At different historical times, when it was necessary to raise the consciousness of peoples to a new level, Great Teachers came to Earth as the founders of various Teachings, from which religions were later created.

They left people the Divine Commandments, the foundations of those just spiritual and moral Laws on which order is maintained in the entire universe. These Laws regulate all manifested Life; without them, chaos would reign on Earth.

In many religious cultures, including Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Zoroastrianism, the religion of the ancient Greeks and Romans and others, there were prophets, messengers, messiahs who had within themselves the presence of higher Beings and spoke on behalf of God.

Is there a difference between prophets and messengers?

We are accustomed to the fact that the concepts of “prophet” and “prophecy” are associated with predicting the future. However, not all prophecies are predictive. Some of them are simply inspired sayings and praise.

Thus, prophets are messengers of God - God sends them to Earth to bring people the light of Truth. Messengers, first of all, carry the Teaching, the scripture - an updated version of the Ancient Truth - for a certain time, for certain peoples.

God or Supreme Beings appeared to prophets and messengers in different forms.

Thus, on Mount Sinai, the Lord spoke to Moses from a burning bush. In the Old Testament, many verses begin with the words: “And the Lord said...” and then, depending on the books of different prophets, names follow. “And the Lord said... (to Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Job and others).”

Archangel Gabriel spoke to Muhammad, who came to him with a silk scroll and ordered him to read what was written.

Prophets and Messengers in Religious Cultures

Let's take a look at the prophets of the past to get an idea of ​​how enormous the institution of messengership was. And also, using the example of some of the prophets, we will consider what new they brought, and the timeliness of their arrival.

Zoroastrianism. The founder of Zoroastrianism is the Persian prophet Zarathustra (Zoroaster), who was given the Revelation of Ahura Mazda in the form of the Avesta - Holy Scripture Zoroastrianism. In ancient times and in the early Middle Ages, Zoroastrianism was widespread mainly in the territory of Greater Iran

Before Zarathustra, the Indo-Iranian religion was polytheistic, i.e. it had many deities, and different classes of deities patronized different classes of society.

Zarathustra abandoned all the gods, with the exception of one - Ahuramazda (translated as “The Wise Lord” or “Lord of Wisdom”).

This is how T.N. Mikushina describes that time.
“At the time I was in incarnation, I was a prophet of a religion that is not very well known on Earth now. However, at that time it was the most advanced religion of the time. And if we compare it with currently existing religious systems, then in some ways I was far ahead of both my time and all currently existing systems of religious worldview. It was I who laid the understanding of the basis of human nature as fire, flame. And I established the cult of fire and the cult of the fiery, solar Deity, to whom humanity owes the gift of reason. I established the cult of Ahura Mazda. Under many names this great individuality is known in the history of mankind. Now you know this individual as Sanat Kumara.
Yes, I was the prophet of Sanat Kumara. And I still bow before His greatness, before the greatness of this High Spirit.”

T.N. Mikushin “Word of Wisdom”, vol. 15

As we can see, Zoroastrianism was a progressive faith that introduced new ideas about the world order and contributed greatly to the moral development of the ancient Iranian peoples.

Biblical prophets and Jesus. Among the biblical ones there are early and late prophets. Among the early ones are Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, as well as Moses and his brother Aaron. Among the later ones are 4 Great prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel and Ezekiel) and 12 minor prophets (Joel, Jonah, Amos, Hosea, Micah, Nahum, Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Obadiah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi). In addition, the Bible tells that Elijah, Enoch, Ezra, Samuel, John and others also communicated with God.

It is interesting to note that all biblical prophets received messages from God (or an Angel) while in a conscious state and in an ordinary emotional state of consciousness. This distinguished them from pagan and other predictors, who entered into a special ecstatic state and sometimes did not understand the content of what they accepted in a trance state.

So, the Lord came to Abraham in the form of three husbands and warned about the impending punishment for the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham asked the Lord for permission to save Sodom for the sake of 10 righteous people, because he wanted to save Lot’s nephew and the inhabitants of the city. But since there were not even two righteous people, Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by “brimstone and fire.”

Moses predicted ten plagues if Pharaoh did not let the people of Israel leave Egypt. All ten were completed.

Jesus on the Mount of Olives, when asked by his disciples what was the sign of the new coming of Jesus and the end of the age, pronounced a prophecy that can be applied to our times. “You will also hear about wars and rumors of wars. See, do not be horrified, for all this must happen, but this is not the end yet: for nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be famines, pestilences and earthquakes in places; yet this is the beginning of diseases. Then they will hand you over to torture and kill you; and you will be hated by all nations because of My name; and then many will be offended, and will betray one another, and will hate one another; and many false prophets will arise and deceive many; and because iniquity will increase, the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:6-12).

The biblical prophets were also not believed. Even those close to them who knew them well sometimes questioned the divinity of their revelations. For example, Moses' elder brother Aaron and his prophetess sister Miriam at some point doubted the words and actions of Moses (they themselves had a connection with God), and then the Lord himself came to them to dispel their doubts and even punished them Miriam is sick.

Jeremiah's prophecy about the capture of Jerusalem was not only ignored, but the prophet was thrown into prison. He came out of captivity only after the prophecy came true.

To paraphrase other words of Jesus, we can say: “There is no prophet in his own country.” People do not believe in the talent, genius or truth of the words of the person who is next to them and carries the Light of Divine Truth. It is assumed that everything truly wise and correct can be born not here, next to them, but somewhere in the “beautiful distance.” Jesus was also persecuted and misunderstood. And even the miracles he performed did not help everyone to believe. The ending was the same as with many other prophets, except that the execution was carried out in a different way.

Islam. There are 35 prophets in Islam (many of them are Christian prophets called by other names); according to other versions, there are 124 thousand Islamic prophets. Muslims even distinguish types of prophets. There are three of them. So, Nabis are prophets, messengers of Allah, bringing orders and prohibitions to their people. Rasul - messengers of Allah who were given a new scripture, new law. And the third type is Ulu-l-azm, or those who are strong in spirit, possessing steadfastness and steadfastness in carrying out the Divine message, resisting all difficulties and hardships. The latter includes Muhammad, who had a higher degree of perseverance than other prophets. Muhammad is the last in the chain of prophets and messengers of Allah. Through him, a new Sharia was transmitted - a whole complex of moral, religious and legal rules and principles.

Muhammad believed that it was necessary to unite the warring Arab tribes into a single state with a single faith. He made 19 military campaigns and, in the end, entered Mecca as a winner. He declared Mecca the holy capital of Islam and prohibited any bloodshed there. He destroyed 360 idols of different tribes. He proclaimed Allah - the One God, the Creator of all things and the supreme Judge. And his mission was to purify the faith. He dedicated his entire life to this mission.

We are convinced that each prophet came at a time when the foundations of faith were distorted, when some people needed a new teaching that could elevate their consciousness.

IN Hinduism, where the culture of meditative practice dates back thousands of years, hundreds of followers had this connection with God. One of the striking examples of the twentieth century is Heirakhan Babaji, an avatar of Lord Shiva, now an Ascended Master.

In India, with its developed spiritual life, to this day there is respect and worship of the Messengers and Avatars of God on earth. For Indians, from cradle those who know the Law transformation is as natural as breathing or drinking.

Messengers and prophets of our time. Prophecies about Russia

We know the prophets of later times: the 16th century prophets Nostradamus and Paracelsus, the 20th century prophets Edgar Cayce, Jean Dixon, Vanga, Dannion Brinkley, who received information from the subtler Worlds - from the Akashic chronicles. The prophecies of Fatima are widely known - a place in Portugal where the Mother of God appeared several times to shepherd children. Each of these names is associated with prophecies about Russia.

Vanga: “There is no force that could break Russia. Russia will develop, grow and strengthen. Everything will melt like ice, only one thing will remain imperishable - the glory of Russia, the glory of Vladimir. Too many sacrifices have been made, too many. No one can stop Russia now. She will sweep away everything in her path and will not only survive, but will also become the MISTRESS OF THE WORLD.” .

Vanga’s prophecy about the New Teaching is also significant: "There is an ancient Indian teaching- the teachings of the White Brotherhood. It will spread throughout the world. New books will be published about him, and they will be read everywhere on Earth. This will be the Fire Bible.
This is a New Teaching, but built on the foundations of the old. The old here can be compared to the roots, and the new - like a flower blooming in the sun.
The day will come when all religions will disappear! Only the teachings of the White Brotherhood will remain. It will cover the earth like white, and thanks to it people will be saved. A new teaching will come from Russia. She will be the first to cleanse herself. The White Brotherhood will spread throughout Russia and begin its march around the world.”

Edgar Cayce: “From Russian religious development will come the greatest hope of the world. And then religion or some group close to it in spirit will be leading in the final process of gradually creating conditions for the reorganization of the world.”

In 1944, Cayce said: “From Russia comes the hope of the world... This will be the kind of freedom in which every person lives for the good of his neighbor. The principle of this has already originated there.”

Casey saw Western Siberia as the center of the resurgent civilization.

From Fatima prophecy. Mother Mary spoke about the possibility of a second world war back in 1917, and in order to prevent this, She made a request: “I came to ask you for the consecration of Russia to My Heart and the redemptive sacraments every first Saturday of the month. If they listen to My request and Russia is turned to God, peace will come. If they do not heed again, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecution of the Church... Iniquity will spread throughout the entire earth, many nations will be destroyed... However, in the end, My Immaculate Heart will triumph. Russia will be dedicated to Me, converted to faith, and a period of peace will begin, granted by the Savior’s Sacrifice.”

In 1929, appearing again to Sister Lucia, who had become a nun, Mother Mary again recalled the need to consecrate Russia to Her Immaculate Heart. But the Vatican again did not heed the request. It was only in 1981 that the request was fulfilled by Pope John Paul II in the form that Mother Mary requested.

Here is another prophecy about Russia.

“You know that this country is destined for a great mission - to lead people along the spiritual Path. And finally, now the path is open, and Russia has reached the point on its path from where the future mission is already visible, the point on its path that involves the disclosure of the mission.
Russia is called to become a highly spiritual country. It is now that, despite all the seeming lack of spirituality, the foundations of a future spiritual country are being laid.”

T.N. Mikushin “Word of Wisdom”, vol.6

We can say that the prophecies of Vanga and Casey have begun to come true. Vanga's prophecies were given in 1978. They were recorded by Valentin Sidorov, who later published them in his book “Lyudmila and Vangelia”. The foundations of the Teachings of the Great White Brotherhood, which Vanga reported on, were laid in the works of H.P. Blavatsky (“The Secret Doctrine”) and E.I. Roerich (Teachings of Agni Yogi). Through the accepted T.N. Mikushina’s Teaching of the Lords of Wisdom, there is an even wider dissemination of the Teaching of the Great White Brotherhood in Russia.

Name T.N. Mikushina stands among the Messengers of the time closest to us. These are Elena Petrovna Blavatsky, Nikolai Konstantinovich and Elena Ivanovna Roerichs, Mark and Elizabeth Claire Prophets.

Please note that of the names listed above, three are Russian women: E.P. Blavatskaya, E.I. Roerich and T.N. Mikushina. Two of them, Russian by origin, were forced to receive messages outside their homeland, and only Tatyana Nikolaevna was able to live and receive messages in Russia (although, unfortunately, the situation changed at some point, and the Messenger within recent years could not receive Messages on the territory of Russia).

E.P. Blavatsky received knowledge from the Lords on the eve of the First World War, E.I. Roerich - on the eve of World War II. What awaits the world and Russia now?

Many prophecies of the past and present speak of Russia’s spiritual mission - to become a leading power in terms of an example to the peoples of the world high morality, aspiration towards God, self-sacrifice, awareness of life, when everyone will live for the good of their neighbor and make choices that help them get closer to God. This is truly an evolutionary path of development for all countries and peoples, regardless of their religious beliefs.

The material was prepared by Irina Kuznetsova.

The Old Testament tells us that God conveyed his instructions to people through prophets. Perhaps everyone has heard about Moses and Noah, but if you believe the Bible, then in fact there were much more prophets. They will be discussed in our review.

1. Strange prophet

It is no secret that the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel is one of the strangest books in the Bible. Given the strange visions of the prophet and the obvious sexual overtones of his presentation of the text, some rabbis believed that this book should be prohibited from reading by Torah followers under the age of 30.

