Book of Wars Against Jehovih Chapter 27, Chapter 28

Chapter 27

1. Osiris, being commanded of God to speak, said: Give us one day, O De’yus, that we
may digest this matter.

2. Thereupon the Lord God gave them one day; and on the next day, when they were
assembled, the Gods ratified every word De’yus had spoken. And it was called the
morning and evening of the second day.

3. Again De’yus spake, saying: Let the waters of the earth be in one place, and the
land appear unto itself, for it was so. And I saw that the earth was good (and that
heaven might reign thereon). And I saw that the earth brought forth grass, and trees,
and fruit, and seeds, everything after its own kind; and I said: Behold, they are good.
(Neither attributed I evil unto anything on the earth, or in the waters, or in the air above.
But I separated the light from darkness; this was the substance of my creation).

4. Again Osiris asked for a day, that the Gods might weigh the words of the Lord God;
and this was the evening of the third day. And God gave them a day; and when they were
again assembled, De’yus said:

5. Let there be Gods in the firmament above the earth; and they shall separate
the darkness from the light of the earth (that man may know me and my kingdoms).

6. And my Gods shall teach signs and seasons, and days and years, forever, unto the sons
of men. And I made myself to rule the light of the world; but Osiris I made to rule the
darkness of the world, which is the earth, my footstool.

7. Again De’yaus gave the Gods one day, to weigh the matter of his words, and to ratify
them; which they did. And this was the morning of the fourth day.

8. Again De’yus said: Let the waters of the earth bring forth abundantly the moving
creatures that live; and let the fowl fly above the earth in the air of the firmament. For
they are good. Let them be fruitful and multiply, every living creature, and fill the air
above the earth, every creature after its own kind. Wherefore my blessing is upon them.

9. Again the Lord God gave his Gods a day to weigh his words and ratify them, which
they did; and this was the morning of the fifth day. And then De’yus said: And now, my
Gods, let us make man in our own fashion; and in likeness of ourselves, let them have
dominion also, but over the fish in the waters, and the fowl in the air, and over the cattle,
and over the earth, and over every living creature upon the earth. And ye shall go to them
and say to them: In our own likeness are ye created, male and female, and God’s blessing
is upon you. Be ye fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth and subdue it; and
have dominion over the earth, and the fishes, and fowl, and every living creature on the
earth, for they are yours forever! And behold, ye have every herb, and seed, and
fruit, which is on the face of the earth, and the roots that grow in the earth, and they
shall be your food. But of whatsoever hath breathed the breath of life man shall not eat.

10. Again De’yus gave the Gods a day of rest, in order to weigh the matter and ratify it;
and this was the morning of the sixth day.

11. And again De’yus spake, saying: The Lord your God said unto thee, Osiris; and to
thee, Te-in; and to thee, Sudga: Search thou amongst mortals for one high in su’is, for
when I announce my doctrines, thou shalt go to such mortal and cause him to write my
words, saying: Such are the words of the Lord, thy God. In answer to which I bid ye all
now speak before me.

12. Osiris said: According to thy commandments have I searched and have found Thoth
the highest man in su’is, and he dwelleth in Arabin’ya.

13. Then spake Te-in, saying: In like manner, also searched I, and found Hong, in my
division of the earth, the highest man in su’is; and he dwelleth in Ho’e’Sin.

14. Then answered Sudga, saying: Even so have I accomplished in Vind’yu, and I have
found one Anj-rajan.

15. De’yus said: To these mortals go ye and give my doctrines in your own ways;
according to the language of mortals, and their capacity to understand. Neither bind I you
to my exact words, nor limit you, save that that I have spoken shall be the foundation.

16. Thus, then, endeth the feast; and behold, it is the seventh day; for which reason I
sanctify it and declare it a day of recreation.

Chapter 28
1. On the following day the Gods departed, with due ceremonies, after the manner they
came, and returned to their kingdoms, and thence down to the earth, each one to his own
division.

2. And each of the three Gods went to his own chosen mortal (who had power to see
and hear spiritual things). And the Gods possessed them by their presence, and inspired
them to write the words of Anuhasaj, alias the Lord God, word for word; and they
were so written, alike and like, in the three great divisions of the earth. And copies
of them were made and filed in the libraries, and in the houses of philosophy of mortals.

