Zoroaster and the Worship of Fire
By Manly P. Hall
(First Published in The All-Seeing Eye, Vol. IV, No. 6, October, 1927)
The Prophet of the Parsis is Zarathustra, more commonly known as Zoroaster, concerning whose life practically nothing is known to the modern member of that faith. It is generally believed that Zoroaster lived between three and four thousand years ago and the religion founded by him exercised a most profound influence over the people of Persia up to the time of the Greek conquest of that country. It then began to wane, but in the first centuries of Christianity it was re-established and continued a power in the religious world for nearly five hundred years. From that time on the number of its followers steadily decreased, until today it is listed with the minor cults. In various parts of India there are still a number of Parsis, many of them occupying positions of dignity and power. They are particularly numerous in and about Bombay. The Mohammedans destroyed most of their early sacred books and the faith of Islam has to a great extent superseded the Persian cult even in the land of its own genesis.
The original Zoroastrian doctrines were somewhat modified during the first centuries of the Christian Era and a simplified form of the faith under the name of the Mithraic Mysteries secured a very strong foothold in the then all-powerful Roman Empire. The Mithraic doctrines became extremely popular with the Roman soldiery, great numbers of whom were converted to its principles. The Roman soldiers carried the Mithraic faith with them in their wars of conquest and as a result a great part of Europe accepted the teachings expounded by the Mithraic priests. Even today remnants of Mithraic carvings may be found in England, France, Germany, and Italy.
The original Zoroastrian doctrines were somewhat modified during the first centuries of the Christian Era and a simplified form of the faith under the name of the Mithraic Mysteries secured a very strong foothold in the then all-powerful Roman Empire. The Mithraic doctrines became extremely popular with the Roman soldiery, great numbers of whom were converted to its principles. The Roman soldiers carried the Mithraic faith with them in their wars of conquest and as a result a great part of Europe accepted the teachings expounded by the Mithraic priests. Even today remnants of Mithraic carvings may be found in England, France, Germany, and Italy.
Nothing comes from nothing. Manly Hall’s vision for the All-Seeing Eye was entirely supported by contributions from its readers who paid for their subscription with gifts made according to their means. Manly Hall wrote,
“This magazine is published and distributed privately to those who make possible with their financial support its publication. The magazine cannot be bought and has no fixed value. Like all of the ancient teachings which it seeks to promulgate, it has no comparative value, but the students must support it for its own intrinsic merit.”