Ezekiel is the heir of the tribe of Levi and was among the 10,000 Israelites taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar. God called him to be a prophet around 593 BC. During his visions, Ezekiel saw shining chimeras of 4 creatures - a man, a calf, an eagle and a lion. Moreover, these creatures had human hands and wings.

Ezekiel also dreamed of strange crystalline structures in the sky, and his visions were so clear that some modern researchers suggest that he had schizophrenia or some other form of psychosis. Also, the style of Ezekiel's sermons was as unusual as the content. After the prophecy, he supposedly slept on a brick for 430 days to symbolize the number of years the people of Israel and Judah spent in sin. He also shaved off his hair and beard “by order from above,” and once even ate cakes baked from human excrement to symbolize the state of despair that the Israelis would reach.

2. The Naked Truth

Isaiah is considered one of the greatest and most influential biblical prophets. But few people know that God once ordered him to undress and wander around Jerusalem naked and barefoot. The prophet had to do this for three whole years. It is believed that God similarly warned through Isaiah of the coming invasion of the Assyrian Empire and that the people of Judah should rely on the protection of Egypt and Ethiopia.

3. The Doubting Prophet

The typical image of a prophet implies an unbending faith in the will of God. But the prophet Habakkuk often asked himself the question: what did God really mean? Although most prophets brought the word of God to the people, Habakkuk was more concerned with taking the people's questions to God. The Little Book of Habakkuk begins with the prophet's question: “How long, Lord, must I cry for help until you listen to me? ... Why do you force me to look at injustice? Why do you tolerate obvious guilt?”

God spoke to Habakkuk, but completely ignored his questions, and warned that the Babylonians were going to devastate the region. Habakkuk never tires of repeating his questions over and over again, but in response he only hears that each person makes his own choice in life and that the day of judgment will surely come for everyone.

4. Doomed Prophet

The Book of Hosea is not the most popular part of the Bible because its contents can be difficult to understand. In it, God commands Hosea to marry the “most wicked” woman he can find. Hosea obediently marries a harlot named Homer, who is considered to be the most sinful in all of history. Homer gave birth to three children (and the Bible indicates that Hosea was the father of only the eldest of them).

It turned out that through Hosea's family God decided to express his displeasure with the Israelites. Therefore, he ordered Hosea to name his eldest son Jezreel, which means “I will break the bow of Israel.” The youngest daughter was named "Lo-Rukhama" (meaning "unloved") because "God did not want to show his love for Israel anymore. The youngest son was not much luckier - he was named Lo-Ammi (meaning "not my people") .

The truth ends on an optimistic note, as God calls on the prophet to forgive his wife. The couple reconciles and pledge to be faithful to each other.

5. Pagan prophet

Elijah is one of the most famous biblical figures. He was the first prophet to resurrect dead man and ascended into heaven alive. There are references in the Bible to the fact that Elijah may not have been of Jewish origin.

6. Prophetic Spirit

The story of King Saul and the Witch of Endor is a biblical passage that raises more questions than answers, giving rise to all sorts of theological and moral debate. After the death and burial of the prophet Samuel in Ramah, the Philistine army gathered to attack Israel. Frightened, Saul turned to God for advice, but received no answer. After this, he ordered his servants to find him a fortune teller, but they also failed, since Saul had previously ordered the expulsion of all witches and magicians from Israel.

As a result, Saul found a sorceress from Endor, who summoned him the spirit of Samuel, who predicted the death of the king. Saul and his family were soon killed by the Philistines. The reason for this was (as later books of the Bible stated) “the iniquity that he committed before the Lord, for not keeping the words of the Lord and turning to the sorceress with a question.” Of course, the Bible prohibits witchcraft, but what remains unclear is how the witch was able to summon and subjugate the spirit of Samuel.

7. Xenophobic Prophet

Nehemiah was governor of Jerusalem during Persian rule in 444 BC. The book of Nehemiah is a record of how the governor tried to rebuild Jerusalem physically and spiritually. One of his major achievements was the construction of the city walls in just 52 days. Soon after the walls were completed, Nehemiah went to Persia to report this to King Artaxerxes. After his return, Nehemiah discovered that during his absence some of the Israelites had taken foreign wives and, as a result, their children could not even speak Hebrew. Outraged by these marriages, Nehemiah cursed the culprits.

8. The Offended Prophet

Moses is an amazing person. He cheated death while still a child, grew up in the Pharaoh's house, became a cupbearer - a special close to the Pharaoh, and then ran away, only to return some time later and challenge the Pharaoh himself.

Moses was such a significant figure that everyone usually forgets that there were two more prophets who were directly involved in the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt - Moses' brother Aaron and his sister Miriam. According to the Book of Numbers, Aaron and Miriam grumbled one day, crying out to the Lord: “Why do You speak only to Moses?”

9. Evil Prophet

The name Jonah means "dove" in Hebrew, but the prophet Jonah was actually not nearly as likable as is commonly assumed. He was a very strange biblical prophet because he rarely agreed with God's instructions. According to the Book of Jonah, God ordered him to go on a mission to Nineveh, an Assyrian city known for its sinfulness. Jonah disobeyed God's orders and instead tried to get as far away from Assyria as possible. As a result, God sent a “huge fish” to swallow Jonah and not let him out until he repented. After Jonah finally arrived in Nineveh, his preaching was so moving that the entire city truly repented. But after this, Jonah was sincerely upset that Nineveh and all its inhabitants, who repented of their sins, were not destroyed.

10. Prophet in dirty laundry

In the book of Jeremiah, God told the prophet to buy new and expensive linen underwear, but forbade the underwear from ever being touched by water. After some time, the Almighty ordered the prophet to take off his dirty linen and hide it in a crevice near a rock near the Euphrates. Many days passed, and Jeremiah was ordered to return to the Euphrates and retrieve what he was hiding. The linen, as one would expect, was in disgusting condition. When Jeremiah saw this, God told him that the pride of Jerusalem would be destroyed in a similar way, for “just as linen clings to the loins of a man, so the whole house of Israel cleaves to me.”

Priest Alexander Men

Prophet of the Avesta and Prophet of the Bible

The Persians are the only people other than the Jewish
for which historical destinies opened up
in the perspective of a resolving end.

N. Berdyaev

In the Christmas story of the Evangelist Matthew there is mysterious place: some “magi from the east” bring their gifts To the Child of Bethlehem. This story shows that the New Testament is somehow connected with extrabiblical religious world that even outside Israel people were awaiting the coming of the Savior.

But who were they, these amazing travelers, who with their unexpected appearance broke the silence of the Jewish town?

In the Gospel original, the word “magi” sounds like “magicians,” which usually means people skilled in sorcery. However, what motives could attract pagan spellcasters to Bethlehem? The legend, which saw them as kings, further obscured the real meaning of the event.

Meanwhile, in ancient times, the word “magician” had a rather specific meaning: this was the name given to the priests of the Iranian religion, which by the time of the Nativity of Christ was widespread not only in the East, but also in the Roman Empire itself. Consequently, according to the Gospel, it was the confessors and ministers of this religion who were the first from the entire pagan world to bow down at the cradle of the God-Man.

Could this have been accidental? And isn’t it remarkable that the Old Testament, which took up arms against the gods of Egypt, Babylon, Phenicia, and Greece, nowhere directly opposes the religion of Iran?

Many times we have already seen that the spiritual path of the peoples was not just a wandering in darkness, but a quest that prepared the world to receive the Good News. Insights of the sages of Eghish and Chaldea, Indian mysticism and ancient philosophy- all this served as a prelude to it. Here, seeking humanity learned both its strength and its weakness in the movement towards the truth.

In the next book we will talk about the state of the world on the eve of the appearance of Christ and we will see even more clearly what significance ancient beliefs had for the preaching of the Gospel. And with all this, the star did not bring to Judea Greek philosophers or Egyptian priests, but specifically Iranian magicians. This alone puts their faith in a special place in the pre-Christian world.

Until now, we have hardly had to touch on Iran, because its peoples made themselves known in the history of the East later than others. If noon of the Babylonian Empire falls in the 18th century. BC. Egyptian - in the XV, Israeli - in the X, Assyrian - in the VIII and VII, Chaldean - in the first half of the VI century, then the Iranian tribes - Medes, Persians, Bactrians - appeared as a significant force only at the turn of the VII and VI centuries.

Their mountain-framed country was not an easy prey for the conquerors, but still, at first we hear about the Medes as tributaries of Assur. Only at the time of the fall of the Assyrian kingdom did the Medes rise and, in alliance with the Chaldeans, deal it the final crushing blow.

Fighting against Assyria, the tribes of Iran used its own techniques and techniques; and in general, not only in military affairs, but also in the sphere of civilization, management, and art, they never showed much independence and imitated their neighbors. The originality of Iran, like Israel, lay in its religion.

This religion left almost no tangible monuments. The only evidence of it that has reached our time is holy book Parsis - a small tribe that fled to India from Muslim persecution. It was from them that Europe received the “Iranian Bible” - Avesta . This name means the same thing as the Vedas, knowledge, but, of course, it is not about science, but about spiritual knowledge.

The first acquaintance of Europeans with the Avesta occurred in the 18th century and initially led to disappointment and bewilderment. The book was even more colorful, incomprehensible and contradictory than the Vedas. Outlandish rituals, strange terminology, seemingly meaningless prohibitions—all this raised doubts about the authenticity of the book or ridicule. “It is impossible,” wrote Voltaire, “to overcome two pages of disgusting nonsense attributed to this Zoroaster without being imbued with pity for human nature. Nostradamus and the teachers of urine are reasonable people compared to this demoniac.”

But years passed, dictionaries were compiled, new translations of the Avesta were made, and the attitude towards it gradually changed. Research has shown that it was not written by Zarathustra alone and that its diversity is, as in the Vedas, the result of the stratification of many heterogeneous layers 1. The discoverer of the Avesta was the French linguist Anquetil Duperron, who published a translation of this monument in 1771. After him, in connection with the progress of Iranian philology, the Avesta was translated into European languages ​​more than once, and many works were devoted to its study. The classic English translation was published in volumes 5, 18, 24, 37 and 47 of the Sacred Books of East (London, 1860-1897). Full German translation: Er. Wolff.Аvesta. Strasburg, 1910. The work is devoted to the history of the “discovery” and study of the Avesta, as well as the controversy that arose around it A. Makovelsky"Avesta" (Baku, 1960). According to Persian legend, the Avesta contained 21 books, but most of them were destroyed under Alexander the Great. Currently it contains the following books: 1) Vendidad— ritual prescriptions of the Parsis and ancient myths, recorded, however, much later than their origin, at the turn of our era. ; 2) Jasna the most ancient part of the Avesta, containing hymns, of which the earliest are recognized as 28-34, 43-51, 53, called Gatami, and also the ancient Zarathustrian "oath" or "creed"; 3) Visforward collection of sayings and prayers, 4) Yashty— includes very ancient myths and prescriptions and, finally, 5) Bundehisch- the latest book of the Avesta, written not in ancient Persian, but in the Pahlavi language. She belongs to the era Sassanids(early Middle Ages) and contains a statement of the doctrine of late Mazdaism. There is no complete Russian translation of the Avesta, there are only separate fragments. HDV, p. 367-370; K. Kossovich. Zendavesta. St. Petersburg, 1861; E. Bertels. Excerpts from the Avesta. "East", 1924, book. 4; K.Zaleman Essay on the history of ancient Persian literature.— “General History of Literature” V. Korsha, vol. I, p. 156. .

Although a significant part of the Avesta was written down at the turn of the century. e. and even in the Middle Ages, but it contains a lot of things that came from ancient times. These archaic layers introduce us into a world already familiar to us. The Aryan gods of sky, fire, earth, sun, water appear there: Agura, Mithra, Haoma, Nima. These are none other than Asura, Mithra, Soma, Yama of the Aryans. Obviously, the myths about them in the Avesta are echoes of those times when the ancestors of the Iranians were one with the Aryans moving to Hindustan. Even the name Ariana (Iran) itself comes from the word “arya”.

It is impossible to establish exactly when the division of the pan-Aryan trunk occurred (most likely, somewhere at the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC), but religious traditions for a long time reminded of the kinship of both of its branches. Therefore we will not dwell on these early forms paganism, so as not to repeat what has already been said about the Aryan religion of the times of the Rig-Veda 2. See: “Magism and Monotheism”, ch. XI. For Indo-Iranian myths, see: 3. Ragozina. History of India, p. 65 cl.; M.Dresdeп. Muthologou of Ancient Iran.—6 books. S.N. Kramer (ed.), Muthologies of the Ancient World, 1961, p. 345, ff.; J. Duchesne-Guillemin. Zoroastre. Paris, 1948, b. 30, ss. .

