BABYLON AND PERSIA

THE GATHAS.Illnot once mentioned in the original Gathas, arehere invoked and "worshipped" together withAhura-Mazda himself and the Bountiful Immor¬tals, although their number is restricted to those " ofthe Saints, of holy men and holy women " (fol¬lowers and propagators of the new religion).LastlyHaoma reappears, " Haoma golden-flowered thatgrows on the heights, Ilaoma that restores us . . .that driveth death afar." We shall see, however,that the rites of this, one of the most primevalAryan deities, were not restored in the coarse formwhich Zarathushtra seems to have particularly de¬nounced (see p. io8).13. The Yasna has preserved to us an importantdocument the jDrofession of faith which was re¬quired from each Mazdayasnian convert, thetrueAvestan Creed.Although too long to be reproducedhere entire, some of the principal verses will proveof interest :" I, I curse the d.ievas, I confess myself a worshipper of Mazda,a follower uf Zarathushtra, a foe lo the daevas, a believer in Ahura,a praiser of the Aiuesha-Speiilas, ..." 2. I believe in the good, holy Armaiti, ni.ay slie abide with me.I forswear henceforth all rolibing and stealing of eatll* and theplundering and deslruclion of villages belonging to -\vorshippers ofMiizda."3. To householders I promise that they may roam at will andabide unmolested wherever upon the earth they may be dwellingwith their herds. Humbly with uplifted hands to Asha I swear this. .Nor will I hereafter bring plunder or destruction on the Mazda¬yasnian villages, not even to avenge life and limb. . . ." 8. I confess myself a worshipper of Mazda, a follower of Zara¬thushtra, professing ' and confessing the same. I profess goodthouglits, good words, good deeds.