on the downward road in unbelief, the child will be more so; but if on the upward way, to glorify an All Highest, the child will be holier and wiser than its parents.
In ancient days the Gods had inspired the Par‘si‘e‘ans to migrate toward the west and inhabit the lands of Heleste, also a country of giants, but less given to rites and ceremonies; and they carried with them three languages: the Panic, of Jaffeth; the Vedic, of Vind‘yu, and the Par‘si‘e‘an; and because they mostly used the same sounds, but different written characters, a confused language sprang out of these, and was called Fonece, and the people thus speaking were called Foneceans, that is to say: We will use the same sounds, but use whatever written characters we choose according to our judgment. || Hence, Fonece is the first and oldest of mortal-made languages; and this was styled in heaven as the period of the emancipation of mortals from the dictatorship of angels in regard to written signs, characters and words. Jehovih had said: In that respect man on earth has advanced enough to stand alone; and it was so, for, from that time to this, neither Jehovih nor His angels have given any new language or written characters to mortals. And all languages that have come from that time onward, are only combinations, branches, amalgamations and malformations of what existed then on the earth.
The Helestians were rich in agriculture, and in herds of cattle and goats, both wool goats and hair goats; for it was in this country that the angels first taught man how to breed the goats for hair or for wool, accordingly as he desired. And these people were also mostly worshippers of Jehovih, and had many altars and temples; dwelling in peace, and loving righteousness.
Arabin‘ya had four kinds of people within her regions: the I‘huans, the Listians, the I‘hins, and the brown burrowers in the ground, with long noses and projecting mouths, very strong, whose grip of the hands could break a horse‘s leg. The brown people, though harmless, were naked, living mostly on fish, worms, bugs and roots; and they inhabited the regions of the great river, Tua [Nile –Ed.]. Over these people, to subdue them and destroy them, Osiris allotted his great angel general, Egupt, servant of De‘yus. Egupt called the region of his allotment after himself, Egupt, the same that is corruptly called Egypt to this day.
In the time of Abraham this country was called South Arabin‘ya; but when, in later years, the great scholars entered the records in the kings‘ libraries, the later names were used, being written in the Fonecean language and not Eguptian, which was the language of the unlearned.
But the majority of the people in Arabin‘ya were I‘huans, being similar to the Par‘si‘e‘ans in color, size and figure, for they also were the offspring of the I‘hins and the brown earth burrowers, the hoodas, from whom they inherited corporeal greatness, even as from the I‘hins they inherited holiness of spirit. But the flat heads had mostly disappeared from Arabin‘ya.
And here, even as in Par‘si‘e and Heleste, were thousands of cities, great and small; and like Par‘si‘e, they also had colleges and houses of philosophy, besides thousands of public libraries, which supplied books freely to the poor, who came here to be taught in the sciences, and in the arts of painting, engraving and sculpture, and in astronomy, mathematics, chemistry, minerals, assaying, and in the rules for inventing chemical combinations. But the Listians were the only people who dealt in charms and the secrets of taming serpents and beasts by virtue of the hand, and by curious scents, prepared secretly. And the Listians maintained the fifth rite in the resurrection, by which on the fifth day after death, the soul of the dead appeared in mortal semblance to his living people, and advised them lovingly, after which he ascended in their burning incense going to Jehovih!
And now came the third assault of Osiris‘ legions of angels, inspired to desperate madness by the harangues of their generals and captains. And every mortal was marked out, and his degree of faith in the Great Spirit known; so the destroyers knew well where to strike effectively.
At midnight, again came the Osirians, rushing on; and by force of numbers laid their hands on millions of mortals! Held fast, and hurled missiles furiously about in the bedrooms, to rouse from sleep their mortal victims, who, waking and seeing no cause for the whirling stools and tables, and the terrible noises and blows in every corner of their houses, sprang up frightened, and at a loss to know what to do. In many places the angels of De‘yus spoke audibly in the dark, saying: There is only one God, even the Lord your God, great De‘yus, on the throne of Hored. Bow down in reverence before him, or destruction and death shall be your doom!