However, two features of the Iranian faith need to be noted, because they will later play an important role.

The first trait is fire worship. Archaeologists find traces of it already in the ancient settlements of Khorezm, one of the centers of Iranian culture. The unquenchable fire was an old sacred symbol among the inhabitants of Iran and its outskirts. Pure flame replaced sacred images and signified the eternal light of the Divine. Fire was considered a cosmic element, just as other peoples considered water. The ancient Germans, relatives of the Aryans, believed that the world would one day burn in fire in order to be reborn to a new life. This myth, captured in the German Edda, among the Indians took the form of belief in “kalpas” - huge periods between which the world is absorbed by the Divine 3. About the cult of fire in Khorezm, which later became one of the centers of Zaratu-strism, see: S. Tolstov. In the footsteps of the ancient Khorezmian civilization. M., 1948. The veneration of fire existed among both the Indians (the god Agni) and the inhabitants of Asia Minor (see: V. Ivanov. Cult of fire among the Hittites. Sat. "Ancient World", M., 1962, p. 268). For the myth of the world fire, see: Edda, M, 1917, vol. I, p. 104. There was a similar teaching in Babylon (see: G. Winkler. Babylon Its history and culture. St. Petersburg, 1913, p. 116). .

The second feature is the preservation of the cult along with the pantheon supreme god. Among the Indo-Aryans He was called Asura-Dyaushpitar, and later, identified with the sky god Varuna (Uranus, Perun), he began to be called “Asura Vishwaveda” - the Omniscient Lord.

In Iran He was honored under the name Mazda Agura(Aguramazda), which also means the Omniscient, or All-Wise, Lord. From an Assyrian inscription of the 8th century. BC e. It appears that Mazda was revered at that time in western Iran and the Caucasus. Mazda's name was often accompanied by the epithet “clothed in the heavenly firmament,” which indicates his connection with the heavenly god Varuna. But, as in the Vedas, the image of the Lord Omniscient among the Iranians was obscured by a host of gods, and the goddesses of the earth and water spaces were considered his consorts 4. On the continuity of the images of Dyaush Asura, Varuna (Asura Vishwaveda) and Mazda Agura (Aguramazda), see: A. Vvedensky. Religious consciousness of paganism. M., 1902, t.1, p. 281; Radke. Dyaus Asura, Ahura Mazda und Asuras, 1885; ABOUT. Klita. Zarathustra. Praha, 1964, l, s. 78; J. Duchesne-Guillemin. Or. cit., r. 104. The plastic image of Agura Mazda on Persian monuments in the form of a male figure inscribed in a winged disk is genetically related to the image of the Assyrian god Ashur. .

This was the background against which a powerful religious movement arose in Iran, transforming old, not very original beliefs into a new one. religion of salvation. Subsequently, undergoing various changes and rebirths, it became the state cult of the Persians, influenced later Judaism, penetrated into the Roman religion, and inspired Gnosticism and Manichaeism. Ultimately, Albigensianism, Bogomilism, Paulicianism and the religion of the Russian “magi” owe their emergence to her. Echoes of it can be found in the latest occult and philosophical systems 5. O future destinies teachings generated by the Iranian religion, see... Yu. Nikolaev(Danzas). In search of the Divine. Essays on the history of Gnosticism. SPb. , 1913; G. Lee. History of the Inquisition, vol. I; L. Karsavin. Essays religious life in Italy in the 13th century. , St. Petersburg. , 1912; D. Angelov. Bogomilism in Bulgaria. M., 1954; N. Kazakova And Ya. Lurie. Antifeudal heretical movements in Rus'. M., 1955; S. Peretept. Le Dualisme des theosophes et des religions. .

They talk about the origin of this religion Ghats- hymns included in the part of the Avesta called Yasna. If the pagan myths of the Avesta have come down to us mainly in later editions, then the form and language of the Gathas indicate their ancient origin. These psalms, related to the Vedic and Biblical ones, bear the features of personal poetic creativity. Their author is not just a storyteller or collector of epics; they express the thoughts and aspirations of a preacher of a new teaching, a reformer of the faith 6. The Gathas are written in a language that distinguishes them from the rest of the Avesta. This is due not only to the fact that they were written down earlier than other books, but also to the archaic, sublime style characteristic of their author (see. E. Nerzfeld. Zoroaster and his world, 1947, v. I, p. 238). Initially, the Gathas were probably learned by heart and sung during services (see: A. Makovelsky. Avesta, p.30). The passages we quote are based on Moulton's translation (J.N. My1top. Early Zoroastrianism, 1912), revised from Duchenne-Guillemin's translation (J. Duchesne-Guillemin. The Hymns of Zaratustra. London, 1952). .

The Gathas tell us about a prophet who powerfully knocks on the doors of a pagan temple in order to drive out the gods from there. He calls himself Zarathustra, a name which, by a strange whim of Nietzsche, gives us associations that are very far from the Avesta.

This name alone seemed to be enough to cast doubt on the historical reality of the author of the Gathas; Indeed, in many parts of the Avesta, Zarathustra is a supernatural being close to the gods, the ancestor of priesthood and agriculture, a kind of Iranian Prometheus.

But it should be noted that the high priest of the Parsis was called Zarathustra, that is, the Highest Zarathustra, and, therefore, the word is not a personal name, but rather a title, or an honorary name, like Buddha or Christ. Therefore, if a person called himself Zarathustra, this does not mean at all that he is a fictitious person.

In addition, many Greek writers had heard a lot about Zarathustra (or Zoroaster, as they called him) and saw in him a completely historical person.

The Avesta also knows the personal name of its prophet. She calls him Spitama, the son of the noble Median Purushaspa, a resident of the city of Raga. The family of Spitama is also mentioned in the documents of Chaldean bankers. There is no serious reason to doubt this very real information, supported by the bright individual style of the Gathas.

Persian legend behind which everything larger number historians recognize the nature of authenticity and date Spitama to a time 258 years before Alexander the Great. This brings us to the turn of the 7th and 6th centuries BC. e. True, some Greek authors considered Zarathustra a sage of fabulous antiquity. But they could have been misled by the mythical chronology accepted by the magicians, which referred to cosmic periods 7. At present, the theory of the mythical nature of Zarathustra has been abandoned by almost all historians. Soviet authors are even ready to consider his existence more reliable than the existence of Christ (!), although the historical value of the sources telling about the founders of Mazdaism and Christianity is truly incomparable. The Gospels belong to the 1st generation after Christ, while the Avestan texts were written centuries after the death of Zarathustra. See an example of such a biased judgment: I. Dyakonov. History of Media. M., 1956, p. 385. Eduard Mayer calls Zarathustra “one of the most significant figures in all world history» (E.Meyer. Ursprung und Anfange des Christentums, 1921, V. I., S. 58). Most modern avestologists Herpfeld, Struve, Altheim, Makovelsky and others attribute Zarathustra to the 5th-6th centuries. BC e. (cm. V. Struve. The birthplace of Zoroastrianism. - “Soviet Oriental Studies”, 1948, vol. V, p. 13; E. Nerzfeld. Zoroaster and his world, v. I, p. 24; J. Varenpe. Zarathustra et la tradition mazdeenne. Bourges, 1966, b. 39). Arguments in favor of the traditional date (258 years before Alexander) are given in A. Makovelsky(The Lifetime of Zarathushtra.—“Reports of the Academy of Sciences of the Azerbaijan SSR,” vol. VII, 1951, no. 4, p. 187), R. Altheit(Das Jahr Zarathustras. - “Supplementum Aramaicum”, S. 21). Ancient evidence about Zarathustra is collected in the work E.Benveniste"The Persian Religion according to the chief Greek texts" (London, 1929) .

It is also significant that when, at the end of the 6th century, the ideas of Zarathustra resonated in the Persian Empire, the name of the prophet was not yet mentioned in official texts. If his veneration at that time was already an ancient tradition, then the silence about him in all the monuments of the Persian kings of the 6th and 5th centuries would be impossible to explain. The answer is most likely contained in the Gathas themselves, where it is said that the prophet was not recognized in his homeland in Media and went east to Bactria, where he found his first followers. From there, the new teaching only gradually penetrated into the western regions, but the Iranian kings probably did not want to recognize the high authority of Spitama for a long time, because they themselves claimed primacy in matters of faith. Only with the fall of the Akhmenid Empire did the magicians ensure that the name of Zarathustra began to be surrounded by a sacred aura.

Who was Spitama? He himself never calls himself a priest or a magician. This title was passed on only by inheritance, and the magicians, like the Israeli Levites, formed a closed clan. Not belonging to the magicians by birth, the reformer spoke of himself as a “mantram”, a psalmist, and only in one (and that dubious) place does he call himself a “chosen one.” The skill with which the Gathas were written suggests that their author belonged to the educated class of society.

According to legend, Spitama left home at the age of twenty and settled in solitude near the Daitya River in Azerbaijan. There, immersed in “silent thought,” he sought answers to the burning questions of life, sought the highest truth 8. The legendary biography of Zarathustra, in addition to individual episodes in the Avesta, is set out in the medieval poem “Zarathusht-nama”, trans. F. Rosenberg (F. Rosenberg. Le livre de Zarathustra (Zaratussht-Nama). St. Petersburg, 1904). .

Unlike the Brahmins and Greek philosophers, he was not so much concerned with abstract questions as with the dream of establishing truth, peace and justice on earth. This trait makes him similar to the prophets of Israel.

In the years of Spitama's youth, the outskirts of Iran were constantly engulfed in unrest and wars. Part of the population sought a settled working life, while others, especially the inhabitants of Turan, remained warlike nomads. They were a constant threat to peaceful settlers. In one of the parts of the Gathas we hear the voice of the “Soul of the Bull” (a creature symbolizing peaceful peasants), which complains to Mazda about the troubles caused by the raids of enemies. The “Soul of the Bull” is waiting for Mazda to send into the world a man who will bring Asha to people, or Artu,— righteous order. But at the same time, she doubts that the word of the prophet will be effective if it is not supported by the hand of a king or prince.

For Spitama, the destroying nomads and the ancient gods they worshiped constituted one satanic army. He calls these gods by an old Aryan term devas, but in his mouth these are no longer “gods”, but demonic forces. As the legend goes, the devas tried more than once to attack Spitama in his refuge, either seducing him or threatening him with death. But the prophet remained unshaken. He wants to contrast false gods with true faith in the true God.

After ten years of prayer, reflection and questioning, Zarathustra discovered for himself in the person of the ancient Mazda Agura this God, the Creator of the Universe and Truth.

I ask You, Agura Mazda, answer me:
Who was the father who gave birth to Truth?
Who set the path for the sun and stars?
Who is this if not You, who is like a month waxing and waning?

I want, O Mazda, to know this and much more.
I ask You, Agura, answer me:
Who established the earth below and the cloudy sky so that it would not fall?

Who approved the waters and plants?
Who harnessed the wind to the clouds? I
I ask You, Agura, answer me:
Which artist created light and shadows?
Which artist created sleep and wakefulness?
Who made morning, noon and evening,
To show the wise man his business?

(Yasna 44, 3-5)

Truly amazing words! Any of the biblical prophets would admit that they were right. After all, all these questions already imply the answer: the Universe was created by a divine Creator.

But was this Creator in the eyes of Zarathustra the only God, or was He only the head of a host of gods? In the Ghats they stand next to Agura Mazda Ameshaspenti- six heavenly spirits, which together with him make up the ancient Aryan seven gods. At first glance, they share the throne with Mazda, like the minor gods of others pagan religions. However, if you read the Gathas carefully, it becomes clear that all of them: Vogu Mano - Good Thought, Arta - Truth, Aramaiti - Piety, Khshatra - Good Kingdom, Zaura - Health, Ameretat - Immortality - according to the teachings of Spitama, are the creation of a single Mazda, theophanies emanating from the depths of the Divine.

So I ask You, Agura, answer me:
Who created Aramaiti and Khshatra?
Who created Filial Piety?
So I'm trying to recognize You in this, O Mazda,
Who created all things by the Holy Spirit.

