A^^SARIANS. 
14d 
Oreat RiVer. The histary of their origin is little '^o\vj». 
following account is taken from tlte Bibliotheque Orientale of 
Assetiiani, a writer who has drawn his materials fromi the best 
authorities, 
** In the year of the Greeks, 1202, A. D. 801, there lived at th^ 
village of Nasar, or in the environs of Kousa, an old man, who^ 
from his fastings, his continual prayers, and his poverty, passed for 
a saint. Several of the common people declaring themselves his paiv 
tisans, he selected from among them twelve disciples, to propagate 
his doctrine ; but the commandant of the place, alarmed at his pro- 
ceedings, seized the old man, and confined him in prison. In, this 
situation he excited the pity of a girl, who w as a slave to the jailer : 
she determined to give him his liberty, and an opportunity soon 
offered to effect her design. One day, when the jailer was gone to 
bed intoxicated, and in a profound sleep, she gently took the keys 
from under his pillow, and after opening the door to the old man, 
returned them to their place unperceived by her master : the next 
day, when the jailer went to visit his prisoner, he was extremely 
astonished at finding he had made his escape, as he could perceive 
no marks of violence. He therefore concluded he had been delivered 
by an angel, and spread the report, to avoid the reprehension be 
merited ; the old man, on the other hand^ asserted the , same thing 
to his disciples, and preached his doctrines w ith more earnestness than 
ever* He even wrote a book, in which, among other things, she says, 
‘*T, (such a one,) of the village of Nasar, have seen Christ, who is the 
Word of God, who is Ahmad, son of Mahommed, son of Hanasa, of' 
the race of Ali ; who also is Gabriel ; and he said to me. Thou art 
lie who readeth with understanding, thou art the man who speaketh 
truth ; thou art the camel which preserveth the faithful from wrath; 
l^hou art the beast which carrieth their burden ; thou art the Holy 
Spirit, and John the son of Zachary ! Go, and preach to men, that 
they make four genuflections in praying — two before the rising of the 
sun, and two before its setting — turning their faces towards Jeru- 
salem ; and let them say three times, God Almighty ! God Most 
High! God Most Great! Let them observe the second and third festi- 
val ; let them fast but two days annually; let them not wash the prepuce ; 
ilflir driijk beer, but as much wine as they think proper; and lastly, 
let them abstain from the flesh of carnivorous animals. This old 
man passing into Syria, propagated his opinions among the lower 
orders of the country, numbers of whom believed in him : and after 
a few years he went away, and nobody ever knew what became 
of him. 
From this account, the founder of the Ansarians appears to have 
been either a _ deliberate impostor, like Mahometi, or more probably 
a crazy enthusiast, like Richard Brothers, who took the dreams of a 
warm imagination for realities. We cannot be surprised that these 
ignorant peasants should have believed in this" enthusiast, when we 
sb' lately found that many persons of our own enlightened^ age and 
hatioti gave credit to the equally absurd reveries of Richard 1 
The Ansariana are divided into several tribes or sects ; among 
tvhieh are distinguished the Shamsiav or adorers of the sun ; the 
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