The Osirian angels, gloating in their much success, now filled every house where they had fastened on, and made all those places headquarters for their captains and generals, and thousands and tens of thousands of angel servants, who were proud and boastful, most hilarious in knocks and hideous noises about the house walls.
In many instances the ashars, the guardian angels, were overpowered and crowded off; for their power was weak and scattered because of the small faith and little spirituality in the mortals captured.
But the Osirians did not win in all cases, for in hundreds of thousands of families, they were overcome or baffled till the rising sun, which drove them off, leaving the Jehovihians still victorious. But the glory (victory) to Osiris and his legions was sufficient enough, that messengers were sent to De‘yus speedily, with most exaggerated tales of the victories won.
In Par‘si‘e this night, one million two hundred thousand men, women and children, fell into the clutches of the hosts of De‘yus, the Lord God, the false. In Arabin‘ya, the fallen victims numbered two million; and in Heleste, one and a half million! But as yet, the captured mortals did not realize what had happened; they only knew frantic noises and flying missiles, disturbing them all night long. Many rushed out to the oracles and altars to learn the cause, and to know if, in truth, the angels of heaven were at war; or if Gods had come, as had been told in the old legends, to afflict mortals. The learned did not acknowledge the cause to be angels, but looked for cracks in the wood, or concealed persons, or cats, or dogs. But not finding the cause excited their disbelieving souls, so that they proclaimed before all people each special wonder, exaggerated a hundred times over.
The unlearned believed in the angels thus suddenly come upon them; and cultivated their coming, and believed their words: to put away Jehovih and accept De‘yus; or otherwise, after death, their souls would be weighed by Anubi, and, for lack of faith in the Lord God, instead of Jehovih, cast into everlasting hell.
And such mortals, willing tools to follow spirits‘ advice instead of Jehovih‘s light within their own souls, were led through the Anubian ceremonies, which were now malformed by substituting words to glorify De‘yus, and Osiris, his so-called son.
But the philosophers searched deeper, to find if, in truth, the soul was immortal; and to find if it was really true that the souls of the dead come back in such a way, defying nature‘s laws, as they called the common occurrences all around them. If true, then what were the sum and substance of the created worlds; and what was the ultimate end, the all highest place for man?
Not many more days passed before Osiris called his legions together, and gave them four days‘ recreation and a great heavenly feast. And after the feast was over, he spoke from his temporary throne on Mount Agho‘aden, situated in the sky over the earth mountains of Aghogan, in Par‘si‘e; complimenting them, saying:
In the light and power of life and death I speak! Greeting, in De‘yus‘ name, highest of Gods! In his love, to glorify you all for your great victory, this feast was spread, and my voice upraised in your praise.
First, to you, Baal, wise and powerful among Gods, for your great energy and glorious success, I bestow the Sign of the Sacred Bird, Iboi, to be yours forever. And next, to you, Ashtaroth, the Goddess who never tires, or is without a stratagem, for your glorious success I bestow you with the fete, the circle and the true cross, to be yours forever.
To you, Hermes, most unflinching of generals, second in rank to Lord, for your victories, I bestow the Inqua. To you, Apollo-ya [Apollo –Ed.], I bequeath a bow and arrow, for you shall break the bonds of the creed of circumcision, and tempt mortals to wed by no law but by the impulse of the heart. For as the Faithists have been bound by their sign (circumcision) to not marry outside their own people, so shall you teach the opposite; for by crossing the breeds of men, they shall be broken off from Jehovih.
To you, Posee-ya-don [Poseidon –ed.], I bestow a model ship, for you shall have dominion over sea-faring men in all these divisions of the world. To you, Hefa-yis-tie [Hephaestus –ed.] I bestow a forge and tongs, for your dominion over mortals shall be with the workers of metals and weapons of war.