(Yasna 44.7)

So - one God? So, we can recognize in Zarathustra the brother and like-minded person of the Israeli prophets, the “pagan” forerunner of Christ on Iranian soil? In essence, this is quite acceptable. Who has the right to limit the work of the Spirit to any one place? Doesn’t He breathe, according to the word of the Apostle, where He wants? If the Fathers of the Church saw in ancient thought a prelude to the New Testament, what prevents us from saying the same about the teachings of Spitama Zarathustra? After all, the Bible itself does not exclude the possibility that God revealed himself to the “pagans” 9. They insist on the high spiritual dignity of the religion of Zarathustra A. Khomyakov in his “Notes on World History” (Works, vol. V) and Bishop Chrysanthos(Religion ancient world in comparison with Christianity, vol. I, 1873, p. 519). .

However, we would be mistaken if we equated the Gathas with Old Testament. For all their striking similarities, they, as will become clear later, differed significantly in a number of fundamental points.

Although the prophets of the Bible recognized the need for human moral activity, they argued that true salvation can only be expected from God. That is why they so insisted on the futility of political messianism and exposed hopes for “horses and chariots.”

The prophet, who took the name of Zarathustra, took the opposite point of view.

True, his goal was lofty. He acted as a fighter against false gods, against untruths, superstitious rituals, and against evil. He dreamed of Khshatra, the Kingdom of God, which in many ways is close to the biblical concept of Malchut Elohim. Zarathustra spoke with anger about the stupefying drink that the worshipers of Haoma made, and called it “liquid abomination” (Yasna 48:10). Spitama denied all complex ritual symbols, with the exception of sacred fire. He called on man to follow Mazda “in thought, word and deed” (Yasna 30.3).

This militant position of Zarathustra led to a violent conflict in Raga, where he spoke for the first time after the hermitic period of his life. The details of the clash in Raga are unknown, but from the Gathas it is clear that the prophet was forced to flee his fatherland or was outright expelled. The lines of the hymn, imbued with despondency, indicate that the preacher’s position has become difficult:

Which country should I flee to? Where to go?
I am being torn away from my family and tribe.
My hometown and the evil leaders of the country do not recognize me,
How, O Agura, can I gain Your mercy?

(Yasna 46.1)

Spitama decided to seek refuge in the far eastern regions of Transcaspia. There, among the sandy plains off the coast of the Amu Darya, in the Bactrian Principality, the people suffered most from the raids of nomads, and one could count on the fact that the preaching new faith will find sympathy.

The first attempt was again unsuccessful. For several years, Spitama searched in vain for a powerful patron who would become his follower. He was sure that without this support he would not succeed:

I know, O Mazda, why I am powerless!
This is because I have few herds and few people.
I turn my complaint to You, listen to it, Agura.
Give me the help that a friend would give to his friend,
Teach me the Truth and the possession of a Good Thought.

(Yasna 46, 2)

Finally, success came, unexpected and great. The ruler of Baktra, Vishtaspa, to whom Khorezm, Sogdiana and other neighboring lands were subordinate, believed in the mission of Zarathustra and received him at his court 10. In the Gathas, Vishtaspa is called “kavi”, which is usually translated as prince, ruler (see: E.Herzfeld. Zoroaster and his world, v. I, p. 100). There were attempts to identify him with the father of King Darius Hystaspes and place his possessions in Western Iran or Azerbaijan. But at present, the generally accepted point of view is that Vishtaspa ruled in Bactria (Balkh), and it was there that the first center of Zarathustrianism was located and the Gathas were composed (see: I. Oransky. Introduction to Iranian philology. M., 1960, p. 90; W. V. Noppig. Zoroaster. Politican or Witch-Doctor, 1951). In addition to Vishtaspa, the nobles of Bactra are named in the Avesta as followers of Zarathustra: Zamaspa, Frashoashtra and Jamaspa (Yasna 12, 7). Maybe , It was in Bactria that Spitama took the title of "Zarathustra". It is suggested that in Central Asia, even before Spitama, there was a cult of the mythical hero Zarathustra, the tales of which were mixed with stories about the real prophet (see: A. Makovelsky. Avesta is a monument to the ancient religion of the peoples of the Near and Middle East.— “Yearbook of the Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism,” vol. VI, 1962, p. 356). .

The influence of the prophet in Bactria became so strong that the first Greek writer who heard about him, Ctesias (V-IV centuries BC), believed that Zarathustra was the king of Bactria. Now Spitama could freely proclaim his teachings. But it seemed to him that one sermon was not enough. In his opinion, war with the worshipers of the devas must be waged with weapons in hand. A pagan is not only an ideological enemy, but also a political one. Evil can be broken only through earthly means. The worshiper of the devas is an insignificant "non-Aryan", "biped", "insect-man" 11. See: I. Dyakonov. History of Media, p. 389. .

The one who takes away his power or life, O Mazda,
Will succeed on the path of good teaching.

(Yasna 46.4)

Subsequently, hatred of polytheists and devas was proclaimed as the first article of the Zarathustrian creed:

“I curse the devas, I confess myself to be a worshiper of Mazda, a Zarathustrian, an enemy of the devas, a follower of Agura, praising the Ameshaspents, praying the Ameshaspents... I vow to do a good thought, a good word and a good deed” (Yasna 12, 1, 7).

So, the victory of good is the victory of weapons. Only after evil forces will be defeated, the good kingdom of peaceful life will come. The same Mazdaist oath speaks about this.

“I choose for myself holy, good Piety; let it be mine. I renounce the theft and seizure of livestock, and the causing of damage and destruction of Mazdaist villages.”

“Insect people” should be mercilessly exterminated, but complete agreement should reign among fellow believers. “I vow to be faithful to the Mazdaist faith, to stop military raids, to lay down arms, to enter into marriages among my own, to be faithful to the righteous faith, which of all existing and future is the greatest, best and brightest, which is from Agura and Zarathustra” (Yasna 12, 2 , 9).

The biblical prophets spoke of the moral responsibility of the pagans before God, thereby allowing for some element of truth in their religious consciousness. Zarathustra, on the contrary, is absolutely irreconcilable and resolves the religious dispute in the same way as Mohammed would later resolve it.

Only vague and unreliable legends have reached us about the religious wars that broke out as a result of Zarathustra’s preaching, but there is no doubt that they took place.

This is the first difference between the Iranian prophet and the prophets of the Bible. The second is connected with Zarathustra’s understanding of the problem of evil.

Arming yourself against dark forces, Spitama could not help but think about their very origin. To the question of where evil came from, he gave an answer that relates not so much to the area of ​​faith as to the area of ​​metaphysics. It was this answer that became the most characteristic feature of Mazdaism.

In the famous “Gata of Good and Evil,” the words of the teacher are solemnly heard, revealing to fellow believers the initial principles of existence:

Hear with your ears what is the highest good,
Look with clear thought at both sides,
Between which everyone must choose for himself,
Taking care that the great accomplishment ends for the benefit of everyone.
So, from the beginning, like twins, two Spirits showed themselves,
One is good, the other is evil, in thought, word and deed;
And between them both the wise choose correctly, but not the fools.
And when these two Spirits met,
They established life and non-life in the beginning
And the fact that in the end the worst being is designated as evil,
And to the next Truth - a Good Thought.

(Yasna 30, 2-4)

Thus, Zarathustra, this passionate fighter against evil, seems to pay an involuntary tribute to it, declaring it primordial.

It is not difficult to understand his train of thought, for Spitama, unlike the Indians, did not consider evil an illusion and knew that he was not fighting ghosts. Like no one else, he felt the strength and power of evil, and therefore it acquired in his metaphysics the character of the primordial pole of the universe. If Mazda “belongs to all good things,” if He creates everything beautiful in the Universe, then there must be another source for its dark sides.

But here an important question arises: what position does God himself occupy in Zarathustra in relation to these opposing forces of good and evil? Does He stand “above the fray,” controlling it, or, on the contrary, is cosmic polarization independent of Him and is something lying in the very order of things? Both interpretations of Spitama’s thought have many defenders. But in the Gathas themselves one can find an indication of a third solution. Zarathustra says:

From these two Spirits the evil one chooses evil deeds,
But Holy Spirit, clothed in the heavenly firmament, united with the Truth,
And so did all those who were ready good deeds serve Agura Mazda.
Between both of them the devas did not choose correctly,
For when they made their decision they went mad
And they chose a Bad Thought,
Rushing towards Aishma,
To harm human life.

(Yasna 30, 5-6)

From these words it appears that the devas are recognized by Zarathustra real beings; but more importantly, in one of the “twins”, apparently, one should see Mazda itself, for it is he who owns the title “clothed in the heavenly firmament” and the name “Holy Spirit” (Yasna 45:2). His eternal enemy is called Aishma, Violence, and elsewhere - Druj, Lies. Subsequently, Violence and Lies will be declared hypostases in Zarathustrianism evil spirit, who will be called Angra or Angra Mainyu(Greek: Ahriman), which means “Adversary Spirit.”

This word is etymologically related to “Satan” (the enemy) of the Bible. But if “Satan” is a created being who fell away from God in the name of self-affirmation, then in the Avesta Angra Mainyu emerges as the eternal rival of God, something like a second “evil palace”. One of the later chapters of the “Iranian Bible” says that Mazda created all the beautiful lands for people to inhabit, and Angra Mainyu, in contrast to him, created warlike tribes, sorcerers, superstitions, winter cold and other disasters (Vendidad 1 and 19, 5) .

But how can this be reconciled with the monotheism of Spitama? Why is the prophet, being in his own way religious consciousness a worshiper of the one God, speaking as a metaphysician, saw in the evil principle a certain self-sufficient, self-existent principle?

There is reason to think that dualism was not the creation of Spitama himself. Most likely he appeared to the prophet concession ancient tradition characteristic of almost the entire pre-Christian world.

The dualism of Father and Mother, Heaven and Earth dates back to distant primitive times. In some cases it was of a peaceful, harmonious nature, and traces of it can be seen in the Chinese teaching about Yang and Yin and in the “opposites” of Empedocles. But dualism, expressed in myths about the struggle of the gods, became more widespread. The elemental deities Ocean and Chaos were thought of as one of the sides in this battle. The forces of creativity and order opposed them: Marduk fought with Tiamat, Baal with Lothon, Zeus with the Titans, Apollo with Typhon. Slim divine order sometimes he seemed impersonal. The Sumerians called it Me, the Babylonians - Shimtu, the Egyptians - Maat, the Greeks - Dike, the Aryans - Rita, the Iranians - Arta.

The picture of the Universe as an arena of struggle in which the structure of the world is created was a great discovery of the human spirit, a true insight created of things. But the Achilles heel of all these teachings was the deification of the chaotic principle, the inescapable fear of it. In many myths it was even revered as something preceding order and giving birth to its champions. And therefore, the space battle seemed endless and devoid of perspective. Constant efforts of gods and people were needed to prevent Chaos from taking over the world.

In the entire extra-biblical world, Zarathustra alone, although he accepted the theory of dualism, nevertheless rejected it pessimistic character. His living faith in God revealed to him the coming victory of Good. The old Aryan myth about the universal fire turned into the final triumph of Mazda. Here he again approaches the Bible, its eschatology.

Zarathustra was convinced that sooner or later the devas who sow evil in the world would be put to shame, and all people who served Mazda in thought, word and deed would receive a reward in the Kingdom of God.

Then, O Mazda, Thy Kingdom
Will be given along with a Good Thought
To those who will betray Druj into the hands of Arta, O Agura.

