Millspresentedaseriesofstrikingcoincidenceswithourownlateraccount。Astoitsmainfeatures，heshowedthattherehadbeendevelopedamongthePersians，manycenturiesbeforetheChristianera，thelegendofavaineffortofthearch-demon，oneseatofwhosepowerwasthesummitofMountArezura，totemptZoroastertoworshiphim，——ofanargumentbetweentempterandtempted，——andofZoroaster’srefusal；andthedoctorcontinued：
“NoPersiansubjectinthestreetsofJerusalem，soonafterorlongaftertheReturn，couldhavefailedtoknowthisstrikingmyth。”Dr。Millsthenwentontoshowthat，amongtheJews，“thedoctrineofimmortalitywasscarcelymootedbeforethelaterIsaiah——thatis，beforethecaptivity——whiletheZoroastrianscripturesareonemassofspiritualism，referringallresultstotheheavenlyortotheinfernalworlds。”Heconcludesbysayingthat，asregardstheOldandNewTestaments，“thehumble，andtoacertainextentprior，religionoftheMazdaworshipperswasusefulingivingpointandbeautytomanylooseconceptionsamongtheJewishreligiousteachers，andinintroducingmanyideaswhichwereentirelynew，whileastothedoctrinesofimmortalityandresurrection——themostimportantofall——itpositivelydeterminedbelief。”[498]
[498]ForthepassagesintheVendidadofspecialimportanceasregardstheTemptationmyth，seeFargard，xix，18，20，26，also140，147。VerystrikingistheaccountoftheTemptationinthePelhaviversionoftheVendidad。ThedevilisrepresentedassayingtoZaratushtZoroaster：“Ihadtheworshipofthyancestors；dothoualsoworshipme。”IamindebtedtoProf。E。
P。Evans，formerlyoftheUniversityofMichigan，butnowofMunich，foratranslationoftheoriginaltextfromSpiegel’sedition。Foragoodaccount，seealsoHaug，EssaysontheSacredLanguage，etc。，oftheParsees，editedbyWest，London，1884，pp。
252etseq。；seealsoMills’sandDarmesteter’sworkinSacredBooksoftheEast。ForDr。Mills’sarticlereferredto，seehisZoroasterandtheBible，inTheNineteenthCentury，January，1894。ForthecitationfromRenan，seehisHistoireduPeupleIsrael，tomexiv，chap。iv；seealso，forPersianideansofheaven，hellandresurrection，Haug，asabove，p。310etseq。