802 
Z^T.T,^ OR 5:EK DA VESTA. 
Magoff, 111 tliG Revelations, denote aii the enemies of the church, who 
should he persecutors of it, to the consu^nmation of ages. 
Of the antique ligures of Gog and Magog in the Guildhall, Lon- 
don, no account that can be deemed authentic has been preserved. 
Tradition has handed to us raanv legendary talcs, not one of which 
is entitled to any credit. 
Zend, or Zendavesta. 
This is a book ascribed to Zoroaster, and contains his pretend- 
ed revelations ; which the ancient Magicians, or modern Persees, 
called also Gaurs, observe and reverence in the same manner as the 
Christians do the Bible, and the Mahometans the Koran, making it 
the sole rule both of their faith and manners. I’he word, it savs, 
originally signiiies ah instrument for kindling lire, and is applied to 
this book, to denote its aptitude for kindling the flame of religion in 
the hearts of those who read it. The Zend contains a reformed sys- 
tem of Magianism ; teaching that there is a supreme Being, externa], 
self-existent, and independent, who created both light and darkness, 
out of which he made ail other things; that these are in a state of 
conflict, which will continue till I lie end of the world ; and tlien there 
shall be a general resurrection and jndgmcrit; and that just retri- 
bution shall he rendered unto men according to their works ; that 
the angel of darkness, with his followers, shall lie consigned to a place 
of everlasting darkness and punishment, and the angel of light with 
his disciples, introduced into a state of everlasliisg light and happi- 
ners ; after which, light and darkness shall no more interfere with 
each other. 
The Zend also enjoins the constant mainfcnance of sacred fires, 
and fire-temples for religious worship ; the distinction of clean and 
unclean beasts ; the payment of tithes to priests v. Iio are to be of 
one family or tribe; a muhiiude of wasiiings and purifications, resem- 
bling those of the Jewish law, and a variety of rules and exhortations 
for the exercise of benevolence and charitv. In this book there are 
many passages evidently taken out of the Scriptures of the Old Tes- 
tament, particularly out of the Psalms of David. The author repre- 
sents Adam and Eve es the first parents of all mankind, gives in sub- 
stance the same account of the creation and deluge with Moses, dif- 
fering indeed with regard to tlie former, by converting the six days 
of the Mosaic account into six times, comprehending in the whole 
three hundred and sixty-five days ; and speaks also of Abraham, 
Joseph, Moses, and Solomon. 
Moreover, Mr. Baumgarten asserts, that this wmrk contains doc- 
trines, opinions, and facts, actually borrowed from the Jews, Chris- 
tians, and Mahometans ; whence, and from other circninsfcances, he 
concludes that bolh the history and writings of this prophet w'ere 
probably invented in the later ages, when the fire-worshippers under 
the Mahometan government thought fit to vindicate their religion from 
the suspicion of idolatry. At whatever period the Zend may have 
been written, we are assured by Dr. Hyde, that it is in the pure old 
Persian language, and in the character called Peplavi. Some parts 