(Yasna 30, 8)

If the Greeks reached the highest peak in philosophical understanding ideas of God, if the Indians came to the highest limit of “natural mysticism”, then, excluding the biblical Revelation, in the religion of Zarathustra we see the greatest approach to the Living God. And yet it was a “human, all too human” approximation. The idea of ​​a holy war darkened its purity, and the concession to traditional dualism left a vulnerable spot that doomed Zarathustrianism to defeat 12. A number of authors insist on the true monotheism of Zarathustra’s teachings (see, for example: Bishop Chrysanthos Religion of antiquity, p. 520; A. Makovelsky. Avesta monument of ancient religions, p. 358; E. Leman. Persians.- P. Chantepie de la Sausseille. Illustrated History of Religions, vol. 2, p. 140; J.N. Myltop. Early Zoroastrianism, pp. 55, 128. Others, on the contrary, believe dualism an integral part of the religion of Spitama (L. Mils. Zoroastrianism.— Sat. " Religious Beliefs", trans. V. Timiryazev, St. Petersburg, 1900, p. 196; I. Dyakonov. History of Media, p. 287; 3.Ragozina. History of Media, p. 120). In both cases, the complex specifics of early Zarathustrism are not taken into account. In religious and emotional terms, Spitama was undoubtedly a monotheist, but speculative the side of his teaching is dualistic (see: R. Fry. Iran's heritage. M, 1972, p. 56-57). During final formation Mazdaism, the dualistic element completely prevailed over the monotheistic. Plutarch expounds in these words the Iranian theology from the time of the creation of the first books of the Avesta: “Ormaz, who came from the purest light, and Arimanius, from darkness, fight among themselves. The first created six gods... and the second an equal number of gods of the opposite nature" (Plutarch. About Isis and Osiris, 47). Modern Parsis, under the influence of Islam and other monotheistic religions, have become confessors of one God. (cm.: Dadabhai Naorji. Parsi religion. Sat. "Religious Beliefs", p. 198). .

They say that Constantinople fell because they forgot to lock a small door in the city wall. Something similar happened with the religion of Zarathustra. Having retained the features of the former polytheism in his doctrine, Zarathustra left a loophole through which paganism, and with it false magical religiosity, seeped into his teaching.

Already two or three generations after the death of Zarathustra, the Aryan gods returned to the empty pantheon. In the 5th century, Herodotus writes that the Persians, honoring the heavenly Zeus (Aguramazda), also make sacrifices to the sun, moon, fire, earth, water and winds (History 1.131). And in the inscription of the Persian king Artaxerxes II (IV century BC), Mithras and the goddess Anahita are mentioned next to Agura Mazda 13. See: HDV, p. 376; E.Herzfeld. Zoroaster and his world, v. II, p. 402. .

However, it would be incorrect to say that Zarathustrism ended with Zarathustra. Although the emphasis on dualism and pagan influences increased in him, the spiritual impulse that emanated from the personality of the prophet did not die. His doctrine of moral freedom turned out to be the most beneficial and lasting. Not blind, sadly submissive execution of instructions, but conscious and responsible choice a good start should motivate a person to join the ranks of Mazda's warriors.

Oh Agura Mazda! Zarathustra himself chooses Your Holy Spirit.
May Arta come to life, full of life and strength,
Let Piety be in the radiant Kingdom!

(Yasna 43, 16)

Dynamism, cheerfulness, readiness to serve a just cause—these are the main intonations in Spitama’s calls. Just as God freely chooses light and goodness, so His worshiper accepts them. “According to the choice... which Agura Mazda made... I am a Mazdaist,” says the Zarathustrian oath (Yasna 12:7). This religious and moral pathos inspired strength in the Iranian tribes, making them an object of surprise for the surrounding peoples. “They consider deceit to be the most shameful vice,” wrote Herodotus, who belonged to a nation hostile to the Persians.

Faith in Khshatra, the Kingdom of God, as the result and crown of world existence, inspired Zarathustra in his wanderings and tireless struggle. He was convinced of his special role in the destinies of the people and awarded himself the title Saoshianta, Redeemer 14. About the fact that in the Gathas Saoshiant originally meant Zarathustra himself, see: J.N. Myltop. Early Zoroastrianism, b. 158. . He hoped that he would eventually become the universal leader and destroy the kingdom of Druj.

To those who hate the devas and enemies of Saoshiant,
Therefore the soul of the future Saoshiant, Lord of the House,
He will be a friend, brother, father, O Mazda Agura!

(Yasna 45, 11)

But the prophet's dreams were not destined to come true. During his lifetime, Mazdaism did not spread beyond Bactria, and the religious wars ended, as legend says, with the invasion of Bactra by enemies and the death of the elderly Zarathustra.

After his death, the Zarathustrians began to believe that Mazda would send a new Saoshiant to the people. As we will see, the Persian kings will at one time lay claim to this role. But gradually the expectation of the Deliverer will acquire features similar to Jewish messianism. Magi, having accepted Zarathustrism, will teach that at large intervals of time Saoshiant comes to earth to attack the forces of Ahriman.

Was it not this faith that prompted them to set off on a long journey to find the star of Bethlehem?

Around 546, Bactria became part of the Persian empire of Cyrus. Its annexation, according to the testimony of Herodotus and Ctesias, took place peacefully. This is quite plausible, since Cyrus managed to win sympathy and supporters in many areas of Iran.

This man, who aroused the fear of some and the admiration of others, became the subject of legends during his lifetime. They said that his exploits were predicted even before his birth, that he was a prince of royal blood, the grandson of the Mede Astyages, who tried to kill him, but the child was miraculously saved.

According to more reliable information, Cyrus was the ruler of the city of Anshin, which was a vassal state of Media. Thanks to his resourcefulness and energy, the young king managed to rally the Persians around himself and prepare an uprising against Media. Astyages hoped for an easy victory over the rebel, but Cyrus gained popularity even among the Medes, some of whom went over to his side.

In 550, Cyrus defeated Astyages and took him prisoner. By sparing the life of the defeated king, he further increased the number of his supporters.

The rise of Cyrus, who became the head of the Medes and Persians, alarmed Croesus, the king of the rich Asia Minor country of Lydia. He concluded an agreement with the pharaoh and Nabonidus in order to jointly crush the usurper. But Cyrus was ahead of the allies, entering Asia Minor with his army. In 546, the capital of Croesus fell. The king himself fell into the hands of the Persians, but, like Astyages, no harm was done to him. Following this, the Ionian cities submitted, and soon the power of Cyrus was recognized by Bactria, over which Cyrus placed his son Bardia 15. Herodotus. History, I , 53. .

Cyrus pursued a humane policy everywhere: he respected local customs and beliefs, did not allow massacres and torture of prisoners, self-government was maintained in the cities, and moderate taxes were established.

Rumors about these events could not help but reach the Jewish captives in Babylon. Second Isaiah closely followed the successes of the new ruler of the East. In his eyes, this victorious march of Cyrus, who now threatened Babylon itself, was a harbinger of new times. The behavior of the Persian in the conquered countries should have especially delighted the prophet. After the Assyrian and Chaldean atrocities, Cyrus seemed to be a messenger of universal peace. If he comes to Chaldea, Israel's captivity will surely end. God Himself will act through the hands of the Persian. If previously the pagans were “scourges,” now that the days of wrath are over, they will become the executors of the work of deliverance.

These days, the prophet writes a poem in which he speaks of Cyrus as an instrument of Providence:

Who raised up a man of righteousness from the east and called him to His service,
He gave nations to him, he subdued kings, he reduced them to dust with his sword,
with his bow into straw carried by the wind?
He drives them away and calmly walks along the path where his foot has not gone before;
Who did and accomplished this? He who called the tribes from the beginning!

(Isaiah 41:2-4)

Realizing, probably, that the battle between Cyrus and Babylon is inevitable, the prophet decides to turn directly to the Persian king. At that time, prophecies emanating even from foreign seers were given great importance. Therefore, the word of the Jewish sage should have been not indifferent to Cyrus.

Just as before the messengers of Yahweh addressed the kings of Judea, so now Second Isaiah, on behalf of God, shows the way to the Persian. He even calls him “messiah,” the anointed one (in this case, this title in the mouth of the prophet simply means the monarch appointed by God):

Thus says Yahweh to His anointed Cyrus, whom He holds by the right hand,
To whom did He give the nations into power, for whom did He disarm the kings?
To whom did he open the gates so that the doors would never be closed?
I will go before you and level the roads, break the brass bars,
I girded you, although you did not know Me.
Let them know from east to west that I am the Existing One and there is no other!

(Is 45, 1-2, 5-6)

Cyrus was coming from that country about which amazing and joyful news was spreading: there the pagans are beginning to abandon their false gods! After the annexation of Bactria, the echo of the religious ferment that arose around the teachings of Spitama could reach Second Isaiah. Merchants from Iran often came to Babylon, and the prophet probably heard that people who rejected the old religion had appeared in the kingdom of Cyrus 16. On the possibility of Deutero-Isaiah’s acquaintance with the ideas of Zarathustra, see: L. Katsenelson. Avesta and the Bible.—“Jewish Encyclopedia”, vol. 1, p. 229. . This was supposed to inspire the preacher of universal Revelation. Is the time at hand when the nations will respond to Yahweh's call?

Turn to Me, all the ends of the earth, and you will find salvation!

(Is 45:22)

It is quite natural that the prophet cherished the hope that Cyrus himself would turn to the Lord and recognize in the Jewish Yahweh the God of the Universe, the God of humanity, not limited by either country or tribe.

With redoubled force, Second Isaiah now proclaims the Creator of the world, sometimes resorting to expressions reminiscent of the hymns of Zarathustra:

Raise your eyes to the heavens and see Who created them?
And Who brings out their armies in order?
He dwells above the circle of the earth, and those who inhabit it are like locusts,
He spread out the heavens like a covering, spread them out like a tent.

(Isaiah 40, 26, 22)

None of the biblical prophets returns with such insistence to the theme of peacemaking as Isaiah II. Sixteen times he uses the verb “bara” (to create)...

It seems that it is no coincidence that the prophet was already familiar with the Iranian doctrine of the two Spirits and wanted to establish pure monotheism as clearly as possible. It seems that he is arguing with someone when he speaks with frantic heat and passion that God does not have a “double.”

Thus says Yahweh, the King of Israel...
I am the first and I am the last, besides Me there is no God!..
And My hand laid the foundation of the earth, and My right hand stretched out the heavens...
I am Yahweh, and there is no other God besides Me!..
I am Yahweh, and there is no other!
I bring forth light and create darkness, create prosperity and create disaster.
I, Yahweh, do it all!

(Isa 44, 6; 48, 13; 45, 5, 7)

But in this case, the prophet makes God responsible for the world’s evil? Doesn't this sound blasphemous? Does not Zarathustra's theodicy seem more pious?

However, it should be clarified what Second Isaiah meant when he spoke of God creating “good” and “evil.” The words of the prophet contain an unconditional denial of any existential roots of evil. If “shalom”, prosperity, stems from God, then “ra”, disaster, is ultimately connected with Him, for it depends on what position a person occupies in relation to Being.

For a prophet, Yahweh is alpha and omega. “Shalom” is the result of life with God, and evil stems from human betrayal of Him. God is the source of life and good, therefore, away from Him, life becomes flawed, turning into “ra”, disaster. Thus, the prophet expresses the same idea that is contained in the story of the book of Eden and the first man who broke the Covenant.

Second Isaiah knows that God is opposed by evil forces. The only one of all the authors of the Bible, he directly speaks of the cosmic battle of the Creator with the monster of Chaos (Is 51:9; 27:1) 17. The text of Isaiah 27:1 is not included in the collection of speeches of Deutero-Isaiah, but in style and character it must be classified there. Read more about the meaning of this biblical symbol(the fight between the Chaos dragon and God) see: A. Men,“Magism and Monotheism”, application “The Bible and the doctrine of the Fall”. . But, unlike pagan myths, this dragon (Leviathan, or Rahab) is in the eyes of the prophet a symbol of the rebellious god-fighting forces in creation itself, forces that are given the freedom to be with God or to push away from Him.

The struggle of Chaos with God and the victory of the Creator over the Dragon is not a battle of “twins”, like in Zarathustra, but a triumph Kingdom of God over the evil will of the creature that perverted the ways of the Creator...

And yet, for the people of that time, and for many today, Zarathustra’s answer seemed more clear and understandable. With that greater strength an inner voice forced the biblical prophet to resist this temptation of falsely understood piety. Second Isaiah does not oppose the metaphysics of dualism with any speculative theodicy, for they are all fundamentally a product of the limited human mind. Not everything that is simple and clear to the intellect corresponds to a deep mystery. It is hardly possible to depict it in the form of a logical model.

The prophet knows about the closeness of God to man, knows from own experience about the possibility of a connection between them, but now he wants to talk about something else: about “kadosh,” the inscrutable immensity of the Creator.

Second Isaiah looks for images and words to convey this idea in concrete and colorful biblical language:

Who has exhausted the waters with his handful and measured the breadth of heaven with a span,
Has it contained the dust of the earth in measure, weighed the rocks and hills on scales—in the pan of scales?
Who comprehended the spirit of Yahweh and who gave Him advice? With whom did He consult to obtain wisdom?
Who showed Him the path of Truth or showed Him the path of knowledge?
Truly, nations are a drop in a vessel and a speck of dust in the balance,
verily He scatters the islands like grains of sand.

