The Book of the Cave of Treasures 40

1And in the days of Nimrod, the mighty man (or giant), a fire appeared which ascended from the earth, and Nimrod went down, and looked at it, and worshipped it, and he established priests to minister there, and to cast incense into it. From that day the Persians began to worship fire, [and they do so] to this day.

2And Sisan, the king, found a spring of water in Dréghin, and he made a white horse and set it over it, and those who bathed in the water used to worship the horse. And from that time the Persians began to worship that (sic) horse. And Nimrod went to Y6ékdé6ra of Nédh, and when he arrived at the Lake (or Sea) of Atras, he found there Y6nt6n, the son of Noah. And Nimrod went down and bathed in the Lake, and he came to Y6ontén and did homage unto him. And Yonton said, “ Thou art a king; doest thou homage unto me?” And Nimrod said unto him, “‘ It is because of thee that I have come down here’”’; and he remained with him for three years. And Yont6n taught Nimrod wisdom, and the art of revelation (divining?), and he said unto him, ‘“‘ Come not back again to me.” And when Nimrod went up from the east, and began to practise the art of divining, very many men marvelled at him. And when IdhAshir (Ardeshir?), the priest who ministered to the fire that ascended from the earth, saw that Nimrod was practising these exalted courses, he entreated the devil, who appeared in connection with that fire, to teach him the wisdom of Nimrod. And as the devils were in the habit of destroying those who came nigh unto them by sin, the devil said unto the priest, “A man cannot become a priest and a Magian until he hath known carnally his mother, and his daughter, and his sister.” And idhdshir the priest did this, and from that time the priests, and the Magians, and the Persians take their mothers, and their sisters, and their daughters [to wife]. And this Idhdshir, the Magian, was the first to begin to study the Signs of the Zodiac, and [omens concerning] luck, and fate, and happenings, and motions of the eyes and eyelids, as well as all the other arts of the learning of the Chaldees. Now, all this learning is the error of devils, and those who practise it shall receive, together with the devils, the doom of the Judgment. And because this art of divination, which was employed by Nimrod, was taught to him by Yéntén, none of the orthodox doctors have suppressed it; nay, they have even practised it. Now the Persians call it “ Gelyana ” (i.e. Astronomy”). But that [knowledge] which the Magians have, viz. astrology, is sorcery and the teaching of devils. There are some who say that it doth indeed [teach concerning] luck, and happenings (i.e. future events), and fate, but these are in error. Now Nimrod builded Strong cities in the east, Babel, and N ineveh, and R4sdn (Ras ‘Ain), and Selik (Seleucia), and Ctesiphon, and Adhorbaighan; and he made three fortresses.