Sacred Laws of Aryas

SR No.: 007687
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Gorge Buhler
Publisher: Oxford
Publication Year: 1897
Total Pages: 1979
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 36 MB

Page 454

lviii
VENDİDÂD.
The Avesta and the Pentateuch are the only two religious books known in which legislation descends from the heavens to the earth in a series of conversations between the lawgiver and his God. Without attaching undue importance to this correspondence, we shall be more impressed with the fact that both books have the same object, viz. to write the history of the creation and mankind; and in mankind, more especially, the history of the elect race (the Iranians here, the Hebrews there), and in that race the history of the true religion (the religion of Mazda, revealed by Mazda to Zarathustra, and the religion of Jehovah, revealed by Jehovah to Moses). The ultimate end of both books is to teach the faithful the rule of life.
$ 2. Here is a series of particular concordances that show more clearly the unity of their plan:
(1) Creation of the world.— Jehovah creates the world in six days; he creates successively the light, the heaven, the sea, the earth and the plants, the lights in the firmament, the animals, and lastly man.
Ahura Mazda creates the world in six periods; he creates successively the heaven, the water, the earth, the plants, the animals, and man.
(2) Creation of man.--All the human race, in Genesis, is descended from one couple, man and woman, Adam and Eve (Adam means 'man').
All the human race, in the Avesta, is descended from one couple, man and wonian, Mashya and Mashyana (Mashya means 'man').
(3) The Deluge.— Jehovah intends to destroy the human race, on account of its wickedness, and to renew it. He brings about the deluge, but saves one just man, Noah, with his family and a couple of each species of animals. Noah, on his advice, builds an ark, in which he takes refuge, with his people, and from which he goes out afterwards to repeople the earth.
In course of time, the earth shall be laid waste by the snows and rains of three long winters, the Mahrküsha winters. Ahura, in order to repeople his earth with superior races, orders kind Yima to build an underground
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