To you, Pluton-ya [Pluto –Ed.], I bestow a torch and brand of fire, for you shall rule over mortals for the destruction of cities and houses, belonging to whoever will not bow down to De‘yus as the highest God. To you, Ura-na, queen of the es‘enaurs, the very stars of my armies, I bestow a quill and staff, for you shall have dominion over the songs of the earth, inspiring mortals to sing praises to the Lord our God. ||
In that way Osiris went through the list, bestowing and assigning medals, signs, symbols and emblems upon the generals and captains, and exalting many of the privates for daring deeds done, and for victories. And then Osiris allotted to the generals and captains tens of thousands of spirits specially adapted to their respective work; and he placed Baal and Ashtaroth as chiefs over them. Next Osiris organized a new division of angels, an army of one hundred million, distributed into one hundred parts, and called this army See-loo-gan, signifying spirits who travel about among mortals in systematic order, to measure them as to how best they can be used for the glory of the heavenly kingdoms; and to possess them, or hand them over to be obsessed, as may be deemed profitable.
At Pluton-ya‘s request, Osiris made his selection for him, and then further explained, saying: To you, all privilege in your line. If you find fire is not well suited to destroy a city, even though thousands of mortals are obsessed at the same time to set it afire, then you shall have your spirits carry virus and inoculate mortals so they die; or have them fill the city with epidemic air, well poisoned, throwing mortals into fevers so they shall die. For in all cases, whether Baal or Ashtaroth, or any of your superior officers, says to you: Destroy that city, or this city, or that family, or this family, or that man or this man; then you shall fall upon the place, family or man as commanded and accomplish it. ||
And now, with due ceremonies, and with excellent music, the assemblage was commanded back to the earth to resume work. And Osiris‘ messengers bore the news to De‘yus, well exaggerated, extolling the fidelity of Osiris to the highest.
From this time forward the Osirians made no more masterly raids, but they took advantage of the well-adapted times to give mortals an abundance of wonders in angel manifestations; which bait mortals eagerly took. And they were, for the most part, easily persuaded to follow angel advice, and so fell to work and built temples and established oracles of their own, obliterating the doctrine of the Great Spirit, and substituting the words: The Lord God; and De‘yus; and Anubi, his holy Son and Savior and Judge of the world; and Osiris, God‘s commanding Lord of the earth. And mortals traveled throughout all regions, preaching and explaining spirit communion, and establishing the Anubian rites and ceremonies, but never using the names Great Spirit or Jehovih, except to deride and accurse. The rites taught virtue, love, truth, and the acquisition of knowledge, but did not teach peace, but war, which was maintained to be justifiable if done for the glory of the Lord, or for the Lord God, or for the Son, the Savior, Anubi, whose sign was a pair of scales, and who was sometimes called Judge, and Keeper of the Gate that led to the upper heaven, Hored.
So for those reasons it came to pass, that the mortal adherents of Osiris began to war on the Faithists and take their possessions. And because the Faithists, by their pledges to Jehovih, dared not resist by weapons of death, but only by walls around their cities, and by stratagems, and by running away, the Osirians had easy victories in most instances.
In ten years the Osirians began to build great cities, as the ancients had; and to gather in their plunder taken from the Faithists.
And Osiris, Baal and Ashtaroth, through their angel hosts, chose from among mortals the largest and strongest, most war-like, and by means of the oracles declared them kings and queens, and instructed them in building palaces and having thrones, after the manner of Lords and Gods. And they directed mortals how to make themselves powerful by organization and obedience to the kings and queens, who were recognized as adopted sons and daughters of the Lord God.
Now it came to pass, in course of time, that in consequence of the great abundance of angel manifestations, mortals sought by this means to obtain knowledge of heaven and earth, and especially in regard to the purpose of man.
And the Osirian hosts, being the only angels engaged in the matter of establishing De‘yus, answered them, saying: The life and the purpose of man is to glorify God, who is Lord of heaven and earth.
And the mortals pressed the matter further, asking: Who is God? What are the worlds? Where did all things come from? How was it with the creation and the Creator?
For an answer to these questions, Osiris sent messengers to the Lord God in Hored; so De‘yus called a Council of his Gods and Lords, to meet in Hored, to solve the matter, so that a uniform answer could be given to all the divisions of the earth.
