To be distinguished from these "two lives," are the "first" and the "last lives," which mean this life and that hereafter.

The idea of a future life, and the immortality of the soul, is expressed very distinctly already in the Gâthas, and pervades the whole of the later Avesta literature. The belief in a life to come is one of the chief dogmas of the Zend-Avesta. See the passages about the fate of the soul after death, translated in the third Essay (pp. 220, 254).

Closely connected with this idea is the belief in HEAVEN and HELL, which Spitama Zarathushtra himself clearly pronounced in his Gâthas. The name for Heaven is Garôdemâna (Garotmân in Persian), "house of hymns," because the angels are believed to sing hymns there (see Yas. xxviii. 10; xxxiv. 2), which description agrees entirely with the Christian idea as founded on Isaiah vi. and the Revelation of St. John. Garô-demâna is the residence of Ahuramazda and the most blessed men (Yas. li. 15). Another more general name for Heaven is ahu vahishta, "the best life," afterwards shortened to vahishta only, which is still extant in the modern Persian bahisht, “paradise."

Hell is called Drújó demâna, "house of destruction," in the Gâthas. It is chiefly the residence of the poets and priests of the Deva religion, the Rishis of the Brahmans (Yas. xlvi. 11). The later name is Duzhanha (Yasht xix. 44), which is preserved in the modern Persian Dúzakh, "hell."

Between Heaven and Hell is CHINVAT PERETU (Chinvad púl), "the bridge of the gatherer," or "the bridge of the judge" (Chinvat can have both meanings), which the soul of the pious alone can pass, while the wicked fall from it down into Hell. It is mentioned, as we have seen, already in the Gâthas (Yas. xlvi. 10, 11).

The belief in the RESURRECTION of the body at the time of the last judgment also forms one of the Zoroastrian dogmas, as the reader will have learned from the passage

quoted above (p. 217). In consequence of Burnouf's inquiries into the phrase yavaêcha yavatâtaêcha (which had been translated by Anquetil "till the resurrection," but which means nothing but "for ever and ever"), the existence of such a doctrine in the Zend-Avesta was lately doubted. But there is not the slightest reason for doubting it, as any one may convince himself from the passage quoted in p. 217, where it is clearly stated that the dead shall rise again. That the resurrection of the dead was a common belief of the Magi, long before the commencement of our era, may be learned from the statement of Theopompos (see pp. 8, 9). Now the question arises, had Spitama Zarathushtra already pronounced this doctrine, which is one of the chief dogmas of Christianity, and of the Jewish and Mohammedan religions, or is it of later, perhaps foreign, origin?

Though in the Gâthas there is no particular statement made of the resurrection of the dead, yet we find a phrase used which was afterwards always applied to signify the time of resurrection, and the restoration of all life that has been lost during the duration of creation. This is the expression frashem kerenaon ahûm .(Yas. xxx. 9,1 see p. 150), "they make the life lasting," i.e., they perpetuate the life. Out of this phrase the substantive frasho-kereti, "perpetuation" of life, was formed, by which, in all the later Avesta books, the whole period of resurrection and palingenesis at the end of time is to be understood. The resurrection forms only a part of it. That this event was really included in the term of frashô-kereti one may distinctly infer from Vend. xviii. 51, where Spenta-Armaiti (the earth) is invoked to restore "at the triumphant renovation" of creation, the lost progeny, in the form of one 'knowing the Gâthas, knowing the Yasna, and attending to the discourses" (see p. 249).

According to these statements, there can be no doubt

1 A full explanation of it is to be found in the author's work on the Gâthas, vol. i. pp. 109-112.

that this important doctrine is a genuine Zoroastrian dogma, which developed itself naturally from Spitama Zarathushtra's sayings. There is not the slightest trace of its being borrowed from a foreign source. Besides these direct proofs of its forming a genuine and original part of Zoroastrian theology, it agrees completely with the spirit and tendency of the Parsi religion. All life of the good creation, especially that of man, bodily as well as spiritual, is a sacred pawn intrusted by God to man who must keep his body free from impurity, and his soul from sin. If death destroy the body (in the natural course),1 it is not the fault of man who falls to an inexorable fate; but it is considered as the duty of God, who is the preserver of all life, to restore all life that has fallen a prey to death, to destroy this arch-enemy of human life, and so make life. everlasting. This is to be done at the time of the resurrection.

