Fire Worshipers

those who worship fire, especially the followers of Zoroaster in Persia and the Parsees in India. The ancient religion of Iran or Persia recognized a single god, a being who created and ruled the universe. Its followers venerated the sun as the emblem of deity, and fire as the representative of the sun on earth. A sacred fire was kept burning continually, watched and tended with incessant care lest it be extinguished. It is believed that the fire has burned for centuries and is still burning. This religion of ancient Persia was of a purer and higher type than that of other ancient nations. In the course of time it degenerated. Fire, which was but a symbol originally, came to be regarded as a deity in itself. The sun, moon, and stars were worshiped. Many strange beliefs were prevalent, and many strange rites instituted. Then Zoroaster claimed to have received direct revelations from Ormazd, the god of all good. The Zend-Avesta is a book containing his teachings, which are in large degree ennobling. The exact time of Zoroaster's life is unknown. Scholars place him from one to five centuries before Christ. In 641 A. D. Persia was conquered by the Caliph Omar and converted to Mohammedanism by the sword. A part of the followers of Zoroaster fled to India and there preserve their former faith. They are called Parsees. Others remained loyal at home in Persia. They have suffered persecution at the hands of the Mohammedans. They are called Guebres and are now allowed religious freedom. Together, the Guebres and the Parsees are estimated to number about 150,000. They are a highly respectable class, in many instances ranking among the wealthy and most intelligent citizens. They still regard fire as sacred; but scholars claim that, at least among the more intelligent, it is not worshiped, but regarded as an emblem of divinity. Among the more ignorant it is probably itself defied. See Parsees; Zoroaster; Bombay