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Chapter XXXIV

Doctrines of the base.

1. WHAT were the old foundations?

2. To dwell in families (communities), with a father to each and every one.

3. And what of the ancient states?

4. The fathers had families, with chief fathers over them.

5. What of the empire?

6. The chief fathers elected one over them, and he was called, the Sun Father. Because, as the sun is the glory and beauty of the phalanx, ruling over the planets, so was the emperor the sun of mortals.

7. What was the scope of responsibility?

8. As a father is responsible for the behavior of his own child, so was the rab'bah responsible for the behavior of his family; so was the chief rab'bah responsible for the behavior of his family of rab'bahs; so was the emperor responsible for the behavior of his empire.

9. What was the responsibility of a child to its natural father? of a man to the rab'bah? of the rab'bahs to the chief rab'bahs? of all the people to the emperor?

10. The child shall be taught to love, to revere and to obey its own father (and its mother, who is its vice-father); the man to love and revere the rab'bah; the rab'bahs to love and revere the chief rab'bahs; the whole people to love and revere the emperor.

11. Why this order?

12. It is the doctrine of the ancients, handed down from generation to generation, and hath proved to be a good doctrine for an empire.

13. How knew the ancients these principles?

14. The Creator taught them. The Creator sent His high angel, Te, who hath charge of the intermediate world, down to mortals to teach them.

15. How is this proved?

16. By the sacred books of the ancients.

17. Who wrote the ancient sacred books?

18. Men inspired by the angel of the Creator.

19. How is this proved?

20. It is proved negatively, because men can not write so beautiful nor in the style.

21. What were the fundamental doctrines of the ancient sacred books?

22.To worship none but the Creator.

23. To have no images nor idols.

24. To keep the day of the change of the moon as a sacred day, and to do no work on that day, but to practice rites, processions and ceremonies, for the glory of the Creator.

25. To love the Creator above all else.

26. To love one's parents next to Him.

27. To kill no living creature maliciously or for food.

28. To tell no lies, nor to steal, nor to covet anything, that is another's.

29. Do not unto others what we would that they should not do unto us.

30. To return good for evil.

31. To feed and clothe the stranger, the sick and helpless.

32. To be not idle, but industrious.

33. To say no ill of any man nor woman nor child.

34. To practice the highest wisdom one hath.

35. To respect all people, as we desire to be respected.

Next: God's Book of Eskra: Chapter XXXV