(Isaiah 40:12-15)

The earth and humanity, no matter how great and significant they are, are incomparable with the bottomless supercosmic mystery of the existence of God. Any quantity in the face of infinity is almost zero. The prophet wants to remind those who claim to know the hidden depths of this:

All nations are nothing before Him.
Lebanon is not enough for sacrifices to Him, and all its animals are not enough for burnt offerings.
To whom will you liken God and with whom will you compare Him?

(Isaiah 40:16-18)

In other words, the prophet sets the limit for the mind trying to grasp the mystery God's destinies. Painting a picture of the Universe with broad strokes, he leads listeners to the idea of ​​the incomprehensibility of the Supreme. This is the same thought that was expressed by the great poet-philosopher, captivated by the spectacle of the polar lights, when in response to the sages of this world he said: “Do you know the end of creation? Tell me, how great is the Creator?” Here Second Isaiah draws close to the mystics of all times and peoples who refused to give a verbal definition of God. If there is no such reverent approach to the divine Reality, it is inevitably replaced by idols and illusions. Admired humility, born of the panorama of the universe, is one of the sure paths to God. This amazement, better than the most ingenious metaphysics, leads to genuine contact with the supreme Reality of Existence.

Thus, we see that if the rebellion against the gods in Iran could cause joy and sympathy in the Israeli prophet, then he resisted the temptation to place a certain “twin” next to God with all the strength of his soul. For him, evil was measured by the distance that separates man from God. He resolutely rejected the claim of reason to accurately interpret the mystery of evil.

It is not known whether the prophecies of Second Isaiah reached Cyrus, and if they did, how he reacted to them 18. According to Josephus (Archaeology, XI, 1,1), the Book of the Prophet Isaiah was delivered to Cyrus. The reliability of this message is doubtful, but it should be noted that in those days it was customary to listen to foreign oracles. Thus, Croesus of Lydia sent to Delphi to inquire greek gods shortly before the war with Cyrus. Therefore, there is nothing incredible in the fact that Cyrus could favorably accept the Jewish prophecy that promised him victory. . Previously, it was thought that Cyrus accepted Zarathustrianism and therefore could see in Judaism - the enemy of polytheism - a teaching close to himself.

But now it can be considered established that Cyrus professed traditional Iranian paganism 19. J. Duchesne-Guillemin.. Zoroastre, b. 116. . His victories and happy reign inspired him with the idea of ​​​​special heavenly protection, and he, according to Herodotus, considered himself a person marked with the highest seal. Subsequently, in Babylon, he will say that the city was given to him by Marduk, and he will begin to address the Jews as a worshiper of Yahweh. He probably believed that any supreme Deity was worthy of veneration, and perhaps he saw in each of them only different forms of the “heavenly God.”

In any case, from the words of Second Isaiah it follows that Cyrus “did not know” Yahweh and that the prophet himself only hoped for his conversion.

But the time approached when Deuteronomy was able to test how well founded his hopes were. Soon after the annexation of Bactria, Cyrus's army marched on Babylon.

NOTES

Chapter Eighteen
THE PROPHET OF THE AVESTA AND THE PROPHET OF THE BIBLE

PROPHETS AND PROPHECY among the ancient Jews are known to us from all three sections of the Bible: the Pentateuch, the section of the Prophets of the Book and Scriptures.

The second section is divided into two collections of books: the so-called Early Prophets and the Later Prophets (for more details, see Books of the Prophets). This chronological division is also essential. The ancient or early prophets did not write books (although, according to Jewish religious tradition, the Pentateuch was written by Moses), and their stories, initially oral, were then incorporated into broader texts. The works of the Later Prophets are written; they were written down either by the prophets themselves or by their disciples and scribes (e.g. Jer. 36:4,18), and although these books sometimes also contain third-person biographical accounts (e.g. Is. 36–39; Jer. 26 et seq. ; Amos 7:10–17), such stories play a subordinate role. Only the book of Jonah is exceptional in its genre.

The institution of prophecy is based on the fundamental premise that, from generation to generation, God reveals His will through those whom He chooses for that purpose. A prophet is a charismatic person endowed with the gift of perceiving the Divine message and the ability to communicate this message to people. Being, as it were, the mouth of God, he does not choose his mission, but is chosen by God, often against his own wishes, in order to convey His will to his people, who are not always ready to heed it (Ex. 3:11). Therefore, prophecy is not a craft that can be mastered. On the other hand, in Jewish prophecy there is no desire for a mystical merger with God, there is no idea of ​​the spirit of God entering the prophet’s body, leading to trance, possession, etc.; cases of trance, however, are mentioned, but the content of the prophecies is not given (I Sam. 19:20–24). The prophet is chosen by God and feels obligated to convey His message to the people and force them to do His will, even if he himself does not agree with His decision. The Prophet is separated from his compatriots, and the heavy burden of his chosenness rests on him. He is before the face of the Lord and consecrated to His thoughts (Isa. 6; Jer. 23:18; Amos 3:7). He speaks when God commands him to speak (Amos 3:8), and must expound Divine revelation human language. The “Word of God,” not His “spirit,” is the fundamental source of prophecy. The “Spirit” can prepare the prophet to receive revelation, can create in him the necessary state of mind, but the revelation itself consists of the “word.” What makes him a prophet (as opposed to the elders, judges, Nazarenes and kings) is not the spirit, but the word that he hears and communicates to others. Although the prophet feels filled with the Divine word, he is able to react to this word, respond to it, and even enter into dialogue with God. The Prophet thus retains his personal freedom and individuality and imparts his own personal color to the Divine message flowing through his lips. Therefore, the style of the prophets is individual - their prophecies are always unique literary creations that reveal an individual artistic beginning. The life of a prophet is a struggle: he contemplates the world through the eyes of God, his role is to carry out God's will in life. He is not a philosopher or a theologian with knowledge of God, he is a mediator communicating the word of God to the people of the Covenant in order to shape it future history by changing its current position.

The Hebrew term navi ('prophet') is related to the Akkadian verb nabu - 'to speak', 'to call', 'to summon', and perhaps its literal meaning is 'called'. In the Bible, this term is first applied to Abraham, who is so named because he is an intercessor with God: “Now [Abimelech] return the wife [Sarah] to her husband [Abraham]: for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live ..." (Gen. 20:7). The origin of the prophecy, according to the book of Deuteronomy, is related to the events of the exodus. Since the Israelites were afraid of God’s direct address to them, they asked Moses: “Come and listen to everything that the Lord our God says to you, and tell us everything that the Lord our God says to you, and we will listen and do "(Deut. 5:27). Moses says: “I stood between the Lord and you at that time, to tell you the word of the Lord, for you were afraid of the fire and did not go up to the mountain” (Deut. 5:5). So Moses became a mediator between the Lord and His people, that is, a true prophet: God addresses him directly, “mouth to mouth, and openly, and not in fortune-telling” (Num. 12:6-8). It should be emphasized that the Bible categorically prohibits fortune telling in any form, since fortune telling, being based on the human art of penetrating into Divine secrets, is an unlawful means of discovering the will of God and is characteristic of idolaters and false prophets (Micah 3:6-7; Jer. 27:9; 29:8; Ex. 13:9, 23). However, the Bible allows for a number of ways in which God reveals His will other than prophecy: dreams (I Sam. 28:6), predictions through the Urim and Thummim (Ex. 28:30; Lev. 8:8, etc. ) and ephod (I Sam. 23:9). However, since the time of David, these methods are no longer mentioned, and the only recognized form of revelation becomes Divine revelation through His chosen prophets: “For the Lord God does nothing without revealing His secret to His servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7).

In the book of the Early Prophets, prophets are called joze (II Sam. 24:11, etc.) or rohe - “seer”, “seer” (for example, I Sam. 9:9, 11, 18–19; corresponds to the Akkadian bar), ish X a-Elo X them- `Man of God` (I Ts. 13:1, 17:18, 24; II Ts. 1:10; 4:7, 9, 21; 8:4, 8, 11; 13:19, etc.) and Finally, Navi is a term that is also regularly used in the book of the Later Prophets. The Bible reports: “... the one who is now called Navi was formerly called Rohe” (I Sam. 9:9). The next chapter also mentions “a host of prophets... and before them is a harp and a tympanum, and a pipe, and a harp, and they prophesy” (I Sam. 10:5, 10). The ecstatic state of the prophets of these groups is perhaps explained in Num. 11:16–25, which tells that the spirit of the Lord descended on 70 elders in the camp of the Israelites in Sinai, and “they began to prophesy, but then they stopped.” Another example of group prophecy is I Ts. 22:6. The individual ecstatic state of the prophesizing Elijah is described in I Ts. 18:42–46. An ecstatic state can be induced by external means, such as music (II C. 3:15, about Elisha; cf. I Sam. 10:5 and II Chron. 35:15), but ecstasy is always considered as a direct act of God laying His hand (poison) or sending down His spirit (ruach). It should be noted that “spirit” is not revelation itself, but only a psychological state that determines the receipt of revelation.

Along with such prominent prophets as Samuel, Nathan, Elijah and Elisha, the Bible names hundreds of other prophets. They often formed groups of "disciples [literally 'sons'] of the prophets" ( bnei X a-neviim). Some of them were married and had families and homes (II Ts. 4:1–7; I Ts. 13:15), although II Ts. 4:38 speaks of the prophets eating together. One such group was in Beth-El, another (50 people) in Jericho (II Ts. 2:3, 5, 7, 15). Elisha performed miracles for his group of 100 prophets at Gilgal (II C. 4:38–44); King Ahab asked 400 prophets (I Ts. 22:6), etc.

Prophets played an important role in social and political life, giving advice and foretelling the future in God's name (I C. 14:5; 22:8; II C. 3:4; 8:8; 22:13). For this they received payment in money, sometimes very insignificant (I Sam. 9:8), or in provisions (I Ts. 14:3). The prophets predicted even when they were not asked (I Ts. 11:29; 12:22). The Bible contains many examples of the influence of prophets on social and political life. So, Samuel chose Saul (I Sam. 9), and then David (I Sam. 16) as kings of Israel, Nathan branded David for his behavior towards Batsheba and her husband Uriah (II Sam. 12: 7–12) and prompted the king to recognize Solomon as heir to the throne (I Ts. 1:8-40). Ahijah prophesied both about the election of Jehoraham I as king of Israel and about the destruction of his house (I Ts. 11:29–39; 14:1–8; 15:29); another " man of god"Announced to this king the future birth of Josiah X y, who will destroy the altar at Beth-el (I Ts. 13:1-2). Shema'ya warned the Jewish king Reha'am against going against the kingdom of Israel (I Ts. 12:22-24), etc. The prophets played such an important role that some kings had court prophets. Thus, Nathan served David (II Sam. 7; I Ts. 1:8) and Gad (I Sam. 22:5; II Sam. 24:11; I Chron. 21:9; 29:29; II Chron. 29 :25), as well as the sons of Asaph, Heyman and Jeduthun, who “pronounced on harps, harps and cymbals” (I Chron. 25:1; II Chron. 29:30; 35:15). Nathan and Ahijah compiled the chronicles of the “acts of Solomon” (II Chron. 9:29), and Iddo and Shma’iyah compiled the “acts of Reha’am” (II Chron. 12:15).

The early prophets were both seers and predictors of the future. For example, Ahijah predicted the fall of the house of Jehor'am I and the death of his son (I Ts. 14:6), Elijah - a drought (I Ts. 17:1) and the death of King Ahaziah (II Ts. 1:4), Elisha - a seven-year-old famine (II Ts. 8:1), etc. The groups of prophets at Beth-el and Jericho knew the day on which God intended to take Elijah into heaven (II Ts. 2:3); Elisha knew the whereabouts of the enemy (II Ts. 6:9) and even heard conversations in his camp (II Ts. 6:12). Some prophets also had visions (I Ts. 22:19; II Ts. 6:17). The prophets not only predicted the future, but also performed certain symbolic actions that were supposed to dramatize and concretize their words. So, Ahijah tore his robe into 12 pieces and ordered Johor to take 10 pieces, for “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: Behold, I am tearing the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and I am giving you ten tribes...” (I C. 31 ; see Tribes of Israel). The prophets were also miracle workers, especially Elijah and Elisha (I Ts. 17:8, 17–24; 18; II Ts. 2:11, 13–14; 4:1–8, etc.).

