Lectionary Readings for Friday, May 22nd, 2020
New Moon
Book of Wars Against Jehovih Chapter 35, Chapter 36
Chapter 35
1. Sudga, the false God of Vind’yu and her heavens, whose heavenly kingdom contained
more than three thousand million angels, on his way home from Hored, said to himself:
Two things I am resolved upon: to proclaim myself CREATOR AND RULER OF HEAVEN AND
EARTH; and to change the name of my heavenly place and call it AHL-BURJ, THE MOUNTAIN
OF THE CLOUDS.
2. Satan spoke to Sudga, saying: Thou all highest God, hear me. In the land of Vind’yu,
down on the earth; and in the heavens above the land of Vind’yu; what God hath labored
like unto thee? Thou didst establish De’yus, for nearly a thousand years in these regions.
Thou possessest by right that name, and thou shalt call thyself De’yus and Sudga; and
thy heavenly place shall also be Hored, because, forsooth, it is also a heavenly mountain.
3. Sudga said: Most wisely said, O satan.
4. And so it came to pass that Sudga at once fell to work moving his capital and throne,
and to founding his new place. And he also chose twelve Lords, saying to himself, after
the manner of Te-in: Though I will have twelve Lords to rule over mortals, yet will I not
give to any one of them a certain division of the earth for his.
5. And when Sudga was thus founded in his new heavenly place he called his Lords about
him and said unto them: Go ye down to mortals, to T-loyovogna, who hath a small
kingdom in the Valley of Hachchisatij, in Vind’yu, for I will make him king of all the
earth, even as I am ruler of heaven. And by obsessions and otherwise ye shall lead him
forth to conquer and subdue.
6. Precede ye him in his journeyings, and cause mortals to fear him, that they be easily
overcome. Twelve million angels I allot to you as your army, nor shall ye return into my
presence until ye have made T-loyovogna king of Vind’yu. After that I shall bestow you
according to merit.
7. The twelve Lords, with their twelve million angels of war, departed for the earth, and
came to Varaja, the city where lived and ruled T-loyovogna, and they covered the regions
around about, even beyond the Valley of Hachchisatij.
8. T-loyovogna was the son of Hucrava, who was the son of Han Cyavarat, who was the
son of Aipivohu, sacred in su’is to the Gods and Lords of heaven. So T-loyovogna talked
with Sudga’s chief Lord, who said unto him: Behold, thou shalt proclaim thyself king of
all the world; for I and the hosts of heaven are with thee.
9. T-loyovogna said: Alas, mine is the weakest of kingdoms; I have not a thousand
soldiers. Other kings will laugh at me. But the Lord answered him, saying: What are
mortal kings in the hands of De’yus, he who was Sudga? I say unto the nations of the
earth: Go down! and they fall. I say: Rise ye up! and they rise. Man looketh to stone and
clay and water for great power; but I that am unseen am greater than all the lands and the
waters of the earth, for I rule over them, and over heaven also.
10. I will have but one king on the earth; and as I rule the angels of heaven, even so
shalt thou rule mortals, and establish thee and me forever! For thy heirs, and their
heirs after them, shall have dominion over every kingdom and country in the world.
11. T-loyovogna said: I fear thee, O De’yus; I know thy power. But how can a king go to
war without soldiers? Or an army without arms? The Lord answered him: Send thy
proclamation unto kings far and near, commanding them to bow down unto thee. And
presently I will come unto thee and lead thee forth, and thou shalt conquer and subdue
them, and not a hair of thy head shall be harmed.
12. T-loyovogna did as commanded; and some days after his proclamation had been sent
unto the nearest kings, all of whom knew him well, he mustered his army of seven
hundred men and one hundred women. And they that had neither spear, nor sword, nor
scythe, nor bow and arrows, took clubs, and clappers, and pans, to make noise with, and
others took lanterns.
13. The first city they approached was Abtuib, ruled over by Azhis, who had an army of
four thousand men and one thousand women. When near the place, T-loyovogna sent his
demand for the surrender of the city. Azhis answered him not, but said unto his army: Go
ye and surround yonder fool, and destroy him and his army.
14. Now, behold, the night came on, very dark, ere the attack was made. And the Lord
said unto T-loyovogna: Command thy soldiers to light their lamps. T-loyovogna said: I
fear, O Lord; for will not lamps expose us unto death? But the Lord said: Light the lamps!
So when the lamps were lighted the enemy began to march as if to surround them, some
going one way and some the other.
15. And the Lord’s angels made lights also, to the left and to the right, so that the enemy,
in order to surround the lights, kept extending in two lines, away from each other.
Presently, they judged by the lights that there were tens of thousands of soldiers come
against them. Suddenly, now, T-loyovogna’s army sounded their pans and kettles, and set
up furious howls and screams; and in the same time the angels of heaven cast stars of
light in the midst of Azhis’army, and they became panic-stricken and fled in all
directions, save three hundred who were captured and put to death. Then T-loyovogna
sent one hundred men into the city and captured Azhis and slew him. After this, Tloyovogna entered the city and declared the place his.
16. And whilst it was yet night, thousands and thousands of the people came and
prostrated themselves before T-loyovogna, swearing allegiance. And in the morning of
the next day he proclaimed himself king; and he impressed thirty thousand men to
build a temple to De’yus; and yet other twenty thousand to change the streets, and
otherwise beautify the place. In forty days the temple was completed, and was
large enough for eight thousand souls to do sacrifice in at one time. T-loyovogna
compelled the people to prostrate themselves on their bellies and pray to De’yus,
whose home was in Ahl-burj, a high heavenly place, a mountain above the mountains.
