Book Title: Zend Avesta Part 02
Author(s): James Darmesteter
Publisher: Oxford

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Page 2058
________________ 120 DÎNKARD, BOOK V. farnbag, son of Farukhzâd, the leader of the orthodox, about several significant questions that are the wonder of the moderns, which are like the friendly words, spoken by him as to those of the ancient tribe? (kâd mon-ramân) who call it really their Gyệmarâ, which are obtaining a like wonder for them openly accessible to him 3. 4. About the unswerving and co-operating chieftainship of those forefathers who went in mutuallyfriendly command of troops, and the complete enclosure of that tribe within the military control of Bukht-Narsih ' 5. About the disabling of vicious habits and evil deeds, which are entirely connected, and of the heinous demon-worship and mischief which particulars regarding the siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. From these circumstances we may suspect that Atür-farnbag, while collecting materials for his Dînkard, had asked some Jewish friends what information their MSS. contained regarding the old Persians, as the two peoples had been in contact, more or less, ever since the time of the Achaemenian dynasty. If he did so enquire, the Jews would naturally search in the Talmud, in which references to the Persians still survive, though the text is no longer complete. The question is, therefore, whether the MS., whose name has been provisionally read Sîmrâ, can have had any connection with the Talmud. It will be at once evident to any Pahlavi student that Pahl. sî may be read gyê equally well, and that we have no better reason for reading Sîmrâ than for the Gyémara, which has been put into the text, as a suggestion that Atûr-farnbag was really referring to the Gemarâ of the Jews, the supplement to their commentary upon Scripture. Whether this can be clearly proved remains to be seen, and positive evidence seems scanty. 1 Or congregation.' ? Or 'including (vandig).' • Pahl. mûn sânð ham-shkûp-vindig frás aûbas yehamtûnisnîg.' From which it appears as if there had been a mutual interchange of information between him and his Jewish friends. • The Pahlavi form of Bu'ht-i-nazar, or Nebuchadnezzar. Digitized by Google

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