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The “Fifty-seven Years” in the Zoroastrian Doctrine of the Resurrection
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 March 2011
Extract
The doctrine of the resurrection of the dead is a familiar one in Zoroastrianism from the Avesta and kindred sources. It has long been a puzzle to me, however, to understand why the Pahlavi Books assign the exact number “fifty-seven years” at the end of the last millennium to the events connected with the resurrection of the dead (Phl. rīstāxēz) and the renovation of the world (Phl. frašōkarṯ, Av. frašōkәrәti) by the Saviour or Benefactor (Phl. Sōšyans or Sōšāns, Av. Saošyany) and his assistants, fifteen males and fifteen females. It has therefore seemed worth while to bring together the Pahlavi passages alluding to the fifty-seven years and see if anything can be deduced from them.
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- Copyright © The Royal Asiatic Society 1928
References
page 1 note 1 Cf. Jackson, , Zoroastrian Studies, chap, ix, § 85 (1927)Google Scholar, being the original English from which was made the German translation in Geiger, and Kuhn, , Grundriss d. iran. Philologie, 2 684–686 (1903)Google Scholar.
page 1 note 2 For the text of the Indian recension of the Būndahishn see the editions by Justi, p. 72, lines 10–13; Westergaard, p. 72, 10–13; M. R. Unvalla, p. 84, 12–15; and cf. transl. by West, SBE. 5, 123. Fox the Iranian Būndahishn see the photozincograph facsimile edited by T. D, and B. T. Anklesaria, p. 223, 2–5, fol. 113b; its text in this passage presents some slight but unimportant variations from the Indian recension.
page 2 note 1 Thus (hangēzēnēṱ) is to be read, from Phl. hangēzēnītan, see Bartholomae, , WZKM. 25, 404Google Scholar.
page 2 note 2 Instead of “Mashya and Mashyōī” read “Mahryag and Mahryānag” with Sehaeder in Reitzenstein-Schaeder, , Studien z. antik. Synkretismus, p. 233Google Scholar, and see Schaeder's discussion (op. oit., p. 226, n. 1), together with his references to Freiman and Junker.
page 2 note 3 Best transliterated as vigrāsēnd “they awaken”, instead of (West) viräyēnd “they prepare”; see Bartholomae, , WZKM. 25, 404Google Scholar.
page 2 note 4 Instead of the “Huzvarish” logograms madam yakavīmūnand (Ind. Bd.) the Iran Bd. gives the Iranian equivalents ōl ōstand.
page 2 note 5 For the Pahlavi text, see edition by Anklesaria, T. D., Datistan-i Dinik, Part I, Pursishn I–XL, p. 73, Bombay (1910 ?)Google Scholar; for translation see West, , SBE. 18, 79Google Scholar. Cf. further Söderblom, , La Vie future, pp. 260–1Google Scholar.
page 2 note 6 See note 3 above. But West here, as above, translates “prepare”, since he reads the word as virāyēnd.
page 3 note 1 No text is available, but we may rely on the accuracy of West's translation.
page 4 note 1 See tr. West, , SBE. 47, 117Google Scholar. For the text cf. Madan, D. M., The Pahlavi Dinkard, part 2, pp. 674–5Google Scholar; also Sanjana, Dastur D. P., The Dinkard, 14, 98–9 (text)Google Scholar; p. 95 (transl.).
page 4 note 2 For text of the Indian Bd. 30. 2–3, see Justi, p. 70 bottom, 71 top; Westergaard, pp. 70–1; Unvalla, p. 82 bottom, 83 top; and for the Iranian Būndahishn, Anklesaria, p. 221. Cf. also transl. West, , SBE 5. 120–1Google Scholar.
page 5 note 1 I am especially indebted to my fellow-worker, Dr. Charles J. Ogden, for suggestions in connexion with this passage.
page 5 note 2 For the text see Madan, , The Pahlavi Dinkard, 2. 648Google Scholar; Sanjana, , Dinkard, 14. 45 (text), 44 (transl.)Google Scholar. Cf. transl. West, , SBE. 47. 80Google Scholar. The traditional chronology of the early years of the Faithis summarized by West, , SBE. 47, introd. p. xxxGoogle Scholar; see the references to the Pahlavi texts there cited, and compare also the Persian Ravāyat of Kam Dīn Shāpur, 2. 48, 11–12, Bombay, 1922. Incidentally may be added the fact that another Persian Ravāyat, that of Kam Bhara, op. cit. 2. 48, 18, assigns “57 years” for the reign of the legendary Kai Khusrau. The Būndahishn (Bd. 34. 7), however, gives a round number of “60 years” for this monarch's reign. For the passages in the Ravāyats I have to thank my colleague, Professor L H. Gray.