Transcriber’s Notes Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected. Variations in hyphenation have been standardised but all other spelling and punctuation remains unchanged. The precise location of footnote 37 is speculative since it is not indicated in the original. Al-Bertuni is only mentioned once in the book, with an anchor to a footnote which is not present. The anchor has not been included. The first footnote to chapter VII has no anchor, nor any mention of the apparent topic within the chapter so it has not been indexed. Italics are represented thus _italic_, and superscripts thus y^e. WORLD WORSHIPS SERIES HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY, in 4 Volumes. _By Andrew Stephenson_ SEX WORSHIP AND SYMBOLISM OF PRIMITIVE RACES. _By Sanger Brown, II._ DEVIL WORSHIP, THE SACRED BOOKS AND TRADITIONS OF THE YEZIDIZ. _By Isya Joseph._ ZOROASTRIANISM AND JUDAISM. _By George William Carter._ MESSIAHS: CHRISTIAN AND PAGAN. _By Wilson D. Wallis._ THE DEEPER ASPECTS OF ROMAN EMPEROR-WORSHIP. _By Louis Matthews Sweet._ RICHARD G. BADGER, PUBLISHER, BOSTON [Illustration: THE SYMBOL OF THE DEVIL.] DEVIL WORSHIP THE SACRED BOOKS AND TRADITIONS OF THE YEZIDIZ BY ISYA JOSEPH, B.A., M.A., PH.D. [Illustration] BOSTON RICHARD G. BADGER THE GORHAM PRESS Copyright, 1919, by Richard G. Badger All rights reserved The Gorham Press, Boston, U. S. A. Made in the United States of America. TO MY TEACHERS IN UNION THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, COLUMBIA, AND HARVARD UNIVERSITIES, THIS BOOK IS INSCRIBED WITH GRATITUDE AND ESTEEM CONTENTS Chapter Page INTRODUCTION—THE ORIGIN OF THE MANUSCRIPT 11 NOTES ON THE INTRODUCTION 22 PART I. THE TRANSLATION OF THE ARABIC TEXT PREFACE, IN THE NAME OF THE MOST COMPASSIONATE GOD 29 I. AL-JILWAH—THE REVELATION 30 II. MASHAF RES—THE BLACK BOOK 36 III. APPENDIX TO PART I. 53 IV. THE POEM IN PRAISE OF ŠEIḪ ‘ADI 70 V. THE PRINCIPAL PRAYER OF THE YEZIDIS 73 VI. SEVEN CLASSES OF YEZIDIS 75 VII. THE ARTICLES OF FAITH 77