After the invitations were sent, but before the Council assembled, the self (satan) of De‘yus spoke to him, saying: If you admit a Creator except yourself, you are undone. For is this not the point on which hangs the power and dominion of Jehovih? The Lord God inquired of satan, saying: Why did you not speak of this before? Behold, the Great Spirit signifies everywhere. But I am only as a man, small, compared to the size of the worlds!
Satan said: It does not matter; you shall say you were the Creator of heaven and earth.
Anuhasaj, alias the Lord God, had said to Te-in, the false, into whose charge he gave Jaffeth and her heavenly places: At the same time that Osiris and his hosts fall upon his divisions of the earth, even in that day and hour you and your hosts shall fall upon Jaffeth (China), possessing the temples, altars, and places of oracles, where they serve the Great Spirit under the name Ormazd, and you shall subdue them to me under the name Joss, who is and ever shall be Ho-Joss of heaven and earth.
So Te-in, the false, with his billion warriors sped forth, downward, to the earth, having spread his army wide, to cover the whole of Jaffeth, hoping to capture it suddenly. And, even as Osiris had, he plunged into the temples and oracle-houses, and surrounded the altars, in the dead of night, to drive away Jehovih‘s guardian angels, and like Osiris, but even worse, Te-in was baffled and repulsed, and saw the morning sun arise upon his shame in total failure. And then he, too, with his mighty legions, went stalking about all day long on the earth, waiting for the next night‘s assault on sleeping mortals, and to receive new orders from the Lord God, as to the next proceeding.
So when the second night came, Te-in went in with his army, furious because of the previous night‘s cowardly failure. And to the sleeping mortal men, women and children, his army rushed in with oaths and loud boastings, threatening Jehovih‘s angels with the tortures of hell if they did not instantly resign all to Ho-Joss, the all highest ruler, dweller in Hored.
But faithful stood the Jehovihians; laid their hands on the sleeping mortals, and became all powerful against the terrible odds, and held them in abeyance again, till the sun arose and scattered Te-in‘s hosts, ashamed and sulky, in most pitiful defeat. Of which news Te-in now, most painfully, sent word to his commanding God.
De‘yus sent word to him, even as he did to Osiris, to next attack the houses of the men of learning, the unbelievers; and the ignorant, and the superstitious; to abandon, for the present, the arcs, temples, oracle-houses, and the firmly sworn Faithists. De‘yus said: Send your numerators and mathematicians; and measure and mark all mortals in Jaffeth, as to their vulnerable points, and map their localities; and when you have completed this work, set apart another night for an attack upon them. And your hosts shall not fall upon the Faithists who are firm in the Great Spirit, Ormazd, but upon the weak and disbelieving, the skeptical and much learned philosophers, who are weak in spirit, and you shall not fail.
So Te-in enumerated the Jaffethans, as commanded, marking them as to their vulnerable points, whether in disbelief in spirit, or if given to lust, or to hasty passions, or to telling lies, or to stealing, or to murder, or to hypocrisy, or to desire for leadership. And before the time of battle, Te-in knew the grade of every mortal in Jaffeth. And he called his generals and captains before him in his heavenly place, Che-su-gow, over the Chesain Mountains, twenty miles high, showing them the lists and maps.
Take these, he said, and distribute them to my mighty armies, and before tomorrow night they shall learn every mortal‘s place and quality; and in the night my legions shall rush upon the places, laying hands on the sleeping mortals, thus gaining power; and they shall hurl missiles, with terrible noises, through the houses of the sleepers, and so rouse them to awaken and experience the war of heaven carried to their homes.
The generals and captains took the lists and maps, and had millions of copies made, and then sent them into all the regions of De‘yus‘ militants; and sent, too, millions and millions of proclaimers, with terrible oaths against the Great Spirit, but who extolled the munificence of De‘yus to the utmost; appealing to their love of independence, and to their power to cast off all other rulers forever, except Ho-Joss.