3. But when these matters were thus entered, in answer to the queries of mortals, as to the
origin of man and his destiny, they were not deemed sufficient by the learned men. Many
of them said: The Lord God hath evaded our questions.

4. Then satan came to each of the three Gods who had the matter in charge, and he said
unto them: Consult with one another as to what shall be done. So Osiris sent
messengers to Te-in and to Sudga, asking them to come to Agho’aden, his heavenly place,
for consultation. And, in due course of time, Te-in and Sudga came to Osiris, to his
throne, where they were received in great honor and glory. And presently Osiris’marshals
cleared the place, so the interview was private, for even the marshals stood afar off.

5. Osiris said: What shall we do without a Creator in fact? I know not if my judgment be
beside itself, for it is said they that lose their reason are the last to discover it. The time
was when De’yus, our much-loved Lord God, said: Whilst ye labor on the earth for me
and my kingdoms, behold, I will reciprocate in all things. Neither shall ye ask for aught
but it shall be granted unto you.

6. Hear me then, O my brothers, in my complaint; mortals have asked us, to know
the origin of man, and his destination; and to know the cause of good and evil.
These things I submitted unto our Lord God, in Hored, to learn his will and decree.

7. Thereupon he sent messengers to me announcing a feast, on which occasion he
would answer the questions of mortals satisfactorily. Ye and I went to the feast,
and De’yus hath furnished us with something, which is nothing. For mortals can also
perceive that what the Lord God hath said is one and the same thing that was said by
the Gods through Zarathustra; and, moreover, that the questions are still unanswered.

8. De’yus is my friend, and I desire not to press him further on the subject; and so I have
called you, to learn of you how ye managed the same issues?

9. Te-in said: Before our heavenly kingdoms were confederated, Anuhasaj professed that
he would announce himself the head and front of all created creations. Shall we say his
courage is less? And so excuse him?

10. Sudga said: When he should have said: I created man in mine own image, behold, he
hath weakly said: LET US MAKE MAN! Is it not clear, then, that he shirketh from the
responsibility, and desireth ourselves commingled in the pitiful story? Hear me, then,
my brothers; I am asked how I have answered the issues with mine own division, and
I say unto you, I have been in the same quandary, and have not answered them at all.

11. Te-in said: Neither have I. But that we may be justified in so doing, behold, the Lord
God said unto us: I bind you not to my words, nor limit you, save that that I have spoken
shall be the foundation. Now, it is clear, that if we admit that sin is in the world, we must
find a way to justify the Lord God, whose servants we are. If he be not justified, then is
sin justified.

12. For mortals perceive good and evil understandingly; but to justify a good God for
permitting evil is not an easy matter. For in the breath we praise him, we must praise his
works; of which sin is apparent; and in the same breath that we condemn sin, how shall
we glorify De’yus? For have we not proclaimed him the foundation of all things; the head
and front, before creation was created? Was not this our battle-cry, to urge our angel
warriors on to overthrow Jehovih? And hath not our loud-praised Lord God said: LET US
MAKE MAN! A child should have more courage than this!

13. Sudga said: It is plain we all understand these issues, and perceive, also, what is
required of us. For since De’yus hath left us liberty to add to his doctrines, according to
our own judgment, is it not well that we agree upon a doctrine, even as De’yus professed
prior to the confederacy? And thus give it to mortals?

14. Osiris said: This is wisdom, O my brothers. To make our Lord God the Creator, we
must account unto him all things, both good and evil. Wherefore we shall give two
masters to man, the one being the serpent, the earth, the lowest inspirer; and the other the
voice of our Lord God.

15. Sudga said: My brother hath spoken wisely. And yet, is the term two masters the
wisest term? For in declaring the Lord God the highest, we must make him master over
the earth also.

16. Te-in said: Why shall we not adopt the E’O’LIN of the ancients, substituting the words
Lord God? And make a commandment over man, forbidding him hearkening to the
serpent, lest he be led away from the Lord God, and throw the cause of sin upon man, for
violating the Lord God’s commandment.

17. Osiris said: Most wisely spoken, my brothers. For by accusing man, through the
serpent, we clear the Lord God unscathed.