In the vast majority of cases where prophets intervened in public affairs, made predictions, revealed things hidden from the eyes of others, performed symbolic actions and performed miracles, they claimed to be acting in the name of God and according to His will. The activity of the prophets was not associated with an appeal to any supernatural forces and, as they believed, did not stem from their innate abilities - only God's will guided them and made them speak. Sometimes prophets were persecuted. For example, King Ahab allowed Jezebel to pursue Elijah (I C. 17), etc.

Prophecy was widespread in the ancient Near East (see also Balaam). Interesting material for comparison is provided by the cuneiform archives of Mari, which mention charismatic personalities who suddenly appeared at court and spoke messages on behalf of one or another god. Apparently, in Mari there were also court prophets, as well as prophetesses, who can be compared with the biblical prophetesses - Hulda (II Ts. 22:14), Noadiah (Neh. 6:14) and Miriam (Ex. 15:20). The formula with which the prophets in Mari opened their prophecies - “Thus he [god] spoke to me”, “God [follows the name of god] sent me” - is similar to the biblical one (for example, Exodus 7:16; Jeremiah 26:12 ). However, along with the similarities, there are a number of fundamental differences. The prophets in Mari do not make social or ethical demands; they address themselves exclusively to the king, seeking first of all to draw his attention to the cult of the god on whose behalf the prophet speaks; prophecy does not have a religious ideology behind it, like the Jewish prophets; the words of the prophet are not necessarily understood as absolute truth or an immutable guide to action, and the prophet himself - as a true messenger of God. Finally, prophecy in Mari does not form a stable prophetic tradition, created over several centuries, aimed at educating the people and morally guiding them.

The later prophets saw themselves as continuers of the prophetic tradition dating back to Moses, but contemporary historical conditions forced them to develop new ideological guidelines, which distinguishes them from their predecessors - the Early prophets. About three centuries of activity of the Later Prophets are characterized by two historical catastrophes - the fall Kingdom of Israel(722 BC) and the destruction of Jerusalem (587/6 BC). The first of the prophets of this galaxy appear several decades before the first event, the last acted approximately a century after the second event. Throughout the period, three powers consistently dominate the historical arena - Assyria (see Mesopotamia), Babylonia and Persia (see Iran). If in the era of the Early Prophets the historical and political concept was of a local nature (the enemies of Israel in those days - Ammon, Moab, Edom, the Philistines and Arameans - did not pose a serious threat to it), then in the era of the Late Prophets, when world empires were formed, the Jewish prophets begin to see the God of Israel as the guiding force of world history. Although His focus was always on the people of Israel, their religious, moral and social behavior, the prophets were to explain to the people the causes of historical disasters and instill hope for future deliverance.

Prophecy formed a new literary genre (Isa. 6; 40:6-8; Jer. 1:4-19; 15:19-21; Ech. 1-3), which was based on the motives outlined in the descriptions of the mission assigned by God on Moses (Ex. 3:11; 4:10, etc.). The mission of a prophet, often rejected by the people, is a very complex emotional state (Isa. 21:3–4; Jer. 4:19; 6:11; 15:17; Hab. 3:16); the life of such a chosen one is lonely and bitter (Jer. 15:17). Foreshadowing disasters for their people, the prophets experienced their prophecies with difficulty (Isa. 6:11; 22:4; Jer. 8:23, etc.). Tragic fate prompted many prophets to turn with reproaches to God, who chose them to such a fate (Jer. 14:9; 15:18–20, etc.). But a prophet is not only a harbinger of an impending disaster, he is also an intercessor before God, he tries through prayer to turn away the impending disaster from his people (Jer. 14:11, 13, etc.; Amos 7:1–3, 4–6; cf. Isa. 37:2; II Ts. 37:3; 22:30-31).

The prophets saw historical events finger of God - God reveals Himself in historical events and addresses all humanity (for example, Isa. 13:23; Jer. 27:2; 28:8; 45–51; Ech. 25–32; Amos 1:3–2: 3; 9:7; Nachum 3), but only Israel is bound to Him by the bonds of the Covenant: “I have recognized you alone from all the tribes of the earth, therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities” (Amos 3:2). Israel's chosenness does not guarantee God's continued favor and protection, and some prophets strongly opposed the popular concept of Israel's invulnerability (eg, Isa. 28:15; Jer. 5:12; Amos 5:14). Chosenness does not mean invulnerability, but the highest degree of responsibility. Therefore, one of the features of the Later Prophets is an irreconcilable struggle against the moral and social vices of Israel. Any vice indicated that Israel had “forgotten God,” and this must be followed by inevitable punishment (for example, Isa. 3:14–24; 5:8, 11–12, 18–19, etc.; Jer. 5:26; 7:9, etc.; Ech. 22, etc.; X osh. 1:7; 4:2, 6, 11–13; 6:8–10, etc.; Amos 2:6–8; 3:10–11; 4:1, etc.; Micah 3:1–3, 11; Tzfan. 1:12).

A new concept of ritual in relation to morality has also emerged: the essence of the Divine requirement for man lies not in the cult, but in the moral and ethical sphere. In the Pentateuch and in the books of the Early Prophets there is no clear distinction between cultic and moral injunctions - both types of injunctions are equally important and equally necessary for the preservation of the Jewish people. However, the Later Prophets emphasize the priority of morality (Isa. 1:11–17; 66:1; Jer. 6:20; 7:21–23; 14:12; X osh. 6:6; Amos 5:21–25; Micah 6:6–8). What has been said should be understood not as opposition to the temple service (see Temple), but only as opposition to the absolutization of the cult. Worship and ritual are the means by which a person can bring himself closer to God, that is, strive for true goals - justice and righteousness. If a cult becomes a substitute for moral behavior, it should be condemned. Genuine faith is not identical to formal ritual and cannot be limited to only holidays. Therefore, the practice of worship by a person whose moral behavior is not impeccable is an offense to God. This position of the Later Prophets repeatedly led to conflict between them and the priestly circles (Amos 7:10–13; Jer. 7:20; 26). The later prophets not only attached decisive importance to morality, but viewed it as a determining factor in the national destiny of Israel. The prophets insisted that Israel turn to God in order to preserve its very existence (Amos 5:4, 14), demanded piety and loyalty from the people to the Covenant between God and Israel, and threatened violators with punishment and the fulfillment of the curses of the Covenant. However, reproaches and righteous anger were not an end in themselves for the prophets, but only a means to awaken the people from moral slumber and lead them to repentance. The purpose of their prophecies about the impending Divine punishment was precisely to save Israel from punishment, forcing it to repent of its sins and change its way of life. The prophets were not always ready to consider the Divine verdict as final, hoping in their prayers that the repentance of Israel could avert punishment (for example, Joel 2:14; Amos 5:15; Tzphan. 2:3, etc.). On the other hand, the prophets often recognized the futility of reproaches (for example, Amos 4:6-11; Isa. 1:5; 9:12; Jer. 2:35; 5:3), the ineradicable stiffness of the neck and hardness of the people (Jer. 5: 21; Isa. 42:18-20; 46:12; But if people are not able to completely turn their hearts to God, then God will do it himself. Since people have violated ancient testament between Israel and God, and His warnings and threats had no effect, He would put His will directly into men's hearts, thus changing the very nature of man. People's hearts will come to life and their entire being will be filled with the "knowledge of God." People will no longer be able to resist His will and reject His teaching. This New Testament will be indestructible and will be a sign of complete deliverance (Isa. 55:3; Jer. 24:7; 31:30–33, etc.; Ech. 16:60; 34:25, etc.). That part of Israel that remains alive (for example, Isa. 4:3–4; 10:20–21; Jer. 31:31–40; Amos 9:8; Micah 7:8; Zephan. 2:3, 9 ) after the “day of the Lord”, will live in peace, without experiencing oppression, injustice and war (for example, Isa. 2:1–5; 10:27; 11:1–9; 60:5–16; 61:4– 9; X osh. 2:21; Micah 4:3–4). This will be the age when the Glory of the Lord will be revealed to all mankind (Isa. 40:5), and all nations, having rejected idolatry, will recognize and honor only the God of Israel (Isa. 19:18-25; 45:22; Jer. 3:17 ; 12:16; Micah 2:14; Zechariah 2:15; Jerusalem will become the spiritual center of the whole world (Isa. 2:2), from where God's instructions to all mankind will come (Isa. 2:3; 51:4). Israel will be a prophetic nation (Isaiah 49:2–3; 51:16; 59:21), spreading the teachings of God among people (Isaiah 42:1–4), becoming “the light of the nations” (Isaiah 42:6; 49 :6) and “bringing the blessing of God to all the ends of the earth” (Isa. 45:22–24). So one more distinctive feature The later prophets exhibit a universalism that was only hinted at in the early prophets (cf. I Ts. 5:15; 19:15; 20:28).

However, despite the differences, it would be too schematic to characterize the activities of the Early prophets as glorious deeds and miracles with frequent interference in the affairs of the state, and the speeches of the Later prophets as almost pure prophetic speeches. As can be seen from a number of examples, both had a number of similar features.

In the Talmud, the concept of prophecy is based on two basic principles. First, Moses is regarded as the greatest of the prophets. None of the subsequent prophets knew the essence of God to such an extent and no one was in such close communication with Him; Thus, it is said about Moses that only he alone saw God as in a pure mirror, while the other prophets saw Him as in a distorted mirror (Jev. 49b). Next after Moses is considered Isaiah, about whom, in particular, it is said that only Moses and he “knew that they were prophesying” (Med. Ps. 91:1), and therefore these two are “the greatest of the prophets” (Deut. R .2:4). Isaiah has more prophecies than any other prophet, he addressed not only Israel, but also all mankind (Psi. R. 34:158a). Echezkel, when he was given the opportunity to see the Divine essence, looked at it like “a villager looks at the face of a king,” while Isaiah looked at Him like “a city dweller looks at a king” (Chag. 13b). The second principle follows from the first and is that prophets are not considered reformers or updaters of doctrine. Their function is limited only to the presentation and explanation of what is said in the Pentateuch (Shab. 104a; Meg. T. 14a). Therefore, teachers of the law see in the prophets only the guardians and disseminators of the Mosaic Torah, the heirs of His X Hoshua bin Nun and the predecessors of the teachers of the Great Council. Therefore, as a rule, those statements of the prophets that do not find justification in the Pentateuch cannot serve as the basis of Halacha.

According to the rabbinic point of view, the number of prophets was enormous - “twice the number of Israelites who came out of Egypt” (Suk. 27b), but only those prophecies were written down that served as instruction for future generations. All these prophets spoke exclusively of the days of the Messiah (Br. 34b). Rabbinic tradition views the Haggai, Zechariah, and Mal'achi as last prophets, with whose death the prophecy disappeared from Israel (Tosef., Sotah 13:2; Sotah 48b; Yoma 9b; San X. 11a), how the era of the Second Temple differed from the time of the First Temple (TI., Ta'an 2:1, 65a; Yoma 21b). The same tradition is given by Josephus (Apion 1:39–41).

KEE, volume: 6.
Col.: 817–826.
Published: 1992.

In 605 BC. The Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem for the first time. He took with him into captivity the Jewish king Joachim and many noble residents of the city into Babylonia, and also took away some of the vessels from the Temple of Jerusalem. The Holy Prophet Daniel, who was only 8 years old at that time, was also sent to Babylon along with three companions of noble birth. There the boys had to be taught the books and language of the Chaldeans by the chief of the eunuchs, in order to then serve at the royal court. All four were given new names: Daniel became Belshazzar, Hananiah became Shadrach, Mishael became Meshach, and Azariah became Abednego. Living in a pagan environment, Daniel nevertheless strictly observed all the requirements of the Law. He refused to eat the food that was served to him from the royal table, strengthening himself with fasting and prayer. At the same time, he himself and his comrades, whose only food was vegetables and water, looked healthier and stronger than the other youths who ate the royal food. The Lord endowed four pious youths with such great wisdom and the understanding that they soon surpassed all the sages and magicians of the Babylonian kingdom. In addition, Daniel received from God the gift of interpreting dreams and visions.

