MAGI, or Magians. The Magi of Persia are the Worshippers of Fire, and Disciples of Zoroaster, whom they confound with Abraham. They have three Books, which contain the whole of their Religion1. The Names of these Books are Zend, Pazend, and Abesta. They ascribe them to Abraham, and Abesta is a Commentary upon the other two. The Tradition of the Magi is, that Abraham read Books in the Midst of the Furnace, in which Nimrod had ordered him to be thrown. After their Master Zoroaster, the Magi maintain that there are two Principles in the World; one of good, which they call Oromazd, and the other of evil, named Aherman. They worship Fire in Temples called Atesch-kanah, or Ateschkade, that is to say, the House of Fire, where they take great Care to keep in the Fire. There was formerly a great Number of these Buildings upon the Mountain Alborz, in the Province of Adherbigran; which is Media. To Fire they give the Name of Bab, that is to say, Part, because they acknowledge this Element as the Principle of all Things, which System among the Greeks was embraced by Anaxagoras.
The Magi observe a mysterious Silence, when they wash or eat, having first said certain Words2. This Silence, which they never break, makes a Part of their Religion. Pythagoras very likely might imitate this Silence of the Magi, as well as the Reverence for Fire, which he inculcated to his Disciples. To every Month of the Year, to every Day, and also to every Star, to the Mountains, Mines, Waters, Trees, they ascribe particular Genii, or some of those Angels who were created before Man, and fell into Infidelity and Disobedience, and therefore were confined to what they call the Countrey of Genii, not unlike to what is meant by the Land of the Fairies. We shall say something more of the Magi under the Article ZOROASTER. It may however be observed here, that the three Books before mentioned, and which the Guebres or Fire-worshippers impute to Abraham, but which really belong to Ibrahim Zerdoust, otherwise called Zoroaster by the Grecians; these Books, I say, are very rare and unknown, because the Guebres keep them religiously secret among themselves, and never communicate them to Strangers. They are written in the antient Persian Language, and have not been yet seen in Europe3.
‘Tis pretended the Word Magi signifies a Man whose Ears are cut off. And indeed in the Language then in Use in Persia, Mige -gusch had that Signification, at the Time that the false Smerdis, who was one of the Magi, usurped the Throne of Cyrus. ‘Tis known this Usurper had no Ears, and ‘twas by this Token he was discovered by the Daughter of Ozanes, one of the Grandees of Persia. The Magi went by another Name before, and their Reputation was very great in Persia; but it was diminished very much by this Accident of Smerdis.
Tho’ these Philosophers maintained two Principles in Nature, one good and the other evil4; the first being represented by Light, and the other by Darkness; both owned as Gods, and addressed to by them with Prayers and Adorations; yet they were divided in their Opinions, because some thought both to be from all Eternity, and others maintained that only the good Principle was eternal, and the evil one was created: In like Manner as we believe, that the Devil is a Creature, who is fallen from his original Purity and Perfection.
They also agree, that these two Principles are in continual Opposition to each other, which is to continue to the End of the World, when the good Principle will have the upper Hand. After which each will have his own World; that is, the Good, with all good People about him, will reign in his World; and the bad one, with all the wicked People, will likewise govern in his World. The Magi gave divine Honours to Light, to the Sun, to the consecrated Fire in their Temples, and even to the Fire in their Houses, before which they performed all the Acts of their Religion.
On the contrary they had Darkness in the greatest Horror, which they held as the Symbol of the evil Principle, and which they hated as we do the Devil. In their Writings, when they found the Name Aberman, or that of the evil Principle, they writ it backwards; and when Xerxes heard that the Athenians had banished Themistocles5, he directed his Prayer to this evil Deity, and not to Oromazdes, or the good God, beseeching him to inspire his Enemies always with that Resolution, of driving out all brave Men from among them.
Such were the antient Magi of the Persians, and such are still the Guebres, or Worshippers of Fire, among the Persians and Indians; which probably are the same as those intended by Saint Matthew, by the Word Magi.
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