or ZABÆANS, or ZABIANS, or SABIANS. The Sabians mentioned in
Scripture were evidently a nation, or perhaps a wandering horde, such as
fell upon Job’s cattle, Job i, 15; men of stature, Isa. xiv, 14; a
people afar off, Joel iii, 8. But we speak here of the Zabians as a
sect, probably the first corrupters of the patriarchal religion; and so
called, as is believed, from _tsabiim_, the “hosts,” that is, of heaven;
namely, the sun, moon, and stars, to whom they rendered worship; first
immediately, and afterward through the medium of images; this
particularly distinguished them from the magi, whose idolatry was
confined to the solar orb, and its earthly representative, the fire. If
the above derivation be right, the Zabians were originally Chaldeans,
though afterward the same sect arose in Arabia. Their study of the
heavenly bodies led them, not only to astronomy, but to astrology, its
degenerate daughter, which was for many ages the favourite pursuit of
the oriental nations.
The following account is abridged from Dr. Townley’s “Essays;”--The
Zabii, or Zabians, were a sect of idolaters who flourished in the early
ages of the world, considerable in their numbers, and extensive in their
influence. The denomination of Zabii, given to these idolaters, appears
to have been derived from the Hebrew צבא, a _host_; with reference to
the צכא השמים or, _host of heaven_, which they worshipped; though others
have derived it from the Arabic _tsaba_ “to apostatize,” “to turn from
one religion to another;” or from צביים, or the Arabic _Tsabin_,
“Chaldeans,” or “inhabitants of the east.” Lactantius considers Ham, the
son of Noah, as the first seceder from the true religion after the
flood; and supposes Egypt, which was peopled by his descendants, to have
been the country in which Zabaism, or the worship of the stars, first
prevailed. That the worship of the heavenly bodies prevailed in the east
at a very early period, is certain from the words of Job, who thus
exculpates himself from the charge of idolatry: “If I beheld the sun
when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness, and my heart hath
been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand; this also were
an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the
God that is above,” Job xxii, 26–28. It would appear that the idolatrous
opinions of the Zabii originated with the posterity of Ham, at a very
early period after the flood, in Egypt or Chaldea; but spread so rapidly
and extensively, that in a very short time nearly the whole of the
descendants of Noah were infected with their pestiferous sentiments and
practices. Maimonides says, “This people,” that is, the Zabii, “had
filled the whole world.” Their first and principal adoration was
directed to the host of heaven, or the stars. They were _ignicolæ_, or
“worshippers of fire.” The city of Ur, in Chaldea, seems to have had its
name from the inhabitants being devoted to the worship of fire. They
dedicated images to the sun and the other celestial orbs, supposing
that, by a formal consecration of them to those luminaries, a divine
virtue was infused into them, by which they acquired the faculty of
understanding, and the power of conferring prophecy and other gifts upon
their worshippers. These images were formed of various metals, according
to the particular star to which any of them was dedicated. They also
regarded certain trees as being appropriated to particular stars, and,
when idolatrously dedicated, as being possessed of very singular
virtues. From these opinions sprang the adoption of astrology by them,
in all its various forms. They maintained the doctrine of the eternity
of the world. “All the Zabii,” says Maimonides, “believe in the eternity
of the world; for, according to them, the heavens are God.” Holding the
eternity of the world, they easily became Pre-Adamites, affirming that
Adam was not the first man. They also fabled concerning him, that he was
the apostle of the moon, and the author of several works on husbandry.
Of Noah, they taught, that he was a husbandman, and was imprisoned for
dissenting from their opinions. They add, that Seth was another of those
who forsook the worship of the moon. They held agriculture in the
highest estimation, regarding it as intimately connected with the
worship of the heavenly bodies. On this account, it was deemed criminal,
by the major part of them, to slay or feed upon cattle. Goats were also
reputed to be sacred animals, because the demons whom they worshipped
were said to appear in the woods and deserts in the forms of goats or of
satyrs. Of their superstitious practices, some were dangerous, as the
sacrifices of lions, tigers, and other wild beasts. Certain of their
rites were cruel, as the passing of their children through the fire, and
branding themselves also with fire. Some of their practices were
loathsome and disgustful; such as eating blood, believing it to be the
food of demons, &c. Others were frivolous and tedious; as offering bats
and mice to the sun, various and frequent ablutions, lustrations, &c.
Some of them were obscene and beastly, as the rites practised on
engrafting a tree, or to obtain rain. Many of the rites were magical.