After three years, King Nebuchadnezzar saw a dream that greatly disturbed his soul. Since the Babylonian sages and soothsayers were unable to explain its meaning, he ordered them all, including the young Israelites, to be put to death. Then, through the prayer of Daniel and his comrades, the Lord revealed to him the secret of the royal dream. The huge shining statue, seen by the king in a dream, meant future times: his golden head symbolized the Chaldean kingdom, silver hands and the chest - the kingdoms of the Medes and Persians, which should come to replace him, the copper thighs and belly - the power of Alexander the Great, and the iron legs - the Roman Empire. The stone, without any action of human hands, tore away from the mountain and crushed this great image into dust, was a prototype of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord incarnated at the end of time in order to bring to earth the eternal Heavenly Kingdom, which no one will be able to destroy - His Holy Church.

Having thanked the Lord, Nebuchadnezzar made Daniel governor of Babylonia and placed him over all the wise men of his kingdom. At Daniel’s request, three of his comrades were put in charge of the country of Babylon, but he himself remained at the king’s court.

The authority of the holy prophet increased even more in the eyes of the king and all the people after he was able to expose the lies of two wicked elders who accused the beautiful Jewish woman Susanna of adultery because she had rejected them (see: Dan. 13).

In the eighteenth year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar ordered that a golden image be erected in his image and ordered all satraps, governors, judges and other officials, as soon as the solemn music began to play, to prostrate before the image and bow to it. Unafraid of the formidable tyrant, three Jewish youths refused to carry out the wicked decree, since they considered it worthy to worship only the true God. The Chaldean officials, who were jealous of their high position, were not slow to report this to the king.

Hearing about such disobedience, Nebuchadnezzar became furious and ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than usual and the disobedient people thrown into it. From the furnace flames, Saints Ananias, Azariah and Mishael offered up a humble prayer to the Lord on behalf of the entire people of Israel, confessing the sins of their fathers and recognizing that they deservedly and justly endured exile from their land, the cruelty of a wicked king and the trial of fire. Then, through the prayer of the holy youths, an Angel from heaven descended into the oven and extinguished the flame that was blazing in it. The fire, coming out of the oven, scorched the royal servants standing nearby, while cool dew and a damp wind descended on those in the oven.

The saints began to dance for joy, singing a song of thanksgiving to the Lord God of Israel. Glorifying holy name Lord, they called upon all creation with them to “sing and exalt Him to all ages” (see: Dan. 3): angels, heavens, elements and natural phenomena, earth, waters and mountains, animals and sons of men, and even the souls of the departed the righteous. Having thus enumerated all the creatures of God, they only then named themselves as the smallest and humblest:

“Bless the Lord, Hananiah, Azariah and Mishael, sing praises and exalt Him forever; for He brought us out of hell, and saved us from the hand of death, and delivered us from the midst of the furnace of burning fire, and delivered us from the midst of the fire” (Dan. 3).

Performing a round dance around the Angel with these words, they symbolically led all creation to the worship of the Word of God, who became incarnate and came to earth, like an Angel descending into the oven, in order to save everyone. King Nebuchadnezzar himself, approaching the stove, saw and recognized him, uttering words that foreshadowed the conversion of the pagan peoples: “Behold, I see four unbound men walking in the midst of the fire, and there is no harm to them; and the appearance of the fourth is like the son of God” (Dan. 3:25).

Having commanded the saints to come out of the oven, the king, together with all his people, saw that the fire had no power over them and not a single trace remained of the flame, not even the smell of fire. Having then glorified the Lord, Nebuchadnezzar returned the saints Ananias, Azariah and Mishael to their high position and commanded from now on to put to death anyone who dares to blaspheme the God of Israel.

That same year, Nebuchadnezzar saw in a dream another frightening vision, which Daniel alone, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, was able to interpret to him and which actually came true twelve months later. The powerful king, proud of the greatness of his power, was punished by the Lord and fell, like a huge tree he saw in a dream, he fell down: he lost his mind and was deprived of his kingdom. Expelled from among people, he wandered under open air and he lived among the beasts of the field until he glorified God. Finally, having humbled himself, repented of sin and offered a prayer to the Lord, Nebuchadnezzar was returned to the kingdom for seven years.

After the death of Nebuchadnezzar and the palace turmoil that followed, Belshazzar ascended the royal throne. One day, during a feast, he gave his guests drink from sacred vessels taken from the Temple of Jerusalem. While the royal table diners drank to the glory of the false gods, suddenly a hand appeared in front of them, inscribing a mysterious inscription on the wall, which plunged the king and all those present into horror. And again, the only person who was able to unravel the meaning of the sign was the prophet Daniel, who predicted to Belshazzar the imminent end of his reign. That same night, the king of the Chaldeans was killed, and his power came under the rule of Darius the Mede (see: Dan 5: 30–31).

The new ruler appointed Daniel as chief of the satraps of his kingdom, since he surpassed in wisdom and understanding all the nobles from among the Persians and Medes. Out of envy of Daniel, the latter began to look for a reason to accuse him of something before the king, but they could not find it. Then, knowing about Daniel’s piety, they advised Darius to issue a decree prohibiting, on pain of death, for 30 days, making a request to any person or god other than the king himself. But even after this decree, the holy prophet, who revered the Law and filled with love for God, still continued to pray three times a day, turning his face to Jerusalem, and did not hide his prayers from the people.

When this was reported to Darius, he, sympathizing with Daniel in his soul and admiring his piety, was nevertheless forced to fulfill the law and, reluctantly, ordered his beloved servant to be thrown into the den of lions. However, the Lord interceded for the prophet and sent an angel to help Daniel, who tamed the fury of the beasts. When, at dawn, the king, tormented by anxiety and consciousness of his guilt, ordered the stone that blocked the opening of the ditch to be rolled away, he, to his amazement, saw Daniel alive and unharmed, sitting in the midst of ferocious predators, meekly frolicking around the holy man, while he himself, like the new Adam, he stroked their manes. Then Darius ordered Daniel to be released and returned to him all his previous honors, and ordered his slanderers to be thrown into the same ditch among the same lions.

The holy prophet Daniel was not afraid to speak directly to the king about the falsity of idolatry and denounced the priests of the god Bel (otherwise Vila). They went at night along an underground passage to his statue and ate the sacrificial offerings left there by people, so that they would believe that their god was alive and was eating everything that was brought to him. Without resorting to weapons, Daniel killed the dragon, which the inhabitants of Babylon also revered as a god, in order to show everyone how absurd it was to worship an unreasonable creature. The Chaldeans, overwhelmed with rage, demanded that the king punish Daniel, after which he was thrown into the lions’ den a second time, but again remained unharmed. In this prison he was visited by the prophet Habakkuk, who, by the miraculous providence of God, was transported there by an angel straight from Judea and delivered food to Daniel (see: Dan. 14).

Besides many other miraculous signs, great prophet God received a revelation from the Lord about the end times and the end of the world. In the first year of Belshazzar's reign, Daniel saw in a vision one after another four huge beasts, symbolizing the great pagan kingdoms that had swallowed up many people. The first beast, which resembled a lion with eagle wings, represented the image of the Babylonian power; the second, similar to a bear, represented the Median kingdom; followed by a leopard - a symbol of the Persian Empire; and finally, a fourth beast appeared, crowned with ten horns, a prototype of the power of Alexander the Great and his heirs.

Behind these allegorical images of the Book of the Prophet Daniel, which were continued in the Revelation of St. John the Theologian, predictions about the end of times are hidden in a veiled form. When the untruth in the world reaches its extreme and humanity is mired in the abyss of wars, coups and strife - symbolized by the ten kingdoms generated by the Greco-Roman civilization - then the Antichrist will rise - a man similar in malice and deceit to Satan himself, who, with the help of false words and of imaginary miracles will pretend to be the true God and seek worship from people.

Mysteriously transported in spirit to these last times, the prophet Daniel saw in front of him the throne of God, like a flaming fire, and God the Father sitting on it in the guise of the Ancient of Days, an old man with snow-white hair, dressed in white robes, who is preparing to open the book of every person’s conscience and carry out the final judgment on the affairs of this world. And now the Son of Man, in whom we recognize our Lord Jesus Christ, having defeated the Antichrist in the decisive battle and cast him into unquenchable fire, is brought by angels to the throne of the Father to receive from Him power, glory and an eternal kingdom over all peoples, tribes and languages, in heaven, on earth and under the earth. Thus it will be testified before the face of all creation that He is the Lord, the Son of God and the Firstborn, begotten before all times, the One who restored fallen human nature, becoming the Firstborn among the dead, and Himself became the prototype of the general resurrection and our entry into eternal heavenly glory ( see: Dan. 7).

In subsequent prophetic visions, God revealed to Daniel other future events, including the tyrannical rule of Antiochus Epiphanes, the forerunner of the Antichrist, who stopped sacrifices in the Temple of the Most High God and installed the abomination of desolation in this holy place (Dan. 9: 27; 11: 31). Taught by the Archangel Gabriel himself, the holy prophet Daniel predicted that the people of God would return to Jerusalem after seven weeks, that is, 49 years. He also foretold that Ezra, Joshua and Zerubbabel would lead their people out of captivity and restore service to the Lord in the Temple of Jerusalem (see: Ezra 3:8). This will be a foreshadowing of the redemption of the entire human race by the Messiah-Christ, which should occur after another 62 weeks, or 434 years.

In the third year of King Cyrus of Persia, Daniel, pre-chosen by the Lord, fasting and praying for three weeks, was honored to see God the Word himself in the guise of a man dressed in linen clothing, girded with gold from Uphaz: “His body is like topaz, his face is like the appearance of lightning: his eyes are like burning lamps, his hands and feet are like shining brass in appearance, and the voice of his speech is like the voice of a multitude” (Dan. 10: 5-6). Struck by this great vision, the holy prophet fell face down on the ground, and his soul was ready to part with his body, but the Angel of the Lord encouraged and strengthened him, and then told about events that were going to happen in future times: about the wars between the successors of Alexander the Great, about the persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes, as well as about those final trials that the righteous, whose names are inscribed in the book of life, will have to endure during the coming of the Antichrist. In the Book of the Prophet Daniel, with the greatest clarity among all the prophets, the Divine revelation is attested that on the last day “many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awaken, some to eternal life, others to everlasting reproach and shame” (Dan. 12: 2), and the resurrected righteous will then be illuminated with a radiance of glory, like the heavenly bodies. To the question of when exactly all this should happen, the Lord in the guise of an Angel answered: “Go, Daniel; for these words are hidden and sealed until the time of the end. Many will be purified, made white, and refined... But you go to your end, and you will rest, and you will rise to receive your lot at the end of days” (Dan. 12: 9-13).

According to the word of the Lord, the holy prophet Daniel rested in peace, more than 80 years old, in the second year after the return of the Jewish people to the Promised Land, around 534-530 BC. The three Jewish youths were also honored with a peaceful death and, as the legend says, together with Daniel and many other departed righteous people, they resurrected and came out of their graves after the crucifixion of Christ (cf. Matt. 27: 52–53).

These two hymns, which make up the 7th and 8th songs of the Matins canon, had big influence on Byzantine hymnography.

562 BC

548–539 BC

Belshazzar was the son of King Nabonidus (556–539). Simultaneously with his death (in October 539), Babylon was captured by Cyrus, king of the Persians and Medes, thus putting an end to the New Babylonian (Chaldean) kingdom. Darius the Mede, mentioned in the Book of Daniel, is not known from any other sources. This character must have arisen as a result of a confusion of the names of King Cyrus and Darius I (521–486), who reigned shortly after him.

Its ten horns symbolized the kings of the Seleucid dynasty, and the small horn that then emerged, tearing out three large ones and performing great miracles in order to mislead the nations and rebel against the Lord, signified the reign of King Antiochus Epiphanes.

175–164

This revelation was received by Daniel in the 21st year of the Babylonian captivity (21 + 49 = 70 years of exile).

In the Greek text, this place is conveyed by the words “man of desires” (Dan. 9: 23; 10: 11), which gave the holy fathers the basis to portray Daniel as a man whose whole being is enveloped in fiery love for God, transforming all his desires and aspirations into a single spiritual impulse.

In the prophet Daniel, the expression “Angel of the Lord” denotes God the Word himself, the coming mystery of whose incarnation was still partly shrouded in secrecy.

According to other sources, supported by iconographic tradition, for example the Minology of Basil II (cod. Vat. Grec 1613, fol. 252), they were beheaded.

Scorpion