Essay on the Sacred Fire and on the Vestals

These researches are of pure curiosity; woe to anyone who would attach a greater importance to them.

It is not known when or how Zoroaster original: "Zerdust" left Judea; he came to Persia and established himself in the Province of Azerbaijan original: "Aderbayagan", where the Priests of Fire resided; it was there that he presented himself as a Prophet. Khondemir, a Persian Historian, says that Zoroaster, having learned through his astrological knowledge that a great Prophet was about to appear, and not seeing him arrive, applied this prediction to himself; to fulfill it, he retired into a cave, where the Devil appeared to him, clothed in a luminous body, and in several conferences he had with him, instructed him in what he was to announce.

This entire passage from Khondemir is plausible with the exception of the appearance of the devil; but a good Muslim original: "Musulman" could hardly speak otherwise of a Lawgiver original: "Législateur" whose worship is proscribed by his Law. What is singular is that this passage has served several scholars to prove that Zoroaster was an impostor, even though they do not believe he was visited by the devil. They say seriously that all famous deceivers have not failed to act in this manner, and to seek, like him, retreat; they recall the cave of Muhammad original: "Mahomet", where he supposed himself to have familiar conversations with the Angel Gabriel. This argument, far from proving their point, would strongly establish the contrary; they do not observe

that we have seen Philosophers distance themselves from the world to meditate with more leisure and tranquility; one could cite Epictetus and several others to them, who had secluded cells; they forget the journey of Moses original: "Moyse" into Chaldea, where he kept, for so long a time, the flocks of his father-in-law; they do not think at all that it was in a desert that God appeared to him in the midst of a burning bush; they no longer recall his stay on the mountain, where the Eternal gave him the Law, and where he remained forty days, alone and in conference with the Divinity. I could add that the Prophets loved and sought solitude; I could also remind them that Jesus prepared for his mission by a stay, and by a fast of forty days in the desert.

The time that Zoroaster spent in his cave is not determined; it is only known that upon his return, he delivered to Vishtaspa original: "Gushtasfp", twelve volumes,