ORIGIN OF THE DEVIL. 209 



father for the iniquity of the son ; that the righteous- 

 ness of the righteous should be upon him, and that the 

 wickedness of the wicked should be upon him, he was 

 preparing the way for a new system of ideas in regard 

 to retribution. But as it was, the Jews were indebted 

 to the A vesta for their traditional theory of a future 

 life ; and they also adopted the Persian ideas of the 

 resurrection of the body, the rivalry of the Evil spirit, 

 and the approaching destruction and renovation of the 

 world. 



The Satan of Job is not a rebellious angel, still less 

 a contending god : he is merely a mischievous and 

 malignant sprite. But the Satan of the restored Jews 

 was a powerful Prince who went about like a roaring 

 lion, and to whom this world belonged. He was copied 

 from Ahriman, the God of Darkness, who was ever 

 contending with Ormuzd, the God of Light. The 

 Persians believed that Ormuzd would finally triumph, 

 and that a prophet would be sent to announce the gospel 

 or good tidings of his approaching victory. Terrible 

 calamities would then take place : the stars would 

 fall down from heaven : the earth itself would be de- 

 stroyed. After which it would come forth new 

 from the hands of the Creator : a kind of Millen- 

 nium would be established : there would be one law, 

 one language, one government for men, and universal 

 peace would reign. 



This theory became blended in the Jewish minds 

 with certain expectations of their own. In the days of 

 captivity their prophets had predicted that a Messiah 

 or anointed King would be sent, that the kingdom of 

 David would be restored, and that Jerusalem would 

 become the head-quarters of God on earth. All the 

 nations would come to Jerusalem to keep the feast of 

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