The Zand-âkâs (‘Zand-knowing or tradition-informed’), which is first about Aûharmazd’s original creation and the antagonism of the evil spirit, and afterwards about the nature of the creatures from the original creation till the end, which is the future existence (tanû-î pasînŏ). As revealed by the religion of the Mazdayasnians, so it is declared that Aûharmazd is supreme in omniscience and goodness, and unrivalled in splendour, the region of light is the place of Aûharmazd, which they call ‘endless light’, and the omniscience and goodness of the unrivalled Aûharmazd is what they call ‘revelation’.
Revelation is the explanation of both spirits together; one is he who is independent of unlimited time, because Aûharmazd and the region, religion, and time of Aûharmazd were and are and ever will be; while Aharman in darkness, with backward understanding and desire for destruction, was in the abyss, and it is he who will not be; and the place of that destruction, and also of that darkness, is what they call the ‘endlessly dark’. And between them was empty space, that is, what they call ‘air’, in which is now their meeting. Both are limited and unlimited spirits, for the supreme is that which they call endless light and the abyss that which is endlessly dark, so that between them is a void, and one is not connected with the other; and, again, both spirits are limited as to their own selves.
And, secondly, on account of the omniscience of Aûharmazd, both things are in the creation of Aûharmazd, the finite and the infinite; for this they know is that which is in the covenant of both spirits. And, again, the complete sovereignty of the creatures of Aûharmazd is in the future existence, and that also is unlimited for ever and everlasting; and the creatures of Aharman will perish at the time when the future of existence occurs, and that also is eternity.
Aûharmazd, through omniscience, knew that Aharman exists, and whatever he schemes he infuses with malice and greediness till the end; and because He accomplishes the end by many means, He also produced spiritually the creatures which were necessary for those means, and they remained three thousand years in a spiritual state, so that they were unthinking and unmoving, with intangible bodies. The evil spirit, on account of backward knowledge, was not aware of the existence of Aûharmazd; and, afterwards, he arose from the abyss, and came in unto the light which he saw.
Desirous of destroying, and because of his malicious nature, he rushed in to destroy that light of Aûharmazd unassailed by fiends, and he saw its bravery and glory were greater than his own; so he fled back to the gloomy darkness, and formed many demons and fiends; and the creatures of the destroyer arose for violence.
The Emergence of the Persian Church