And now, when the night of battle came, the infuriated angel warriors of Te-in marched in lines, millions strong, toward the sleeping mortals. Their great armies spread broad, covering the land of Jaffeth from east to west and from north to south. Over Flang‘e‘loe, the CITY OF THE SUN, thirty million of Te-in‘s warring angels were sent, sworn to subjugate the people of great learning, alive or dead, and scatter the angels of Jehovih, or bind them and cast them into hell. And over the city of Pen Goo twenty million of Te-in‘s hosts were sent; while the cities of Tsee, Wung, Ha-tzo, Ne King, and Zoo Wun, each had over them twenty million of Te-in‘s angels of war.
Besides these there were millions and millions stationed over the great valley of Wan, and in the mountains of So Jon. In the plains of Wow Gan seventy million were stationed. Five million were allotted to each of the following cities: Sum Conc, Ah-gee, Ah-sin, Chang-ha, Ge Oooh-young, Gwan Gouk, Na‘tji, Yuk Hoh, Ah Tosh, Ah Koan, Chaung, Shon, Nufow, Zow, Lin, Gee Bak, Ow-wa, Tdong, King-do, Ghi Sam, Seung, Chog, Doth, Jawh, Bing-Tah, Gha, Haih, Huug, Wing-tze, Ni Am, Ah Sam, and Zow-lin.
In the mountains of Witch How Loo were stationed eighty million, set to fall upon the Listian breed of men. On the borders of the sea, for sea-faring men, and for their wives and children, were one hundred and ninety million of Te-in‘s angel soldiers, ready for the assault. Besides these there were tens of thousands of smaller armies, stationed in the small cities and country places, waiting for the signal. ||
Now in this age, Jaffeth had attained to great wisdom in many things, but in war her people were as babes. More than half her people were Faithists, followers of Po, worshippers of the Great Spirit. And they practiced peace and dwelt in communities. Many of the cities were in families of tens, and hundreds, and thousands, but nowhere more than two thousand. And the city families were ordered in this manner: The manufacturers of wool cloth, one family; of linen cloth, another family; of silk cloth, another family; of leather, another family; of paper, another family; of transportation, another family; and so on, till all departments were full; and of these combinations there were cities of fifty thousand, and a hundred thousand, and two hundred thousand inhabitants. And in the country places there were small cities, whose people tilled the soil and gathered the fruits of the earth, and they exchanged goods with the manufacturers who dwelt in large cities.
The government was by priests, one for each communion family; and the priests, who were called Wa-shon, were the receivers and distributors of goods, and they ministered in the temples and at the altars of worship in the name of the Great Spirit, Ormazd, sometimes called Po-e-tein, and sometimes E‘O‘lin, and by other names also.
Besides the schools and colleges there were HOUSES OF PHILOSOPHY, and HOUSES OF PROPHECY, and HOUSES OF ASTRONOMY, thousands and thousands.
The Jaffethans were large, being I‘huans, with one degree more of the brown people‘s blood in them than the Par‘si‘e‘ans. Nor was there in all the world, at that time, so strong a people, and clean and jovial, high aspiring, with great gentleness. And because the land was tilled and made to bloom on every side, the angels of heaven named it the FLOWERY KINGDOM; and because the people reveled in song, and poetry, and oratory, they were called, LAMBS OF THE GREAT SPIRIT IN THE FLUSH OF SPRINGTIME.
And these things were well known to De‘yus, and to Te-in, the false, and to hundreds of millions of the assaulting angels, sworn to subdue them to Ho-Joss or to everlasting destruction.
But, as previously described, because of the power of Jehovih with the most faithful of the Faithists, the arcs and temples of worship had stood unharmed by the satanic raid; equally so the Te-ins failed to overpower the Great Spirit‘s guardian angels. So now, after due preparation, the time came for another contest, this time upon the least Jehovih-like of mortals.
On the other hand, the true God, Son of Jehovih, sent word from his throne in Craoshivi to the guardian angels dwelling with these mortals, who were so unmindful of the Father‘s care. He said: Come defeat, disaster or terrible darkness, overpowering your utmost strength, still struggle on, in the name of Jehovih. The true Faithist knows nothing impracticable, but does his utmost for his highest light, though failure stares him in the face.