17. After this T-loyovogna changed the name of the city of Savazata, signifying, first fireplace; and he appointed to rule over it Vistaqpa, to be governor, with right to bequeath it to his son after him.
18. For Sudga had said: To concentrate power, this is the greatest. There shall be but one
heavenly ruler, and his Lords shall be his helpmates. Even so shall there be but one king,
and his governors shall be his helpmates in the same manner.
19. T-loyovogna then marched forward, to conquer and subdue another city; which he
accomplished also, and changed the name, appointed a governor, making all the people
swear allegiance to himself as king, and to Sudga, the De’yus, as heavenly ruler, creator of
worlds.
20. In this way, even after the same manner as Kan Kwan in Jaffeth, did T-loyovogna
proceed in Vind’yu, from city to city, conquering and subduing. For the Gods, Te-in and
Sudga, had oft conferred together on this subject previously, and had long experience in
manipulating mortals in their games of life and death, nor did mortals mistrust the power
over them.
21. Hear ye next of Osiris and his Gods, Baal and Ashtaroth, whose heavenly kingdoms
contained more than twelve thousand million angels.
Chapter 36
1. When Osiris, the false God of Arabin’ya and her heavens, left De’yus, in Hored, the
self (satan) that was in him, spake to him, saying: Osiris, thou art a fool! Thou
deservest to be ground to dust! Behold thy wisdom and power, and yet thou cringest
to thy inferiors on every side. Wert thou not made as well; and withal, as masterly in
making others bow down to thy will and decrees? What more is required for Gods
or men, than to make slaves of others, to do him honor and reverence? Then Osiris said:
2. Thou truest of Gods. O that I had struck out from the first for myself! But I will
amend my time. When I am in my heavenly place I will send to the earth to my
laboring Gods, Baal and Ashtaroth, to come to me, and I will make our three
kingdoms into one, and mine shall be chief. And I will offer emoluments to the
best, highest grades in Hored, thereby drawing from De’yus his best fruits and flowers,
and I will send to him some two or three thousand millions of my superabundant drujas.
3. Accordingly, when Osiris arrived at Agho’aden, his heavenly place, he sent messengers
down to the earth to Baal and Ashtaroth, summoning them at once to his presence. And
they came, being attended, each, with ten thousand companions, besides heralds,
musicians and trumpeters.
4. Osiris had made great preparation for them. His receiving hosts, one million, were
newly adorned for the occasion. The roadway, for three hundred miles, was illumed with
pillars of fire. The Holy Council, half a million, were in extra session. The laborers, four
thousand millions, were granted a day of rest. So that when Baal and Ashtaroth entered
the heavenly capital, it was a magnificent scene, and as if in fact Osiris, the false, was a
mighty God.
5. Great were the ceremonies and salutations between the Gods, as also with the generals,
captains, marshals and others; to describe which a whole book might be written and yet
not mention one-half.
6. After the reception, Osiris proclaimed an extra day of recreation to Agho’aden, and in
the meantime he and Baal and Ashtaroth retired to a private chamber beyond the throne,
to the east, to consult on the matters of heaven and earth.
7. Osiris said: My brother and sister, ye are my loves; the worlds are all vain else! De’yus
is the most selfish of Gods, and unreasonable. He said to me: Thou shouldst keep up the
grades! Now, behold ye, his own grades are broken down. As I and other Gods send him
contributions in subjects, so remain such subjects; no more education for them in Hored.
Then he complaineth and assumeth to dictate. And this for De’yus’glory. Not a word for
lifting angels or mortals up out of darkness.
8. Baal said: A most unreasonable God. Saidst thou not to him: O that I had the power
and means thou hast! What great good I would do!
9. Ashtaroth said: This I have found before, the greater power a God hath, the less he
doeth for others’good. As for my part, what good can I do? I have scarce two thousand
million slaves, all told! O that I had a kingdom like De’yus! But what proposest thou, O
Osiris, thou far-seeing God?
10. Baal further said: Ashtaroth, thou wise Goddess, thou hast expressed mine own soul.
Mine own kingdom is but little larger than thine; I am a very helpless God indeed. But
once I reach De’yus’means, my soul’s delight will be to fill all the heavens full of schools
and hospitals! But speak thou, Osiris, whatsoever thou hast resolved is wise. As for
myself I have been two thousand years trying to put myself in good position first, so I
could help others.
11. Osiris said: To cut loose from De’yus; this is wisdom. To send drujas into De’yus’
kingdom, is greater wisdom. To establish Agho’aden as the all highest heavenly kingdom,
with myself at the Godhead, and ye twain to be my sole Gods of the earth, is the greatest
wisdom.
12. Baal said: As I swear, thou hast spoken at last what I have for five hundred years
hoped to hear thee say. To thee am I sworn forever. Put thou upon me whatsoever thou
wilt.
13. Ashtaroth said: Now am I blessed above all Goddesses! What I have heard thee speak,
is what I would have spoken.
14. Osiris said: It is enough then, this I proclaim, and on our crossed hands we swear:
AGHO’ADEN, ALL HIGHEST HEAVEN! OSIRIS, SON OF THE ALL CENTRAL LIGHTS! THE MOST HIGH
GOD! HIS ONLY SON, BAAL, RULER OF THE CORPOREAL EARTH! HIS ONLY DAUGHTER, ASHTAROTH,
RULER OF THE CORPOREAL EARTH! FIDELITY AND UNION FOREVER!
15. Thus they swore themselves into the Godhead. And on the next day Osiris sent
messengers to De’yus, in his heavenly place, informing him of what had been done, and
adding thereto: But thou, De’yus, I cut thee off from these earth regions. Get thy supplies
whither thou canst. Adversity doth a proud soul some good.