These Maimonides divides into three kinds:--“The first is that which
respects plants, animals, and metals. The second consists in the
limitation and determination of the times in which certain works ought
to be performed. The third consists in human gestures and actions, as
leaping, clapping the hands, shouting, laughing, lying down, or
stretching at full length upon the ground, burning particular things,
raising a smoke, and, lastly, repeating certain intelligible or
unintelligible words. Some things cannot be completed without the use of
all these rites.” It is generally acknowledged that some traces of
Zabianism are still to be found both among the Hindoos and Chinese in
the east, and the Mexicans and other nations in the south. The Guebres,
or Parsees, who inhabit Persia, and are scattered through various parts
of Hindostan, are the acknowledged worshippers of fire, or the supreme
Deity under that symbol. “That the Persians,” says Hyde, “were formerly
Sabians or Zabii, is rendered probable by Ibn Phacreddin Angjou, a
Persian, who, in his book ‘_Pharhangh Gjihanghiri_,’ treating of the
Persians descended from Shem, says in the preface, ‘Their religion, at
that time, was Zabianism; but at length they became magi, and built fire
temples.’ And the author of the book ‘_Mu’gjizat Pharsi_,’ adopts the
same opinion: ‘In ancient times, the Persians were of the Zabian
religion, worshipping the stars, until the time of Gushtasp, son of
Lohrasp.’ For then Zoroaster reformed their religion.” The modern
Sabians, who inhabit the country round about Mount Libanus, believe the
unity of God, but pay an adoration to the stars, or the angels and
intelligences which they suppose reside in them, and govern the world
under the supreme Deity. They are obliged to pray three times a day, and
they fast three times a year. They offer many sacrifices, but eat no
part of them; and abstain from beans, garlic, and some other pulse and
vegetables. They greatly respect the temple of Mecca and the pyramids of
Egypt, fancying these last to be the sepulchres of Seth, and of Enoch
and Sabi, his two sons, whom they look on as the first propagators of
their religion. At these structures, they sacrifice a cock and a black
calf, and offer up incense. Their principal pilgrimage, however, is to
Haran, the supposed birth place of Abraham. Such is the account of this
sect given by Sale, D’Herbelot, and Hyde.
Scripture were evidently a nation, or perhaps a wandering horde, such as
fell upon Job’s cattle, Job i, 15; men of stature, Isa. xiv, 14; a
people afar off, Joel iii, 8. But we speak here of the Zabians as a
sect, probably the first corrupters of the patriarchal religion; and so
called, as is believed, from _tsabiim_, the “hosts,” that is, of heaven;
namely, the sun, moon, and stars, to whom they rendered worship; first
immediately, and afterward through the medium of images; this
particularly distinguished them from the magi, whose idolatry was
confined to the solar orb, and its earthly representative, the fire. If
the above derivation be right, the Zabians were originally Chaldeans,
though afterward the same sect arose in Arabia. Their study of the
heavenly bodies led them, not only to astronomy, but to astrology, its
degenerate daughter, which was for many ages the favourite pursuit of
the oriental nations.
The following account is abridged from Dr. Townley’s “Essays;”--The
Zabii, or Zabians, were a sect of idolaters who flourished in the early
ages of the world, considerable in their numbers, and extensive in their
influence. The denomination of Zabii, given to these idolaters, appears
to have been derived from the Hebrew צבא, a _host_; with reference to
the צכא השמים or, _host of heaven_, which they worshipped; though others
have derived it from the Arabic _tsaba_ “to apostatize,” “to turn from
one religion to another;” or from צביים, or the Arabic _Tsabin_,
“Chaldeans,” or “inhabitants of the east.” Lactantius considers Ham, the
son of Noah, as the first seceder from the true religion after the
flood; and supposes Egypt, which was peopled by his descendants, to have
been the country in which Zabaism, or the worship of the stars, first
prevailed. That the worship of the heavenly bodies prevailed in the east
at a very early period, is certain from the words of Job, who thus
exculpates himself from the charge of idolatry: “If I beheld the sun
when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness, and my heart hath
been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand; this also were
an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the
God that is above,” Job xxii, 26–28. It would appear that the idolatrous
opinions of the Zabii originated with the posterity of Ham, at a very
early period after the flood, in Egypt or Chaldea; but spread so rapidly
and extensively, that in a very short time nearly the whole of the
descendants of Noah were infected with their pestiferous sentiments and
practices. Maimonides says, “This people,” that is, the Zabii, “had
filled the whole world.” Their first and principal adoration was
directed to the host of heaven, or the stars. They were _ignicolæ_, or
“worshippers of fire.” The city of Ur, in Chaldea, seems to have had its
name from the inhabitants being devoted to the worship of fire. They
dedicated images to the sun and the other celestial orbs, supposing
that, by a formal consecration of them to those luminaries, a divine
virtue was infused into them, by which they acquired the faculty of
understanding, and the power of conferring prophecy and other gifts upon
their worshippers. These images were formed of various metals, according
to the particular star to which any of them was dedicated. They also
regarded certain trees as being appropriated to particular stars, and,
when idolatrously dedicated, as being possessed of very singular
virtues. From these opinions sprang the adoption of astrology by them,
in all its various forms. They maintained the doctrine of the eternity
of the world. “All the Zabii,” says Maimonides, “believe in the eternity
of the world; for, according to them, the heavens are God.” Holding the
eternity of the world, they easily became Pre-Adamites, affirming that
Adam was not the first man. They also fabled concerning him, that he was
the apostle of the moon, and the author of several works on husbandry.