A detailed description of the resurrection and the last judgment is contained in the 31st chapter of the Bundahish (see pp. 70-77 Westerg.), which is, no doubt, founded on original Avesta sources which are now lost. In it an old song is embodied, the purport of which is to show that, though it appears to short-sighted mortals impossible for the body (when once dissolved into its elements, and those elements scattered in every direction) to be restored again, yet nothing is impossible for the hand of the Almighty, who created heaven and earth, endows the trees with sap, gives life to embryos in the womb, &c.

For awakening the dead bodies, restoring all life destroyed by death, and holding the last judgment, the great prophet Sosyosh (Saoshyãs in the Avesta) will appear by order of Ahuramazda. This idea is already to be found in the Avesta texts, only with the difference, that sometimes several (see p. 217), sometimes only one Soshyâns is men

1 Suicide is, according to the Zoroastrian religion, one of the most horrible crimes, belonging to the class of marg-arzân, or "deadly "sins. To the

same class belongs adultery. The committal of such sins leads straight down to hell, whence no Ijashne can release the soul.

tioned (see p. 254). The later Parsi legends distinguish three great prophets who will appear before the end of the world. These are the men who will perpetuate life (who will produce frashô-kereti), men of the same stamp as the ancient prophets and fire-priests, and bearing the same name, viz., Saoshyantô. They will be commissioned to check the influence of the devil, which increases at the time when this world is verging towards its end, by restoring truth and faith and the good Zoroastrian religion. Their names are poetical and imply a simile; the dark period of wretchedness and sin, in which they appear, being compared to night, and the era of eternal bliss, they are endeavouring to bring about, being likened to the brilliant day. The first of these prophets is called Hukhshathra Mão (Hushêdar-mâh), “ the moon of happy rule;" the second is Hukhshathra Bâmya (Hushêdar-bâmî), “the aurora of happy rule;" and the third and greatest is called Saoshyas (Sosyosh). He is believed to be a son of Spitama Zarathushtra, begotten in a supernatural way. This means, that just as Spitama Zarathushtra was the greatest prophet and priest in ancient times, so will Sosyosh be the greatest of those to come. Therefore, he alone brings with him a new Nask of the Zend-Avesta, which was hitherto unknown, and reveals it to mankind.

APPENDIX.

SOME further translations from the Zend-Avesta, prepared at various times by the author, but not hitherto published, together with his notes descriptive of the mode of performing some of the Parsi ceremonies, are here added in the form of an Appendix to the foregoing Essays.

I. TRANSLATIONS FROM THE AVESTA.

These translations, which were written by the author in Ger man, supply the following additions to the passages already given in the third Essay:

1.-Vendidad, Fargard III. 1-23, and 34, 35.

1. Creator of the settlements supplied with creatures, righteous one! Where is the first most pleasing (spot) of this earth? 1 Then said Ahuramazda: Wherein, indeed, a righteous man shall pray,2 O Spitama Zarathushtra! holding the firewood, holding the Barsom, holding the milk-offering (gâush jîvya), holding the Homa-mortar. [(Pâzand) Recite the words containing akhshti 3

1 Or "Where is the first (spot) most pleasing to this earth," according to the Pahlavi translator.

2 So understood by the Pahlavi translator, who uses the word frandmed; compare also Yas. lxii. 1. This Pahlavi word can, however, also be read fravamed, "goes forth."

3 This appears to refer to the word akhshti in the Afrîngân Dahmân (see Yas. lx. 5). The passage containing this word is the most sacred part of the Afringân, during the recital of which some sandal-wood is thrown into the fire, and it must occur in all Afrîngâns.