A source-book of ancient history - The Search For Mecca

The dead and
the living
must not pass
the same
way.
In practice,
spots on the
face of a dog
were considered
eyes.
The Drug
Nasu was
a demon representing
the
impurity of
death.
64 The Median and Persian Empires
breach in the wall of the house, and they shall call for two
men, strong and skilful, and those having stripped their
clothing off, shall take the body to the building of clay,
stones, and mortar, raised on a place where they know
there are always corpse-eating dogs and corpse-eating
birds. . . .
Can the way whereupon the carcasses of dogs or the
corpses of men have been carried, be passed through again
by flocks and herds, by men and women. . . .?
You shall cause the yellow dog with four eyes or the
white dog with yellow ears to go three times through that
way. When either the yellow dog with four ears or the
white dog with yellow ears is brought there, then the Drug
Nasu flies away to the regions of the north, in the shape of a
raging fly, with knees and tail sticking out, all stained with
stains, and like unto the foulest Khrafstras (servants of
the Evil One).
VI.
Mithra
Mithra as
worthy as
his creator.
Zarathrustra
is Zoroaster.
Avesta.
He is
truth.
god of
Ahura Mazda spake unto Spitama Zarathrustra,
saying:
"Verily when I created Mithra, lord of wide pastures,
O Spitama, I created him as worthy of sacrifice, as worthy
prayer as myself, Ahura Mazda.
The ruffian who lies unto Mithra brings death unto the
whole country, injuring the faithful world as much as a
hundred evil-doers could do.
Break not the contract, O
Spitama, neither the one thou hadst entered into with
one of the unfaithful, nor the one thou hadst entered into
with one of the faithful who is of thine own faith. For
Mithra stands for both the faithful and the unfaithful.
. . .
We sacrifice unto Mithra, lord of wide pastures, who is
As god of
light, Mithra
sees and hears
everything. truth-speaking, a chief in assemblies, with a thousand