Page:History of Zoroastrianism.djvu/458

supreme will be practised by mankind more and more as the world slowly moves towards perfection during this aeon. Twothirds of the people of Iran, according to the Pahlavi texts, will turn out righteous.^[1] The wisdom of the religion will constantly increase,^[2] the poverty of the people and the slaughter of cattle will decrease,^[3] as he is the benefactor that will help to remove the wickedness of the wolfish nature in mankind.^[4]

The millennium of Hoshedar-mah. A maiden named Shapir-abu is destined to approach the waters and conceive thereby, again through the second seed of Zaratusht. The virgin who has never approached man gives birth to a child who is named Hoshedar-mah, an imperfect rendering of the Avestan Ukhshyat-nemangh,^[5] who confers with Ormazd.^[6] At the age of thirty years he announces his advent by making the sun to stand still for twenty days and twenty nights.^[7] His benign presence and Messianic power, it is destined, will destroy the wicked product of every serpentine and monster engendure.^[8] Mankind greatly advances toward the realization of the final goal of perfection during this millennium. Cattle give milk in great quantities. In connection with this millennial view, it may be added, from the Pahlavi texts of this later period, that the small cattle which give milk will give milk then in redoubled quantity, and a cow will give as much milk as could be used by a thousand men. Hunger and thirst decrease, as the world reaches nearer to its perfection. A single meal will be sufficient to satisfy a man for three days.^[9] Mankind will furthermore become so versed in the art of healing, and in the science of physical culture, that they will be able to withstand disease and death more successfully.^[10] Humility, peace, and liberality will be now and forever more zealously practised by men.^[11]

The millennium of Soshyos. The world, according to the Pahlavi texts, which carry onward the ideal teachings of Zara-