Of Noah, they taught, that he was a husbandman, and was imprisoned for
dissenting from their opinions. They add, that Seth was another of those
who forsook the worship of the moon. They held agriculture in the
highest estimation, regarding it as intimately connected with the
worship of the heavenly bodies. On this account, it was deemed criminal,
by the major part of them, to slay or feed upon cattle. Goats were also
reputed to be sacred animals, because the demons whom they worshipped
were said to appear in the woods and deserts in the forms of goats or of
satyrs. Of their superstitious practices, some were dangerous, as the
sacrifices of lions, tigers, and other wild beasts. Certain of their
rites were cruel, as the passing of their children through the fire, and
branding themselves also with fire. Some of their practices were
loathsome and disgustful; such as eating blood, believing it to be the
food of demons, &c. Others were frivolous and tedious; as offering bats
and mice to the sun, various and frequent ablutions, lustrations, &c.
Some of them were obscene and beastly, as the rites practised on
engrafting a tree, or to obtain rain. Many of the rites were magical.
These Maimonides divides into three kinds:--“The first is that which
respects plants, animals, and metals. The second consists in the
limitation and determination of the times in which certain works ought
to be performed. The third consists in human gestures and actions, as
leaping, clapping the hands, shouting, laughing, lying down, or
stretching at full length upon the ground, burning particular things,
raising a smoke, and, lastly, repeating certain intelligible or
unintelligible words. Some things cannot be completed without the use of
all these rites.” It is generally acknowledged that some traces of
Zabianism are still to be found both among the Hindoos and Chinese in
the east, and the Mexicans and other nations in the south. The Guebres,
or Parsees, who inhabit Persia, and are scattered through various parts
of Hindostan, are the acknowledged worshippers of fire, or the supreme
Deity under that symbol. “That the Persians,” says Hyde, “were formerly
Sabians or Zabii, is rendered probable by Ibn Phacreddin Angjou, a
Persian, who, in his book ‘_Pharhangh Gjihanghiri_,’ treating of the
Persians descended from Shem, says in the preface, ‘Their religion, at
that time, was Zabianism; but at length they became magi, and built fire
temples.’ And the author of the book ‘_Mu’gjizat Pharsi_,’ adopts the
same opinion: ‘In ancient times, the Persians were of the Zabian
religion, worshipping the stars, until the time of Gushtasp, son of
Lohrasp.’ For then Zoroaster reformed their religion.” The modern
Sabians, who inhabit the country round about Mount Libanus, believe the
unity of God, but pay an adoration to the stars, or the angels and
intelligences which they suppose reside in them, and govern the world
under the supreme Deity. They are obliged to pray three times a day, and
they fast three times a year. They offer many sacrifices, but eat no
part of them; and abstain from beans, garlic, and some other pulse and
vegetables. They greatly respect the temple of Mecca and the pyramids of
Egypt, fancying these last to be the sepulchres of Seth, and of Enoch
and Sabi, his two sons, whom they look on as the first propagators of
their religion. At these structures, they sacrifice a cock and a black
calf, and offer up incense. Their principal pilgrimage, however, is to
Haran, the supposed birth place of Abraham. Such is the account of this
sect given by Sale, D’Herbelot, and Hyde.