For once distrust of weakness enters the human soul, the man slides backward down the hill of faith; while he who will not consider results, except to serve Jehovih right on, fail or not, rises, even though his project fails. ||
With this and no other word from Jehovih, the Faithists stood by their weak and helpless wards on the low earth, waiting for the billion Te-ins. But not in any lengthened suspense, for when the sun stood with the widest part of the earth between, being the midnight hour, the militants came rushing on, with oaths most hideous, and by their dense flood of numbers reached the sleeping mortals and laid hands on them.
Then, with joy run to mania because of triumph, hurled objects about in the dwellings. And, in many places, they spoke in the dark with audible speech to the frightened mortals:
From Sanc-tu I come, to lay in the dust every mortal born who will not bow down in reverence to Ho-Joss, ruler of worlds. Give ear, O man; the anger of heaven‘s Creator is let loose upon a disobedient race!
And then, to give semblance of truth to the words, the angel intruders let fly such knocks and poundings that they moved many a house on its foundation, and roused the mortals, panic-stricken, to find the cause or to hasten quickly to repentance and prayers.
But it was not a complete victory; for the Jehovihians firmly held the power in hundreds of thousands of places. And yet the Te-ins had a great victory.
Te-in quickly sent word to De‘yus, exulting, and exaggerating the victories won. And in turn, De‘yus congratulated him and his army of one billion, who, now anchored on the earth, and with mortals, frolicked about in all regions.
Sudga, the false, sent by De‘yus to overturn the Great Spirit‘s dominion in Vind‘yu, and to establish the highest heavenly place, Urvatooz [Hored –Ed.], was wiser than Osiris or Te-in in his wicked work. For he did not permit his army of one billion to immediately rush for the places of worship and for the oracle-houses. But most deliberately he halted his forces in Haroyu, the lowest heavenly place over the mountains of Vivrat, in Vind‘yu. Situated three miles high, and broad as the earth, it offered a commanding situation.
From this place, in a sure way, he sent his measurers on ahead down to the earth, to measure mortals, as to their weakness or strength of faith in Jehovih (Ormazd), and in other heavenly rulers; and then to map, mark and number them.
Great was the peace, beauty and glory of Vind‘yu in that day. Her rivers and canals coursed the country over, and her industrious sons and daughters, two hundred million, were, in the eyes of the angels, the pride and glory of the earth. Hundreds of thousands of her people were prophets and seers. And so abundant was spiritual light among the people, that even those who had learned only one language, could understand and speak other languages with people from remote parts; using words and sentences they had never heard, even when first meeting strangers. The Vind‘yuans lived like the inhabitants of Jaffeth in government and industry, their economy being mostly by the exchange of goods, and not by buying and selling. This was their weakest point, as to an assault.
Sudga said to his generals and captains: Only by confounding the languages of these people can they be broken up and subdued. Behold, they are becoming like Gods; knowing and understanding in advance of the words spoken. Does this not, then, become their greatest liability, if we confound them suddenly in the meaning of words? Therefore fall upon them, possessing and obsessing all who are easily captured. Get a foothold here and there in the first place; and then cripple them in their commerce.
Sudga said: It is a strong city that makes all kinds of goods; it is a weak place indeed that depends on another which is far off. Such people are easily tripped up. Behold, I will teach these people that I am the militant before whom every knee shall bow; or, in failing to win them in that way, I will set city against city, and country place against country place; all against one another, for which their superabundant languages will furnish excellent material.
Sudga opened the door at night for his hosts to fall on mortals who were weakest in faith in Ormazd, Who, to hundreds of thousands of men and women, had become like a stale story. In Vind‘yu woman had risen in knowledge, higher than the highest of women in other parts of the world. In the HOUSES OF PHILOSOPHY and HOUSES OF SCIENCE women were foremost, compared to men, and skeptical as to the Ormazdian power.
On rushed Sudga‘s legions; and even as Osiris and Te-in won in the third assault, so now Sudga won in the first. And he too sent word to De‘yus, and exaggerated his victories beyond all bounds of truth. Nevertheless, his hosts were sufficiently anchored on the earth to claim an everlasting victory for De‘yus and to establish his name.
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.