1. ABOUT the time Baal and Ashtaroth had destroyed the inhabitants of the earth in Parsi'e and Heleste, they applied to Osiris, demanding promotion to separate kingdoms of their own. They said:
2. Thou knowest of a truth that for sake of confederacy we merged our own kingdoms into thine; to make thee powerful against the wars of Te-in and Sudga in heaven. And to do thy will we have laid desolate the mortal kingdoms of Parsi'e and Heleste. For which things thou didst promise us in the start we should have great kingdoms in heaven.
3. Now behold, heaven is but one vast scene of war! And this also do we perceive, that the mighty contests are without any prospect of an end. As these heavenly wars raged hundreds of years ago, even so do they this day. Yea, the heavenly forces are becoming less disciplined and less scrupulous from year to year.
4. By evidence of which it is plain that thy heavens, and Te-in's, and Sudga's, will soon or late be cast into interminable hells. To prevent which, we ask of thee, our God, go give us each a section to ourselves, and we will subdue the places and govern them in our own way.
5. Osiris answered them, saying: Of all the Gods, who but I hath done a hand's turn to raise mortal subjects to a higher plane? Te-in's course was destruction; so was Sudga's. And by much importuning ye twain persuaded me to have the mortals of Parsi'e and Heleste destroyed. And now, in the time when most of all we should be united, ye importune me to have my great kingdom disruptured and divided. Perceive ye not that we have the balance of power in our favor? And also, that if in these troublous times ye espouse new kingdoms, we will all be at the mercy of Te-in and Sudga.
6. For which reason I beseech you both to postpone the matter till we have driven our enemies from our doors. Let us be faithful to the confederacy.
7. Now in this affair Baal and Ashtaroth came not to Osiris in person, but sent messengers, as if they were ashamed of their own proposal. And yet, on the other hand, Osiris invited them not to his kingdom.
8. Ashtaroth said to Baal: See what Osiris hath done! He taketh us for children; giving us sweet promises if we will but keep right on serving him. I tell thee, Baal, thou mayst serve Osiris; but from this time forth I am none of his! Behold, I will mark out a kingdom of mine own, and I will establish it and rule it in mine own way. Moreover I will send word to Te-in and Sudga; and if Osiris balk me, they shall know his vulnerable points.
9. Baal said: Even so will I; and I will establish a kingdom alongside of thine, and if our enemies attack us we can the better defend ourselves.
10. So said, so done. And Baal marked out for his heavenly kingdom over Heleste and north-western Arabin'ya; and Ashtaroth marked out for her heavenly kingdom over Parsi'e and north-eastern Arabin'ya. And the twain no sooner chose their generals and captains, and founded their heavenly thrones, than they sent word to Osiris and to Te-in and to Sudga.
11. A general dismemberment of these mighty kingdoms took place. In Osiris' heaven there revolted one Kabbath, who took the name Thammus. He was a general, whom tens of thousands of angel officers delighted to serve. He marked out his heavenly place over western Egupt, and established his throne and officers, and had himself proclaimed to mortals through the oracles as THE ONLY SON OF THE GREAT SPIRIT, THE SAVIOR OF MEN.
12. Teos-judas also revolted from Osiris, and established a heavenly kingdom over south Arabin'ya (Africa). Besides these there were: Marcus, Delos, Acta, Hebron, De-bora, Julta, Wab, Thais and D'nor, great generals and captains in Osiris' heavenly kingdom, all of whom revolted and began setting up heavenly kingdoms of their own.
13. And in Sudga's heavenly kingdom more than one thousand generals and captains revolted and began to establish heavenly kingdoms of their own. Of these the most prominent were: Judsa, Vishnu, Eorata, Chrisna, Histaga, Vivaulias, Hiras, Haroyu, Ahhoma, V'ractu and Tiviressa.
14. And in Te-in's heavenly kingdom more than eight hundred generals and captains revolted, and established kingdoms of their own. Of these the most powerful were: Chong, Ho-Tain, Dyut, Cow, Ghan, Su-Lep, Djhi, Hiss, Me Lee, Wang, Hop-jee and Kaab.
15. And all the revolted ones called themselves Gods or Lords or Saviors, and endeavored to establish an earthly habitation as well. And all of them took with them millions and millions and tens of millions of angel followers; and some of them had more than a hundred million subjects to start with.
16. So anarchy began to reign in hada. Order was broken down; warfare was divided in a thousand ways, and neither angels nor Gods could more discover what this war or that war was about, save to inflict torments on others. And so great was the conflict that over more than half the earth all the lowest heaven was but one continuous succession of knots and hells. To inflict pain and disorder and destruction was the work of twenty thousand million angels in darkness; war, war, war; hell, hell, hell!
17. And now, alas, over all the earth where war had reveled hundreds of years, were thousands of millions of spirits in chaos, not knowing in fact they were in the spirit world, but still battling against all who came along, to the left and to the right, before and behind, screaming, bawling with madness, striking out in madness, in unceasing agony, in an unending nightmare of madness.
18. And from the mighty hosts of darkness, the drujas, deep born in darkness, now pestering the people on earth, were hundreds of millions of familiars taking to fetalism! Vampire spirits who suck the blood and the flesh of mortals till the brain and heart are wild and mad! Till the mortal is driven to nameless deeds of horrors, desperate with the foul obsession. Spirits who bring poison and horrid smells to afflict mortals with; spirits who delight to feed on the flesh of mortals which is corrupted with scabs and running sores. Spirits that teach re-incarnation and lust as the highest, most exalted heaven.
19. And now the mighty hosts of Anuhasaj, alias De'yus, the Lord God, the false, broke in on every side, and spread here and there for foulness and for fuel to feed their thousands of hells.
20. And these in remembrance of Osiris' hated name and treachery went for his great kingdom, followed by thousands of millions of angels, desperate with long-continued slavery, roused for deeds of vengeance. Forth into his capital, Agho'aden, they rushed, beating down the pillars of fire and high archways and rushing into the throne of Osiris, seized him and his vice-Gods and high marshals and dragged them off and cast them into foul-smelling hells, hideous with the wail and roar of maniacs and tantalizing drujas, and with kicks and blows and poundings covered them up in foul darkness, heaped deep and smothering in suffocating gases.
21. Then off ran other legions for Te-in and his high officers, and to pillage his kingdom also. And him and them they seized and bore off in triumph to equally horrid hells. And then others for great Sudga ran, even more desperate for vengeance sake; and him they also caught, despoiling his mighty kingdom and cast him into hell.
22. And for many of the lesser Gods they ran, and broke them down utterly, and cast them into hells. Only two Gods of the past days in these regions escaped, Baal and Ashtaroth, who fled to save themselves for a more opportune season to carry out their wicked schemes.